Refuse collection system, refuse collection truck and loader assembly therefor

An improved loader apparatus for a refuse truck including a bed having an open top loading station and a refuse storage area, said open top loading station including means operatively disposed at the one end thereof for moving the refuse emptied into said open top loading station into said refuse storage area and compacting same therein, said loader apparatus being utilized for lifting a refuse container and emptying the contents thereof into said open top loading station for refuse collection purposes, said improved loader apparatus comprising:

• a rail guide assembly fixedly secured substantially at one exterior side of the bed and the frame of said refuse truck adjacent said open top loading station, said rail guide assembly including means for forming a set of roller wheel tracks and means for forming a drive chain track, said rail guide assembly further including an elongated, substantially vertical lower end portion and an arcuately turned upper end portion having its distal end terminating downwardly in the direction of the open top of said open top loading station;
• carriage means including a set of roller wheel means for moving along said set of roller wheel tracks of said rail guide assembly, said carriage means including an interior carriage support means including said roller wheel means for up and down movement along said set of roller wheel tracks of said rail guide assembly, an exterior carriage support means, and extension/retraction means operatively connected between said interior and exterior carriage support means for extending and retracting said exterior carriage support means horizontally with respect to said interior carriage support means and for connecting said exterior carriage support means to said interior carriage support means for generally vertical up and down movement therewith along said set of roller wheel tracks, said extension/retraction means having a closed fully-retracted home position and a fully-extended pick-up position in which said interior carriage support means and said extension/retraction means are laterally spaced from said interior carriage support means;
• gripping means operatively carried by said exterior carriage support means and having an opened position for operatively receiving a refuse container therein and a closed position for grippably retaining said refuse container for refuse collection purposes;
• a single finite length of drive chain having first and second opposite end portions which are unconnected from one another, said drive chain being operatively housed at least partially within said drive chain track for up and down movement therealong;
• means for driving said drive chain along said drive chain track and including means for operatively controlling the speed, acceleration and deacceleration thereof;
• means operatively coupled to said interior carriage support means for removably coupling and uncoupling said carriage means to said drive chain for vertical up and down movement therewith;
• cam means having a cam shaft operatively driven by said driving means and having an outer peripheral cam surface thereon;
• cam follower means responsive to the contour of said outer peripheral cam surface of said cam means for at least partially controlling the speed, acceleration and deacceleration of said chain drive means;
• and
• means operatively coupled to said extension/retraction means, said gripping means, said chain drive means, said carriage coupling means, and said valve means for selectively controlling the operation thereof.