Load measuring system for refuse trucks

An apparatus for determining the weight of material emptied from a container said apparatus comprising:

• at least one pivoting component pivotally attached to said fixed component at one end, and being releasably connectable to said container at the other end;
• at least one first pivoter acting between said fixed component and said pivoting component to cause said pivoting component to pivot about said pivotal attachment to said fixed component;
• at least one angle sensor mounted so as to provide output corresponding to the degree of rotation of said pivoting member relative to a horizontal plane;
• at least one second sensor mounted so as to provide output corresponding to the force exerted when said apparatus is supporting said container;
• a source of electrical power;
• and
• a programmed computational unit,
• said computational unit receiving said outputs from said sensors and combining said outputs with a plurality of predetermined and pre-input constants to calculate a distance to a center of gravity of the container being lifted emptied and lowered by said apparatus, said computational unit further combining said calculated distance with said measured force within the pivoter to calculate the weight of the container being lifted and lowered, said lowered weight being then subtracted from said lifted weight to determine the weight of the material emptied from said container.