Residential refuse collection cart lifter with universal features

A lifting apparatus for use with residential refuse collection carts, for lifting and dumping the contents thereof into a larger refuse container, said apparatus comprising:

• a lift plate for receipt thereon of a refuse collection cart to be emptied;
• drive means for controllably moving said lift plate with a refuse collection cart received thereon so as to lift and dump the contents of such cart;
• cart engagement means associated with said lift plate for engaging a refuse collection cart to be emptied;
• and
• drive dampening means for selectively slowing said controlled moving of said lift plate during a predetermined portion of a cart dumping cycle, so as to reduced strain on a cart during final dumping thereof wherein:
• said drive means includes a hydraulically actuated rotary motor with an output shaft thereof positioned substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of said lift plate between respective lowered and raised positions thereof, said rotary motor including rack and pinion gear teeth respectively supported on a reciprocal piston rod and on a rotatable portion of said output shaft passing through said rotary motor, and further wherein said rack and pinion teeth engage one another immersed in hydraulic fluid within a cylinder of said rotary motor;
• and
• said drive dampening means includes a specialized end cap adapted to fit over one end of said cylinder of said rotary motor drive means with a hydraulic fluid port passing through said end cap and into a central passage thereof, a fixed insert adapted to be received in a fixed position in said central passage, a slidable insert adapted to be received inside said fixed insert and defining therethrough two alternative flow paths for hydraulic fluid into said cylinder, said two flow paths having different respective flow rates, and a biasing spring for biasing said slidable insert towards said cylinder so that said slidable insert is engageable with said rotary motor piston, whereby predetermined movement of said piston displaces said slidable insert so as to change hydraulic oil flow rates to said cylinder.

A lifting apparatus for use with residential refuse collection carts, for lifting and dumping the contents thereof into a larger refuse container, said apparatus comprising:

• a lift plate for receipt thereon of a refuse collection cart to be emptied;
• drive means for controllably moving said lift plate with a refuse collection cart received thereon so as to lift and dump the contents of such cart, said drive means including a hydraulically actuated piston in a cylinder;
• cart engagement means associated with said lift plate for engaging a refuse collection cart to be emptied;
• and
• drive dampening means for selectively slowing said controlled moving of said lift plate during a predetermined portion of a cart dumping cycle, so as to reduced strain on a cart during final dumping thereof, said drive dampening means including means for selectively limiting the flow of hydraulic fluid within said drive means cylinder in response to the relative position of said piston therein, wherein said cart engagement means include:
• cart clamping means associated with said lift plate for clamping thereon a refuse collection cart of the type having a single upper lip to be clamped during lifting of such cart;
• and
• cart latching means associated with said lift plate for latching thereon a refuse collection cart of the type having a pair of opposing latch engagement surfaces, said cart latching means comprising a lower latch member movably mounted between an extended position thereof for engaging the lower of the cart latch engagement surfaces and a retracted position thereof pivoted relatively downward from said extended position thereof, and comprising an upper latch member movably mounted between an extended position thereof for engaging the upper of the cart latch engagement surfaces and a retracted position thereof pivoted relatively upward from said extended position thereof, biasing means for biasing said lower and upper latch members into said respective extended positions thereof for engagement with and lifting of a cart of the type having a pair of opposing latch surfaces, and further being respectively displaceable therefrom into said respective retracted positions thereof upon contact with a cart of the type having a single upper lip to be clamped for engagement of such cart by said cart clamping means and for subsequent lifting thereof with said apparatus.