Refuse loader arm
AssigneeMatrik Pty. Ltd.
InventorStephen W. Holtom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The bin grabbing nipper (22) of a refuse loader arm is held at a constant angle to limb (15) by a parallelogram linkage having pivots (26, 17, 19, 25). Thus, pivoting of limb (15) leads directly to inversion of the raised bin and no separate operation of a special bin tilting ram is required to bring a bin to dumping position. The nipper consists of two opposed, jointed fingers which are separately pivoted to a wrist member (21). All finger joints and wrist joints of the nipper are pivoted by separate hydraulic cylinders supplied by a common source. By sensing back-pressure in each cylinder they can be made to exert equal force. Pivoting at limb joints (17) and (19) is by opposed hydraulic cylinders acting on a rack meshing with a gear wheel. Both these joints may be controlled by a single joystick.
Claims16
A refuse loader arm assembly for reaching and grabbing a refuse bin from a rest position on the ground laterally spaced from a refuse storage chamber fitted with said refuse loader arm assembly, and for raising said bin to a dump position in which refuse in said bin falls by action of gravity into said refuse storage chamber, said arm assembly comprising:
- a first limb having at one end thereof a pivotal connection at a first pivot point and being pivotally connected at an opposite end thereof to one end of a second arm assembly, said second arm assembly including, at an opposite end from said one end thereof, a grab assembly for grabbing said bin;
- and
- a linkage means, coupled between said first limb and said grab assembly, for providing that said grab assembly is maintained at a fixed angular orientation with respect to said first limb independently of the angular orientation of said second arm assembly with respect to said first limb throughout raising of said bin, and providing that by pivoting said first limb said bin is disposed in said dump position so that said refuse in said bin is automatically dumped into said refuse storage container.
A refuse loader arm apparatus, mountable on a refuse storage chamber carried by a vehicle, for reaching and grabbing a refuse bin from a rest position on the ground laterally spaced from a refuse storage chamber on which said refuse loader arm apparatus is mounted, and for raising said bin to a dump position in which refuse in said bin falls, by action of gravity, into said refuse storage chamber, said refuse loader arm apparatus comprising:
- an arm assembly;
- a first limb for pivotal connection at one end thereof to a vehicle carrying said bulk refuse container at a first pivot point and pivotally connected at an opposite end to one end of said arm assembly, said arm assembly including, at an opposite end from said one end thereof, a grab assembly for grabbing a bin;
- and,
- a linkage means, coupled between said first limb and said grab assembly, for providing, in cooperation with said first limb and said grab assembly, that said grab assembly is maintained as a fixed angular orientation with respect to said first limb independently of the angular orientation of said arm assembly with respect to said first limb throughout raising of a bin, and that by pivoting said first limb, a bin that has been grabbed by said grab assembly is disposed in said dump position so that refuse in that bin is automatically dumped into said refuse storage chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.