Patent ID: 6390758
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: B65F

Abstract:
An apparatus for collecting refuse comprising:(a) a truck body having a forward end and an aft end mountable to a truck frame and extending longitudinally therealong and enclosing a material receiving volume; (b) a charging hopper having sides and being mountable to the truck frame forward of said truck body and adapted to receive material and charge material into said material receiving volume; (c) a bucket vertically moveable along a path having an outward extending lower segment along one side of said charging hopper between a lowered loading position and a raised, at least partially inverted, discharge position, the bucket describing a loading compartment for receiving refuse material; and (d) wherein a side of said charging hopper is recessed to accommodate said bucket in the lowered position and said outward extending lower segment providing clearance when said bucket is moved vertically; and (e) an automated refuse loader arm, said refuse loader arm having an extensible boom mechanism and refuse bin grabbing mechanism mounted on said boom mechanism for reaching and grabbing a refuse bin from a standing position and lifting and inverting the refuse bin to discharge the contents thereof into said hopper.