Garbage or recyclable materials handling system

A garbage or recyclable material handling system uses material containers each pivotally mounted to respective supports at desired locations for movement between a lower material receiving position and a partially inverted material discharge position. At least one materials collection vehicle is provided to communicate with respective containers when in the discharge position to receive the materials discharged therefrom. This vehicle has an actuator assembly mounted thereto including an arm extendible outwardly of the vehicle and having an actuator secured to a distal end of the arm. The arm is adapted to be positioned to operatively engage between the support and the container (when the vehicle is located to receive the materials from the container) and to exert forces therebetween to cause the container to pivot from the receiving position to the discharge position to effect material discharge into the vehicle and to thereafter cause or permit the container to pivot back to the lower receiving position following which the actuator can be disengaged and the arm retracted inwardly toward the vehicle to allow the vehicle to move away from the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to improvements in garbage or recyclable 
materials handling systems. 
The prior art has provided a wide variety of garbage and recyclable 
materials collection equipment. One problem with traditional front loading 
collection trucks is that they typically require a minimum of 15 meters 
(50 feet) directly in front of the bin to be collected. Sloped streets 
also pose difficulties for these vehicles as the front loading collection 
trucks require the bin to be substantially level with the pick-up forks 
while traditional rear loading bins have wheels which can cause handling 
problems on slopes. Bins with wheels also require two or more persons to 
move them into place so that they can be tipped into the hopper of a rear 
loading truck. Wheeled bins are also a problem in locations where a 
"permanent" site is desired such as a recycling depot. A site can quickly 
lose its functionality if the bins are disoriented. Furthermore, the 
lifting of front or rear loading bins creates more stress on the lids 
resulting in distortions and failures. Open lids are not only unsightly 
but are unsanitary and make the bins more susceptible to animals and fire. 
Canadian Patent No. 1,012,500 issued Jun. 21, 1977 to the assignee of the 
present invention describes a refuse vehicle which is provided with a side 
mounted refuse receiving, loading and compacting bucket. This general 
arrangement has been operated successfully on a commercial basis for many 
years. Essentially the bucket is designed to provide a large loading 
capacity capable of receiving several times the volume of conventional 
domestic trash cans to avoid the inefficient need of unloading the bucket 
at frequent intervals. The bucket is movable from a loading position to a 
transport position in which the bucket doubles as the side wall of the 
dump body and is also movable from a transport position to a refuse 
compacting position disposed within the truck body and therefore almost 
fully eliminates the considerable space consumed by the compacting 
assembly of conventional refuse vehicles. 
A further advantage of the above-described side mounted loading bucket is 
that it can be used advantageously with stationary self-dumping refuse 
containers of the type as described in Canadian Patent No. 1,072,511 owned 
by the present assignee and issued on Feb. 26, 1980 (see also U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,208,780). These self-dumping containers typically include a base 
which may be rigidly secured to a concrete pad and a hopper which is 
pivotally secured to the base and which is pivoted by hydraulic cylinders 
between a lower loading position and an elevated discharge position. The 
combination of the side mounted vehicle bucket and the self-dumping refuse 
container renders the collection of refuse from parks, apartment complexes 
and industrial sites extremely simple and efficient as compared to earlier 
arrangements. These self-dumping containers may also be provided with 
relatively heavy discharge lids and loading lids with latch means 
rendering them substantially inaccessible to animals. 
In addition to being very effective in keeping very large animals, 
particularly bears, out of the garbage, these self-dumping units lend 
themselves to more aesthetic designs as the stationary container allows 
more flexibility in the design and therefore makes for a container which 
is well suited for locating or siting in high profile locations. The 
container can also maintain its good looks for an extended period of time 
because the collection vehicle is never required to make actual contact 
with the container to empty the contents. The above-noted problems of 
access are substantially eliminated since a side loading collection 
vehicle can access a self-dumping bin merely by driving along side of it. 
One example would have the collection truck on the road emptying a 
stationary container on the opposite side of the sidewalk. Another example 
would be where a cluster of these containers has been laid out as in a 
recycling depot. A stationary self-dumping container can be collected 
using the normal driving lanes in a parking lot while in contrast a 
typical front loader would need a large amount of space for each 
container. Furthermore, since the stationary bin does not have to be 
actually lifted by the collection truck, smaller collection vehicles can 
be used thus providing advantages in terms of both capital and operating 
costs. Additionally, because the stationary self-dumping container 
involves the dumping of material into the side mounted loading and 
compacting bucket, there is an opportunity to inspect the material before 
it enters the compactor. This is particularly useful in recycling 
applications to check for unwanted materials or contaminants. 
The self-dumping stationary container assembly described in the above-noted 
Canadian Patent No. 1,072,511 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,780 includes all of 
the advantages noted above and it has proven to provide a cost effective 
solution in many applications where the required storage capacity is in 
the range of two to six cubic yards. However, the self-dumping container 
does have a number of disadvantages. 
The first disadvantage is in terms of cost. Since the self-dumping 
container requires an actuating device, most usually in the form of 
hydraulic cylinders, as well as the plumbing and brackets to go with it, 
the initial capital cost is substantially higher than a typical front or 
rear loading bin where the lifting mechanism is on the collection truck or 
vehicle. Although there are operational efficiencies that mainly 
compensate for this additional container cost in many applications, the 
initial capital cost remains a barrier to more widespread acceptance. 
Another problem is that of hydraulic fluid leakage. The most economical 
method of actuating the hydraulic cylinders is to provide pressurized 
hydraulic fluid from a pump on the refuse vehicle through quick couplers. 
However, these couplers are subject to some leakage as the result of 
extreme temperature changes as well as hook-up and disconnect procedures. 
This leakage is not a problem functionally but can create some problems 
environmentally and aesthetically. 
Another problem with the hydraulically activated self-dumping containers is 
the consumer perception that the hydraulic components within the container 
system create extra operational down-time and extra maintenance. 
Other known types of refuse collection systems employ truck mounted 
semi-automated or automated lifting arms. The semi-automated arm systems 
are limited to what the operator can physically move to the collection 
vehicle. Automated arms are more flexible in that they can reach for a 
container but they still have to hook onto or clamp onto the container to 
pick it up and empty it. This requires the container to be properly 
located, limits the container design and restricts its size. The fact that 
the containers have to lifted during the dumping process subjects them to 
the disadvantages noted above in comparison with the stationary 
self-dumping containers. When smaller containers are used they are prone 
to being blown over in the wind, difficult for individuals to manoeuvre, 
especially in winter conditions, and are susceptible to animal access. 
It is therefore desirable to provide a system which incorporates the 
advantages of the several systems noted above and which therefore is 
capable of enjoying widespread application and increased commercial value. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide 
garbage/recyclable material containing and handling systems which overcome 
the major disadvantages while maintaining most of the advantages 
associated with the stationary self-dumping containers noted above. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus incorporating 
many of the advantages of automated and semi-automated arm systems while 
overcoming many of their limitations. 
It is also an object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the 
type noted above which is substantially animal-proof but still user 
friendly. 
It is a general object of the present invention to provide 
garbage/recyclable material handling systems and apparatus which is 
capable of operating in tight locations and/or under adverse slope 
conditions and which permits the use of aesthetically designed containers 
which can be located in high profile areas rather than in behind 
residential or commercial buildings and the like. 
Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided an actuator 
assembly for use in a garbage or recyclable material handling system 
wherein material containers are each pivotally mounted to respective 
supports at desired locations for movement between a lower material 
receiving position and a partially inverted material discharge position 
and wherein a material collection vehicle is adapted to communicate with 
respective containers when in the discharge position to receive the 
materials discharged therefrom; said actuator assembly comprising an arm 
adapted to be attached to the vehicle and extendable outwardly of the 
vehicle during use, and an actuator secured to a distal end of the arm, 
which actuator is adapted to be positioned to operatively engage between 
the support and the container when the vehicle is located to receive said 
materials from a selected container and operable to exert forces between 
the support and container to cause the container to pivot from the 
receiving position to the discharge position to effect discharge into the 
vehicle and to thereafter cause or permit the container to pivot back to 
the lower receiving position following which said actuator can be 
disengaged and said arm retracted inwardly toward the vehicle to allow the 
vehicle to move away from the container. 
In one particular form of the invention said actuator has means thereon 
which, in use, are mutually co-operable with the container and support and 
permitting secure pivoting of the container relative to the support when 
the actuator is engaged therebetween while permitting generally ready or 
rapid engagement and disengagement of the actuator with and from the 
container and support only when the container is in its lower 
material-receiving position. 
In a preferred form of the invention said actuator includes a fluid 
cylinder having said co-operable means mounted thereto and operable 
between extended and retracted positions defining the material discharge 
and receiving positions respectively of the container. 
Still further according to an embodiment of the invention opposing ends of 
said fluid cylinder have said co-operable means thereon to provide for the 
ready or rapid engagement and disengagement of the actuator. 
The actuator assembly, according to any of the embodiments noted above, is 
particularly adapted for use with a vehicle having a side-mounted loading 
bucket thereon and wherein said arm is sufficiently long or extendible as 
to permit said actuator to be placed into said operative engagement 
between the container and support when the vehicle is located with its 
bucket alongside the container to receive the material therefrom. 
In another preferred form of the invention said arm comprises a linkage 
mechanism capable of being folded into proximity with the frame of the 
vehicle to define the retracted condition of the actuator arm. 
The invention also provides in a further aspect a garbage or recyclable 
material handling system which incorporates in combination the several 
components noted above, e.g. the material containers at spaced apart 
desired locations and at least one materials transporting vehicle having 
an actuator assembly thereon as described above. 
In accordance with a still further feature of the invention there is 
provided an improved container assembly for use in a garbage or recyclable 
materials handling system as described above wherein the container is 
particularly adapted and configured for use with the actuator assembly 
referred to above. 
These and other features and aspects of the invention will become readily 
apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments which 
follows taken in conjunction with the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The garbage/recyclable materials handling system in accordance with the 
invention is clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein there is shown a 
container assembly 10 comprising a container 12 pivotally mounted for 
rotation about axis 16 on a support in the form of frame 14 which in turn 
is mounted to a solid base 18. The container 12 is pivotally mounted in 
this fashion for movement between the lower material receiving position 
shown in FIG. 1 and the partially inverted material discharge position 
shown in FIG. 2. 
Container 12 is constructed and arranged to communicate with the inlet of a 
materials collection vehicle 20 when the container is in the discharge 
position shown in FIG. 2 so that this vehicle may receive the discharged 
materials. 
In accordance with the present invention the collection vehicle has an 
actuator assembly 22 mounted thereto, the latter including an arm 24 which 
is extendible outwardly of the vehicle as illustrated in FIG. 2. The 
distal end of the arm 24 has an actuator 26 mounted thereon. 
The container assembly is constructed to receive the actuator 26 and is 
provided with means (to be described hereinafter) to enable the actuator 
26 to be positioned such as to operatively engage between the frame 14 and 
the container 12 when the collection vehicle 20 is located generally as 
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 to receive materials from the container. The 
actuator 26 is capable of exerting forces between the container 12 and the 
frame 14 sufficient as to cause the container to pivot from the receiving 
position shown in FIG. 1 to the discharge position shown in FIG. 2 and to 
thereafter cause or permit the container 12 to pivot back to the lower 
receiving position. Following this, the actuator 26 is then manually 
disengaged and removed from the container assembly 10 and the arm 24 
retracted inwardly toward the vehicle and into the position illustrated in 
FIG. 3 thereby to allow the collection vehicle 20 to move away from the 
container assembly. 
Since most of the basic features of the container have been previously 
described in the above-noted Canadian Patent 1,072,511 and the counterpart 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,780, only a brief description of same needs to be 
presented here. Briefly, the container 12 includes a bottom wall, opposed 
end walls 30, a top wall 32, a rear wall 34 and a front wall 36. The upper 
portion of the front wall is provided with a pair of hinged loading doors 
38 for use by persons depositing garbage etc. into the container, such 
doors being provided with animal proof latches 40. The top wall 32 of the 
container is provided with a heavy pivoting discharge door 42 which cannot 
be opened by animals such as bears when the container is in the lower 
receiving position. However, when the container is pivoted upwardly to the 
discharge position this door 42 opens so as to allow the materials to be 
dumped outwardly and directed by a discharge chute 44 into the side 
mounted loading bucket of the collection vehicle. 
As noted previously, the container 12 is pivotally mounted to the frame 14 
for rotation about the axis 16 shown most clearly in FIG. 6. The frame 14 
is of a sturdy welded construction comprising a plurality of tubular 
members welded together to provide the required strength and rigidity. The 
lower part of the frame extends forwardly and is desirably provided with a 
heavy platform counterweight 45. This frame is provided with opposed end 
walls 46 and a rear wall 48 which fully encloses the interior of the frame 
14 when the container 12 is in its lower material receiving position as 
illustrated in FIG. 5 for example. However, the rear wall 48 is provided 
with a centrally located door 50 which is hinged at 52 so that it may be 
readily opened as seen in FIG. 5 to gain access to the interior space 
defined by the frame 14. When the door is open, as illustrated in FIG. 5, 
the upper (54) and lower (56) engagement means which co-operate with the 
actuator 26 as hereinafter described are clearly visible. The upper 
engagement means 54 is mounted to the container 12 via suitable transverse 
frame members while the lower engagement means 56 is mounted to the frame 
14 via suitable short frame sections thereby to provide the strength 
necessary to resist the forces exerted by the actuator as described 
hereinafter. 
The collection vehicle need be described only very briefly since in 
principle it may correspond to the structure described in the above-noted 
Canadian Patent No. 1,012,500 issued Jun. 21, 1977. This collection 
vehicle, as noted previously, is provided with a side mounted materials 
receiving, loading and compacting bucket 60. The bucket 60 is typically 
activated by hydraulic cylinders in the manner described in the 
above-noted Canadian patent. The bucket 60 is movable from the loading 
position shown in FIG. 2 to the transport position of FIG. 1 in which the 
bucket doubles as the side wall of the body. The bucket 60 is also movable 
from the transport position to a refuse compacting position (not shown) 
disposed within the body of the collection vehicle. 
The above-noted actuator assembly 22 is mounted to the vehicle chassis 
frame in the manner best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. In particular, the 
actuator assembly includes a support bracket 62 which is welded or 
otherwise suitably secured to the vehicle chassis frame 64 at any 
convenient point forwardly of the rear vehicle wheel. The actuator 26 
itself is mounted to the distal end of the arm 24 comprising a plurality 
of rigid links 66, 68 and 70 pivotally connected to each other and to the 
support bracket at pivot points 72, 74 and 76. When the arm is in the 
retracted position illustrated in FIG. 3 the rigid links 66, 68 and 70 lie 
in close proximity to one another, to chassis frame 64 and to the 
actuator. This is the compact storage position utilized when the 
collection vehicle is moving from one site to another. 
The actuator 26 itself is in the form of a hydraulic cylinder 80 pivotally 
secured by a mounting bracket 82 to the distal end of the outermost link 
66. A pair of coil tension springs 84 secured between the outermost link 
66 and the mounting bracket 82 tend to tilt or rotate the actuator 26 in 
the direction given by arrow X. The actuator 26 is provided with an 
elongated, somewhat distorted, U-shaped handle 86 which enables the 
operator (not shown) to effectively grasp the actuator and to draw the 
actuator outwardly from the side of the collection vehicle (when it is the 
position as illustrated in FIG. 1) and to insert the actuator 26 through 
the open door in the rear wall 48 of the frame 14 and into operative 
engagement with the upper and lower engagement means 54, 56 referred to 
previously. 
In order to provide the secure engagement required between the hydraulic 
actuator and the engagement means 54, 56, the opposing ends of actuator 
hydraulic cylinder 80 are provided with hook-like latches, the first or 
lower latch 90 being connected to the bottom or cylinder end of the 
hydraulic actuator 26 while the second or upper latch 88 is connected 
firmly to the ram of the hydraulic cylinder 80. 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 and 10-12, the upper and lower latches 88, 
90 for the actuator 26 co-operatively engage with the upper (54) and lower 
(56) engagement means provided adjacent the rear or dumping side of the 
container assembly 10. As seen in the drawings, the actuator 26 is 
inserted through the open rear door and the lower latch 90 is hooked on to 
a fixed lower pin 92 forming a part of the lower engagement means 56. In 
order to achieve this, the actuator must be inserted lower end first into 
the lower engagement means 56 thereby to enable the lower pin 92 to enter 
into a slot 94 provided in the lower latch 90 and to seat firmly therein 
(FIG. 7). The outer periphery 96 of the lower latch 90 is smoothly 
arcuately contoured and this outer contoured peripheral surface 96 comes 
into close proximity with a fixed transverse guard channel 98 (FIG. 7) 
forming part of the lower engagement means 56 which prevents the lower 
latch 90 from escaping the lower pin 92 particularly after the actuator 26 
has been manually rotated forwardly by the operator into the upright and 
slightly forwardly leaning position as illustrated in FIG. 6 thereby to 
bring the top latch 88 into the upper engagement means 54. 
The top latch 88 as seen in FIG. 8 is provided with a downwardly and 
inwardly inclined slot 100 which converges slightly toward the bottom of 
the slot, with the semi-cylindrically shaped bottom 102 of the slot snugly 
receiving an upper pin 104 forming part of the upper engagement means 54. 
A shallow ridge 103 between the lower wall of slot 100 and the slot bottom 
102 helps to retain pin 104 seated in the slot bottom especially just 
before and as the actuator begins to exert force on pin 104 in the upward 
direction. The outer periphery 106 of the top latch forms a smooth 
generally cylindrical surface. It will be seen that when the top latch 88 
is positioned in full engagement with the upper pin 104, as illustrated in 
FIG. 8, that the outer periphery 106 of the top latch 88 is in close 
proximity to a top guard plate 108 fixed relative to pin 104 and forming 
part of the upper engagement means 54. 
When the actuator 26 is activated by the operator by conventional hydraulic 
controls (not shown), the ram of the hydraulic cylinder 80 begins to 
extend gradually outwardly thus exerting forces between frame 14 and the 
container 12 via pins 92 and 104 and causing the container 12 to pivot 
about its pivot axis 16. As this action occurs, the top guard plate 108 
rotates with the container 12 around the outer periphery 106 of the top 
latch 88 hence trapping it in place and thus ensuring that the top latch 
cannot escape the upper pin 104. Likewise, as the container 12 is pivoted 
in the manner described above, the lower guard channel 98 prevents the 
lower latch 90 from escaping the lower pin 92 and hence extension of the 
actuator 26 occurs until the fully tilted discharge position for the 
container 12 is reached as illustrated in FIG. 10. In this condition, the 
relative positions of the upper and lower engagement means 54, 56 and 
their associated top and bottom latches 88, 90 are illustrated (see FIGS. 
11 and 12) and it will be readily seen how the associated guard plate 108 
and guard channel 98 serve to secure the top and bottom latches 88, 90 of 
the actuator 26 in position on the associated pins 104, 92 thereby 
ensuring safe and secure pivoting of the container 12 at all times between 
its lower receiving position and its upper partially inverted discharge 
position. 
After the contents of the container 12 have been dumped into the loading 
bucket 60 (FIG. 2), the hydraulic cylinder 80 is retracted by the operator 
thereby permitting the container 12 to return to its lower position and in 
this lower position, with the actuator 26 no longer carrying any load, the 
operator can then manually tilt the actuator counter-clockwise from the 
position shown in FIG. 6, for example, thereby to free the top latch 88 
from the upper pin 104 with continued clockwise rotation of the actuator 
then being effected to the extent necessary to free the lower latch 90 
from the lower pin 92 thus permitting complete removal of the actuator 26 
from the enclosure defined by the frame 14. The hinged door 50 is then 
closed and the complete actuator assembly 22 is moved back into the 
retracted position adjacent the chassis frame of the vehicle as shown in 
FIG. 3 for travelling from site to site. At or before this point in time, 
the loading bucket 60 will have been activated so as to transfer its 
contents into the body of the collection vehicle 20 following which the 
vehicle then travels to a further collection site at which point the 
above-described process is again repeated. 
A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated 
by way of example. Those skilled in the art will realize that various 
modifications and changes may be made while still remaining within the 
spirit and scope of the invention. Hence the invention is not to be 
limited to the embodiment as described but, rather, the invention 
encompasses the full range of equivalencies as defined by the appended 
claims.