Waste container carrier

A container carrier having a support frame pivotally connected at its bottom end to a truck chassis and a carrying frame pivotally connected at its top to the top of the support frame. The carrying frame has support arms for holding a container. The support frame is generally upright with the carrying frame folded adjacent the support frame when the carrier is in a container carrying position on the truck chassis, the center of gravity of a carried container located forwardly of the rear wheels of the truck. The support frame extends rearwardly with the carrying frame unfolded when the carrier is in a container pick-up position. In the pick-up position, the support arms on the carrying frame are located past the rear end of the truck chassis and extend rearwardly therefrom to engage a container on the ground. Moving means move the support and carrying frames between the carrying position and the pick-up position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention is directed toward a waste container carrier.

2. Background Art

The waste container carrier of the present invention is of the type mountable on the chassis of a truck and having the carrier movable between a container pick-up position off the rear of the chassis of the truck and a container carrying position on the chassis of the truck. The container is usually a refuse or waste holding container that is placed on the ground at a location where it can be filled with refuse or waste, and when full, a truck is dispatched to pick it up and transport to a location where it can be unloaded and then returned to its previous location.

The known container carriers usually locate the container rearwardly of the rear wheels of the truck, in the carrying position, in order to be able to easily pick up and drop off the container. Such a carrying position however makes the truck unstable during operation. In order to make the truck more stable during operation, it is known to move the container forwardly on the chassis of the truck once it has been lifted up during loading so that the container is located between the front and rear wheels of the truck. An example of such a carrier is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,327. However this carrier is relatively expensive since the chassis of the truck must be extensively modified to accommodate a track used to move the container forwardly of the rear wheels on the chassis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a carrier which can locate the center of gravity of the container forwardly of the rear wheels of a truck when transporting the container in order to have the truck more stable during operation. It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a carrier that is simple in construction and easy to operate.

The carrier of the present invention, in one embodiment, has a support frame and a carrying frame. The support frame is adapted to be pivotably connected to a truck chassis forwardly of the rear wheels of the truck and the carrying frame is pivotably connected to the support frame. The carrying frame has projecting arms for holding a container. The support frame is generally upright, when the carrier is in a container carrying position on the truck, the carrying frame folded against the support frame and the arms projecting rearwardly.

The support and carrying frames are positioned in the carrying position to carry a container with its center of gravity forwardly of the rear wheels of the truck. Preferably, both frames are shaped to ensure that the container is carried with its center of gravity well forwardly of the rear wheels. To unload the container off the truck, the support and carrying frames can be moved by moving means to a pick-up position where the support frame is generally horizontal and extends rearwardly past the end of the truck chassis and to have the carrying frame unfold from the support frame to form a rearward extension of the support frame and to place the container on the ground.

The carrier is simply and easily mounted on a standard truck chassis with little modification of the chassis required to accommodate the carrier. The moving means required to move the carrier between the container carrying position where the support frame is in an upright position on the truck chassis, and the carrying frame is folded against the support frame, and a container pick-up position where the support frame extends past the rear end of the truck chassis, and the carrying frame is unfolded rearwardly of the support frame, are simple fluid actuators. The carrier itself is very simple in construction having only two moving parts excluding the moving means.

In a preferred embodiment, the carrier can have a bottom frame to which the support frame and the moving means are connected. The carrier is mounted indirectly on the chassis of a truck via the bottom frame.

The invention is particularly directed toward a container carrier having a, support frame and a carrying frame. First pivot means pivotally connect the support frame to a truck chassis and second pivot means pivotally connect the carrying frame to the support frame, the carrying frame having projecting arms for holding a container. The support frame is generally upright with the carrying frame folded adjacent the support frame when the carrier is in a container carrying position on the truck chassis. The support frame extends rearwardly with the carrying frame unfolded and forming a rearward extension of the support frame when the carrier is in a container pick-up position, the projecting arms located past the rear end of the truck chassis and extending rearwardly therefrom to engage a container on the ground when the carrier is in the pick-up position. Moving means move the support and carrying frames between the carrying position and the pick-up position.

The invention is also particularly directed toward a container carrier having a support frame, the support frame having a top end and a bottom end. First pivot means pivotally connect the support frame at its bottom end on a truck chassis is forwardly of the rear wheels of the truck. The carrier has a carrying frame, the carrying frame having a top and a bottom. Second pivot means pivotally connect the top of the carrying frame to the top end of the support frame. First moving means are connected at one end to the support frame, intermediate its ends, the other end adapted to be connected to the truck chassis forwardly of the bottom end of the support frame. The first moving means are capable of swinging the support frame about the first pivot means between an upright container carrying position and a rearwardly extending container pick-up position. Second moving means are connected between the support frame, intermediate its ends, and the carrying frame intermediate its top and bottom. The second moving means are capable of moving the carrying frame about the second pivot means between a folded position adjacent the support frame and an unfolded position extending rearwardly of the support frame when the support frame is in the pick-up position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The carrier1of the present invention, as shown inFIGS. 1 to 4, is adapted to be mounted on the chassis3of a truck5, or like vehicle. The carrier1will be described as it looks when it is in a container carrying position on the truck5as shown inFIGS. 1 and 3. The carrier1has a horizontal bottom frame7, a support frame9pivotally mounted on the bottom frame7and a carrying frame11that is pivotally mounted on the support frame9. The bottom frame7has two parallel side beams13joined by cross-bars15.

The support frame9is generally upright on the bottom frame7and the carrying frame11is folded onto the back of the top portion of the support frame9. The support frame9has a top end19and a bottom end21with the bottom end21located rearwardly of the top end19as seen inFIG. 3. The carrying frame11is shorter than the support frame9and has a top23and a bottom25with the bottom25located rearwardly of the top23as seen inFIG. 3. A pair of container support arms27extend rearwardly from the bottom25of the carrying frame11.

The bottom end21of the support frame9is adapted to be pivotally connected to the bottom frame7by a first pivot connection31. The pivot connection31is intermediate the ends33,35of the bottom frame7and slightly closer to the rear end35than the front end33. The pivot connection31comprises a flange37on each side beam13of the bottom frame7and a tube39extending through the flanges37and the bottom end21of the support frame9. The support frame9pivots about the tube39. The top23of the carrying frame11is adapted to be pivotally connected to the top end19of the support frame9, by a second pivot connection41, with the carrying frame11folded against the support frame9.

The carrier1includes first moving means45which extend between the front end33of the bottom frame7and the support frame9. The first moving means45are pivotally connected at one end to the bottom frame7by a pivot connection47. The first moving means45are pivotally connected at their other end by a pivot connection49to the support frame9intermediate its top and bottom ends19,21. The pivot connection49is closer to the bottom end21than to the top end19of the support frame9.

The carrier1has second moving means51which are pivotally connected between the support frame9and the carrying frame11. One end of the second moving means51are connected by a pivot connection53to the support frame9, the pivot connection53located above the pivot connection49on the support frame9. A pivot connection55connects the other end of the second moving means51to the carrying frame11, the pivot connection55located intermediate the top and bottom23,25of the carrying frame11but closer to the top23.

The carrier1is adapted to be connected on the top of chassis3of the truck5. The side beams13in the bottom frame7of the carrier1are spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between the main beams59in the truck chassis3. The carrier side beams13are placed on top of the chassis side beams59and welded or otherwise connected thereto. The carrier1is mounted on the chassis3in a position to have the pivot connection31forward of the rear wheels63of the truck.

With the carrier1mounted on the truck5and the truck5in position to pick up a container, the carrier1is moved from its carrying position, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 3, into a container pick-up position, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 4, by extending the first and second moving means45,51. As the first moving means45extends, it pivots the support frame9, and the carrying frame11carried by it, rearwardly about the first pivot connection31to a generally horizontal position where it projects just past the rear end35of the bottom frame7and the rear end65of the truck chassis3. As the support frame9moves rearwardly, the second moving means51pivots the carrying frame11about the second pivot connection41to unfold it from the support frame9and to have it extend rearwardly from the support frame9forming an extension to it. In this position, the support arms27on the carrying frame11used to pick up a container extend rearwardly. Retraction of the first and second moving means45,51swings the support frame9upwardly and forwardly over the rear wheels63while the carrying frame11folds against the support frame9to move to the carrying position. In the carrying position, the support and carrying frames9,11hold the container C, shown in dotted lines inFIG. 2, in a position to have its center of gravity67just forward of the rear wheels63. In this position of the container, the truck is stable in operation.

The support and carrying frames9,11can take many forms. As shown in the drawings, the preferred support frame9has a pair of parallel side arms71. The arms71are bent to extend forwardly from the pivot31when the support frame is in the carrying position, the arms71having a short bottom section73and a longer top section75. The angle between the sections73,75is about 110° but can vary between 95° and 125°. In the carrying position, the bottom section73can rest close to the bottom frame7thereby locating the top section75, carrying the container, more forwardly. The angle is preferably such that the top section75slants slightly forwardly to move the container even more forwardly. The bent support frame9also helps to lower the carrying frame11closer to the container in the pick-up position.

The pivot connection41connecting the carrying frame11to the support frame9can be made in the top of the top sections75of the side arms71. Preferably however, a flange77extends forwardly from the top of each top section75and the pivot connection41is made adjacent the outer, upper corner79of the flange77. The arrangement allows the carrying frame11to abut the support frame9in the carrying position, thus locating the container more forwardly, while still providing a relatively long moment arm for use in unfolding the carrying frame11from the support frame9. The arrangement also allows the carrying frame9to locate the support arms27below the truck chassis in the pick-up position while still allowing the carrying frame11to fold adjacent to the support frame9in the carrying position.

The bent side arms71of the support frame9are connected by the pivot tube39at their bottom ends; by a tubular cross member85intermediate the ends of the arms71, preferably near the bottom of the top section75of the arms; and by a tubular cross member87extending between the flanges77at the top end of the support frame. Another tubular cross member89can extend between the arms71just above the intermediate tubular member85. The resulting structure is quite solid, but more cross members could be used if needed to strengthen the support frame9. While the side arms71are shown bent in an angular manner, they could also be bent in a curved manner.

The carrying frame11has two parallel side arms91which are bent to extend rearwardly from the pivot connection41when in the carrying position as shown inFIG. 3. The side arms91have a relatively long bottom section93and a relatively short top section95. The top section95extends transversely from the bottom section93. However the angle between the top and bottom sections95,93can vary between 70° and 110°. A bottom cross member99joins the bottom ends of the arms91at the bottom25of the frame11. A top cross member101, at the junction of the top and bottom sections95,93, also joins the arms91. The bottom cross member99extends past the side arms91and carries the support arms27at its ends. The support arms27are spaced apart a distance generally equal to the width of the container they are to pick up.

The free ends of the top sections95of the side arms91of the carrying frame11are preferably slotted as shown at103and receive a portion of the flanges77. Pivot pins105, forming the pivot connection41, extend through the free ends of the top sections95and the flanges77to pivotally connect the arms91to the flanges.

The moving means45,51each preferably comprise two fluid cylinders109,111respectively. The fluid cylinders109are each connected at their front end by a pivot pin113to flanges (not shown) on the front cross bar15aof the bottom frame7. The pivot pins113form part of the pivot connection47. The other end of the fluid cylinders109are each connected by a pivot pin115to a bracket117extending down from the intermediate cross-bar85in the support frame9. The pivot pins115form the pivot means49. The fluid cylinders111are each connected at one end to the cross member89in the support frame9. A pivot pin121connects the end of the cylinders to brackets123on the cross member89, the pivot pins121forming the pivot means53. The other end of the cylinders111are connected by pivot pins125to brackets127extending down from the cross member101on the carrying frame11. The pivot pins125form the pivot means55. The fluid cylinders are preferably hydraulic cylinders and are connected by lines to a hydraulic system carried by the vehicle. Other arrangements of moving means can be used, such as a single cylinder, instead of two, at each location.

The pivot tube39at the bottom end of the support frame9extends through the flanges37on the bottom frame7and through the bottom ends of the bottom section73of the side arms71to pivotally connect the support frame9, at its bottom end21to the bottom frame7. The side arms71are located just outside the side beams13of the bottom frame7. A support member131can be fastened to the outer side of the side beams13for supporting the ends of the pivot tube39passing through the bottom sections73of the side arms71.

While the carrier1has been described as having a bottom frame7, the carrier can be used without a bottom frame if desired. Without the bottom frame, the flanges37would be connected directly to the top of the chassis beams59of a vehicle. In addition, the flanges connecting the first moving means45to the bottom frame would instead be mounted directly on a cross beam (not shown) inserted between the chassis beams59, the flanges positioned on the cross beam adjacent the inner side of the chassis beams59. The connection of the flanges37to the chassis beams59must be forwardly of the rear wheels63of the vehicle. Installation of the carrier without a bottom frame is still simple and little modification is needed to the truck chassis.