Abstract:
There is disclosed a self-contained cart-tipping system for residential applications that can be installed on a variety of refuse collection truck types, including front loading, side loading and rear loading models. The cart tipper system of the invention includes independent hydraulic and electrical systems and needs only to be served by a source of electric power.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    I. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The present invention concerns refuse collection vehicles, generally, and, more particularly, refuse collection vehicle auxiliary mechanisms in the form of container handling devices, specifically cart tipping or lift and dump mechanisms which may be associated with front, side or rear-loading vehicles used for residential collection. The container handling device of the invention is a self-contained system that requires only an electrical connection to a source of power on the vehicle, 
         [0005]    II. Related Art 
         [0006]    Technology related to refuse collection, particularly related to residential refuse collection, has advanced rapidly and significantly in the last several decades, owing to changes both in the carts or containers themselves and the cart tippers or handling devices. Thus, in residential rubbish collection, for example, traditional galvanized metal trash containers formerly emptied by hand into rear-loading refuse packing vehicles have been replaced by locally standardized wheeled cart-type containers made from synthetic materials which have a hinged lid and integral tipping bar that permits mechanical manipulation for lifting and dumping. These carts typically are larger and heavier than those formerly emptied by hand (up to 500 pounds) and are designed to be wheeled on two wheels up to and addressed by compatible cart-tipping mechanisms mounting on refuse vehicles which grab the tipping box, lift and invert or tip the carts to empty them. The tipping bar of the cart is typically positioned so as to be hooked by a fixed element of the container tipping mechanism which is thereafter operated by a driver or other member of the collection crew to lift, dump and return the container to an upright position at the end of a receptacle emptying cycle. The cart may then be wheeled back to its former position, 
         [0007]    Such cart-tipping mechanisms have been commonly associated with residential refuse collection, rear-loading refuse vehicles in which they are mounted on the rear of the vehicle and connected to both the vehicle electrical and hydraulic systems. Such devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,305 to Schrafel. More recently, front-loading and side-loading refuse vehicles have also been used for residential refuse collection. Front-loading vehicles include a pair of lifting arras which have a pair of corresponding lifting forks attached to the free ends of the arms and which engage channels in the sides or bottoms of box-type trash containers to facilitate lifting the containers over the cab of the vehicle and dumping the contents into the vehicle body. The lifting arms and forks are typically operated by separate sets of hydraulic cylinders which are manually controlled by the vehicle operator. 
         [0008]    It is known to mount a box-type refuse collection container or “carry-can” on the front of a front-loading refuse collection vehicle which itself carries a cart-tipping mechanism which empties residential cart-type refuse containers into the refuse collection container mounted on the front of the front-loading vehicle. The carry-can is then periodically itself emptied into the body of the vehicle in the manner of emptying commercial-type refuse boxes. An example of this is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,795 to Bayne et al. That discloses the mounting of a lifting device  20  on different types of collection vehicles including front-loading vehicle where it is attached for emptying carts into relatively larger collection box  46 . A further side-loading mechanism is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,628 to Christenson. These devices must also be hooked up to the truck&#39;s electrical and hydraulic systems for operation. 
         [0009]    While prior cart-handling and tipping devices successfully collect refuse, they have several drawbacks. Such devices which make use of the refuse vehicle&#39;s main hydraulic system require the vehicle to maintain an elevated idle speed to maintain the required hydraulic parameters. The addition of one or more such devices may even require a larger hydraulic system to be installed. Accordingly, there remains a need for a cart-tipping mechanism that is self-contained and includes its own hydraulic system needing only an electrical hookup and that can be used with any type refuse collection including front, side and rear-loading types and, thus, is easily added to a refuse vehicle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    By means of the present invention, there is provided a self-contained cart-tipping system for residential applications that can be installed on a variety of refuse collection truck types, including front loading, side loading and rear loading models. The cart tipper system of the invention includes independent hydraulic and electrical systems and needs only to be served by a source of electric power. Thus, the only required interface with the refuse vehicle is a battery connection. 
         [0011]    The cart-tipping hydraulic system includes a hydraulic fluid reservoir, hydraulic pumps and motor assembly, a control manifold block and a rotary hydraulic tipper device. The electrical system includes positive and negative battery connectors with suitable disconnect switches, a control box for operating the tipping device by controlling hydraulic valves in the manifold block, an emergency stop switch near the positive battery connector and at the operating panel near the hydraulic pump, and a pump motor control solenoid. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    In the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view which depicts a cart tipper system in accordance with the invention mounted on a box-type air carry-can container designed to be carried by a front-loading refuse collection vehicle; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view which depicts a cart tipper system in accordance with the invention attached to the side of another box-type container carried by a front-loading refuse vehicle; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a fragmentary side view of the container of  FIG. 2  in a raised position for emptying or returning to a lowered position; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C depict fragmentary rear elevational, fragmentary front perspective and side perspective views of a cart tipper system as in  FIGS. 1-3  mounted on a box-type container; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 5A-5C  are detail views and a fragmentary side view of a side-loading refuse body for a vehicle showing a self-contained cart tipping system in accordance with the invention, mounted on the side-loading refuse body; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 6A-6D  depict views including fragmentary detail views of a tailgate of a rear-loading refuse collection vehicle showing a self-contained, cart tipping system in accordance with the invention mounted on the tailgate; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a combined electrical and hydraulic schematic diagram for a cart tipper system in accordance with the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The following description details one or more exemplary embodiments illustrating the present invention. It will be appreciated that the detailed descriptions are intended by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any respect. It will be further understood that the embodiments of the invention can be modified by those skilled in the art while remaining in keeping with the inventive concepts. 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  depicts a cart-tipping assembly, generally at  10 , mounted on a larger box-type refuse collection container or  12  which is designed to hold about 3 cubic yards of refuse to be carried by a front loading refuse vehicle of the type shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The container includes a pair of side channels for receiving the forks of a front loading refuse collection vehicle, one of which is shown at  14 . The cart-tipping assembly includes a rotary tipping mechanism  16  with a control panel  18  for operating the system, a data input/output terminal  20  which can be used to enter weight, address and other permanent data pertaining to individual carts, if desired, with keypad  22  and LED screen  24 . The cart-tipping system may include a built-in scale (not shown) that enables such individual containers to be weighed before and after being emptied. The rotary tipper is shown at  26  and a grabbing bar for engaging a cart-tipping bar is shown at  28 . An emergency stop button is shown at  30 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  depicts a similar cart-tipping system attached to a container  32  and a typical cart to be tipped is shown at  34 . The container  32  is carried by a pair of lifting forks, one of which is shown at  36  in container channel  38 . A front-loading refuse vehicle is shown at  40 . 
         [0023]    In  FIG. 3 , the container  32  of  FIG. 2  is shown in a raised position. The truck forks are pivoted by a pair of hydraulic cylinders, one of which is shown at  42  connected to main pivoting arms as at  44 . 
         [0024]      FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C depict the cart tipper system  10  mounted on a larger box-type container  50 . Main components of the cart tipper system include a hydraulic pump and reservoir system with electric pump motor shown generally at  52 . A pump motor solenoid is shown at  54  and a protective frame at  56 . The hydraulic control manifold block is shown at  58  and a control box is shown at  60 . A grabbing bar  62  and lower engaging assembly  64  are designed to engage a compatible cart. The tipper is actuated by a rotary hydraulic drive  66 . 
         [0025]      FIGS. 5A-5C  depict a cart tipper system in accordance with the invention  70  (enlarged in  FIG. 5A ) mounted on a manual side-loading refuse body  70  (shown with tailgate removed) designed to be mounted, in turn, on a refuse vehicle chassis (not shown) in a well-known manner. The cart tipper system  70 , as described above, is self-contained and needs only an electrical connection to the vehicle. A control panel for operating the tipper is shown at  74  (enlarged in  FIG. 5B ) with control buttons  76  and  78 . 
         [0026]      FIGS. 6A-6D  show a rear-loading, rear discharging tailgate  80  with a cart tipper system in accordance with the invention  82  (enlarged in  FIG. 6B ) shown attached to the tailgate for tipping carts into the loading/discharge hopper  84 . A manual pushbutton control panel for operating the tipper is shown at  86  (enlarged in  FIG. 6A ). As with the other examples, the cart tipper system  82  is entirely self-contained and uses only a source, of electric power. 
         [0027]      FIG. 7  depicts a combined electrical and hydraulic schematic diagram. Positive and negative electrical fused connections are shown at  100  and  102  with corresponding conductors  104  and  106 , respectively. Emergency shutoff or E-stop devices are provided in positive conductor  104  near the battery connection at  108  and near the hydraulic pump controls at  110 . A pump motor control solenoid device is depicted at  112  and a main control box appears at  114 . The hydraulic manifold block  116  includes a dual or three-position hydraulic spool valve  118  that includes UP and DOWN-operating switch positions at  51  and  52  which direct the rotation of the rotary actuator of the tipper shown schematically at  120 . Of course, other embodiments of the tipper could also be equipped with a cylinder or another type of actuator. Control diodes for the valve  118  are shown at  122  and  124 . 
         [0028]    The hydraulic reservoir, hydraulic pump and motor assembly are shown generally at  126  and include reservoir  128  and a filter  130  at the intake of pump  132 . The high pressure line  134  includes a check valve  136  and return drain or dump valve  138 , the main or operating return line is shown at  140 . 
         [0029]    The negative or ground cable is routed from the chassis battery box directly to the ground stud  142  on the hydraulic pump motor. The grounds for the pump motor solenoid and manifold block coils are also connected to the ground stud on the hydraulic pump motor. 
         [0030]    In operation, the emergency stop switches are normally closed so that power is provided to the control box and the pump motor solenoid. When the pump motor solenoid is energized, power is passed to the hydraulic pump motor to activate the pump. 
         [0031]    The pump provides high pressure hydraulic fluid flow to the manifold block. The manifold block controls the flow to the cart tipper. The manifold block contains the hydraulic spool with two (2) electrical coils to shift the spool. When the spool is actuated from the control box, hydraulic flow is selectively directed to control the UP and DOWN cycle function for the cart tipper. A cycle typically takes about 5-8 seconds. 
         [0032]    The coils on the manifold block are energized by a two-position switch  144  located in the control box. The control box switch is selected to control the UP and DOWN functions for the cart tipper. Simultaneously, when the switch is actuated, a signal is also sent to the pump motor solenoid to run the hydraulic pump to cycle the cart tipper mechanism. 
         [0033]    Importantly, the fact that the self-contained cart tipper of the present invention has its own hydraulic and control systems gives it a distinct advantage. Most refuse trucks, including front-loading, side-loading and rear-loading systems for residential use, require extra hydraulic and electrical systems to accommodate the addition of a hydraulic operated tipper system in addition to the tipper itself to be installed on the truck and require the vehicle engine idle to be advanced in order to run the hydraulics. The cart tipper of the present invention, on the other hand, requires only a connection to the existing electrical source and enables the vehicle engine to run at normal idle during operation of the cart tipper which provides significant fuel savings and reduced noise during collection efforts. 
         [0034]    The system can also be provided with a curb weigh system so that each refuse collection cart can be weighed individually during collection and the weight recorded and associated with a particular address using the data input/output terminal  20 . Such a system may be a computer-based tool for receiving and managing transaction data at the cart unloading point. A wireless Ethernet interface may be used to communicate with weight terminals on a refuse vehicle to upload and store weight transactions from each individual pick-up point. Such a system, which may have a cycle time of 8-10 seconds, is available, for example, from Weigh-Tronix, Inc. of Fairmont, Minn. 
         [0035]    This invention has been described, herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed, to apply the novel principles and to construct and use embodiments of the example as required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different devices and that various modifications can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.