Abstract:
A mechanized gripping apparatus for grabbing collection containers of a range of sizes is disclosed. The apparatus has converging opposed cylinder-operated finger arrangements which pivot together to close about a container for gripping and open to release a container.

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 relates generally to devices and methods for grabbing, lifting and tipping (unloading) refuse and/or recyclables from collection containers into charging compartments of collection vehicles. More particularly, this invention relates to a grabbing device attached to a deployable arm mounted on a side, front or rear-loading collection vehicle, which allows containers of widely varying shapes and sizes to be efficiently handled during collection efforts. The system coordinates with a packing system contained within the charging hopper of the collection vehicle which may be cycling continuously and repeatedly packing the refuse and/or recyclables. 
         [0005]    II. Related Art 
         [0006]    Various vehicles dedicated to the collection of refuse or recyclables have included a mechanized material handing device, allowing the operator to grab, lift and empty a container of interest without getting out of the collection vehicle. The holding or grasping device is generally connected to an arm, extensible or offset boom which is connected to a base mounted on the vehicle. The arm or boom and grasping device are operated in concert to engage the container of interest, lift and dump the container into a receiving hopper in the vehicle. 
         [0007]    A representative example of such a device appears in U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,592, issued to Christenson and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, which describes a vehicle-mounted, opposed-finger grabber assembly for grabbing, lifting and dumping refuse containers. That vehicle-mounted grabber assembly is preferably rotatably and pivotally mounted with reference to a material receiving location of a side-loading collection vehicle. The device includes a mechanized swivel mount, an articulated arm, a convergent digital gripping mechanism or grabber with flexible gripping belts and mechanized systems for actuating each of the swivel mount, articulated arm and grabber or grabbing mechanism. 
         [0008]    The gripping mechanism of that device includes a support member or frame, gear coordinated first and second opposed mechanized fingers mounted on pivot pins, first and second flexible belts, guide rollers, belt guides and means for simultaneously actuating said first and second fingers using the gear system. The fingers are shaped to fit around containers of a plurality of different shapes, including curved, rectangular, hexagonal and others. 
         [0009]    Other devices are described in references that include Holtom (U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,039), which includes a grabbing assembly that uses a plurality of independent actuators to operate. Ahrens (U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,983) discloses a gripping mechanism that includes a frame with a pair of convergent arms pivotally mounted to the frame. A patent to Smith (U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,607) is directed to a gripping apparatus that uses a single hydraulic cylinder and meshing gear segments to operate a pair of converging gripper arms. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The purpose of the present invention is to provide a grabber device for use with a vehicle-mounted container handling mechanism that includes a grabbing, lifting and dumping mechanism that is mounted with reference to a material receiving location of a collection vehicle. The device includes a convergent digital gripping mechanism or grabber with flexible gripping belts and a mechanized system for actuating the grabber. 
         [0011]    The griping mechanism of the present invention includes a support arm member or frame, first and second opposed mechanized fingers, first and second flexible belts, guide rollers, belt guides and means for simultaneously actuating the first and second fingers. The support member is rotationally connected by known means to a mechanized lift and dump mechanism which may be of any compatible type. Each mechanized finger is pivotally connected to the support structure. The fingers are shaped to fit around containers of a plurality of different shapes, including curved, rectangular, hexagonal and others. 
         [0012]    The fingers are pivoted between an open or retracted position and a closed or grasping position by a fluid-operated actuator. The fluid-operated actuator, such as a double-acting hydraulic cylinder, is dual trunion-mounted with built-in P.O. checks (both directions). The cylinder may have an adjustable rod end to assist in operating the grabber fingers and is connected to one of the fingers and the support system, whereby actuation of the hydraulic cylinder rotates the connected finger. An opposed linkage member is connected between the proximal ends of the fingers such that actuation of the hydraulic cylinder with the linkage causes both fingers to rotate simultaneously, either converging or diverging with respect to the other. The linkage may be mounted on spherical bearings. A corresponding gripping belt is fastened to each finger to provide a flexible gripping surface and is provided with a guide to reduce the chance of entanglement. 
         [0013]    The grabber fingers also have an adjustable belt tension device that is included on each finger which allows the flexibility of fine tuning the grabber to conform to the grabbing of multiple container manufactures cart sizes such as 35, 65, 95, 300 up to 450 gallon containers. This enables positive belt tension on all container sizes without the use of springs. The finger length can also be mechanically or manually adjusted. 
         [0014]    In operation, at the beginning of a lift and dump cycle, the articulated arm and gripping mechanism are in an “as stowed” or fully retracted open position. Then the mounting system may be extended to move the gripping mechanism toward the container of interest. The griping device is operated to a closed position converging the fingers together to grab the container. Once the fingers engage the container, the support system is retracted laterally and operated generally vertically to lift and tip or invert the container and empty the contents into a receiving hopper of the collection vehicle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a refuse collection vehicle suitable for using the gripping and lifting device of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are top views that illustrate a grabber device in accordance with the invention in the fully open or retracted position and the fully closed or grasping position, respectively, with parts removed for clarity; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3A  is a further front perspective view of a grabber device as in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3B  is an enlarged rear perspective view of the grabber device of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4A  is a partially exploded view of a grabber similar to that shown in  FIGS. 3A , and  3 B and  FIG. 4B  is an enlarged view of detail A in  FIG. 4A ; and 
           [0020]      FIGS. 5A-5D  are top, side, end and perspective views, respectively of a cylinder suitable to operate the grabbing device of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The following description details one or more exemplary embodiments illustrating the present invention. It should be noted 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. 
         [0022]    In  FIG. 1 , there is shown a side-loading refuse vehicle  10  suitable for incorporating the grabbing mechanism of the present invention as shown schematically at  12 . A lifting and dumping mechanism is shown at  14 . The vehicle  10  includes a chassis  16  and a charging hopper  18  which may have an open side at  20  or top as at  22 . The refuse vehicle  10  includes a cab  26  and wheels  28  which carry a storage body  30  connected to the charging hopper  18 . Storage body  30  includes a tailgate  32  which is pivotally attached by a pair of vertically displaceable hinges, one of which is shown at  34 , mounted at the top of the storage body  30 . The tailgate  32  is operated between an open and a closed position by a pair of hydraulic cylinders (not shown), which are pivotally attached to the tailgate  32 , and to the storage body  30 . Side latches are provided for latching the tailgate  32  to the storage body  30  in a well-known manner. The storage body is designed to tilt in conjunction with the opening of the tailgate to discharge refuse. Tilting is accomplished by a pair of side-mounted hydraulic lift cylinders that are pivotally attached to the frame by a structural member and to the storage body  30 . 
         [0023]    The grabber device of the invention is best pictured in  FIGS. 2A-4B  and is shown generally at  100  mounted on a structural arm  102  which may attach at  104  and  106  to extend and lift mechanisms. It will be appreciated that the grabber device may attach to and be positioned by any of many extend lift and dump mechanisms, the grabbing device itself being the focus of the present invention. 
         [0024]    The grabber  100  includes opposed finger elements including a dual digit finger element  110  having digits  112  and  114  and single digit finger element  116 . The end of each digit includes a bearing-mounted roller element  118 . Each of the digits of the grabber includes a metal element as at  120 ,  122  and  124 , which are provided with corresponding belt elements  126 ,  128  and  130 . As best shown in  FIG. 4B , each of the belts is provided with a tension adjustment system, as at  132  ( FIG. 4B ) that includes an adjusting device  134  which includes an adjustment bolt  136 . 
         [0025]    The  FIG. 2A  shows the grabber mechanism in the fully retracted open position which gives the system a very narrow profile with regard to protruding laterally from the side of a refuse vehicle. In this manner, the single digit finger element  116  resides in a recess or hollow channel cavity  138  in the structural arm  102  when the grabber is fully retracted or stowed. 
         [0026]    The grabber further includes a double-acting fluid cylinder (preferably hydraulic, but a pneumatic device could be used)  140  that is mounted on the structural by a trunion at  142  ( FIGS. 3B ,  5 A- 5 D). The rod end is adjustable and is connected using a trunion mount  146  to the end of digit finger element  110  at a pivot joint  148 . The finger element  110  is pivotally mounted to swivel about pivot joint  150  and the finger element  116  is pivotally mounted to swivel about pivot joint  152 . These joints extend to top and bottom members of structural arm  102 . The elements  110  and  116  are connected by opposing linkage member  154  ( FIGS. 2A and 2B ) which is pivotally connected to the finger element  110  at  156  and is pivotally connected to the finger element  116  at  158 . These connections may include spherical bearings. An adjustment element  160  is provided that allows adjustment of the cylinder rod  162  that allows for adjustment of the grabber. The grabber finger geometry and fastening technique as shown by the series of spaced openings at  164 ,  166 , and  168  which allow finger length adjustment allows the fingers to be extended without replacing the main fingers. The system can operate with any desired hydraulic system controls that allows for adjustment of pressure and flow as desired. 
         [0027]    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.