Patent Publication Number: US-2013239827-A1

Title: System and apparatus for mounting hydraulic cylinder to packer panel of refuse truck

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure generally relates to compacting systems of refuse trucks that have hydraulic cylinders for applying compacting forces. A container of the refuse truck receives refuse from multiple refuse bins and the collected refuse is stored in the container. The refuse is compacted by a packer panel that is pushed by forces of the hydraulic cylinders. When the hydraulic cylinders are activated by an equipment operator, the hydraulic cylinders apply forces that push the packer panel towards the rear of the closed container and compact the refuse. The hydraulic cylinders also apply forces that pull the packer panel back to a retracted position. A space between the packer panel and the rear of the container holds refuse, and equipment for operating the panel resides in a space between a front wall of the container and the packer panel. It is desirable to minimize the equipment space so that the refuse space can be maximized. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In order to increase the volume of refuse a container of a refuse truck contains, a packer panel is provided to compact the refuse within the container. Hydraulic cylinders are frequently used to apply forces for pushing the packer panel for compacting refuse. The hydraulic cylinders are attached on one end to a front wall of the container and on the other end to a wall of the packer panel. When the attached hydraulic cylinders are closed (positioned at their shortest length), the packer panel is in a retracted position and the space in which the cylinders reside is at a minimum. When an operator activates the hydraulic cylinders for compacting refuse, the packer panel is pushed by hydraulic forces towards the rear of the container. During such an operation, the length of each hydraulic cylinder increases until it reaches a functional limitation or it lacks sufficient force to move the packer panel. The hydraulic cylinders for refuse trucks provide bi-directional forces, so that a packer panel may be pulled towards the front wall of the container or pushed towards the rear of the container. For some refuse trucks, the hydraulic cylinders also apply forces for unloading refuse from the container by pushing refuse out of the container when a rear door is opened. 
     Because container lengths are relatively long (e.g., 30 feet or more), telescopic hydraulic cylinders are often used, and such cylinders often have an open length equal to approximately five or more times their closed length. Further, a telescopic hydraulic cylinder typically has soft metal sleeves that are sometimes damaged when refuse inadvertently falls on the sleeves. There have been successful efforts to reduce sleeve damage by making the sleeves out of thicker and harder materials. However, such sleeve improvements have an increased cost. 
     A technique for reducing the size of the equipment space between the front wall of the container and the packer panel is to position the hydraulic cylinders in a crisscross arrangement or a cross over orientation. In this regard, a first hydraulic cylinder extends from the front wall near a front corner to an opposite side of the packer panel. Another hydraulic cylinder is elevated above the first hydraulic cylinder and extends from the front wall near the other front corner to the other side of the packer panel. The hydraulic cylinders form an “X” shape when viewed from above. 
     Although the hydraulic cylinders provide sufficient forces for operating the packer panel, they are relatively expensive and heavy. Further, the front wall of the container should be designed to withstand the forces generated by the cylinders. Decreasing the overall weight of the refuse truck via weight reductions in the container or the packer panel system without significant reductions in the size of the container is generally desirable so that fuel costs can be reduced. In addition, rotational bushings are usually needed to couple the hydraulic cylinders to the front wall and to the packer panel. Such bushings are complex, expensive and require a lubrication system. 
     Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need in the art for refuse truck designs that increase refuse storage space and/or reduce weight and costs without impairing a truck&#39;s ability to collect and deliver refuse. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Furthermore, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a conventional refuse truck having a packer panel and crisscross hydraulic cylinders for compacting and unloading refuse. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a top view of the conventional refuse truck depicted by  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a refuse truck of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a partial top view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a compacting apparatus of the present disclosure with a packer panel in a retracted position. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a cross section view of the apparatus of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a compacting apparatus of the present disclosure with a packer panel in a compacting position. 
         FIG. 8  depicts a cross section view of the apparatus of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a compacting apparatus of the present disclosure with a packer panel in an unloading position. 
         FIG. 10  depicts a cross section view of the apparatus of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a compacting apparatus of the present disclosure with a packer panel in a retracted position. 
         FIG. 12  depicts a cross section view of the apparatus of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a compacting apparatus of the present disclosure with a packer panel in a compacting position. 
         FIG. 14  depicts a cross section view of the compacting apparatus of  FIG. 13  when the truck frame rotates for unloading refuse. 
         FIG. 15  depicts a top view of a conventional hydraulic cylinder. 
         FIG. 16  depicts a front view of the conventional hydraulic cylinder of  FIG. 15 . 
         FIG. 17  depicts a top view of an extended conventional hydraulic cylinder. 
         FIG. 18  depicts a top view of a conventional telescopic hydraulic cylinder. 
         FIG. 19  depicts a front view of the cylinder of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 20  depicts a top view of the cylinder of  FIG. 17  in an extended condition. 
         FIG. 21  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a trunnion bracket. 
         FIG. 22  depicts an exemplary embodiment of a mounting ring. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     When a refuse-collection vehicle, such as a refuse truck, collects refuse, it usually has an automatic loading mechanism, a refuse container for storing the refuse, a packer panel, and hydraulic cylinders that apply bi-directional forces to the packer panel. Typically, the automatic loading mechanism grasps and moves a refuse bin, such as a residential trash can, to an opening near the top of the container of the refuse truck. The loading mechanism positions the refuse bin so that refuse falls from the refuse bin into the container. When an operator activates the hydraulic cylinders for compacting refuse, the hydraulic cylinders apply forces to the packer panel so that the refuse is compacted between a closed rear door and the packer panel. The amount of space for storing compacted refuse within the container is limited by the size of the container and by the size of an equipment compartment of the container, i.e., the space required for the hydraulic cylinders and other equipment. It is desirable that the equipment compartment of the container be as small possible so that the space for storing refuse is as large as possible. 
     When compared to conventional refuse compacting systems, an embodiment of a compacting system of the present disclosure reduces or at the best does not require an increase in the size of the equipment compartment a container of a refuse truck. In such embodiment, the compacting system comprises hydraulic cylinders, and each cylinder has a barrel that passes though a packer panel. It is possible for a portion of the barrel to be located within the refuse space of the container and another portion of the barrel to be located within the equipment space of the container. The midsection of each barrel is coupled to the packer panel and a rod end of each hydraulic cylinder is coupled to a front wall of the container. In such an arrangement, the cylinders may extend in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of motion of the packer panel such that a greater percentage of the force generated by the hydraulic cylinders is applied in the direction of motion relative to embodiments in which the cylinders are crisscrossed. Thus, smaller cylinders can be used to generate a sufficient force, thereby reducing the cost and weight of the cylinders without requiring an increase to the equipment space. In fact, it is possible for the size of the equipment space to be reduced, such that the refuse space can be increased for a given container size. In addition, the embodiment of the compacting system has the hydraulic cylinders positioned along the sides of the container so that the chance of sleeve damage to a telescopic cylinder is reduced. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a conventional refuse truck with hydraulic cylinders  15 . The container  20  is located behind a cab  12  of the refuse truck and mounted on a frame  13 . The front  18  of the cab  12  is the front of the truck. The cab  12  has an interior with positions for a vehicle driver and/or an equipment operator. The vehicle frame  13  and container  20  extend longitudinally (the y-direction) from the cab  12  towards a rear  19  of the truck. The container  20  has a front wall  22 , two side walls  25 , a floor  24 , a ceiling  27 , and a rear door  28 . The rear door  28  is securely closed when the refuse truck collects refuse and is opened when refuse is unloaded from the container  20 . An opening (not shown) in the ceiling  27  forms an entry port for refuse  70  that drops through the opening when a refuse loading device positions a refuse bin above the opening. 
     The container  20  has a refuse compartment  59 , for containing refuse, and an equipment compartment  58 , for containing equipment (e.g., cylinders  15 ). It is usually desirable to have a small equipment compartment  58  so that the refuse compartment  59  can be larger. The approximate volume of the container  20  is defined by multiplying the container&#39;s length  52 , height  54  and width  56  ( FIG. 2 ). Typically, a refuse-truck container has a volume of approximately 20 cubic yards. The volume of the refuse compartment  59  depends on its length  60  (measured in the y-direction) that is defined as the distance from a packer panel  30  in a retracted location  40  to the rear door  28 . A width (measured in the x-direction) of the refuse compartment is approximately the width  56  of the container and a height (measured in the z-direction) of the refuse compartment is approximately the height  54  of the container  20 . The equipment compartment  58  has a length  57  (measured in the y-direction) defined as a distance between the front wall  22  of the container  20  and the packer panel  30  when the packer panel is in a retracted location  40 . A width (measured in the x-direction) of the equipment compartment  58  is approximately the width  56  of the container and a height (measured in the z-direction) of the equipment compartment  58  is approximately the height  54  of the container. 
     A conventional technique to reduce the size of the equipment compartment includes positioning hydraulic cylinders  15  in a crisscross arrangement as depicted in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . The crisscross arrangement can reduce the distance between the front wall  22  and the packer panel  30  in a retracted location  40  by approximately 30% or more when compared to a non-crisscross arrangement of hydraulic cylinders. A rod end of the hydraulic cylinders  15  is coupled to the front wall  22  by a mount  21  at a coupling angle  23 . For the crisscross arrangement, a smaller coupling angle  23  provides a smaller equipment compartment  58 . However, as the coupling angle  23  decreases, the rearward (the y-direction) vector force of the hydraulic cylinders  15  are diminished. Hence, if the coupling angle  23  is too small, such as 30 degrees or smaller, then it is difficult for the hydraulic cylinders  15  to apply sufficient force to move the packer panel  30  from a retracted location  40  towards (the y-direction) the back of the refuse truck. As depicted in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , each of the hydraulic cylinders  15  has a rod end coupled to the front wall  22  with a mount  21  and a barrel end of each of the hydraulic cylinders  15  coupled to packer panel  30  with another mount  32 . The mounts  21  and  32  utilize spherical bushings because of a range of angular motion required of the hydraulic cylinders  15  as the packer panel  30  moves to and from a variety of operational locations. Such spherical bushings are expensive and require a lubrication system to prevent the bushing from wearing out. 
     In order to understand the operation of the conventional refuse truck, assume that the refuse truck is empty, i.e., there is no refuse in the container, and the truck is in the process of collecting refuse. When the refuse truck begins the refuse collection process, the packer panel  30  is in the retracted location  40  as depicted in  FIG. 1 . At each refuse pickup location, the container  20  receives refuse  70  through an opening in the top of the container  20  when the operator of an automatic loader (not shown) positions a trash can above the opening. As more and more refuse drops into the container  20 , the operator may determine it is desirable to compact refuse  70 . If so, the operator then activates the hydraulic cylinders  15  so that forces are applied to the packer panel  30 . The packer panel  30  moves towards the end  19  of the container (the y-direction) to a packing position  42 . The distance the packer panel  30  is able to travel for compacting refuse depends on the amount of refuse within the container  20 . When the refuse compartment  59  of the container is no longer capable of accepting refuse, i.e., the container is full, then the refuse truck goes to an unloading site, such as a land fill. 
     The unloading action begins when the refuse truck is at the unloading site. The rear door  28  is opened, for example, by rotating the door  28  about a hinge  29 . The operator then activates the hydraulic cylinders  15  for unloading refuse. Forces applied by the hydraulic cylinders  15  push the packer panel  30  from its retracted location  40  towards (the y-direction) the opening at the rear  19  of the refuse truck. As the packer panel  30  moves, refuse  70  is pushed out of the opening at the back of the container  20 . When the hydraulic cylinders  15  are fully extended the packer panel  30  is in the unloading position  44  and unloading is complete. 
     The conventional system as depicted in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  reduces the size of the equipment compartment  58  of the container  20 . However, as indicated earlier, the conventional system increases the weight and cost of the refuse truck because it requires larger hydraulic cylinders. The term “hydraulic cylinder” includes both telescopic hydraulic cylinders that have sleeves and hydraulic cylinders with no sleeves. For refuse trucks that have telescopic hydraulic cylinders, sleeves of the hydraulic cylinders may be damaged if refuse inadvertently falls on the sleeves. For example, if refuse contains heavy metallic objects, such objects may fall on and damage the sleeves. If the telescopic hydraulic cylinder is not capable of functioning due to damages, it is then necessary to replace or repair the cylinders. The crisscross arrangement is particularly vulnerable to refuse damage since a portion of a sleeve is always located along the centerline of the container  20 . Although the conventional compacting system having the crisscross arrangement of hydraulic cylinders has shortcomings, the system does reduce the size of the equipment 
       FIG. 3  depicts an embodiment of a compacting system  100  of the present disclosure. The compacting system  100 , comprising two hydraulic cylinders  90  and a packer panel  130 , compacts refuse within container  20  of a refuse truck. The hydraulic cylinders  90  are activated by an operator and provide forces for pushing and pulling the packer panel  130 . Each hydraulic cylinder  90  has a barrel  91  and a rod  96 . The barrel  91  of each hydraulic cylinder  90  passes through an aperture in the packer panel  130  and is trunnion coupled to the packer panel  130  via trunnion pins  92  and a trunnion bracket  180  ( FIG. 21 ). The trunnion bracket  180  is attached to surfaces of the packer panel  130 , such as surfaces of the packer panel  130  that form the aperture. Shielding plates  89  (only one is shown) fit around the barrel  91  and are attached, via screws or other fasteners, to the packer panel  130 . Each shielding plate  89  is generally flat with a round aperture dimensioned so that the shielding plate  89  fits around a respective one of the barrels  91 . The shielding plates  89  prevent refuse, contained in the refuse compartment  59  of the container, from entering the equipment compartment  58  of the container  20  through the aperture in the packer panel through which the barrel  91  passes. When the barrel  91  is coupled to the packer panel  130  movement of the barrel  91  results in a corresponding movement of the packer panel  130 . In general, the barrel  91  of a hydraulic cylinder is made of high strength materials so that falling refuse does not usually damage the barrel. For some embodiments of the compacting system  100 , the barrel is modified so that it can better withstand the impact of refuse entering the container via the loading system. The modifications may include, for example, using stronger materials, thicker materials, or covering the top side of the barrel with a barrel shield mounted on the packer panel  130 . The rod  96  of the hydraulic cylinder  90  is coupled to the front wall  22  of container  20  via conventional couplers. 
     As previously indicated, it is generally desirable that the refuse compartment  59  of the container  20  be as large as possible and that the equipment compartment  58  of the container  20  be as small as possible. The compacting system  100  of  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  has such a characteristic. Further, when the hydraulic cylinders  90  are telescopic hydraulic cylinders, such as a five stage hydraulic cylinder, the equipment compartment  58  of the container  20  may be around 10% of the total volume of the container  20 . In other embodiments having other hydraulic cylinders, such as a single-stage hydraulic cylinder, the size of the equipment compartment  58  of the container is also reduced when the barrel  91  passes through the packer panel  130 . 
       FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  depict the system of  FIG. 3  when the packer panel  130  is in a retracted position at retracted location  40 . When the container receives refuse  70 , the packer panel  130  remains in the retracted position until the operator activates the hydraulic cylinders  90  to compact the refuse  70 . The forces provided by the hydraulic cylinders  90  are, for the most part, longitudinal (in the y-direction) forces and do not have any sideward (the x-direction) or vertical (the z-direction) force components. Thus, most if not all of the force applied by the cylinders is in the direction of movement of the packer panel. Accordingly, less force is needed than would be required if the forces were applied in other directions. Thus, cylinders of smaller size, weight, and cost can be used. 
       FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8  depict the system of  FIG. 3  when the packer panel  130  is in a compacting position at compacting location  42 . The compacting location  42  is dependent on the amount and type of refuse within the refuse compartment  59  of the container  20  and on the amount of force applied by the hydraulic cylinders. The compacting action occurs continuously, initiated by the operator, until the refuse compartment  59  of the container is full, i.e., it can accept no more refuse. When the refuse compartment  59  of the container is full, the refuse truck travels to an unloading site, such as a land fill, and unloads the compacted refuse. 
       FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10  depict the system of  FIG. 3  when the packer panel  130  has transitioned to an unloading location  44 . Before the packer panel is activated to move to unloading location the rear of the container is opened and the truck is located where compacted refuse will fall at a selected location. The packer panel  130  is pushed from the retracted location  40  to the unloading position by forces of the hydraulic cylinders  90 . When the packer panel reaches the unloading location  44 , the hydraulic cylinders  90  are fully extended. The length of a 6 stage telescopic hydraulic cylinder, such as a Hyco Model 20185-916-440, has a closed length of approximately 8 feet and a fully extended length of approximately 45 feet. If one half of the length of the barrel of the hydraulic cylinder, 4 feet, is located within the equipment compartment  58  of the container, then the refuse compartment  59  of the container  20  is approximately 40 feet long. The above example indicates that compacting system  100  can provides an equipment compartment that is less than 10% of the container&#39;s volume. 
       FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12  depict an embodiment of a compacting system wherein the packer panel  130  is coupled to a single one-plunger hydraulic cylinder  90 . In other embodiments other numbers of plungers may be used. The barrel  91  of the hydraulic cylinder  90  passes through and is trunnion coupled to packer panel  130 .  FIG. 12  depicts the packer panel  130  in a retracted location  40 . Upon a command from the operator, hydraulic cylinders  90  apply forces that push the packer panel  130  towards (the y-direction) end of the refuse truck. If each hydraulic cylinder is a single stage cylinder, then the hydraulic cylinder is fully extended when it reaches location compacting location  42 .  FIG. 13  and  FIG. 14  depict another apparatus for unloading refuse. When the operator determines the refuse truck is full or otherwise needs to be unloaded, then the refuse truck travels to a land fill. Upon positioning the refuse truck for unloading, an unloading hydraulic cylinder  160  rotates the front wall  22  of container  20  upward (the z-direction) until the container floor  24  has sufficient slope for the refuse to slide out of the container. 
     In other embodiments, it is possible to have more than two hydraulic cylinders for moving the packer panel  130  to locations within the container  20 . Although the rod end  96  of the hydraulic cylinder  90  is pin and eye coupled to the front wall  22  in one embodiment, other coupling techniques are possible in other embodiments. Trunnion coupling the barrel  91  passing through the packer panel  130  is not a limitation on the present disclosure. In other embodiments, other barrel coupling techniques are possible. For example, the barrel  91  could be attached using collars, tabs, or other known attachment techniques. 
       FIGS. 15 ,  16  and  17  depict several views of a one-plunger hydraulic cylinder  90 . The hydraulic cylinder  90  depicted has a barrel  91  and trunnion pins  92  extending from the barrel. A rod  93  is shown on one end of the hydraulic cylinder  90  and has a tab with an eye  96  that extends from the rod  93 .  FIG. 15  shows the hydraulic cylinder  90  when it is closed.  FIG. 17  shows it the hydraulic cylinder when it is fully opened. 
       FIGS. 18 ,  19  and  20  depict several views of a telescopic hydraulic cylinder  90 . The telescopic hydraulic cylinder  90  has a barrel  91  and trunnion pins  92  extending from the barrel. A rod  93  is shown on one end of the hydraulic cylinder  90  and has a tab with an eye  96  that extends from the rod  93 . The telescopic hydraulic cylinder has sleeves  98  that allow the hydraulic cylinder to extend to several times its closed length.  FIG. 18  and  FIG. 19  shows the telescopic hydraulic cylinder  90  when it is closed.  FIG. 20  shows it the telescopic hydraulic cylinder when it is fully opened. 
       FIG. 21  depicts an embodiment of a trunnion mount  180  for coupling the barrel  91  of the hydraulic cylinder  90  within an aperture in the packer panel  130 . A base  182  of trunnion mount  180  has a circular groove  183  slightly larger than the diameter of the trunnion pins  92 . A back surface (parallel to the z-y plane) of the base  182  is attached to a vertical surface forming the aperture in the packer panel  130 . Another base  182  is attached to another vertical surface of the aperture. The distance between the attached bases  182  is such that the barrel  91  fits between the bases  182  and allows the trunnion pins to drop into the circular grooves  183 . A trunnion cap  186  having a circular slot  187  is attached to each of the bases  183  to secure the barrel  91  to the packer panel  130 . 
     A collar  190  for coupling the barrel of the packer panel is depicted in  FIG. 22 . The collar has a circular shape with a circular aperture. The circular aperture has a diameter  192  slightly greater than the diameter of the barrel  91 . The collar  190  is positioned about the barrel by sliding the collar over the barrel. The collar  190  is then attached, such as by welding interior surfaces  196 , to the barrel  91 . The back surface  194  of the collar is then attached with conventional methods to the packer panel  130 . In some embodiments two collars  190  are used on each barrel  91 . The collars  190  also serves as a shield to prevent refuse within the refuse compartment  59  of the container from getting into the equipment compartment  58  of the container. 
     Although the disclosure is described in several embodiments, a variety of changes and modifications would be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Note, in particular, that the exemplary architectures described could also be used for other compression containers.