Patent ID: 7037061

Claim:
A refuse collection vehicle having a front and a rear and comprising: (a) a frame; (b) a collection bin mounted on the frame; (c) an apparatus for acquiring, lifting and transferring a container so as to deposit the contents of the container in the collection bin said apparatus comprising: (i) a base link having a first end and a second end, which base link is mounted on the collection vehicle; (ii) a container grab assembly that is adapted to capture the container; (iii) an upper link having a first end and a second end; (iv) a reach link having a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally attached to the first end of the base link and said second end being pivotally attached to the upper link at an intermediate position between the first end and the second end; (v) a lift arm having a first end and a second end, said first end being pivotally attached to the grab assembly; (vi) a reach cylinder having a base end and a rod end, with one of such ends being pivotally attached to the base link at a position between the second end of the base link and the first end of the reach link and the other being pivotally attached to the second end of the upper link; (vii) a lift cylinder having a base end and a rod end, with one of such ends being pivotally attached to the base link at an intermediate position between the first end and the second end and the other being pivotally attached to the second end of the lift arm; (d) a collection compartment that is pivotally mounted on the rear of the vehicle; (e) a storage compartment that is mounted on the frame between the collection bin and the collection compartment; (f) a packer blade that is mounted within the collection compartment; (g) means for moving the packer blade within the collection compartment so as to move refuse from the collection compartment into the storage compartment.