Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/824,551, filed on May 17, 2013. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to refuse vehicles and, more particularly, to refuse vehicles with front loading forks and a track and guide system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     When picking up residential, as well as commercial refuse, refuse haulers attempt to maximize their refuse vehicle potential. Refuse vehicles with front loading forks can be utilized to pick up large intermediate containers at commercial buildings. Additionally, these types of vehicles can be utilized for receiving residential refuse at the rear of the vehicle. Recently, intermediate containers, that are maintained on the front loading forks and include garbage can gripping devices, have become more popular for picking up residential refuse. These intermediate containers include a self-contained arm that extends from the intermediate container. The arm grasps a garbage can and dumps the garbage can into the intermediate container. Once the intermediate container is full, the front loading forks dump the intermediate container into the hopper of the large permanent container on the vehicle. 
     While utilizing these intermediate containers with a grasping arm, it has been found that as the arm extends from the intermediate container, due to the fast cycle time, that substantial horizontal movement is created in the front loading forks. The further the arm extends from the intermediate container, the more likely horizontal movement of the front loading forks is to occur. The horizontal motion causes increased stress on the front loading forks. The front loading forks were originally designed to handle vertical forces from the operation of commercial container dump cycles. Accordingly, it would be desirous to prohibit horizontal movement of the front loading forks during pick up of residential refuse utilizing a front loading intermediate container with a self-contained gripping arm. 
     The present disclosure provides the art with a refuse vehicle that prohibits horizontal movement of the front loading forks utilizing an intermediate container during residential pick up. The present disclosure enables vertical movement of the intermediate container to adjust for garbage can height while prohibiting horizontal movement of the front loading forks. Additionally, the disclosure provides a simple and economical track and guide system that can be attached to existing refuse vehicles or can be original manufacturer&#39;s equipment. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly to a first aspect of the disclosure, a track and guide system for refuse vehicles comprise at least one track member adapted to be mounted on a bumper of a refuse vehicle. The at least one track member has a desired length extending transverse to the ground. At least one guide member is adapted to be mounted on the front loading forks of the refuse vehicle. The at least one guide member contacts the at least one track member to prohibit horizontal movement of the front loading forks with respect to the refuse vehicle. Wear pads may be positioned on the track member or the guide member. Gusset plates are coupled with the track member and guide member to provide strength in a direction of an applied force. The length of the track member enables contact with the guide member as the front loading fork is raised vertically to adjust for height of a to be picked up can or container. The track member includes a first portion to be secured with the refuse vehicle bumper and a second portion to contact the guide member. The second portion is substantially transverse to the first portion. 
     According to a second aspect of the disclosure, a refuse vehicle comprises a vehicle chassis including a cab and a permanent container coupled with the rear portion of the chassis. Front loading forks are coupled with the refuse vehicle to dump an intermediate container into the permanent container on the rear of the chassis. At least one track member is mounted on a bumper of the chassis. The at least one track member has a desired length extending transverse to the ground. At least one guide member is mounted on the front loading forks. The at least one guide member contacts the at least one track member to prohibit horizontal movement of the front loading forks with respect to the refuse vehicle. Wear pads may be positioned on the track member or the guide member. Gusset plates are coupled with the track member and guide member to provide strength in a direction of an applied force. The length of the track member enables contact with the guide member as the front loading fork is raised vertically to adjust for height of a to be picked up can or container. The track member includes a first portion to be secured with the refuse vehicle bumper and a second portion to contact the guide member. The second portion is substantially transverse to the first portion. 
     Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a refuse vehicle including an intermediate container with a collection arm grasping a garbage can or container. 
         FIG. 2  is a view like  FIG. 1  with the garbage can in a dump position. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of a cab and front loading fork. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one side of the track and guide system. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a top perspective view of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged perspective view of one of the track and guide members. 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevation view of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic perspective view of a third embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning to the figures, particularly  FIG. 1 , a refuse vehicle is illustrated and designated with the reference numeral  10 . The refuse vehicle  10  includes a chassis  12  with a cab  14  and a permanent rear container  16  positioned onto the rear of the chassis  12 . The refuse vehicle  10  also includes front loading forks  20 . The front loading forks  20  dump intermediate container  22  into the rear container  16 . The forks  20  include a pair of side bars  24 , a cross-bar  26  and tines  28 . The front loading forks  20  dump the intermediate container  22  positioned on the tines  28  in a conventional manner. The intermediate container  22  includes an arm  30  with a gripper  32 . The arm  30  extends from and retracts toward the intermediate container  22  to grasp and then dump a garbage can or container  36  into the intermediate container  22  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Turning to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the track and guide system is illustrated and designated with the reference numeral  50 . The track and guide system  50  includes a pair of track members  52 ,  54  as well as a pair of guide members  56 ,  58 . The track member  52  and guide member  56  are on the left side of the vehicle bumper  60 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The track member  54  and guide member  58 , on the right side of the vehicle bumper, are illustrated in phantom in  FIG. 3 . The track members  52 ,  54  are identical but are right and left handed. 
     The track member  52  includes a first plate portion  62  and a second plate portion  64 . The plate portions  62 ,  64  are positioned transverse to one another. The plate portion  62  is secured, bolted, welded or the like to the bumper  60 . Gusset plates  66 ,  68  are welded to the first and second portions  62 ,  64 . The gusset plates  66 ,  68  provide strength in the direction of the applied force. The second portion  64  has a desired length that extends below the bumper  60  of the vehicle  10 . The length of the second member  64  of the track member  52  enables the guide member  56  to contact the second plate  64  below the bumper  60 . This enables the front loading forks  20  to be moved vertically away from the ground along the second portion  64 . This provides a vertical or height adjustment of the intermediate container  22 . In turn, by being able to lift the front loading forks  20 , the height of the intermediate container can be adjusted to accommodate different heights of garbage cans  36 . 
     The guide member  56  is coupled with the cross support  26 . The guide member  56  is a plate having a desired configuration. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the plate member has an overall rectangular configuration. The plate member  56 , as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , contacts the second portion  64  of the track member  52 . Also, a gusset plate  70  may be welded to the guide plate  56  and the cross member  26  as illustrated in FIG.  6 . The gusset plates  70  provide strength in the direction of the applied force. Additionally, a wear plate  72  may be applied to the contact surface of the second member  64  or the guide plate  56 . Here, it is illustrated on the guide plate  56 . This provides easy sliding and prohibits wear of the plates. 
     A gap is created between the track member second member  64  and the guide  56 . The gap  74  is best illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The gap  74  is approximately a ⅛ inch wide. The gap  74  provides for installation tolerances. The contact edges of the track and guide should be chamfered to provide ease of docking when the front loading forks dump cycle is complete. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 7-10 , an additional embodiment is illustrated. Here, the same parts will be designated with the same reference numerals. The difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment lies in the first portion of the track members  52 ′,  54 ′. Here, the first plate portion  62 ′ includes a bolting portion  53 . The bolting portion  53  extends from the first portion  62 ′. The bolting portion  53  has a cut-out so that an inclined surface  55  extends to the first plate portion  62 ′. The track member  52 ′ includes the gusset plates  66 ,  68  as well as the second portion  64 ′ as previously described. Also, the guide members  56 ′ and  58 ′ have a slightly different configuration. However, the guide members  56 ′ and  58 ′ functions as previously described. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates a third embodiment of a track and guide system  100 . The track member  102  includes a first plate portion  104  that includes a bolting portion  106 . A first member  108  extends transverse to the plate member  104 . The first member  108  includes a wear pad  110 . Additionally, a gusset  112  is secured with the transverse member  108  and bolting portion  106 . The track member  102  includes a second plate member  114  that is positioned on the first plate member  104 . The second plate member  114  includes a first plate portion  116  and a second plate portion  118  transverse to the first plate  116 . A gusset  120  provides strength as previously described. Also, the second plate portion  118  includes a wear pad  110 . A guide  130  is illustrated between the first member  108  and the second plate portion  118  to slide between the wear pads  110 . The guide  130  would be secured to the cross bar  26  of the front loading forks  20 . By moving between the first member  108  and second plate portion  118 , a single track member  102  and guide member  130  can be utilized to prohibit horizontal movement of the front loading forks  20  during pick up of the intermediate container. 
     The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

Technology Category: 7