AU667724B2 - Refuse bin grabbing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

OP I

AOJP

DATE 04/01/94 DATE 24/03/94 APPLN. ID 42963/93 PCT NUMBER PCT/AU93/00272 1111111 I 1 I 1 11 11 lll llAU93 II4 I l lll AU9342963

(PCT)

(51) International Patent Classification 5 (Il) International Publication Number: WO 93/25457 3/04, B66C 3/04, 1/44 Al (43) International Publication Date: 23 December 1993 (23.12.93) (21) International Application Number: PCT/AU93/00272 (81) Designated States: AU, CA, NZ, US, European patent (AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, (22) International Filing Date: 8 June 1993 (08.06.93) MC, NL, PT, SE).

Priority data: Published PL 2926 15 June 1992 (15.06.92) AU With international search report.

(71) Applicant (for all designated States except US): MACDO- NALD JOHNSTON ENGINEERING COMPANY PTY. LTD. [AU/AU]; 15 Paran Place, Glen Iris, VIC 3146 (AU).

(72) Inventor; and Inventor/Applicant (for US only) BROWNING, David, J.

[AU/AU]; 15 Paran Place, Glen Iris, VIC 3146 (AU).

(74) Agent: WATERMARK; 2nd r, The Atrum, 290 Bur -wed Road, Hawthorn, VIC 3122 667724 (54) Title: REFUSE BIN GRABBING APPARATUS 3 (57) 'act 'ere is disclosed a refuse bin grabbing apparatus for grabbing a bin for movement to an elevated unloading position for emptying into a refuse truck including a power-driven linkage for moving a bin- 1 grasping clamp 3) towards inter-engagement with a refuse bin, the grasping clamp including articulated clamping arms for embracing a refuse bin, the arms being fitted with a flexible belt located between the clamping arms and a bin to be clamped so that the belt is ten- 9 sioned in the bin-engaging position; the articulated clamping arms are retractable to an out-of-the-way position to ensure that the clamping 7 arms do not prodrude from the outer confines of the vehicle in the rest position.

4 3 I I TITLE: REFUSE BIN GRABBING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present inventions relates to a refuse bin grabbing apparatus, particularly a so-called side lift system. Systems of this type are described in our earlier patent Application No. 60231/90 first filed 8 August 1989.

A major advantage of this system is the possibility of single man operation of the motor vehicle, loading of the contents of a refuse bin and restoring the refuse bin to its original position without the operator leaving his driving position.

Other prior art known to the Applicant includes Australian Petty Patent No. 629165 disclosing hydraulically actuated grab fingers for a refuse bin. U.S. Patent No. 3762586 discloses articulated arms on a front loading refuse vehicle.

t U.S. Patent No. 4401407 discloses a grasping arm on a refuse collection vehicle with an inner arm pivotally mounted on a frame with an outer arm pivoted between its j ends to the inner arm. The outer arm is hydraulically moved graspingly in response to 15 movement of the inner arm by a linkage mechanism. The grasping arm is adapted for grasping containers of varying shapes and sizes.

Australian Patent Application 634439 discloses gripping apparatus for a refuse bin including pivotal arm means and a flexible element for gripping a refuse bin.

Australian Patent No. 521074 discloses hydraulically actuated fixed arms pivoted at a shoulder pivot.

U.S. Patent No. 3172693 discloses a barrel grab assembly suitable for a fork lift truck.

Australian lapsed Application No. 75458/81 discloses a side loader with grasping arms pivoted at a shoulder joint.

U.S. Patent No. 4227850 discloses a paper roll handling clamp for lift trucks with pivoting clamp arms.

U.S. Patent No. 4461608. discloses a handling apparatus for a rear-loading refuse truck with a pair of pivotal clamping arms.

Australian Application No. 82407/82 discloses pivotal grab arms for a container pick-up vehicle.

U.S. Patent No. 4281956 discloses a front-loading grabber apparatus with pivoting arms.

U.S. Patent No. 3165348 discloses an articulated grabbing arm mechanism with padding thereon for grasping logs, barrels and pipes, etc.

None of the prior art known to the Applicant appears to address the problem of engaging closely-spaced bins and achieving full retraction of the grabbing arms in an lp/1iold130020417 1 -0 Lif N~~c I anmraa..aP*~inmn~Rn*r~-.i 4-(r out-of-the-way position. Furthermore, the present invention sets out to minimise mechanical damage to the refuse bin in :a clamping operation.

Problems have been encountered with known grabber systems causing damage to the bins which are usually made from plastic material; achieving quick cyclic operation in a loading and releasing operation and requiring minimum clearance between bins lined up in rows to allow entry of the grabbing apparatus during normal operation of the vehicle between loading cycles.

There is provided according to the present invention a remote control refuse bin grabbing apparatus for grabbing and moving of a bin to an elevated unloading position, the apparatus having a power driven linkage arranged to move bin engaging means into engagement with the bin, said bin engaging means having support means upon which a pair of foldable clamping arms are pivotally mounted, the arrangement of clamping arms and support means being such that the clamping arms may each be folded to lie on either side of the support means when in the rest position from which they may be unfolded to project and receive the bin, wherein the unfolding movement of the clamping arms from the rest position is controlled by guide means to promote an outward projection of the clamping arms from the bin support means to receive the bin and said clamping arms include belt means arranged to engage the bin under the tension caused by said clamping arms moving the belt means into embracing engagement with the bin. Because the clamping arms are folded away in the rest position, the vehicle can be legally driven with the arms in an out-of-the-way rest position but well positioned to commence its next loading cycle.

There is provided according to a further aspect of the invention a remote control refuse bin grabbing apparatus for grabbing and moving a bin to an elevated unloading position, the apparatus having a power driven linkage arranged to move bin engaging means into engagement with the bin, said bin engaging means including a pair of clamping arms, each clamping arm h~iving a shoulder pivotally mounted on a support means, each shoulder having a forward arm member pivotally joined thereto, a pair of power cylinders pivotally joined to the support means and extending to pivotally join a respective shoulder, and a pair of links pivotally joined to the support means and extending to pivotally join the respective forward arm member each clamping arm including a belt extending between the forward arm member and the support means or shoulder, the arrangement being such that the pair of clamping arms may be folded to a rest position at which the clamping arms lie generally in line with and on either side of the support means.

XI.

Lff~c To,~st~i~j" cuL 1 a3- i i: a a Ire a -mu~ In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a remote control refusebin grabbing apparatus for grabbing and moving a bin to an elevated unloading position, the apparatus having a power driven linkage arranged to move bin engaging means forward into engagement with the bin, said bin engaging means including a pair of clamping arms, each clamping arm having a shoulder pivotally mounted on a support means, each shoulder having a forward arm member pivotally joined thereto, a pair of power cylinders pivotally joined to the support means and extending to pivotally join a respective shoulder, and a pair of links pivotally joined to the support means and extending to pivotally join the respective forward arm member each clamping arm including a belt extending between the forward arm member and the support means or shoulder, the arrangement being such that the pair of clamping arms may be folded to a rest position at which the pivotal join between the respective forward arm member and shoulder member lies to the rear of the pivotal mounting between the respective shoulder and the support means.

In a still further aspect the invention provides a remote control refuse bin grabbing apparatus for grabbing and moving a bin to an elevated unloading position the apparatus having a power driven linkage arranged to move bin engaging means into engagement with the bin, said bin engaging means including a pair of clamping arms A foldable between a rest position and bin clamping position pivotally mounted on a support ,oar means, flexible belt means mounted on the bin engaging means to extend between the bin and the pair of clamping arms, the mounting of the belt means being such that unfolding of the clamping arms from the rest position to the bin clamping position causes the belt 0 means to be tensioned to engage and clamp the bin.

,The arrangement may be such that the flexible belt means contacts the bin over a relatively large surface area with few, if any, high pressure forces being directly applied to the bin by the articulated clamping arm means.

A" The clamping arms may be configured and constructed to move in such a way to require minimal lateral spacing relatively large surface area with few, if any, high pressure forces being directly applied to the bin by the articulated clamping arm means.

The clamping arms may be configured and constructed to move in such a way as to require minimal lateral spacing relative to the side of the bin so that closely spaced bins, or bins closely spaced to some fixed object, can be accessed and grasped for emptying.

T 0i In a specific aspect of the invention thre is provided a remote control refuse bingrabbing appiratus the appratus having a power diven linkage arranged to move bin engaging means into enagmenent with tile bin, said bin cigaging cs including a pair of clamping armis foldable between a rest position and binll clamplling position pivoally mounted on a support means, flexible belt iheans niountl(d on the bin engaging means to extend between the b in and the pair of clampingt arms. the mounting of the belt means being such ithat unfolding of the clamping arms fro the rest position to the bin clamping position causes the bell means to be tensioned to engage and clamp the hi.

The bell means may include a bell associated with each clamping arm mounted between forward and rear mounts, the location of the mounts being such that unfolding of each clamping arm causes an increase in separation of the respective mounts.

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44 tr 4444t 4 The clamping arms each include a shoulder having a forward arm member pivotally joined thereto, the forward mount being located on the iforward arm member and the rear mount being located on the support means or shoulder.

In a further aspect of the invention the belt may be secured at a central stationary location such as support means on the grabbing apparatus or alternatively is formed in two separate parts and secured to pivot points forming a shoulder joint for each of the clamping arms.

It has been found that this latter construction provides a more positive support for the belt means in reducing a tendency for the belt to sag when in an untensioned 10 position.

The grabber mechanism described is interchangeable with different types of lifting heads. For example a vacuum operated head of the same general type as is disclosed in Australian published specification No. 65312/90 and also German specification No. 2558466, European specifications Nos. 287433 and 327(': 15 The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a plan viev of a grabber mechanism in a ready to load position.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same g abber mechanism in a folded or retracted position; Figure 3 is a plan view of the grabber mechanism moving towards a clamping position; Figure 4 is a plan view of the grabber mechanism in a fully clamped position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view from above showing the grabber mechanism in more detail.

L I Figure 6 is a plan view of the further embodiment of the grabber mechanism in folded or retracted position showing a modified belt attachment.

With reference to the drawings, the grabber mechanism includes a pair of shoulder arm members 2 connected through an elbow joint 10 to arm members 3. The shoulder arm members 2 are controlled by a pair of power cylinders 8 mounted on the housing-ram box 1 to control pivotal movement of the shoulder arm member 2 about shoulder pivot 2a which in turn move the arm members 3 to a loading position. The power cylinders 8 are in turn controlled by a valve 7 and can conveniently be actuated by remote control by the driver of the refuse vehicle to which the equipment is attached.

The links 5 are adapted to control the pivotal movement of the shoulder arm 35 members 2 to promote a forward projocting movement of the arm members 3 to reduce to a minimum the lateral movement of the arm members about elbow pivot point 10 thereby limiting the lateral span of the arms in operation. In other words the projecting and

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I retracting movement of the arm members 3 is directed outwardly of the grabber mechanism, whilst the arm movements are controlled to minimise their lateral span and hence cause the leading edges of the arms to move forward along a path which is a shallow arc lying generally linearly forward of the grabber mechanism. This feature coupled with the relatively narrow dimension of the grabber arms allows entry between narrowly spaced refuse bins, or bins positioned close to an immovable object such as a power pole or the like.

The arm members 3 have mounted thereon a gripping belt 6 connected at the ends of the arms and also on a support mount 4 on the grabber mechanism to extend with the arm members to embrace a refuse bin as shown in Figure 4 in the fully clamped e position.

A small tension spring lOa is optionally provided, secured between the shoulder I tr arm member 2 arn' the belt 6 to restrain slack movement of the belt during movement from a retracted position to a bin engaging position. The belt 6 is drawn into surface-to-surface contact with a refuse bin and contacts the bin over a relatively large surface area to reduce or avoid localised large high pressure forces being directly applied by the arm members 2 and 3 to the bin surface.

The grabbing mechanism as is best shown in Figure 5 is fully adjustable to accommodate various width bins from 80 to 300 litre square style bins and 135 to 300 litre round style bins. The grabber mechanism can be fitted to the left hand or right hand side of the truck. The flexibility of the arm member 3 in combination with the belt support allows the belt to unfold and wrap around a bin of varying configurations and varying positions and yet it is unlikely to cause any material damage to the construction of the bin whilst taking a firm grip on the bin during an unloading operation. The fully closed position illustrated in Figure 4 represents the maximum closing movement of the S grabbing mechanism and will vary according to the size of the bin being grasped.

Preferably the belt is a multi-backed belt with a fingerprint style rubber on the face contacting the bin. The belt is of a non-stretch design and is therefore drawn tight around a bin during operation, of the power cylinders and flexible arms supporting the belt. With reference to Figure 2, this shows the grabbing mechanism in a fully folded position with the arm members 2 and 3 fully retracted and barely protruding from the mounting structure 1.

The arrangements shown in Figures 3 and 4 show the movement of the clamping arms from the fully retracted position to a clamping position in which the arms move outwardly in a more or less linear fashion from the support housing.

i C I -I Figure 5 shows in greater detail the support for the grabbing mechanism showing the manner of pivoting of the grabber mechanism from a street I:vte position to the tipping position.

The tipping linkage may be in accordance with our earlier Australian Application No. 60231/90 entitled "A Side Life Rtubbish Bin Lifter", showing the lifting linkage in greater detail, particularly relative to the grabbing mechanism. A similar lifting mechanism may be used as is described in the above referenced Australian specification in connection with the current grabbing mechanism.

The major components of the lifting mechanism include a rotary actuator 11, 11A. In this regard one of the rotary actuators 11A may be dispensed with for light i r weight lifts of no more than 75 kg. These actuators 11, 11A are mounted on a base support plate 12 connected to a transverse slide 13, that is movable transversely of the truck for up to a distance of 1.8 meters. Thus, the grabbing mechanism may be moved in and out towards a bin to be engaged for a total distance of 1.8 meters.

O The main grabber arrangement attaches to the drive member 14 which includes eti levelling struts 15 and 15A to control the lifting motion of the grabber mechanism in a specific pattern of arcuate movement.

The grab assembly is therefore controlled from moving through its at rest position to an angle of almost 150° when the tipping of the bin occurs at the top of its i 20 travel. During initial lifting movement from the park position through 900 the arm members 3 remain approximately parallel to the ground so that the bin remains almost vertical until movement through 150° whence the grab assembly commences a tipping arc from 150' to 180° of its travel. As previously mentioned this is described in greater detail in our earlier Australian Application No. 60231/90.

With reference to Figure 6 the belt 6 is formed in two parts as shown and secured at each end, The inner ends 17 of the belt are secured to blocks 18 connected directly to the shoulder pivots 2a. This has the desirable effect of limiting the belt span between the connecting points and thereby reducing the likelihood of belt sag in its untensioned condition.

While it has been convenient to describe the invention herein in relation to particularly preferred embodiments, it is to be appreciated that other constructions and arrangements are also considered as falling within the scope of the inventica, Various modifications, alterations, variations and/or additions to the construcions and arrangements described herein are also considered as falling within the scope and ambit of ~the present invention.

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Claims (6)

1. 7. THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:- 1. A remote control refuse bin grabbing apparatus for grabbing and moving of a bin to an elevated unloading positio, the apparatus having a pover driven liniage arranged to move bin engaging means into engagement wilth the bin, said bin engaging means having support means upon which a pai of foldable clamping arms are pivotally mounted, the arrangement of clamping arms and support means being such that the clamping arms may each be folded to lie on either side of the support means when in the rest position from which they may be unfolded to project and receive the bin, wherein the unfolding movement of the clamping arms from the rest position is controlled by guide means to promote ,n outward projection of the cl, inping arms from the bin support means to receive the bin and said clamping arms include belt means arranged to engage the bin under the tension caused by said clamping arms moving the belt means into embracing engagement with the bin. 2, An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guide means include a link extending between each clamping arm and the support, each link being pivotally joined to both the support and the respective clamping arm. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 including a power cylinder for each clamping arm arranged to move each clamping arm between said rest po ,;'ion and a positior, -,herein said clamping arms embrace the bin. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each power cylinder extends between the support means and a respective clamping arm. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the belt means comprise a belt extending between the outward end of each respective clamping arm and the support means or the inward portion of the clamping arm. 6. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each clamping arm includes a shoulder member mounted for pivotal movement about tLi, support means, and a forward arm member pivotally joined to each shoulder member. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein each clamping arm includes a link extending between the respective forward arm member and support means, each link acting to promote a generally directed outward projection of the clamping arms from the bin engagewent means to receive the bin.
2. 8. Apparatus according, to claim 6 or claim 7 as appended to claim 3 wherein each power cylinder exiends between and is pivotally joined to both the respective shoulder and support means. wsisse 8.
3. 9. A remote control refuse bin grabbing apparatus for grabbing and moving a bin to an elevated unloading position the apparatus having a power driven linkage arranged to move bin engaging means into engagement with the bin, said bin engaging means including a pair of clamping arms foldable between a rest position and bin clamping position pivotally mounted on a support means, flexible belt means mounted on the bin engaging means to extend between the bin and the pair of clamping arms, the mounting of the belt means being such that unfolding of the clamping arms from the rest position to the bin clamping position causes the belt means to be tensioned to engage and clamp the bin. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the belt means include a belt associated with each clamping arm mounted between forward and rear mounts, the location of the mounts being such that unfolding of each clamping arm causes an increase in separation of the respective mounts.
4. 11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the clamping arms each include a 0* shoulder having a forward arm member pivotally joined thereto, the forward S; Imount being located on the forward arm member and the rear mount being S; located on the support means or shoulder. k 12. A remote control refuse bin grabbing apparatus for grabbing and moving a bin to an elevated unloading position, the apparatus having a power driven linkage arranged to move bin engaging means into engagement with the bin, said bin engaging means including a pair of clamping arms, each clamping arm having a shoulder pivotally mounted on a support means, each shoulder having a forward arm member pivotally joined thereto, a pair or power cylinders pivotally joined to the support means and extending to pivotally join a respective shoulder, and a pair of links pivotally joined to the support means and extending to pivotally join the respective forward arm member, each clamping arm including a belt Sextending between the forward arm member and the support means or shoulder, the arrangement being such that the pair of clamping arms may be folded to a rest position at which the clamping arms lie generally in line with and on either side of the support means.
5. 13. A remote control refuse bin grabbing apparatus for grabbing and moving a bin to an elevated urloading position, the apparatus having a power driven linkage arranged to move bin engaging means forward into engagement with the bin, said bin engaging means including a pair of clamping arias, each clamping arm having a shoulder pivotally mounted on a support means, each shoulder having a 9. forward arm member pivotally joined thereto, a pair of power cylinders pivotally joined to the support means and extending to pivotally join a respective shoulder, and a pair of links pivotally joined to the support means and extending to pivotally join the respective forward arm member, each clamping arm including a belt extending between the forward arm member and the support means or shoulder, the arrangement being such that the pair of clamping arms may be folded to a rest position at which the pivotal join between the respective forward arm member and shoulder member lies to the rear of the pivotal mounting between the respective shoulder and the support means.
6. 14. An apparatus according to claim 12 or claim 13 wherein the power cylinders for each clamping arm are arranged to move each clamping arm between a rest position and a bin clamping position. An apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 14 wherein the links are each joined to the respective forward arm members in a position which is laterally outside the positn of the respective pivotal join between the respective shoulder and forward arm member. 16, An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. of the accompanying drawings. a0 t 4