The present invention relates to refuse collection vehicles for hauling waste and recyclable commodities. In particular, the present invention relates to a refuse collection vehicle having a storage body, an intermediate container for being unloaded into the storage body and an automated refuse receptacle collection assembly for engaging a refuse receptacle and unloading contents of the refuse receptacle into the intermediate container.
Residential refuse is typically contained in relatively small receptacles or containers such as cans or carts which are positioned along the street for pick-up by a refuse collection vehicle. Refuse collection vehicles generally include a storage body and a compactor for compacting refuse in the storage body. The refuse is either unloaded directly into the storage body or is unloaded into an intermediate container or “carry can” which, when full, is unloaded into the storage body.
Intermediate containers of refuse collection vehicles are typically loaded with refuse from the receptacles either manually or mechanically. Manual loading requires that an operator physically move, lift and tip the refuse receptacle over the intermediate container to unload refuse into the intermediate container. As a result, manual loading of an intermediate container is physically demanding and time consuming. Furthermore, manual loading of the intermediate container requires an operator to continuously board and depart the cab of the refuse collection vehicle at each individual collection site. Consequently, manual loading of the intermediate container is time consuming and inefficient.
Alternatively, the intermediate container may be mechanically loaded with refuse. Mechanical loading of the intermediate container is generally achieved using either a tipper or an automated collection assembly. With tippers, an operator must move the receptacle, typically a cart, into an aligned and engaged position with respect to the tipper. The tipper engages the receptacle and dumps the receptacle into the intermediate container for the operator. Although the tipper eliminates the need for the operator to lift and dump the receptacle into the intermediate container, the operator still must depart the refuse collection vehicle to move the refuse receptacle to connect it to the tipper.
In contrast to tippers which only lift and tilt the receptacle into the intermediate container, conventional automated collection assemblies additionally extend away from the intermediate container to engage refuse receptacles spaced from the intermediate container. For example, Zopf U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,245 discloses a side arm assembly including an extendable arm that linearly extends from a curbside of the intermediate container. Updike, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,586 discloses a grab assembly that linearly extends forward of the intermediate container in front of the refuse collection vehicle. Because conventional collection assemblies can only extend in a single horizontal direction with respect to the intermediate container, conventional collection assemblies have an extremely limited range of motion. As a result, conventional automated collection assemblies require that the refuse collection vehicle itself be precisely positioned with respect to the refuse receptacle to align the collection assembly with the refuse receptacle for engagement. If the vehicle is not properly positioned with respect to the refuse receptacle, the vehicle must be repositioned or the operator must climb out of the vehicle to physically reposition the refuse receptacle in alignment with the collection assembly. In addition, conventional collection assemblies are incapable of collecting receptacles positioned on multiple sides of the intermediate container and are specifically configured for use only with a correspondingly configured refuse receptacle. Consequently, conventional automated collection assemblies are inflexible as to both the positioning and the particular type of receptacle being used.
An improvement to the loading of the intermediate container of a collection vehicle is disclosed in Szinte, U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,428 which shows a collection arm which rotates about an arc forward of the intermediate container and also includes a sideways telescoping structure to allow greater range of reach of the collection arm.