Litter pickup vehicle

Claim 2

A mechanism for gathering litter from a supporting surface, comprising: a vehicle adapted to move in a path traversing a nearby surface; elongated material-transporting means mounted at its inner end to the vehicle and adapted for motion of its outer end vertically and also laterally of said path, including conveyor means for moving litter inwardly therealong for disposal; litter pickup means secured to the outer end of said materialtransporting means, adapted to pick up litter from said supporting surface and deliver it to said conveyor means while the vehicle is moving; and control means for effecting said lateral and vertical motions of the material-transporting means to place said litter pickup means alongside the vehicle in the vicinity of litter to be gathered.

Claim 3

The litter-gathering mechanism of claim 1, in which the vehicle includes a litter-containing receptacle, and the conveyor means is disposed to deliver litter inwardly into said receptacle.

Claim 4

The litter-gathering mechanism of claim 1, in which the vehicle is mounted on wheels.

Claim 5

The litter-gathering mechanism of claim 1, wherein the pickup means is mounted for pivotal motion relative to the material-transporting means.

Claim 6

The mechanism as in claim 1 wherein the conveyor means and litter pickup means are movable as a unit from a position alongside the vehicle to a self storing position on top of the vehicle.

Claim 7

The mechanism as in claim 1 wherein said pickup means includes rotary means for moving the litter from said supporting surface to the conveyor means.

Claim 8

The mechanism as in claim 6 wherein the rotary means is a powered shaft having a plurality of tines mounted thereon.

Claim 9

The mechanism as in claim 7 wherein said pickup means has upper and lower enclosing surfaces, and said rotary means is disposed between said surfaces and carries a plurality of radial tines for sweeping the enclosed space therebetween.

Claim 10

The mechanism as in claim 7 wherein the pickup means has non-parallel uppEr and lower enclosing surfaces, and said tines are of spring steel and of varying lengths to conform generally to the inner contour defined by said upper and lower surfaces.

Claim 11

The litter-gathering mechanism of claim 1, in which said material-transporting means includes an elongated inner transport section pivotally affixed at its inner end to the vehicle for lateral and vertical motion of its outer end, an elongated outer transport section pivotally affixed at its inner end to the outer end of said inner transport section for relative lateral and vertical motion of the outer end of the outer transport section, inner conveyor means disposed along the inner transport section for moving litter inwardly therealong for disposal, and outer conveyor means disposed along the outer transport section for moving litter inwardly therealong to said inner conveyor means, said litter pickup means being secured to the outer end of said outer transport section for picking up litter and delivering it to said outer conveyor means, and said control means being adapted to effect said lateral and vertical motions of said inner and outer transport sections.

Claim 12

The litter-gathering mechanism of claim 10, in which said material-transporting means includes support means carried near the outer end of the inner transport section and disposed therebelow for riding on said supporting surface during use.

Claim 13

The litter-gathering mechanism of claim 10, in which said litter pickup means has a bottom portion adapted to contact and follow the contours of the supporting surface, an upper closed portion adapted to confine litter articles picked up, an open face portion adapted to receive the litter articles, an open rear portion adapted for discharging articles so received to the outer conveyor means, and rotating means in said upper closed portion adjacent said open face portion for moving articles from the front to the rear thereof.

Claim 14

The litter-gathering mechanism of claim 12, in which said litter pickup means includes a ground-contacting wheel, and is rotatable about an axis roughly longitudinal of said outer transport section, whereby the bottom portion thereof is free to conform to the lateral contour of the supporting surface.

Claim 15

A pickup head adapted for use at the outboard end of a boom having a bottom portion adapted to contact and follow the coutours of the supporting surface, an upper closed portion adapted to contain anything picked up by the head, an open face portion adapted to receive the material to be picked up, an open rear portion adapted to serve as the discharge means for objects picked up, means attached to the head to receive items passed through the rear portion thereof, means within the head for moving items from the front to the rear thereof whereby objects contacted by the head will be automatically moved out the rear opening therein, and nozzle means disposed adjacent to the head whereby material within the head may be moved out of the head either forwardly or rearwardly by a selected blast of pressurized fluid.

Claim 16

A pickup head adapted for use at the outboard end of a boom having a bottom portion adapted to contact and follow the coutours of the supporting surface, an upper closed portion adapted to contain anything picked up by the head, an open face portion adapted to receive the material to be picked up, an open rear portion adapted to serve as the discharge means for objects picked up, means attached to the head to receive items passed through the rear portion thereof, means within the head for moving items from the front to the rear thereof whereby objects contacted by the head will be automatically moved out the rear opening therein, and nozzle means disposed adjacent to the head whereby material within the head may be moved out of the head either forwardly or rearwardly by a selected blast of pressurized fluid.

Claim 17

A pickup head as in claim 14 and further including a plurality of retractable prongs adapted to rake the surface jarring imbedded objects loose to enable removal thereof.

Claim 18

A pickup head as in claim 15 wherein the prongs are biased outwardly and project from the leading edge of the lower surface of said head.

Claim 19

A vehicle mounted mechanism for removing litter from the vehicle supporting surface comprising; means for mounting the mechanism to the vehicle including a shaft extending transversely of the normal direction of travel of the vehicle being pivotable about a vertical axis at one side of the vehicle and mounted for movement generally parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle at the other side of the vehicle said shaft extending beyond the side of the vehicle adjacent the pivot point, powered material transporting means having a first end secured for movement about a horizontal axis to the extended end of the shaft and a second section joined by a universal joint to the outboard end of the first section whereby it may move in a horizontal and vertical direction but will remain horizontally disposed, fluid cylinders under the control of the operator adapted to move the material transporting means through its range of possible combinations, a pickup head mounted to the outboard end of the second section of the material transporting means, said pickup head adapted to travel upon the supporting surface and including a bottom portion adapted to rest upon the ground, the leading edge of the bottom portion adapted to capture litter as the vehicle moves and includes a forwardly projecting lip on the side away from the vehicle acting as a scoop, a powered shaft mounted within the head having a plurality of flexible members of varying length secured thereto to sweep the interior surface of the head in a rearwardly direction, a passage at the rear of the head allowing articles captured by the head and swept by the flexible members to be deposited upon the second section of the material transporting means and thereafter be carried to the vehicle whereby the vehicle can traverse the surface and the litter contacted and captured will be automatically transported to the vehicle.

Claim 20

A vehicle mounted mechanism for removing litter from the vehicle supporting surface comprising; means for mounting the mechanism to the vehicle including a shaft extending transversely of the normal direction of travel of the vehicle being pivotable about a vertical axis at one side of the vehicle and mounted for movement generally parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle at the other side of the vehicle said shaft extending beyond the side of the vehicle adjacent the pivot point, powered material transporting means having a first end secured for movement about a horizontal axis to the extended end of the shaft and a second section joined by a universal joint to the outboard end of the first section whereby it may move in a horizontal and vertical direction but will remain horizontally disposed, fluid cylinders under the control of the operator adapted to move the material transporting means through its range of possible combinations, a pickup head mounted to the outboard end of the second section of the material transporting means, said pickup head adapted to travel upon the supporting surface and including a bottom portion adapted to rest upon the ground, the leading edge of the bottom portion adapted to capture litter as the vehicle moves and includes a forwardly projecting lip on the side away from the vehicle acting as a scoop, a powered shaft mounted within the head having a plurality of flexible members of varying length secured thereto to sweep the interior surface of the head in a rearwardly direction, a passage at the rear of the head allowing articles captured by the head and swept by the flexible members to be deposited upon the second section of the material transporting means and thereafter be carried to the vehicle whereby the vehicle can traverse the surface and the litter contacted and captured will be automatically transported to the vehicle.

Claim 21

An enclosed litter pickup head adapted to be moved in a predetermined path with respect to a litter-bearing surface, comprising; a base member for contacting the littered surface having a contoured leading edge for scooping the litter into the head, a cover member adapted to enclose the upper portion of the head and forming a tunnel-like enclosure which is larger at its forward end than at its after end, a powered sweeping means mounted in the forward end of the head upon a shaft which is rotated about an axis angularly disposed to said surface contacted by the base member and also to a plane normal to said predetermined path, a plurality of nozzles surrounding the sweeping means whereby objects impaled upon the sweeping means may be removed by fluid under pressure and objects inadvertently captured may be removed by fluid under prussure, and a plurality of extensible elements mounted in the leading edge of the base member whereby objects which are partially embedded may be jarred loose and picked up.

Claim 22

An enclosed litter pickup head adapted to be moved in a predetermined path with respect to a litter-bearing surface, comprising; a base member for contacting the littered surface having a contoured leading edge for scooping the litter into the head, a cover member adapted to enclose the upper portion of the head and forming a tunnel-like enclosure which is larger at its forward end than at its after end, a powered sweeping means mounted in the forward end of the head upon a shaft which is rotated about an axis angularly disposed to said surface contacted by the base member and also to a plane normal to said predetermined path, a plurality of nozzles surrounding the sweeping means whereby objects impaled upon the sweeping means may be removed by fluid under pressure and objects inadvertently captured may be removed by fluid under prussure, and a plurality of extensible elements mounted in the leading edge of the base member whereby objects which are partially embedded may be jarred loose and picked up.