Packer plate guide for refuse collection vehicles

Claim 2

A refuse collection vehicle including a storage bin, a packer plate in the interior of the storage bin, and means for slidably mounting the packer plate for essentially translatory movement lengthwise of the storage bin, the mounting means including at least one elongated fixed guide member located in the bin to be exposed to contact with contents of the bin, a guide member support disposed in the storage bin as an element of the structure thereof for positioning the guide member along the length of the bin, the fixed guide member being disposed principally between the interior of the bin and the support and being releasably secured to the guide member support to be removable therefrom without disturbing the structural integrity of the bin, shoe means affixed to the packer plate and slidably engaged with the guide member to guide movement of the packer plate along the guide member, a first galvanized interface between the guide member support and the fixed guide member, and a second galvanized interface between the shoe means and the fixed guide member.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the guide member is made of metal and is secured to the bin structure by tack welding.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which there are two guide members, in which the guide member support includes a pair of opposed guide sleeves disposed in the storage bin as elements of the structure thereof for receiving and positioning corresponding ones of the guide members along opposite sides of the storage bin, and including separate shoe means on each side of the packer plate for cooperation with corresponding ones of the guide members, and means for releasably connecting each guide member to its corresponding guide sleeve.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which each guide sleeve is a channel-shaped member, each guide member is of channel-shaped configuration to mate within the channel formed by the corresponding guide sleeve so that the structural portions of each guide member channel are in abutting relation with matching structural portions of the channel formed by the adjacent guide sleeves.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the guide members and the guide sleeves are made of metal, and in which each guide member is releasably secured to its corresponding guide sleeve by tack welding.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the shoe means is made of metal and is secured to the packer plate structure by tack welding so as to be removable from the packer plate.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the separate shoe means are made of metal and are secured to each side of the packer plate by respective tack welding for being releasable from the packer plate.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the first galvanized interface comprises a galvanized surface extending along the length of the guide member support and a cooperating galvanized surface extending along the length of the fixed guide member, and in which the second galvanized interface comprises a galvanized surface extending along the length of the shoe means and a cooperating galvanized surface extending along the length of the fixed guide member.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the first galvanized interface comprises a galvanized surface extending along the length of the guide member support and a cooperating galvanized surface extending along the length of the fixed guide member, and in which the second galvanized interface comprises a galvanized surface extendIng along the length of the shoe means and a cooperating galvanized surface extending along the length of the fixed guide member.

Claim 11

In a refuse collection vehicle having a storage bin and a packer plate mounted in the interior of the storage bin for essentially translatory movement therealong, improved means for mounting the packer plate in the storage bin comprising at least one elongated fixed guide member located in the bin to be exposed to contact with contents of the bin, a guide member support disposed in the storage bin as an element of the structure thereof for positioning the guide member along the length of the bin and for defining the path of movement of the packer plate in the bin, the fixed guide member being positioned principally between the support and the interior of the bin so as to shield the support from substantial contact with contents of the bin, the fixed guide member being releasably secured to the guide member support to be removable therefrom without disturbing the structural integrity of the bin, shoe means affixed to the packer plate and slidably engaged with the guide member such that the shoe means and the guide member define cooperating sliding surfaces, a first galvanized interface between the fixed guide member and the guide member support, and a second galvanized interface between the cooperating sliding surfaces of the shoe means and the fixed guide member.

Claim 12

In a refuse collection vehicle having a storage bin and a packer plate mounted in the interior of the storage bin for essentially translatory movement therealong, improved means for mounting the packer plate in the storage bin comprising at least one elongated fixed guide member located in the bin to be exposed to contact with contents of the bin, a guide member support disposed in the storage bin as an element of the structure thereof for positioning the guide member along the length of the bin and for defining the path of movement of the packer plate in the bin, the fixed guide member being positioned principally between the support and the interior of the bin so as to shield the support from substantial contact with contents of the bin, the fixed guide member being releasably secured to the guide member support to be removable therefrom without disturbing the structural integrity of the bin, shoe means affixed to the packer plate and slidably engaged with the guide member such that the shoe means and the guide member define cooperating sliding surfaces, a first galvanized interface between the fixed guide member and the guide member support, and a second galvanized interface between the cooperating sliding surfaces of the shoe means and the fixed guide member.