Municipal refuse collection system

Claim 1

A system for containing in a portable waste container municipal refuse, and the like, and dumping the container contents into a refuse receptacle having an opening in a wall portion thereof, comprising in combination: a. a portable container having upper and lower vertically-spaced horizontal locking bars on a selected side surface thereof; b. a dumping mechanism on said refuse receptacle adjacent said opening and comprising: i. a support frame secured to said receptacle and mounting reversible motor means and an elongated lift arm, said motor means being arranged to pivot said lift arm about a fixed horizontal axis extending through an inner end thereof adjacent said frame, said lift arm having track traveler means at an opposite outer end portion thereof adapted for riding in a cooperative track; ii. a lift platform having a plate member providing an outer surface for engaging a portion of said selected side surface of said container and having an upper portion thereof pivotally secured to said frame for pivoting on said frame about a fixed horizontal axis, said platform plate member having track means on an inner surface thereof facing said frame for receiving said lift arm track traveler means enabling said platform plate member to be pivoted on said frame in correspondence with pivoting of said lift arm by said motor means; iii. a fixed upper hook member secured to said outer surface of said platform plate member and adapted for engaging said container upper bar and supporting said container thereon; iv. a fluid actuated piston-cylinder unit having a housing portion fixedly secured to the inner surface of said platform plate member and having a linearly movable piston rod associated therewith, said piston rod being downwardly angled and mounting on its outer extremity a lower hook member oriented to engage said container lower bar at selected times dependent upon actuation of said piston-cylinder unit; and v. actuator means fixed to said frame and connected to an appropriate fluid source for said piston-cylinder unit and including control means governed by operation of said motor means, said motor means including a driven cam member and said actuator means including a cam follower member actuated by said cam member to control operation of said actuator means and thereby control actuation of said piston-cylinder unit in accordance with the positioning of said cam member, said actuator means being adapted to connect said fluid source to actuate said piston-cylinder unit in such manner that said piston-cylinder actuated lower hook is caused to positively and continuously engage said container lower bar and thereby rigidly secure said container to said platform at all times when the base of said container resides some predetermined distance above the ground and during which said container is being positioned between selected ground loading and elevated tilted dumping positions.

Claim 2

A system for containing in a portable waste container municipal refuse, and the like, and dumping the container contents into a refuse receptacle having an opening in a wall portion thereof, comprising in combination: a. a portable container having upper and lower vertically-spaced horizontal locking bars on a selected side surface thereof; b. a dumping mechanism on said refuse receptacle adjacent said opening and comprising: i. a support frame secured to said receptacle and mounting reversible motor means and an elongated lift arm, said motor means being arranged to pivot said lift arm about a fixed horizontal axis extending through an inner end thereof adjacent said frame, said lift arm having track traveler means at an opposite outer end portion thereof adapted for riding in a cooperative track; ii. a lift platform having a plate member providing an outer surface for engaging a portion of said selected side surface of said container and having an upper portion thereof pivotally secured to said frame for pivoting on said frame about a fixed horizontal axis, said platform plate member having track means on an inner surface thereof facing said frame for receiving said lift arm track traveler means enabling said platform plate member to be pivoted on said frame in correspondence with pivoting of said lift arm by said motor means; iii. a fixed upper hook member secured to said outer surface of said platform plate member and adapted for engaging said container upper bar and supporting said container thereon; iv. a fluid actuated piston-cylinder unit having a housing portion fixedly secured to the inner surface of said platform plate member and having a linearly movable piston rod associated therewith, said piston rod being downwardly angled and mounting on its outer extremity a lower hook member oriented to engage said container lower bar at selected times dependent upon actuation of said piston-cylinder unit; and v. actuator means fixed to said frame and connected to an appropriate fluid source for said piston-cylinder unit and including control means governed by operation of said motor means, said motor means including a driven cam member and said actuator means including a cam follower member actuated by said cam member to control operation of said actuator means and thereby control actuation of said piston-cylinder unit in accordance with the positioning of said cam member, said actuator means being adapted to connect said fluid source to actuate said piston-cylinder unit in such manner that said piston-cylinder actuated lower hook is caused to positively and continuously engage said container lower bar and thereby rigidly secure said container to said platform at all times when the base of said container resides some predetermined distance above the ground and during which said container is being positioned between selected ground loading and elevated tilted dumping positions.

Claim 7

A system for municipal refuse, comprising in combination: a. a portable waste container having upper and lower locking bars on a selected side surface thereof; b. a dumping apparatus adapted for being secured to a waste collector having a wall opening proximate a refuse container; said dumping apparatus comprising: i. a rotatable frame pivoted on said waste collector; ii. an upper hook member secured to said frame and adapted to engage said upper locking bar to receive and support said container when at a ground loading position; iii. a fluid actuated piston-cylinder unit mounted on said frame and having a lower hook member mounted on a piston rod thereof and being adapted when said piston-cylinder unit is actuated and said container is being supported above ground by said upper locking bar to engage said lower locking bar whereby to positively secure said container to said frame during the pivoting thereof; iv. reversible motor means secured to said waste collector and having associated pivotal arm means engaging track means on said frame enabling said frame to be rotated to bring said container to a dumping position and after dumping to be rotated back to said ground loading position; v. manual motor control means mounted on said waste collector and enabling said motor means to be appropriately energized for selectively moving said frame to said dumping and ground loading positions; and vi. fluid control means mounted on said waste collector and adapted to pressurize said piston-cylinder unit in response to rotation of said frame whereby said lower hook member is caused to positively engage said lower locking bar at some predetermined angular raised position of said container on each occurrence of said frame being rotated from said ground loading towards said dumping position.

Claim 8

A system for municipal refuse, comprising in combination: a. a portable waste container having upper and lower locking bars on a selected side surface thereof; b. a dumping apparatus adapted for being secured to a waste collector having a wall opening proximate a refuse container; said dumping apparatus comprising: i. a rotatable frame pivoted on said waste collector; ii. an upper hook member secured to said frame and adapted to engage said upper locking bar to receive and support said container when at a ground loading position; iii. a fluid actuated piston-cylinder unit mounted on said frame and having a lower hook member mounted on a piston rod thereof and being adapted when said piston-cylinder unit is actuated and said container is being supported above ground by said upper locking bar to engage said lower locking bar whereby to positively secure said container to said frame during the pivoting thereof; iv. reversible motor means secured to said waste collector and having associated pivotal arm means engaging track means on said frame enabling said frame to be rotated to bring said container to a dumping position and after dumping to be rotated back to said ground loading position; v. manual motor control means mounted on said waste collector and enabling said motor means to be appropriately energized for selectively moving said frame to said dumping and ground loading positions; and vi. fluid control means mounted on said waste collector and adapted to pressurize said piston-cylinder unit in response to rotation of said frame whereby said lower hook member is caused to positively engage said lower locking bar at some predetermined angular raised position of said container on each occurrence of said frame being rotated from said ground loading towards said dumping position.