A refuse-collection motor vehicle with lateral pick-up means

Abstract

 A motor vehicle (2) for collecting refuse from bins (12, 14) includes pick-up and moving devices (8, 10) on the opposite longitudinal sides of the body (6) for collecting refuse. The motor vehicle may be used for collecting different types of refuse.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a refuse-collection motor vehicle and more precisely to a refuse-collection motor vehicle with lateral pick-up means, preferably of the type with a prong attachment, for collecting refuse contained in containers or bins provided with a lid which opens freely.

[0002] The usual refuse-collection motor vehicles with lateral pick-up or loading have the serious disadvantage that, when they have to engage refuse bins on both sides of a road and particularly on a one-way street, the driver or at least an operator on the vehicle must move the bins located on the side of the road opposite that at which the pick-up device is located close to the pick-up device on the motor vehicle and must then return them to their original positions.

[0003] This obviously involves a considerable amount of time as well as the possibility of some of the contents of a bin being spilt if the road is cobbled or has a broken surface etc.,so as to cause the lid of the bin to open while being moved.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle for collecting refuse contained in bins which avoids the problems explained above and is easy and convenient to use.

[0005] The present invention achieves this object by means of a motor vehicle for collecting refuse contained in bins or containers and having the characteristics claimed specifically in the claims which follow.

[0006] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear during the course of the detailed description which follows, given purely by way of non-limitative example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the motor vehicle of the present invention;

Figures 2 to 4 are side perspective views of the right hand part of the motor vehicle of the present invention at three different moments in its operation of emptying a refuse bin, and

Figure 5 is a schematic front view of the motor vehicle of the present invention in which it is loading refuse bins on two sides.

[0007] With reference to Figures 1 to 5, the motor vehicle which is the subject of the present invention is generally indicated 2, the driver's cabin is indicated 4 and the refuse-carrying body is indicated 6 and is generally in the form of a box-shaped body.

[0008] Devices 8, 10 for lifting the bins 12, 14 are articulated to the upper parts of the opposite sides 16, 18 of the body 6.

[0009] Adjacent the devices 8, 10, the upper part of the body 6 is formed with at least one aperture (not illustrated), the function of which will be clarified below. The lifting devices 8 and 10 are identical and, for simplicity, only the device 8 will be described, the description being equally true for the device 10.

[0010] The lifting device 8 includes a first, central lifting cylinder 15 and two lateral lifting cylinders 16 and 18, a pick-up member 20, for example with prongs, and a plate 22 connected to the upper parts of the fixed parts of the two lateral cylinders 16 and 18.

[0011] The entirety of the lifting device 8 is pivoted about a horizontal axis which is substantially coincident with the upper edge of the body 6. The pivot axle of the device 8 is fixed to a connecting rod 26 articulated to a shaft 28 of an actuator 30.

[0012] Control devices C are provided for activating the lifting device 8 and the actuator 30.

[0013] The operation of the motor vehicle which is the subject of the present invention is as follows (Figures 2 to 4).

[0014] The motor vehicle 2 is located close to the bin 12 to be emptied, the operator gets down from the motor vehicle 2 and positions the pick-up channel with which the bin 12 is provided in correspondence with the pick-up members 20. He then operates the controls C to actuate the central lifting cylinder 15 of the device 8 which lifts the bin 12 parallel to the side of the body 6.

[0015] When the body 12 is adjacent the plate 22, the central cylinder 15 is stopped and the lateral cylinders 16 and 18 are brought into action to carry the bin 12 into correspondence with the upper edge of the body.

[0016] In this situation, the piston 30 is actuated and, by means of the shaft 28, rotates the connecting rod 26 which progressively overturns the bin 12 about its horizontal pivot axis, overturning the bin 12 to about 45° to the aperture in the upper part of the body 6 associated with the lifting device 8. The weight of the refuse makes the lid of the bin 12 open and the refuse itself fall into the body 6.

[0017] Once the bin 12 has been emptied, the operator operates the controls C to repeat the operations described above in reverse to return the bin 12 to the ground.

[0018] Depending on the position of the bins 12, 14 to be emptied, the operator decides to which of the two devices 8 and 10 the bins 12 or 14 should be attached.

[0019] The two devices 8 and 10 may also, if required, be used substantially simultaneously (Figure 5) to attach a bin 12, 14 to each of them in order to speed up the collection of the refuse. In this case the time needed is considerably reduced.

[0020] In a variant, not shown, for collecting different types of refuse, for example from bins containing only biodegradable refuse and others containing only metals, it is possible to divide the body 6 into two parts by means of a longitudinal partition and to use one lateral device, for example the device 8, for emptying a first type of bin and the device 10 on the opposite side of the body 6 for emptying the second type of bin.

[0021] Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the constructional details and forms of embodiment may be varied widely with respect to that described and illustrated, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle (2) for collecting refuse contained in bins or containers (12, 14), the motor vehicle (2) comprising a driving cab (4) and a refuse container or body (6) having at least one upper loading aperture through which the refuse contained in the bins (12, 14) is introduced into the body (6), characterised in that each longitudinal side wall of the body (6) has at least one associated pick-up and moving device (8, 10), the at least one pick-up and moving device (8, 10) being adapted to pick-up, raise and overturn one of the bins (12, 14) to cause the rubbish contained therein to fall out under gravity through the at least one upper aperture of the body (6) and then to return the bin (12, 14) to its initial position.

2. A motor vehicle (2) according to Claim 1, characterised in that the pick-up and moving device (8, 10) associated with one side of the body (6) is operable independently of the pick-up and moving device (10, 8) associated with the other side of the body (6).

3. A motor vehicle (2) according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the at least one pick-up and moving device (8, 10) is pivotably articulated to the upper part of the side with which it is associated.

4. A motor vehicle (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the body (6) is divided into compartments such that only a specific type of refuse is deposited in each compartment, the refuse coming from bins (12, 14) intended to collect different types of refuse.

5. A motor vehicle (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it includes at least one pick-up and moving device (8, 10) for picking up and moving bins (12, 14), comprising a pick-up member (20) adapted to engage one of the bins (12, 14), a first elevator cylinder (15) for raising one of the bins (12, 14) vertically until it bears against a plate (22) connected to the upper parts of the fixed parts of two second actuator cylinders (16, 18) adapted to raise one of the bins (12, 14) vertically up to the height of the upper edge of the body (6), actuator and overturning means (30, 28, 26) for overturning one of the bins (12, 14) to open its lid and allow the refuse contained therein to flow out.

6. A device (8, 10) for picking-up and moving bins (12, 14) comprising a pick-up member (20) adapted to engage one of the bins (12, 14), a first elevator cylinder (15) for raising one of the bins (12, 14) vertically until it bears against a plate (22) connected to the upper parts of the fixed parts of two second actuator cylinders (16, 18) adapted to raise one of the bins (12, 14) vertically up to the height of the upper edge of the body (6), actuator and overturning means (30, 28, 26) for overturning one of the bins (12, 14) to open its lid and allow the refuse contained therein to flow out.

Drawing