US3001655A - Loading apparatus for refuse collection trucks - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 26, 1961 e. B. TIPPETT 3,001,655

' LOADING APPARATUS FOR REFUSE COLLECTION TRUCKS Filed Feb. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mag 94 96 Q 15 152 ma Se t. 26, 1961 e. B. TIPPETT 3,001,655

LOADING APPARATUS FOR REFUSE COLLECTION TRUCKS Filed Feb. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G L 52 /50 M 50 IA/ VEA/TO 1?.- GEORGE E. T/PPET7;

H15 HTToQa/EV United States Patent F 3,001,655 LOADING APPARATUS FOR REFUSE G COLLECHON TRUCKS elolrgti B. Tippett, Jennings, Mo., assignor to North Side M21 Inc., St. Louis County, Mo., a corporation of Filed Feb. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 11,750 7 Claims. (Cl. 214-302) The present invention relates generally to trash and similar refuse collection for removal and disposal in accordance with modern methods.

More particularly, the present invention relates to novel improvements in apparatus wherewith containers that are filled with trash, refuse and so on, may be bodily elevated, thereupon have their contents dumped into a truck body, and thereafter be returned to ground level for future use.

Specifically stated, the present invention contemplates an improved apparatus wherewith containers of the character under consideration may be elevated from the ground, thereafter tilted, and thereupon up-ended so as to have their contents discharged or dumped by gravity into the forward compartment of a refuse collection truck body.

The modern conventional system of refuse collection is well known, and it is not considered necessary to elabo rate thereon. Briefly, refuse containers that may or may not be mounted on casters for mobility are customarily stationed at various points for the deposit therein of trash, garbage, and other discard material. When such a container has been partially or entirely filled, the usual practice is to attach it to an elevating and dumping mechanism, said mechanism serving to discharge the container contents into what is called the loading compartment of a collection truck body. These truck bodies usually have an opening in the top wall thereof through which the container contents are deposited, and are equipped with a packer blade and operating mechanism therefor. After the contents of a plurality of containers have been deposited into the loading compartment, the packer blade is mechanically activated to push the accumulated mass of material into what is termed the storage compartment of the truck body, as distinguished from the loading compartment thereof.

The present invention is not concerned with the packer blade and its operating mechanism, wherefore no reference thereto will be made hereinafter, nor will the drawings that accompany this specification include any illustration thereof.

Primarily though not exclusively, the present invention is directed to novel and improved apparatus with respect to a side loading type of refuse collection vehicle, such as that illustrated for example in the Galloway Patent No. 2,674,384 of April 6, 1954. The side loading technique as understood in this art, contemplates a refuse container and means for dumping the contents thereof into the forward or loading compartment of the vehicle at the side thereof rather than at the rear.

Heretofore, prior art mechanisms designed to attain these side loading operations have been prone to frequent breakdowns with consequent need for repairs, vexation, collection delay, and so on. Among the principal reasons for these breakdowns and malfunctionings, the inclusion of spring operated mechanisms in the prior art equipment may be mentioned. Frequently trash containers of the type under consideration, particularly when filled to capacity are heavy as can be surmised, wherefore the spring operated mechanisms aforesaid are placed under tremendous strain. In consequence, the effectiveness of them deteriorates rapidly, and more often than not, when Patented Sept. 26, 1961 an above average heavy container is being loaded, the springs break under the strain.

The primary object of the present invention is to pro vide a novel and improved apparatus adapted to overcome the above mentioned and other disadvantages found in present day side loading equipment.

To this end, the invention teaches a hydraulically operable apparatus that is devoid of springs as will appear. The hydraulic system is simple, and easily controlled by means of a conventional control valve mounted on the truck body adjacent the cab, and on the same side whereon the apparatus is mounted.

Included in the apparatus is a rack provided with means for releasably attaching and locking a container thereto. The rack is pivotally connected at its two upper corners to a vertically movable or elevator plate. A pair of spaced perpendicular guide rails is rigidly secured to the truck body side walls, and the elevator plate is provided with roller assemblies that ride in said rails. A pair of cables have their lower ends secured to said plate, and each cable is trained over a sheave rigidly attached to an overhead shaft that is supported in bearings provided therefor on top of the truck body. A drive sheave is also rigid with said shaft, and cylinder operated means are provided for rotating said sheave in response to manipulations of the control Valve, thus effecting the raising and lowering of the elevator plate, the rack, and the container thereon in unison fashion. A pair of dump arms have their upper ends journaled on said shaft, and are adapted to have their lower ends engage in roller sockets affixed to the rack, when said rack in its upward movement reaches a determined plane above ground level. The dump arms are operated by a pair of cylinders adapted to swing them arcuately about their journals, and thus to first tilt and then invert the container whereby to discharge its contents into the truck body. These cylinders also operate in response to manipulations of the control valve. The apparatus returns the emptied containers to ground level for future use by a reversal of the loading procedure, as will appear.

It is another object of the invention to provide complemental means on conventional trash containers for cooperation with the apparatus aforesaid.

To this end, the present invention teaches the rigid attachment of a pair of horizontally spaced lugs to what will be considered the forward side walls of such containers, and the attachment of'a single lug'to each of the end walls of such conainers. All of said lugs are preferably channel-shaped, and have their leg segments weldedto the container body. With respect to the pair of forward side wall lugs, these have their leg segments extending in a horizontal plane. wall lugs, these have their leg segments extending in a vertical plane. end wall lugs are aflixed in determined planes, the corresponding pairs of lugs being coplanarly disposed.

Additional objects, features and particular advantages inherent in the invention will be apparent or noted in the course of the description to follow below.

A preferred embodiment is illustrated on two sheets of drawings that accompany this specification, and these are believed to adequately present a comprehensive disclosure of the invention in conjunction with the detailed de constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an eude levational view of an exemplary refuse container having side nd endchannel brackets.

With respect to the end Both the forward side wall lugs and thewelded thereto for cooperation with mechanisms included in the apparatus of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is what will be termed a rear side elevational view of said container;

FIGURE 4 is what will be termed a forward side elevational view of said container;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2; 7

FIGURE 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of a fragmentary portion of the FIGURE 1 presentation, this view illustrating in broken lines the disposi tion of the container of FIGURES 2 through 4 relatively to the loading apparatus prior to initiation of an elevating and dumping cycle;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a similar view taken on the line 99 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 1i 1i of FIGURE 1, this view also demonstrating in broken lines the cycling of elevating, tilting and then dumping a trash-laden container in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary horizontal plan view, partly in section, taken as indicated by the line 11-11 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary end elevational view, partly in section, taken as indicated on the line 1212 of FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 1313 of FIG- URE 7;

FIGURE 14 is a forward side elevational view of approximately one half of the elevator plate whereonto the container supporting rack frame of the invention is pivotally mounted;

FIGURE 15 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the pivotal relationship and connection between the elevator plate and the rack frame;

FIGURE 16 is an enlarged elevational view of the sheave rigidly secured to the horizontal shaft whereto the pair of hoisting or elevating sheaves are attached;

FIGURE 17 is an elevational view of a composite container locking bar and handle;

FIGURE 18 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the pair of sheaves that are also included in the hoisting V mechanism of the invention; and

FIGURE 19 is a schematic view of the principal components of the hydraulic system for effecting the contemplated operations of the apparatus.

Prior to entering into a detailed description of the invention and its mode of operation, some of the concen- 'tional equipment and elements that appear in the drawignated A, and includes a body B and a cab C. Generally,

though not necessarily, trucks of this type have closed tops wherein however, an appropriately sized opening is provided for the discharge therethrough into the loading compartment, of the refuse material dumped from the containers. The body B includes a front wall D and side walls E, only that side wall E whereon the apparatus of the invention is mounted being shown. A fragmentary portion of the bottom wall or floor F appears only in FIGURE 10, where it is shown to define with the top wall G of the body, the loading compartment H; The discharge opening is designated 0, and usually though not necessarily, may be defined by a surrounding depending flange as shown. Vehicles .of the character briefly described are well known and it is not deemed requisite to further elaborate thereon, it being noted however, that the loading apparatus of the present invention may be mounted on most of the present day trucks in this category.

With reference particularly to FIGURES 2 through 4, a typical container of the type wherewith the present invention is concerned is designated K. Generally though not necessarily, containers of this type are mounted on casters L for mobility, and are either open at the top or are provided with hinged lids. The exemplary container K selected for illustration is an open top type, and includes what will be termed a forward side wall M, and end walls N.

In order to condition conventional containers such as K for use with the apparatus hereinafter to be described, the present invention contemplates the rigid attachment of a pair of horizontally spaced co-planarly disposed lugs to the forward side Walls M thereof. Designated 24, these lugs are channel-shaped and have their leg segments 26 welded to the wall M, and said segments are disposed in a horizontal plane as shown, reference being bad in this connection also to FIGURES 5 and 6. Further, the invention contemplates the rigid attachment to each end wall N of a channel-shaped lug 28, the opposed lugs being co-planarly disposed at a determined plane above ground level, this being true likewiseof the lugs 24. The leg segments 30 of the lugs 28 are disposed in a vertical plane, and have their ends welded to the container walls N, as suggested particularly in FIGURE 5.

The loading apparatus of the present invention is generally designated in FIGURES 1, 7, and 10 by the numeral 32, and is illustrated as being mounted on the right side wall E of the truck body B, as viewed in the drawings. Broadly, the apparatus 32 includes trash container engaging mechanism generally indicated at 34, container hoisting andlowering mechanism generally indicated at 36, container tilting and inverting mechanism generally indicated at 38, and stationary as well as movable elements associated with said mechanisms as will appear.

Among the major components of the apparatus 32 are a pair of horizontally spaced perpendicularly disposed guide rails 40 that are Welded, as suggested in FIGURE 11,'to the outer face of the truck body side wall E. The guide rails 40 are of rectangular configuration in cross section, and each of them is provided with an end to end vertical slot 42 in its outer face porton 44. In order to protect the inner surfaces of the rails 40 from the elements and entry thereinto of undesirable substances, each has a cap in the form of a rectangular plate 46 welded to the top thereof. 7

The trash container engaging mechanism 34 is sup ported by the guide rails 40 for vertical movements from a lowered position to an elevated position and vice versa, by means of two pairs ofguide roller assemblies as will appear. The mechanism 34 includes as its major components an elevator plate 48, and a rack generally designated 50. The elevator plate 48 is substantially rectangular, but in order to reduce the weight thereof, a central portion is cut away as best seen in [FIGURE 14 at 52. The roller assemblies mentioned earlier are generally designated 54, and each includes a pair of similar rollers 56 and a supporting bracket therefor. The supporting brackets are identified by the numerals 58, and are rigidly attached in appropriate horizontal and vertical spaced relationship to what is herein termed the forward side 60 of the elevator plate 48. Also rigidly secured to said forward side 66 of the elevator plate, is a pair of horizontally spaced cable anchoring brackets 62. Welded as suggested in FIGURE 14 or otherwise rigidly integrated with the elevator plate at the upper corners thereof, is a pair of apertured forwardly projecting hanger plates 64 that serve to pivotally support the container 68, end bars 70, and two pairs of horizontally spaced perpendicular bars 72 that extend between said upper and lower bars. It is to be observed that the spaces 74 defined by the pairs of perpendicular bars 72 are wide enough to facilitate entry thereinto of the container lugs 24, as demonstrated particularly in FIGURE 7 by broken lines.

Rigidly secured to each upper corner portion of the rack frame 50, by welding as suggested in FIGURE 12 or otherwise, is a forwardly projecting hanger lug 76 having an aperture formed therein. Pivot pins 78 passing through the apertures in the hanger lugs 64 of the elevator plate 48, and the apertures in the lugs 76 of the rack frame 50, serve to pivotally support said frame for swinging movements about said pivot pins 78, as demonstrated for example in FIGURE 15, and there suggested by the broken line arrow a.

Integrated with each end bar 70 of the rack frame 50 by welding as suggested in FIGURE 11 or otherwise, is one leg segment 80 of an angle bar 82, that has its other free leg segment 84 projecting from what is termed the rear side surface of said rack. Preferably as shown but not necessarily, the angle bars are coextensive with the end bars 70 of the rack frame 50. Formed in the upper end portion of the free leg segment 84 of each angle bar 82 is a recess designated 86, said recess defining what will be termed a hook segment 88 in the upper marginal edge of the said leg segment 84. Preferably as best seen in FIGURE 12, the upper marginal edges of the leg segments 84 merge arcuately into the recess 86 as indicated at 90.

The container hoisting and lowering mechanism 36 includes a pair of cables 92, the lower end of each cable being securely attached to one of the anchoring brackets 62. Each cable 92 is trained over, and has its terminal upper end securely attached to, one of a pair of longitudinally spaced sheaves 94 that are securely affixed to an overhead operating shaft 96. One of the sheaves 94 appears per se in FIGURE 18, where it will be observed that the grooves 98 thereof are of helical formation whereby to facilitate windings and unwindings of the cable portions trained thereover. The shaft 96 is horizontally disposed, and is rotatably supported at its ends in suitable bearings 100 that are secured to the top Wall G of the truck body adjacent the side wall E, as shown.

The mechanism 36 further includes a drive sheave 102, a horizontally disposed cable 104, a hydraulic hoisting cylinder 106 having a piston 108, and an idler pulley 110. The sheave 102 is rigidly secured to the shaft 96, so that as should be apparent, said sheave, the shaves 94 and said shaft all rotate in unison when the sheave 102 is activated as will be explained. The last named sheave ap pears per se in FIGURE 16, where it is seen that the grooves 103 thereof are likewise of helical formation to insure smooth windings and unwindings of the cable 104 that is trained thereover, and has one of its terminal ends rigidly secured thereto as is understood. The opposite end of the cable 104 is anchored to a bracket 112, with the portion of said cable intermediate its ends engaging over the pulley 110.

The cylinder 106 is of conventional construction. It is supported at one end in a suitable upstanding bracket 114 aflixed to the body top wall G, and at its opposite end by the taut cable and pulley arrangement 104-410, the idler pulley 110 being rotatably supported on a pin 116 between the forks of a clevis 118 that is rigid with the outer end of the piston 108.

The container tilting and inverting mechanism 38 includes a pair of dump arms each adapted to enter into what will be termed a dump arm socket assembly when a container such as K has reached a certain plane in the course of its hoisting, as will be further clarified. These dump arms are generally designated 120, and each includes integrally; a journal 122, a main body 124, and 2. depending arm proper 126, said depending arm terminating in a rounded preferably semicircular end 128.

These dump arms are not. fixed to the operating shaft 96, but instead have their journals 122 rotatably mounted thereon.

The mechanism 38 also includes a pair of what will be termed dump cylinders 130. These are conventional hydraulic cylinders, each having a piston 132 that terminates at its outer end in a clevis 134 pivotally connected by a pin 135 to the main body 124 of one of said dump arms, as clearly shown for example in FIG- URE 9. Each cylinder 130 is pivotally supported at its lower end in a suitable bracket 136 fixed to the side wall E of the truck body B.

The dump arm socket assemblies are generally designated 138, and are aflixed to the end bars 70 of the rack 50. As seen to best advantage in FIGURES 11 and 12, each assembly v138 includes a pair of spaced rollers 140, an inner bracket member 142, and an outer bracket member 144. In the embodiment illustrated, the inner bracket is T-shaped, and is welded as suggested, or otherwise rigidly secured to an end bar 70 in such manner that the rollers will normally lie in a determined horizontal plane. The rollers 140 are rotatably mounted on cross pins 146 supported in the end portions of said brackets, and define between their peripheries and the inner surfaces of the brackets aforesaid, a socket designated 148. The smallest distance that obtains between the opposed peripheral surfaces of the rollers in each assembly 138, is minutely larger than the width of a dump arm proper 126.

With attention directed particularly to FIGURE 17, numeral 150 designates generally a locking device wherewith containers K may be releasably locked to the rack 50 as will be clarified. The components of the device 150 are comprised of round bar stock, and are welded together so as to form a unitary element. Numeral 152 indicates the main bar of the device, and said bar terminates at one end in a downturned handle portion 154. Depending from the main bar in determined spaced relationship relatively to one another and to the handle portion 154, is a pair of angle-shaped locking bars 156. The horizontal leg segments 158 of said locking bars are coplanar, and lie parallel with the main bar 152.

The locking device 150 is slidably supported for limited manual reciprocation in the framework of the container rack 50. To this end, as seen for example in FIGURES 7 and 9, each of the end bars 70 and intermediate bars 72 is provided With a circular opening 160, all of said openings 160 being in horizontal alignment to have the main bar 152 of the lock device extend therethrough. In similar fashion, each of the intermediate bars 72 is further provided with a circular opening 162, all of said openings 162 being in horizontal alignment to have the legs 158 of the locking bars 156 extend therethrough.

In the interest of illustrative clarity, the conduits leading to and from the hydraulic cylinders have been omitted in the main views of the drawings. The hydraulic system is schemetically presented in FIGURE 19, Where it is seen to include a reservoir, a pump, the hoisting cylinder 106, the pair of dumping cylinders 130, a control valve CV, and the conduits that connect the conponents aforesaid in operative relationship. With the engine of the truck running, the pump operates continuously, so that hydraulic pressure is always available. When the control valve is in neutral position, the hydraulic fluid simply circulates as is understood.

The control valve CV is appropriately mounted on the truck body near the loading apparatus as indicated in FIGURES 1 and 7, so that the operator after sliding the locking device 150 into proper position as will appear, can readily manipulate the levers of said control valve. This valve forms per se no part of the present invention, and is therefore shown more or less diagrammatically. It is conventional and comprises what is known as a fully balanced plunger type hydraulic unit, widely employed in the operation of loaders, stackers, and similar hydraulically operable industrial equipment. A valve. of this type operates efliciently at: pressures up to at least 1400 p.s.i., the pressures within the valve being equalized or balanced so that the unit will not become locked in any one position. However, when a control lever is released, it automatically returns to a neutral or hold position, so that loads cannot be dropped or shifted as their direction changes. For convenience in the description of operations to follow, the lever for controlling the action of the hoisting cylinder 106 is identified in the drawings by the letter h, and the lever for controlling the action of the dumping cylinders 130 is identified by the letter d. 7

Operation Although it is believed that the manner wherein the invention attains its objectives should be apparent from the vforegoing description and the drawings, a briefexplanation will be given.

Thus, assuming that it were desired to dispose of the 7 contents of a refuse-filled container K, the operator would maneuver the vehicle A into position with the rack 50 approximately alongside the forward side wall M of said container. Thereupon, he would properly manipulate the lever h of the control valve CV to lower te container engaging mechanism 34a short distance below the normal position it occupies as in FIGURE 1. More clearly stated, the mechanism 34 would be lowered to a plane wherein the top edges of the hook segments 88 would lie just below the container lugs 28.

Thereupon, with the locking device 150 moved rightwardly (as viewed in FIGURES l and 7) via the handle segment 154 thereof, the container K would be pushed into proper position, with the hook segments 88 beneath the lugs 28, and the lugs 24 extending into the spaces 74 between the pairs of vertical bars 72 of the rack 56.

Next, the operator would push the locking device 150 V leftwardly until the handle segment 154 engaged against the adjacent right end bar 7 of said rack, thus propelling the leg segments 158 of the locking bars 156 through the lugs 24 and into engagement with the left hand ones of the pairs of aligned circular openings 162. Thus it should be apparent that the container K would be' temporarily locked in a position wherein its forward wall M would lie parallel to the rack 50, and would remain so locked until released.

Thereupon, the operator would properly manipulate the lever 11 to activate the piston 108 of the hoisting cylinder 106, and cause it. to move leftwardly (as viewed in FIGURE 10). In other words, it would be retracted from its extended position there shown. Consequently via the pulley 110 and cable 104, the drive sheave 102, the shaft 96 whereto it is affixed, and the sheaves 94 that are likewise aflix ed to said shaft would be rotated in a counterclockwise direction.

When the cables 92 travel upwardly as a result, the elevator plate 48 and the rack 50 pivotally connected thereto are hoisted in unison, the movement being facilitated by the roller assemblies 54 riding in the guide rails 40, as should be apparent. During the initial upward movement, the angle bar hook segments '38 would engage in the end lugs 28, the rounded entrance edges '90 of the recess 86 facilitating this action. Thus, the container K would be concurrently hoisted bodily as should be mani fest and is demonstrated in broken lines in FIGURE 10. As the upward movement continued, the semicircular extremities 128' of the depending dump arms 126 would first enter the sockets 148 of the assemblies 138, and thereupon the remaining portions of said arms would extend through said sockets, the side marginal edges of each arm 126 engaging the peripheries of one of the pairs of rollers 140. When the mechanism 34 reaches a plane wherein the major portions of the dump arms 126 extend below the socket assemblies 138, the operator would again properly manipulate the control lever 11 whereby to arrest further upward movement of the cables 92, and thus of the mechanism 34 and the container that is supported thereby and locked in position thereonto.

At such times the pivot pins 73 would lie in a plane slightly above the top peripheral surfaces of the sheaves 94, the approximate position of said pins being also suggested in broken lines in FIGURE 10. Ftuther at such times, the piston rod 198 will be in its retracted position,

the major portion of the cable 104 wfll have been unwound from the sheave 1G2, and the pulley '110 will be in approximately the broken line position thereof likewise illustrated in FIGURE 10. Thereupomflin consequence of'manipulating the control lever h to neutral position, the pivotal connections 78 would automatically be held stationarily in the position aforesaid.

Next the operator would properly manipulate the lever d thereby activating the dumping cylinders 131) to effect the simultaneous elevation of their pistons 132. It will be remembered that the dump arms are freely rotatable about the shaft 96, so that as the pistons 132 arise, the mechanism 38 and the thereto locked and thereby supported container K would be caused to move in an armate path toward the opening 0 above the loading compartment H of the truck body. Consequently the container K would first be tilted and then upended, so that the contents thereof would discharge by gravity into said compartment, all as visually presented by broken hues in FIGURE 10. The pivotal mountings of the hydraulic cylinders 139 in the brackets 136 facilitate the arcuate and simultaneous upward travel of the pistons 132 in conjunction with the pivotal connections 134 of them with said dump arms.

When the contents of the container had been discharged, the operator would reverse the described steps of manipulating the control levers, thereby returning the emptied container to ground level, as should be evident without being described at length. After the container reaches ground level, the locking device 15% would be shifted rightwardly, thus unlocking said container as should now be understood. Thereupon the control lever 71 would be properly manipulated to lower the assembly 34 independently of the now unlocked container K until the hook segments 83 were free of the end lugs 28. Next, the container K would be pulled away from the truck and stationed in the desired location for future use. After having shifted the locking device 152 leftwardly via the handle segment 154 thereof, the operator would again manipulate the lever h to effect the elevation of the assembly 34 to the FIGURE 1 status thereof, whereupon he would seat lL'rnself in the cab C, and drive the vehicle A onward to another container K for a repetition of the procedure described. The operational action of the present apparatus has been subjected to numerous tests, and has been found highly efiicient in attaining its objectives.

It will of course be appreciated that the refuse container illustrated in the drawings is typical only, and this observation applies also to the refuse collection vehicle illustrated. Further, it will be apparent to people skilled in the art under consideration that the precise structural details of the present apparatus may be modified or changed somewhat and yet function efiiciently.

Wherefore, it is who understood that changes in the form of the elements, or rearrangements of them in a manner readily apparent to those skilled in this art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention as set forth in claims hereunto appended.

What is claimed is:

1. Loading apparatus for refuse collection truck bodies including in combination: a rack; means for releasably attaching and locking a container thereto; an elevator plate pivotally connected to said rack; 21 pair of dump arm socket assemblies rigid with the rack; a pair of horizontally spaced perpendicular guide rails rigidly secured to one side of the truck body; a plurality of roller assemblies afiixed to the elevator plate and adapted to ride in said guide rails; a pair of cables each having its lower end secured to one of a pair of spaced brackets provided therefor on said elevator plate; a horizontal overhead shaft having its ends rotatably supported in bearings provided therefor on the top wall of the truck body adjacent said side wall thereof; a pair of sheaves rigidly secured to said shaft, each of said cables being trained over one of said sheaves and having its upper end secured thereto; a drive sheave also rigidly secured to said shaft; hydraulic cylinder operable means for rotating the drive sheave, said shaft and said cable sheaves in unison; a pair of dump arms having their upper ends journaled on said shaft, each of said dump arms being adapted to automatically extend through one of said pair of socket assemblies when said rack in the upward travel thereof reaches a determined plane above ground level; and hydraulic cylinder operable means adapted to swing said dump arms arcuately about their journaled ends.

2. Loading apparatus for refuse collection truck bodies including in combination the structure recited in claim 1 wherein said rack is comprised of: an upper bar; a lower bar; a pair of end bars; two pairs of spaced intermediate bars that extend between said upper and lower bars; a hanger lug having an aperture formed therein rigidly secured to each upper comer of said frame; a pair of angle bars each having one leg thereof rigidly secured to one of said and bars and having a recess formed in the upper portion of its other leg whereby to define a hook segment adapted to engage one of a pair of lugs affixed to the end walls of the container; horizontally aligned circular openings in each of said end and intermediate bars at an upper level; and horizontally aligned circular openings in each of said intermediate bars at a lower level; each of the pair of dump arm socket assemblies being affixed to one of said end bars.

3. Loading apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the space defined by each pair of intermediate bars of the rack frame is sized for entry thereinto of one of a pair of channel-shaped co-planarly disposed lugs provided on the forward side wall of said container, the leg segments of said lugs being disposed in a horizontal plane; and wherein the leg segments of the lugs affixed to the end walls of the container are disposed in a vertical plane.

4. Loading apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the recited aligned circular openings at an upper and at a lower level in the end and intermediate bars of the rack frame slidably supported a locking device comprising: a main bar terminating at one end in a downturned handle portion; and a pair of angle-shaped looking bars depending from the main bar in determined spaced relationship relatively to one another and to said handle portion; the free horizontal leg segments of said locking bars being co-planar and parallel with said main bar, all of the recited components of said locking device consisting of round bar stock welded together whereby to form a unitary element.

5. In a loading apparatus of the character disclosed, container tilting and inverting mechanism including in combination: a pair of dump arms journaled in horizontally spaced relationship on a rotatably supported overhead shaft; a pair of hydraulic cylinders; a pivotal mounting for the lower end of each cylinder; and a pivotal connection between the outer end of the piston of each cylinder and one of the dump arms aforesaid.

6. In a loading apparatus of the character disclosed, container tilting and inverting mechanism including in combination: the structure recited in claim 5 wherein each of said dump arms includes integrally a main body terminating at the top in a journal portion, an offset arm portion depending from said main body and terminating in a semicircularly contoured extremity, and a circular opening in the main body for effecting the pivotal connection thereof with the outer end of one of the pistons of said pair of hydraulic cylinders.

7. For incorporation in a hydraulically operated loading apparatus of the character disclosed, said apparatus including a container supporting rack and a pair of dump arms, a pair of dump arm socket assemblies adapted to receive said dump arms when said rack is elevated to a determined plane above ground level, each socket assembly including: a pair of spaced rollers; an inner and an outer bracket member, said inner bracket having a T-shaped configuration and being rigidly attached to an end bar of said rack; and a pair of cross pins rotatably supporting said rollers and having their end portions extending through aligned openings in said bracket members; the peripheries of said rollers defining in conjunction with the adjacent inner surfaces of said brackets an opening whereinto one of said dump arms may extend, the smallest distance that obtains between the opposed peripheral surfaces of the rollers being minutely larger than the width of said dump arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,150,821 Dempster Mar. 14, 1939 2,465,796 Freeman Mar. 29, 1949 2,829,789 Gerhardt et a1. Apr. 8, 1958 2,847,135 Galloway Aug. 12, 1958

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