Anti-Jam Blade Assembly for Refuse Compactor

1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains to packer-ejector blades for use in refuse vehicles. The invention is for use in an environment which includes a blade assembly having a blade, and a housing including a roof, and with means for facilitating un-jamming of the blade when articles become lodged between the blade and the inside roof of the vehicle.

2. Statement of the Prior Art

The prior art discloses hinged blades for use on vehicles to facilitate packing and unloading the vehicles. None show an anti-jam assembly which is pivotally attached to a packer-ejector blade used to compact refuse within the housing of a refuse vehicle. Representative of the prior art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,693,890 and 2,912,128.

This invention provides an anti-jam blade assembly for refuse vehicles which is easily installed on existing packer-ejector blades and which will permit un-jamming of the blade quickly thus reducing down time which occurs when articles become lodged between the blade assembly and the inside roof of the refuse vehicle.

It is another object of this invention to provide a top box assembly for a packer-ejector blade of a refuse vehicle which is pivotally attached to the blade thus decreasing the pressure on articles caught between the box top and the roof of the vehicle.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a pivotal box top assembly which is hingedly attached to the upper blade structure in a manner that will facilitate release of articles which occasionally become lodged between the blade and the inside roof of the vehicle.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a pivotal anti-jam assembly which is spring biased to permit the assembly to be pulled away from an article lodged between the blade and the roof of the vehicle thus allowing the article to fall whereby the blade will become unjammed. The anti-jam assembly will snap back into upright position upon release of the article.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from a consideration of the specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cut-away side view of a refuse vehicle showing the packer-ejector blade and the anti-jam assembly attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of the anti-jam assembly spring biased to the packer-ejector blade;

FIG. 3 is a perspective front view of the anti-jam assembly showing the means by which the assembly is connected to the packer-ejector blade; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the anti-jam assembly showing an article caught between the assembly and the roof of the vehicle.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a refuse vehicle 10 having a generally closed receptacle or housing 12 except for an opening 14 adjacent one end thereof to permit charging of the receptacle. The vehicle is equipped with a lifting mechanism 16 having arms 18 for engaging a portable container of the type usually found outside restaurants, stores and the like for receiving refuse. As is well-known, the lift mechanism 16 is operated by hydraulic rams 20 and 22 whereby the container (not shown) is raised and tilted until the contents thereof gravitate through the opening 14 into the vehicle receptacle. Opening 14 has a door 24 which is moved backwardly and forwardly to open and close the opening by means of hydraulic cylinders 26.

The vehicle 10 has a roof 28, side walls 30 (one shown) a front wall 32, a rear wall 34 and a floor 35. A bar 40 having angular teeth 42 is attached to the roof, centered between the side walls 30 and extending from the front to the rear of the vehicle. The teeth 42 have vertical edges 43 which serve to hold refuse in a compact manner within the vehicle receptacle as the refuse is pushed to the rear 34 by a blade assembly 44 reciprocated within the vehicle receptable by a hydraulic ram 46. The blade assembly 44 has a forwardly downwardly slanting face 48 attached to a support superstructure 50. It will be appreciated that the blade assembly 44 is a close fit within the confines of the walls, floor and roof of the vehicle receptacle. It also will be appreciated that the blade assembly 44 will be positioned against the front wall 32 as refuse is charged into the vehicle receptacle through opening 14.

The superstructure 50 of blade assembly 44 comprises end beams 52, 54 and central beams 56, 58. A beam 60 is attached to and spans the beams 52, 54, 56 and 58 at the tops thereof. An angle iron 62 is secured between the central beams 56, 58 and has attached thereto ends of eye bolts 64, 66.

The anti-jam assembly consists of a flat bar 68 to which there are attached a number of box-like elements 70, 72, 74, 76 which are comprised of side walls 78, 80 (only one box will be described), a rear curved wall 82 and a front vertical wall 84. The bottom edges 86 (only one described) of the various walls are secured to the bar 68 by any suitable means such as welding. The box-like elements are so arranged that spaces 90, 92 and 94 are provided between same. The spaces will be as wide as the width of the teeth 42 and possibly wider. Each box-like element will be secured to the blade assembly 44 by a series of spaced brackets 100, 102 (only one set to be described) attached to the front walls 84 by suitable means. The ends 104, 106 of the brackets are apertured as shown. The various brackets 100, 102 mate with plates 110, 112, 114 and 116 which are secured to top beam 60 and the front face 48 by any suitable means such as welding or the like. The ends of the plates are apertured as shown. The apertures of the brackets and plates are aligned and pintles 120 are inserted therethrough whereby the box-like elements may pivot relative to the blade assembly 44. It will be appreciated that all of the box-like elements may pivot in unison as per the above mentioned construction or they may be individually pivotally attached to the blade assembly 44.

The box-like elements so described are spring biased to the blade assembly 44 by means of springs 130, 132 which are attached at their ends to angle members 124 and 126 which are welded to the bar 68. The opposite ends of the springs 130, 132 are attached to the eye bolts as shown.

In operation, the packer-ejector blade assembly 44 with the anti-jam box-like elements attached thereto is movable within the vehicle receptacle in the usual manner as shown in FIG. 4. After a refuse container has been discharged into the vehicle receptacle through the opening 14, the packer-ejector blade assembly 44 with box-like elements attached thereto is moved rearwardly toward the rear wall 34 by the hydraulic cylinder 46 thus packing the refuse against rear wall 34. As the packing proceeds, it often occurs that an article such as a discharged pneumatic tire 140 will become caught between one or more of the box-like elements and the roof of the refuse container. However, since the box-like elements are pivotally attached to the blade assembly, it is a relatively simple matter to release the pneumatic tire by drawing back the blade assembly 44 thus causing the box-like assembly to pivot against the pressure of the pneumatic tire. Continued rearward motion of the blade assembly 44 will cause the box-like assemblies to pivot rearwardly thus decreasing pressure on the pneumatic tire which will then become released. Upon the release of the article, the springs 130, 132 will cause the box-like elements to snap back to an upright position. Thereafter, the blade assembly may be moved rearwardly to continue the packing process. It will be readily apparent that this structure will permit continuous operation of the packing process with minimum or no down time.

While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains that the foregoing description is intended to be an example and that the anti-jam assembly may be changed in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.