Abstract: A refuse compactor body has a tank section of an irregular polygonal right section that is uniform from end to end. The tank wall is made of rectangular pieces of thin very high tensile strength sheet metal and externally reinforced at spaced intervals longitudinally of the tank by polygonal peripherally continuous girth reinforcements, made up of straight short sections of metal tubes, to make a semi-monocoque structure. A floor portion of the tank is recessed between the longitudinal body support beams, which are the sole body support, to provide a relatively low center of gravity when mounted on a truck chassis. A hopper section of the body has a packer that obtruates about two-thirds of the opening to the tank and is fitted at its upper edge with a follower that pivots to a shallower slope to keep refuse from falling behind the packer blade during a compaction stroke of the packer.

Abstract: A refuse compactor body has a tank section of an irregular polygonal right section that is uniform from end to end. The tank wall is made of rectangular pieces of thin very high tensile strength sheet metal and externally reinforced at spaced intervals longitudinally of the tank by polygonal peripherally continuous girth reinforcements, made up of straight short sections of metal tubes, to make a semi-monocoque structure. A floor portion of the tank is recessed between the longitudinal body support beams, which are the sole body support, to provide a relatively low center of gravity when mounted on a truck chassis. A hopper section of the body has a packer that obturates about two-thirds of the opening to the tank and is fitted at its upper edge with a follower that pivots to a shallower slope to keep refuse from falling behind the packer blade during a compaction stroke of the packer.

Abstract: A surge bin for concrete mix comprises an open-topped body having side walls with rear portions that converge towards a gated rear discharge outlet and having a bottom wall curved concentrically to an agitator axis that extends fore-and-aft in the body. A horizontal frame underlies the body. Front and rear lifting actuators connected between the frame and the body move the body between a charging position in which the bottom wall is near the frame and a discharging position in which the body is above and to the rear of its charging position. The side walls are of such height that conventional dump trucks can discharge over them with the body in charging position. An agitator in the body rotates concentrically to said axis, in one direction to move material out of the outlet, in the opposite direction for remixing.

Abstract: A concrete transporting and placing vehicle wherein the frame of the material receiving body is slidably seated on a sub-frame that is fixed to the chassis of a truck, for movement by a hydraulic cylinder, about a fixed vertical axis, either to the left or the right, from a centered transport position aligned with the truck chassis to a diagonal discharge position in which the material discharge mouth at the rear of the body is at one side or the other of the vehicle; depending upon whether the body frame was shifted to the left or the right; and wherein upon return of the body frame to its transport position, a locking pin automatically engages to releasably hold the body frame in its transport position, the locking pin being automatically retracted to release the body frame for movement from its transport position, concomitantly with pressurization of the cylinder to effect such movement.

Abstract: A load lifting and lowering platform comprises a pair of hingedly interconnected platform sections that are foldable between a horizontally extending, load bearing position and a vertically extending collapsed position. A forward one of the platform sections is hingedly connected at its forward edge to lower ends of a pair of runner assemblies that are vertically movably mounted in a supporting framework. A pair of chains are interconnected between upper ends of the pair of runner assemblies and outer ends of the outer one of the platform sections. Cooperating cam elements, interposed between the forward edge of the forward platform section and the supporting framework, translate vertical movement of the runner assemblies into angular movement of the platform sections, in cooperation with the chains, for folding and unfolding of the platform sections.

Abstract: A trash hopper comprises part of a unitary structure including a housing that is formed, in part, by a swingable pre-compactor panel that in a retracted position slopes downwardly and rearwardly to gravitationally feed refuse toward the collection bin. Along a horizontal lower edge this panel is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis located in substantially the same vertical plane as the rear face of a reciprocable primary compaction ram which acts as a piston to force trash in the collection bin rearwardly through an open rear end of the hopper and to compact trash in the collection tank of a dump vehicle or other container. In the retracted position the pivotally mounted panel serves as a protective enclosure for its own actuating means and for the retracted ram and its hydraulic actuating cylinder or cylinders.

Abstract: The lifting mechanisms of each of a plurality of columns of a vehicle hoist are synchronously driven by an endless member which may have its power source on one of the columns. A switch to energize and de-energize the power source has a control arm that is coupled, through a lost motion mechanism, to a trigger-like, normally inactive safety mechanism that is held cocked by a safety rod. A rotary idler carried by the safety rod is biased against the endless member in a direction to withdraw the rod from the safety mechanism in the event of a break in the endless member, releasing the trigger energy to effect shifting of the power source switch to the off position by overriding actuation of the lost motion coupling mechanism.

Abstract: A load lifting and lowering platform comprises a pair of hingedly interconnected platform sections that are foldable between a horizontally extending, load bearing position and a vertically extending collapsed position. A forward one of the platform sections is hingedly connected at its forward edge to lower ends of a pair of runner assemblies that are vertically movably mounted in a supporting framework. A pair of chains are interconnected between upper ends of the pair of runner assemblies and outer ends of the outer one of the platform sections. Cooperating cam elements, interposed between the forward edge of the forward platform section and the supporting framework, translate vertical movement of the runner assemblies into angular movement of the platform sections, in cooperation with the chains, for folding and unfolding of the platform sections.