Abstract: A tarping apparatus for the open top container of a refuse handling truck has a pair of tarp deployment arms on opposite sides of the container that pull the tarp onto and off of the open top of the container as the arms are hydraulically swung back and forth along the container. One end of the tarp is anchored to a stationary mast at the front end of the truck body while the opposite end of the tarp is wound around a spring-loaded take-up roll that pays out the tarp as the arms are swung rearwardly and then automatically rolls up the slack as the arms are returned toward the front end of the truck. If necessary to accommodate dimensional variances between different size containers which may be carried by the truck, the pivot points for the deployment arms may be adjustably shifted by hydraulic cylinders either forwardly or rearwardly such that the arc of travel of the tarp roll is correspondingly displaced either forwardly or rearwardly.

Abstract: Hydraulic "squeeze cylinders" control the size of the discharge orifice on an extrusion baler and are operated by a control circuit that relieves pressure in the cylinders in response to the buildup of a certain predetermined pressure level in the circuit. Pressurized fluid for the squeeze cylinders is supplied by a single-acting pump cylinder that is connected between the reciprocal plunger head and its push rod in such a way as to deliver a slug of pressurized fluid into the circuit on each compression stroke of the plunger, the pump drawing in a fresh slug from a reservoir during each retraction stroke of the plunger.

Abstract: An "extrusion" type baler controls bale density by regulating the size of the discharge orifice of the bale case, and the "squeeze" cylinders which provide power for changing the size of the orifice are hydraulically connected to a special pump associated with the plunger of the machine so that pressurized oil is added to or taken away from the cylinders depending upon the resistive force encountered by the plunger and its pump during the compaction stroke. The loader which stuffs a new charge of material up into the baling chamber ahead of the retracted plunger may, under certain circumstances, fail to load a new charge of material.

Abstract: Pressurized fluid for the squeeze cylinders of an "extrusion" baler is supplied by a single-acting pump cylinder that is connected between the plunger head and its push rod in such a way as to deliver a slug of pressurized fluid into the circuit on each compression stroke of the plunger, the pump drawing in a fresh slug from a reservoir during each retraction stroke of the plunger. The push rod is connected to the plunger in a cranked relationship so that the radial distance between the end of the push rod and the fulcrum point of the crank comprises one lever arm, such lever arm being many times smaller than the lever arm between the fulcrum point and the point of connection of the crank of the pump cylinder.

Abstract: Bales are successively formed in the baling chamber of the machine by intermittently packing an additional charge of new material against the trailing end of a forming bale to progressively push the bales toward the discharge end of the chamber. When the bale reaches its predetermined size, a needle swings across the bale chamber behind the trailing end of the bale and presents a binding strand to a knotter. The knotter unites the presented end of the strand with an end previously held by the knotter during a packing cycle such as to form a secure, tied loop about the bale. As the needle retracts from the knotter, it places a new length of strand across the bale chamber in preparation for the loop around the next, succeeding bale, and it is during such retraction of the needle that a slackening device draws a supply of slack in the strand and lays the same along the proximal side of the preceding bale.