A front end loading refuse vehicle includes a chassis, a body coupled to the chassis, and a lift arm assembly. The lift arm assembly includes a pair of lift arms and a pair of actuators. Each of the pair of lift arms includes (a) a first arm portion having (i) a first end pivotally coupled to a side of the body and (ii) an opposing second end having a protrusion extending therefrom and (b) a second arm portion having (i) a first end that slidably receives the protrusion of the first arm portion and (ii) an opposing second end configured to interface with an implement. Each of the actuators is positioned externally relative to a respective one of the pair of lift arms and extends between the opposing second end of the first arm portion and the first end of the second arm portion.

A grabber assembly has a beam assembly with a bracket. A grabber gear assembly is coupled with the bracket. The grabber gear assembly has a pair of gear mechanisms coupled with the bracket. Each gear mechanism has a shaft and a pair of thrust bearings, one at each end of the shaft. A grabber arm mounting pad is coupled with each shaft. A gear section is coupled with each shaft. The gear sections of each shaft mesh with one another to drive the grabber arm mounting pads. An actuating driver is coupled with one of the shafts to drive the grabber gear assembly and move the arms between an open and grasping position.

Operating a refuse collection vehicle to collect refuse from a refuse container includes positioning a refuse collection vehicle with respect to a refuse container to be emptied, and manually engaging a switch to initiate a dump cycle to be performed by the refuse collection vehicle on the refuse container. The dump cycle includes engaging the refuse container with a portion of the vehicle, lifting the engaged refuse container to a dump position, and moving the refuse container to release contents of the refuse container into a hopper of the refuse collection vehicle. The dump cycle continues to completion as long as the switch remains manually engaged.

A collection mechanism for a side loading refuse collection vehicle that can move both horizontally and vertically to service multiple compartments designed for specific types of refuse or recyclables. A grabber assembly can move horizontally on a rail in either a lowered position or in a raised dumping position. The grabber assembly can move vertically on a mast. Preferably a sprocket wheel and a track are utilized to move the grabber assembly vertically from a street position to a dumping position.

A side-loading robotic arm for use with front-end loaders. The robotic arm is configured for disposition forward of a liftable container. The robotic arm includes a tip arm that is pivotable between a stowed position and an operational position. The stowed position stores the tip arm and gripper arms inside a vertical plane of the lifting forks of the front-end loader. Preferably, the tip arm and gripper arms are disposed in a cut-out recess on a sidewall of the liftable container. The operational position extends the tip arm and gripper arms outside of the vertical plane of the major lifting arms of the front-end loader.

A side-loading robotic arm for use with front-end loaders. The robotic arm is configured to separately and independently attach to the forks of the front-end loader, relative to a liftable container. With this configuration, the robotic arm is useable with any type of liftable container that might be useable with the front-end loader. The robotic arm includes a tip arm that is pivotable between a stowed position and an operational position. The stowed position stores the tip arm and gripper arms inside a vertical plane of the lifting forks of the front-end loader. The operational position extends the tip arm and gripper arms outside of the vertical plane of the major lifting arms of the front-end loader.

Disclosed herein is a vehicle for removing foreign objects (e.g. rubbish) from an area proximal to the vehicle (e.g. along a roadside). The vehicle comprises an arm that is moveable into a foreign object collecting position, a foreign object collector located at a distal end of the arm and configured for collecting foreign objects, and a conduit for conveying collected foreign objects to a storage bin.

A refuse collection device mountable to a refuse collection vehicle having a first chassis rail and a second chassis rail, the device including: a base; a rotating member rotatably connected to the base about a first rotational axis; an extension member that is supported by the rotating member and configured to extend relative to the rotating member; a lifting member rotatably connected to the extension member for rotation about a second rotational axis; and a bin-grabbing member that is connected to the lifting member, the bin-grabbing member being configured to collect a bin, the device configured to mount to the vehicle to locate the first rotational axis of the rotation member between the first chassis rail and the second chassis rail.

A refuse collection vehicle has a container collection arm with a telescoping boom coupled with a refuse stowage unit of the vehicle. A grasping mechanism is coupled with an end of the boom. A rotary actuator couples the grasping mechanism with the boom to enable a waste container to be moved between a pick up position and a dump position.

The mechanical arm system can include a garbage container holder and at least one mast. The holder can have guiding wheels engaged with adjacent tracks of the mast, the two adjacent tracks both having a lower portion extending upwardly along the mast, the lower portion of the first track being located forwardly of the lower portion of the second track, the lower portion of both tracks leading into corresponding upper portions which are curved rearwardly. The system can have a primary mast and a secondary mast slidably mounted to the primary mast, with the garbage container slidable mounted to the secondary mast. A driving link can simultaneously connect the primary mast to the secondary mast, and the secondary mast to the holder in a manner that when the driving link is moved, both sliding movements are performed in the same direction.