An unloading system comprises an upper-opening chamber for receiving airplane-derived refuse; a chute; a chute-connected safety gate which is settable in falling preventing relation with respect to an access door of an airplane from which the refuse is unloadable into the chute and to the chamber; and an air brake assembly for immobilizing the safety gate when the chute ceases to be vertically displaced. A compacting system comprises a main platen mount with an occluding surface for occluding the opening; an auxiliary platen mount for movably supporting the main platen mount; a holder assembly underneath the auxiliary platen mount; and force transmitting elements always retained within a compaction chamber interior. The main platen mount is linearly driven between a first position completely forwardly of the opening and a second position at which the opening is completely occluded, and is additionally driven to discharge the received refuse. Methods are also disclosed.

A refuse vehicle includes a body defining a storage compartment, a packer, a hydraulic system, a pressure sensor, and a controller. The hydraulic system includes a first pump and a second pump are configured to supply fluid power to a packer actuator. The packer actuator is coupled to the packer and the body and is positioned to move the packer to compact refuse within the storage compartment. The pressure sensor indicates a measured pressure a first fluid associated with the first pump or a second fluid associated with the second pump. The controller is configured to control the hydraulic system to supply fluid power to the packer actuator to move the packer. The controller is further configured to determine that (a) one or more other vehicle functions are active or (b) the measured pressure exceeds a threshold pressure. The controller is further configured to reduce the fluid power supplied to the packer actuator in response to the determination.

A refuse vehicle includes a cab and a body assembly disposed behind the cab. The body assembly includes an ejector and a body at least partially defining a hopper volume and a storage volume. The ejector includes a wall at least partially defining an opening and a coupling pivotally and fixedly coupling a panel to the wall. The wall is movable within the storage volume between a frontmost position and a rearmost position. The panel extends at least partially across the opening when in a closed position. The panel is angularly offset relative to the closed position when in the open position. The ejector is configured to fully eject refuse from the storage volume when the wall is in the rearmost position. The hopper volume extends between the wall and the cab when the wall is in the frontmost position.

An unloading system comprises an upper-opening chamber for receiving airplane-derived refuse, a chute, a chute-connected safety gate which is settable in falling preventing relation with respect to an access door of an airplane from which the refuse is unloadable into the chute and to the chamber, and an air brake assembly for immobilizing the safety gate when the chute ceases to be vertically displaced.

Throughout several portions of a refuse collection system, coupling between hydraulic cylinders to related mechanical components are achieved using bolt-in bushings. The bolt-in bushings allow for improved efficiency in the manufacturing process and allow for repairs to be easily carried out by having a cylindrical opening configured to receive an attachment pin and a main body that is configured to be inserted into openings within portions of related mechanical components. The main body has a flange that will support connection holes, thereby allowing for attachment to the operating components of the refuse collection vehicle.

A organic waste collection vehicle includes a chassis, a rear container for containing waste material, the rear container being mounted on the chassis, a hopper connected to the rear container and spaced above the chassis, the hopper being furthermore sloped to flow liquid toward the rear container, an automatic bin-tipping mechanism for dumping organic waste from a waste bin into the hopper, and a packer for compacting the organic waste material.

A refuse vehicle includes a chassis and a body assembly. The body assembly includes a series of panels configured to contain a volume of refuse therein and an ejector. The panels define a hopper volume and a storage volume. The ejector is configured to fully eject refuse from the storage volume. The ejector includes a wall at least partially defining an opening and a coupling pivotally and fixedly coupling a panel to the wall. The wall is movable within the storage volume. The panel is repositionable relative to the wall between a closed position and an open position. The panel extends at least partially across the opening when in the closed position and is angularly offset relative to the closed position when in the open position.

An unloading system comprises an upper-opening chamber for receiving airplane-derived refuse; a chute; a chute-connected safety gate which is settable in falling preventing relation with respect to an access door of an airplane from which the refuse is unloadable into the chute and to the chamber; and an air brake assembly for immobilizing the safety gate when the chute ceases to be vertically displaced. A compacting system comprises a main platen mount with an occluding surface for occluding the opening; an auxiliary platen mount for movably supporting the main platen mount; a holder assembly underneath the auxiliary platen mount; and force transmitting elements always retained within a compaction chamber interior. The main platen mount is linearly driven between a first position completely forwardly of the opening and a second position at which the opening is completely occluded, and is additionally driven to discharge the received refuse. Methods are also disclosed.

A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, a cab coupled to the chassis, a refuse compartment supported by the chassis and including a storage volume and a hopper volume, a lift assembly configured to selectively move relative to the refuse compartment, a hopper sensor coupled to a portion of the refuse compartment and configured to measure a refuse height within the hopper volume, and a packing assembly including a pack panel and a packing actuator. The packing actuator is configured to selectively move the pack panel between a retracted position and an extended position. The pack panel is configured to extend away from the retracted position in response to the hopper sensor sensing that the refuse height is greater than or equal to a refuse height threshold.

A multi-compartment refuse collecting truck body includes segmented shields to close a rear opening of the compartments. The segmented shields are positioned to close a rear opening of the refuse compartments when a packing unit is raised to discharge refuse from one of the compartments. The segmented shields include a lower segment that can be placed in a packing position to allow refuse to be packing into the compartments by a packing unit, and moved to a closed position before the packing unit is raised to prevent unintended discharge of refuse from the compartments. A control system operates actuators in the packing unit and truck body in a pre-determined sequence to ensure that refuse is not mixed during unloading of the truck body and that actuators are not operated in a manner that will damage other systems of the truck body or packing unit.