The Toro Company

Owen Smith

Charles C Holley

William E Daniels, Jr

A refuse collection device (1) including a collector roller (11) and an inclined conveyor (27) which deposits collected debris into a hopper (127) along arcuate paths (128, 129), thereby filling the hopper (127) initially in the region adjacent to its rear wall (130). Mounted on the collector roller (11) is a plurality of rubber fingers (13, 14, 15, 16) arranged in rows (17, 18, 19) which are laterally offset from substantially identical rubber fingers (39, 40, 41), also arranged in rows (32, 33, 34) so as to occasionally form a substantially continuous, upwardly moving entrainment platform (150) and to also occasionally form an arrangement of spaced apart fingers which each transport debris onto the conveyor (27). The collector roller (11) is attached to a hydraulic ram (118) so as to permit the collector roller (11) to travel over excessively large debris without interference. The conveyor (27) is inclined at an approximately forty five degree angle, the upper conveyor axle (26) being supported by a bearing (123) which may be adjustably mounted within a slot (124) and on alternate parallel frame members (10, 115) so as to maintain the desired clearance from the road surface (6) as the rubber fingers (14, 15, 16, 40, 41) shorten due to wear. A carcass storage box (131) is pivotably mounted along the lower edge (140) of the hopper (127) to segregate refuse which must be disposed of separately.

Highway debris entrainment and storage device

A refuse collection device (1) including a collector roller (11) and an inclined conveyor (27) which deposits collected debris into a hopper (127) along arcuate paths (128, 129), thereby filling the hopper (127) initially in the region adjacent to its rear wall (130). Mounted on the collector roller (11) is a plurality of rubber fingers (13, 14, 15, 16) arranged in rows (17, 18, 19) which are laterally offset from substantially identical rubber fingers (39, 40, 41), also arranged in rows (32, 33, 34) so as to occasionally form a substantially continuous, upwardly moving entrainment platform (150) and to also occasionally form an arrangement of spaced apart fingers which each transport debris onto the conveyor (27). The collector roller (11) is attached to a biasing means (118) so as to permit the collector roller (11) to travel over excessively large debris without interference. The conveyor (27) is inclined at an approximately forty five degree angle, the upper conveyor axle (26) being supported by a bearing (123) which may be adjustably mounted within a slot (124) and on alternate parallel frame members (10, 115) so as to maintain the desired clearance from the road surface (6) as the rubber fingers (14, 15, 16, 40, 41) shorten due to wear. A carcass storage box (131) is pivotably mounted along the lower edge (140) of the hopper (127) to segregate refuse which must be disposed of separately.

Growing community of inventors

Scottsdale, AZ, United States of America

Owen Smith