Tailgate for a rear loading refuse vehicle

Abstract

A tailgate for a rear loading refuse vehicle. The tailgate has vertical side walls and a hopper-like bottom. There is an upwardly and forwardly inclined guide track in each of the side walls. A slide block is reciprocated in each guide track by one of a pair of packing cylinders which extend along and are spaced laterally from the guide tracks with the bases of the cylinders at the upper ends of the tracks and the ends of their rods connected to the slide blocks. A generally rectangular packer blade is pivotally supported along its upper edge by the guide blocks. A pair of sweep cylinders are pivotally connected at the upper rear corner of the tailgate and their rods are pivotally connected to the packer blade at a point intermediate its upper and lower edges. The geometry of the apparatus is such as to apply the force acting laterally on the guide tracks primarily in the down direction so that the tailgate structure is supported against this force by the vehicle body enabling the tailgate sidewalls to be less massive. Preferably the guide tracks open toward the inside of the tailgate and the packing cylinders are located inside the tailgate. A non-load carrying fall back shield also is carried by the slide blocks to prevent refuse already in the vehicle body from falling backwardly over the packer blade.