Rear loading refuse vehicle

Inventors: Mark Fraas (Centre, AL); Evan Tyler Whitten (Rainbow City, AL); Michael Shane Peek (Pisgah, AL)

Assignee: The Heil Co.

B65F3/041 B65F3/08 B65F3/201 B65F3/207 B65F3/28

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12703566
App. No.: 18/169,535
Granted: Aug 11, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A refuse vehicle body includes a hopper configured to receive refuse and a storage container configured to store compacted refuse. A tailgate is coupled to a rearward facing side of the refuse vehicle body and is movable between closed and opened positions. The refuse vehicle body includes a rear loading assembly configured to (i) engage a refuse container at a rear side of the refuse vehicle body, (ii) lift the refuse container over a top end of the tailgate, and (iii) rotate the refuse container above the hopper such that the refuse container is unloaded into the hopper. The refuse vehicle body further includes a refuse packing assembly configured to transfer refuse from the hopper and compact said refuse in the storage container.

Claims (36)

1 . A refuse vehicle comprising:

a vehicle chassis;

a refuse vehicle body on the vehicle chassis, the refuse vehicle body including a hopper configured to receive refuse and a storage container configured to store compacted refuse;

a tailgate coupled to a rearward facing side of the refuse vehicle body, the tailgate movable between a closed position and an open position;

a refuse packing assembly in the refuse vehicle body and configured to transfer refuse from the hopper and compact said refuse in the storage container, the refuse packing assembly comprising:

a packer panel that is linearly displaceable and electrically actuated; and

a rack retained in engagement with a pinion, wherein rotation of the pinion causes the packer panel to extend and retract out of and into the tailgate, and wherein an end of the rack engages at least one of a slide or a channel that is rotationally coupled with the packer panel; and

a rear loading assembly on the refuse vehicle body, the rear loading assembly configured to (i) engage a refuse container at the rearward facing side of the refuse vehicle and (ii) lift and rotate the refuse container over the hopper such that the refuse container is unloaded into the hopper, wherein the rear loading assembly is configured to lift the refuse container over a top end of the tailgate.

2 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rear loading assembly is deployed on an external side of the tailgate and moves with the tailgate between the open position and the closed position.

3 . The refuse vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the rear loading assembly comprises at least first and second rails on the tailgate, the first and second rails configured to guide a container engagement assembly and an engaged refuse container over the top end of the tailgate, and wherein the container engagement assembly is configured to rotate with respect to the first and second rails between a container engagement position and a dump position.

4 . The refuse vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the hopper is located between the storage container and the rearward facing side of the refuse vehicle.

5 . The refuse vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the packer panel is configured to clear the hopper and pack refuse in the storage container in a forward direction in the refuse vehicle body.

6 . The refuse vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising an ejector assembly configured to eject refuse from the refuse vehicle body in a rearward direction when the tailgate is in the open position, the ejector assembly being distinct from the refuse packing assembly.

7 . The refuse vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the refuse packing assembly is configured to retract into the tailgate, and wherein the refuse packing assembly is further configured to move with the tailgate as the tailgate moves between the open and closed positions.

8 . The refuse vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the refuse vehicle further comprises an electric motor coupled to the at least one of the slide or the channel and configured to drive the pinion.

9 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:

the tailgate is configured to rotate about a pivot axis between the closed position and the open position; and

the rear loading assembly is configured to lift the refuse container over the pivot axis.

10 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein another end of the rack being rotationally coupled with the tailgate.

11 . A refuse vehicle comprising:

a vehicle chassis;

a refuse vehicle body on the vehicle chassis, the refuse vehicle body including a hopper configured to receive refuse and a storage container configured to store compacted refuse;

a tailgate coupled to a rearward facing side of the refuse vehicle body, the tailgate movable between a closed position and an open position;

a refuse packing assembly in the refuse vehicle body and configured to transfer refuse from the hopper and compact said refuse in the storage container, wherein the refuse packing assembly comprises:

a packer panel configured to clear the hopper and pack refuse in the storage container in a forward direction in the refuse vehicle body; and

12 . The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the rear loading assembly is deployed on an external side of the tailgate and moves with the tailgate between the open position and the closed position.

13 . The refuse vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the rear loading assembly comprises at least first and second rails on the tailgate, the first and second rails configured to guide a container engagement assembly and an engaged refuse container over the top end of the tailgate, and wherein the container engagement assembly is configured to rotate with respect to the first and second rails between a container engagement position and a dump position.

14 . The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , further comprising an ejector assembly configured to eject refuse from the refuse vehicle body in a rearward direction when the tailgate is in the open position, the ejector assembly being distinct from the refuse packing assembly.

15 . The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the packer panel is linearly displaceable.

16 . The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the refuse packing assembly is further configured to move with the tailgate as the tailgate moves between the open and closed positions.

17 . The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the refuse vehicle further comprises an electric motor coupled to the at least one of the slide or the channel and configured to drive the pinion.

18 . The refuse vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the refuse vehicle further comprises a gearbox coupled with the electric motor and the pinion.

19 . The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , wherein another end of the rack is rotationally coupled with the tailgate.

20 . The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the refuse packing assembly is configured to retract into the tailgate, and wherein the refuse packing assembly is further configured to move with the tailgate as the tailgate moves between the open and closed positions.