Importance

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Abstract

A grasping arm subassembly article has an inner arm pivoted to a frame with an outer arm pivoted between its ends to the inner arm. The outer arm is pivotally moved graspingly in response to pivotal movement of the inner arm by a linkage mechanism including serially pivoted first, middle, and second links. The second link is pivoted to the outer arm and the first link is pivoted to the frame. Advantageously, the middle link is pivoted to the inner arm at a point between its own ends and between the ends of the inner arm. A hydraulic cylinder is pivoted to the frame and to the arm subassembly for powering the arm. A grasping device suitably uses two or more such arm subassemblies movable inwardly and outwardly about the frame. In a specific example of a refuse container collection function, the grasping is done by a collection vehicle. The device for grasping the containers comprises a telescopically extensible boom assembly adapted to be mounted to the chassis frame of the vehicle. The boom assembly can move telescopically outwardly from the vehicle and includes on its outer end two grasping arms for grasping containers of varying sizes and shapes. After grasping the container, the boom assembly pivots upwardly about a horizontal axis using a hydraulic system to automatically keep the container level, and empties the contents of the container into the storage portion of the vehicle.

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First Claim