A refuse collection apparatus and method including a container lifting and emptying apparatus connected to a collection receptacle which is dumped into a refuse hauling vehicle. The container lifting and emptying apparatus includes a container manipulator attached to a support arm which is connected to an extensible boom which is, in turn, connected to the collection receptacle. The container manipulator engages a container of interest and the support arm pivots the engaged container between a lowered position and a raised position for dumping. The collection receptacle typically includes multiple compartments wherein the support arm includes a pendulum pivot or is pivotally attached to the collection receptacle such that the engaged container may be tilted over any one of a plurality of the storage compartments. Another version of the collection apparatus includes a collection receptacle having three or four compartments wherein one compartment is adjacent and between the manipulator and a far storage compartment. The support arm includes a collapsing parallelogram arm construction which is retracted to address the adjacent or near compartment and extended to address the far compartment.
A refuse receptacle lifter is disclosed that is mounted on a transporter secured to the front end of a collection vehicle rearwardly of an associated collection container. The transporter is adapted to move the lifter in a generally side-to-side direction relative to the collection container in order to move the lifter between a retracted position and a position in which it is spaced from the collection container so that it can engage a refuse receptacle. If the collection vehicle does not have a collection container. being carried on the front of the vehicle, the lifter may be moved to stored position generally adjacent to the front end of the vehicle.
