[MOC] Hybrid Garbage Truck

[Thirdwigg]

One of my favorite Eurobricks builds over the past couple of years was the Garbage Truck @steph77 completed in 2017. It's been a while since I have made a Garbage Truck, so after Thirdwigg Jr. Jr. (6) asked if I could make one, I jumped at the opportunity. I asked if he would be willing to test it as I built it. He said yes, so we were off.

First, I wanted to make the truck fully manual with the following functions:

• Three axle, two steering
• Fake engine
• Removable garbage container
• Opening compactor
• Extractor plate
• Two stage compaction cycle
• Bin lift/tip

Everything had to work smooth enough for a child to process the smallest of LEGO parts, particularly the 1x1 plate round. Nothing could get stuck in any movement, as this would frustrate a child (and me, frankly).

Back in March, I finally figured out a little design that would be the first step of the compaction function. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to proceed. The arch part at the bottom will be where the trash is dumped into the compactor. Back of the truck is to the right.

I decided to model the truck after the Dennis Olympus garbage truck/bin lorry/refuse truck, in the colors represented by this stunning little build by Jonathan Elliot.

So after another build session, I created this simple bodywork. 

I built a draft of the compactor, and put the two parts together and came up with this. 

Test one with Thirdwigg Jr. Jr. identified some problems with the compaction. Currently the bottom plate does not pull up far enough, so I'll need to turn the gear mechanism around.

Here you can see how it processes from one gear on the side. It's not perfect yet, but I think I may be able to get there.

See the video here.

We'll see where this goes, but I like what I have so far. It's been almost a year since my last large project, the Ionos Sedan, so it's time for something bigger again. Questions, Comments, Laments, and Insults always welcome...

Edited March 29, 2023 by Thirdwigg
MOC finished

[Jayden]

Interesting looking mechanism for the compactor, but I cant see it in action if that's what the big empty space near the bottom is for.

[steph77]

Yes! A garbage truck...

Love what I see so far. Mine is still build on shelf if you need some picture....

What I remember so far of the build was the difficult integration of the back lifting arm and the management of the weight of the rear section which was too heavy and generated a slow opening procedure. 

Can wait to see more...

[Philtech]

Looks great! I like the mechanism for the garbage (first photo). Continue building!

[Thirdwigg]

9 hours ago, Jayden said:

Interesting looking mechanism for the compactor, but I cant see it in action if that's what the big empty space near the bottom is for.

Hmmm, I am trying to upload a video from Flickr, but it doesn't seem to work. Below from Youtube.

 

9 hours ago, steph77 said:

What I remember so far of the build was the difficult integration of the back lifting arm and the management of the weight of the rear section which was too heavy and generated a slow opening procedure. 

Yeah, right now the center of mass is right over the third axle. I think I have space to use two linear actuators for the rear opening. I haven't tested it yet, so I hope it will work. The rear is only going to get heavier. 

1 hour ago, Philtech said:

Looks great! I like the mechanism for the garbage (first photo). Continue building!

Thanks! I'll keep going and see where this ends up.

[Jayden]

10 hours ago, Thirdwigg said:

Hmmm, I am trying to upload a video from Flickr, but it doesn't seem to work. Below from Youtube.

very cool mechanism

[SNIPE]

Cool mechanism, I'm still trying to figure out how its working

[Thirdwigg]

13 hours ago, Jayden said:

very cool mechanism

 

8 hours ago, SNIPE said:

Cool mechanism, I'm still trying to figure out how its working

Thanks. It's pretty simple. The main axle controlled by the side gear moves the gear rack which is connected by the bottom link to the compaction blade, but the rack is not connected to the compaction slider. The two bottom gears are mounted on the compaction slider with friction pins, so the movement of the slider is only allowed when the compaction blade is at its end (most open, most closed) position. 

[Thirdwigg]

Alright, I spent a lot of time building over the holidays, as I take a little time off from work. I spent some time thinking through and drafting some builds that will come out in 2023, but most of my time was spent coming back to this project which as sat fallow for a little while. I'm happy I did.

Everything has been rebuilt. As I was testing some parts, it was clear stiffness of the body needed improvement. So I rebuilt the interior of the box with large panels and a revised sliding extraction plate. The front tan 20 tooth gears move this function. Everything is now braced, and supported by the base of the box. The internal panels giving some much needed stiffness.

The structure now supports the opening rear compactor. Both linear actuators are controlled by a single tan 20 tooth gear on the top (rear one). Both are strong enough to lift the rear. I need to do some more work on the rear (colors, bracing, bin lift), so hopefully the changes will not get too much more heavy.

The rear compactor keeps getting more smooth which is a good thing. You can see the test of black pins on this little video at Flickr. Next I need to close the back, redo the colors, and make sure the structure is sound. But I like where it is at right now. Also, now I know the function will work, which for a while, I was not sure about.

I have started working on the studio file, but before I got too far along, I needed to finalize a couple critical parts such as the wheelbase, the length of the box, and the steering. So I spent most of my time building, rebuilding, and finalizing the chassis. It's now done (probably).

Front and rear axles are steered with the HOG on the cabin. The rate of turn is different for both axles. The frame is fully braced, and strong enough for the weight of the box. The drive is on axle two with dualies. I wanted to do something different for the driveline, so I designed a simple little hybrid engine. The axle two differential drives the center differential (red), which distributes torque to either the fake I-3 engine (green), or the fake electric motor (trans light blue, right side). I added a resistance connector to the front of the crankshaft on the I-3, so on initial movement, the electric motor moves. Then, when the trucks gets moving a little quicker, the I-3 will spin. Basically, the red differential splits torque to what ever engine/motor has the least resistance. Sometimes its the I-3, sometimes the motor, some times both. I thought it would be a little more fun than a simple two or four speed transmission.

Next, I need to finalize the cabin...

[GerritvdG]

Good progress, you really put a lot of effort in the functions and playability, the compactor works really well and nice that a hybrid engine is added. 

[Thirdwigg]

OK, it seems like if a MOC has fewer than 1000 parts, it takes me a month. But if a MOC has more than 1000 parts, it takes me a year. I guess, it's OK, I'm still having fun with this.

I have finalized the chassis and cab. The roof of the cab changed just a little bit, so it's now a little more stable, and has a better shape. Now the HOG is in a convenient position. I gave a little green and orange highlight to match the rear hopper. Both doors open, and the cab tilts.

The chassis is now ready for me to make a Studio file. The attachment points are set for the box and the cab, and the fenders have been mounted. The hybrid system works well where the differential is always deciding if it's better to use the fake engine, or the fake electric motor. I also added a lockout on the left of the chassis, to select electric only. This locks out the fake engine, and forces all movement from the second axle to the fake electric motor.

Moving quicker now....

[Thirdwigg]

And now the chassis file is done. I'm not sure I like the wheel hubs, but I'll keep those loose for now.

[Thirdwigg]

Alright, I am starting to see the light at the end of this tunnel. I have finished the truck chassis Studio file. All the steps are in, and the chassis and cab are final.

Actually, I'm not sure I like the wheel hubs, but that's not a big issue right now.

The rear body is final, so I'm working on the Studio file for that, and it's about 20% done.

Conceptually, the rear hopper was done, but I finally spent some time making sure everything functions well and is fully braced. I found some issues, but nothing major at this time. One issue was that I did not spend any time on the bin lift, which took some tinkering. I finally got a mechanism that I liked, then three drafts to get the looks to where I want, and then testing on the back of the truck. Below lifts and tilts the bin/dumpster.

I decided not to use a worm gear mechanism to lift the bin as this made the rear a lot more ugly, and was a little less strong. Also, since so much is hanging off the rear hopper opening pivot, I wanted to keep some simplicity when I could. Thus, the bin lift is controlled by a knob on the side.

With this finalized, I then went back to the hopper to make sure everything is braced and works smoothly.

The rear bin lift build is making the hopper sag a little bit, and I don't have nice way to mount the top of the bin lift, so that's this weeks project. But I felt good enough on where things stand to start the Studio file for the rear hopper.

Above is the build as of today. Everything still works for 1x1 round plates, so I'm getting really close to being done. Now I just need to tie it all together, change the color errors, and finalize the two dumpsters, and then I'm done.

[lcvisser]

Nice garbage truck, as expected from you  Your models are always packed with functions, yet look so good. Amazing.

Maybe I looked over it, but what is the little switch on the side of the chassis for? 
 

That technic “plate” with pin holes from the opening post looks very useful for prototyping, I need to get me one of those. Are they from Spike?

[Thirdwigg]

1 hour ago, lcvisser said:

Nice garbage truck, as expected from you  Your models are always packed with functions, yet look so good. Amazing.

Maybe I looked over it, but what is the little switch on the side of the chassis for? 
 

That technic “plate” with pin holes from the opening post looks very useful for prototyping, I need to get me one of those. Are they from Spike?

It's this part. I ordered one from the 51515 set, but there is a yellow one from Spike too. Yeah, I got so tired making little special frames just to prototype a mechanism. It's perfect for this.

The lever on the left of the truck is to select between hybrid drive or electric only drive. The transmission when unlocked will select between the diesel engine and the electric motor based on what has the least resistance (hybrid). When the lever is moved, it will then lock out the diesel engine thereby being electric only.

Thanks for your kind words about my models. I'm glad you like this one too.

[Thirdwigg]

I'm about ready to finish up this project. I still have to do some modifications on the two trash bins, but they should go quickly. I need to do a final build of these, and then determine if I need more parts for the bins. I'll add these needed parts, plus the 8 parts that I need for the rear compactor and the chassis, and order everything and be ready to publish. It's about time.

While I'm waiting for parts to arrive, I'll work on the instructions, video, and photos. Hopefully everything will be ready to complete prior to the end of March. That would mean this project takes less than a year. Hurrah!

I now have a final Studio file with all the parts, steps, and sub builds final.

Above you can see the compactor and hopper with the sides removed. Hopefully this gives you a sense as to how everything works. Again, everything is manual. The gear on the top at the front is for the extractor plate, and the gear on the top at the rear is for the rear compactor opening rams. The long black axle on the compactor is to control the compactor. I worked hard to make sure as much space as possible was available for trash. It's about 65% of the full box, so I'm pleased with this capacity.

Below is the final Studio file for the truck. I confess the Green/Orange/White looks just ok to my eyes, but I'm happy I did not do all white or all yellow. 

Almost done....

 

[Paul B Technic]

I have loved watching your progress on this :)

[Scoar Sonander]

Really nice build so far! I think you could add a white 3x1 tile to cover up the small gap on the top of the cab, but otherwise great bodywork. 

[Thirdwigg]

On 3/6/2023 at 5:16 PM, TangersTechnic said:

I have loved watching your progress on this :)

Thanks, It's been a fun, albeit, long project.

23 hours ago, Scoar Sonander said:

Really nice build so far! I think you could add a white 3x1 tile to cover up the small gap on the top of the cab, but otherwise great bodywork. 

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried an option, but it took away from the curved look and made the roof a little lumpy. I'll try another option....

[Thirdwigg]

I have finalized the bin, and each can contain 1x1 round plates. Each connect with the rear bin lift, and can be emptied into the compactor. Everything has been tested and works.

The next post should be the final publishing post.

[jorgeopesi]

Awesome work as usual even the containers look good.

[Thirdwigg]

22 minutes ago, jorgeopesi said:

Awesome work as usual even the containers look good.

Thanks. They were frustrating me for a while as I couldn't get a lid that looked good, and fold all the way open. I finally took the time last night to finalize them. I'm glad they look ok, and even more happy they work well.

[Thirdwigg]

Alright, after about a year, this project is finally done! I've wanted to make a garbage truck for the last three years, so after all the planning, building, rebuilding, I can finally say I finished another garbage truck.

As, always, instructions are at Rebrickable.com.  

The truck was inspired by the little truck from Jonathan Elliott. It features the following:

• I3 fake engine
• Fake electric motor
• Hybrid transmission geared to second axle
• Steering on first and third axle with HOG
• Electric drive only selector
• Manual bin lift
• Manual two stage compactor
• Manual trash extractor plate with HOG
• Manual opening hopper with HOG
• Opening doors
• Tilting cab
• Removable body
• Two waste bins

Everything works for 1x1 round plates, but anything bigger works better. 

I started this build with the rear hopper, and it went through countless revisions. One 20 tooth gear on the side moves the two stage compactor by an axle moving two 13l gear racks. These racks are connected by a link to the flapper, and are not fixed to the sliding compactor structure. Basically there is resistance on the up and down movement of the compactor, but not on the flapping movement. So when you turn the gear it first flips the flapper open or closed, then moves the compactor up or down. Turning the gear first flips the flapper and grabs the trash, until the flapper's movement is limited. The torque on the gear now has nowhere else to go, so then move the whole compactor up, putting the trash in the body. It's super simple, but took so long to get right.

If you are still confused, hopefully the video will help you understand.

 The extractor plate works well, though could use a little more power. Next time I'll make the body a little less long.

Finally, I wanted to do something fun for the driveline, and a 2/4 speed transmission was not enough for me. More garbage trucks are being released with EV or Hybrid drive, for lots of good reasons, so I wanted to try this. I'm resistant to give up my 30 year old LEGO pistons and cylinders, so I decided to try a hybrid. The fake I3 engine is mounted under the cab, and a fake electric motor is mounted on the right of the truck. A differential is placed on the 2nd axle to run the drivetrain, first going to a second differential (red) that splits the torque between the fake engine and fake motor. A rubber connector is mounted on the front of the fake engine crankshaft to cause just a little resistance to the fake I3. So when you move the truck, the fake electric engine will move first as there is no resistance. Once torque is high enough to overwhelm the resistance the rubber connector is contributing to the fake engine, the pistons will start to move. Finally, to limit tailpipe emissions in 1:21 scale LEGO world, there is a EV only lockout. Flipping the switch on the left of the truck, allows you to lock out the fake engine, so all movement goes to the fake electric motor.

I love this function! I'll refine it a little more and us it in other MOCs.

I hope you all enjoy! I'm happy to finally complete this and share it more broadly.

 

 

[GerritvdG]

Thank you for presenting your garbage truck. Impressive! This is a model that is just super educational, and very playable. Well done!

[gyenesvi]

I love the final result! The looks are simple and elegant, and it is really interesting mechanically. I never knew exactly how a garbage truck works inside, so thanks for showing it :) I love the two stage compactor, and also the hybrid drivetrain is a very original addition. Great work!