1954 M-B Packer     Meili-Blumberg Corporation, New Holstein, Wisconsin, was founded in 1907 and had been a longtime manufacturer of road graders and striping equipment leading up to the 1950's. The company changed ownership in 1954, and their corporate identity was shortened to "M-B". Concurrently, a side-loading refuse packer body was added to their product line, appropriately named the M-B Packer. This was a simple, lightweight rectangular body with a full-sized packer/ejector panel riding on atop the body floor on roller wheels. Three steel cables affixed to the blade, (two on the bottom sides, and one on the top center) were reeved through a system of idler pulleys back to a reversible Tulsa drum winch, the latter being driven directly from the vehicle Power Take Off.     Limit switches and an electric safety clutch protected the mechanism from overloading. Another safety interlock prevented packer operation unless the side doors were closed. M-B advertising of the day also touted the versatility of the Packer; it could double as a van body for general-purpose hauling when not collecting refuse. Five body sizes, from 12 to 24 cubic yards capacity provided a broad range for customers to choose from. Though lacking the raw power of hydraulics, the cable-operated M-B delivered moderate compression and full load ejection at a budget price, which could be maintained by mechanics with only moderate skill. M-B Packer featured a step, customary for hand-loading on this type of body Cables and reeving arrangement for the M-B Packer Triple-spool Tulsa winch drives three cables.; Two lower cables (red highlights) run parallel with floor at either side, passing over vertical sheaves at rear edge and return to drum under the body floor (pink highlights). Upper cable runs parallel with roof, returns at single horizontal sheave (green highlights). All cable ends are affixed to the center support of the packer panel through shock-dampeneing coil springs. The use of the upper cable made the early M-B Packer unsuitable for adaptation as a front loader, since refuse could not be loaded through the top of the body. Rear doors opened to reveal body interior. Note winch cables located on floor and ceiling of the body East Side Garbage Co., and Michigan Scavenger Service, served one-third of the City of Kalamazoo with a total of eleven M-B Packers Quick and clean ejection unloading was a feature of the M-B Packer M-B METRO     An M-B version of the Alley Cat; Allen Sanitary Service of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, mounted this 14-cubic yard M-B Packer on a 149-inch wheelbase International chassis with the Metro walk-in cab SELECTED PATENTS Patent # Description Inventor Assignee Date US2909295 Vehicle body with packer and ejector Weir M-B Corp. October 20, 1955 1/2/11 © 2011 All Rights Reserved Photos from factory brochures/advertisements except as noted Logos shown are the trademarks of respective manufacturers