Classic Refuse Trucks M-B

The Big V Packer and Contain-o-Pack

Beginning in mid-1957, internal changes were made to the M-B Packer in the form of a simplified drive cable arrangement. The upper cable was completely eliminated, with the blade being stabilized by extra guide rollers. Side loading doors were enlarged, and the clutch/drive assembly fully enclosed. These changes may have been made to enable the body to serve as a front-loading container truck. Dempster had done just that by grafting their Dumpmaster lift arms on to Packa-Van and Pak-Mor bodies in 1956. Lodal arms had been similarly paired with the new Hydro E-Z Pack. However, the upper cable used on the early model M-B Packer had precluded its use for front-loader duty.

M-B may also have been considering an "in-house" design for a front-loading refuse container system. In 1956, the company began selling the M-B Loader, a hydraulic lift arm with clamshell bucket, for use with conventional dump trucks. The M-B Loader could have been adapted for detachable containers with some engineering changes. While no M-B front-loader was ever to materialize, a side-loading commercial container truck would appear shortly. Yet another re-design and strengthening of the packer panel resulted in The Big V for 1959. The lower portion of the blade was now angled to impart more upward force on the load during the compaction cycle. The small 12-cubic yard body was dropped, and heavier bracing added the outer body shells of the remaining lineup, which now comprised four sizes ranging 14 through 24 yards rated capacity. As was becoming common on side and front-loaders throughout the industry, "Anti-fallback" teeth were added to the inside of the roof, to help retain the compacted load.

INSIDE THE BIG V PACKER

(1) Heavy-duty rear door hinges, return sheave visible through cutaway, (2) Extra reinforcing ribs on body, (3) Stabilized, bulldozer-type packer plate on four rollers, (4) Twin-spool winch, (5) Fully-enclosed drive with electric clutch

M-B 'Big V' Packer on a 1958 Chevrolet chassis

Contain-o-Pack
M-B ventured into the commercial refuse truck market in 1959, with the Contain-O-Pack side-loading system. Adaptable to the Big V packer body, it consisted of a 3000 pound-capacity overhead cable hoist acting on a telescopic boom, adaptable to various container sizes and capable of reaching out over curbing and onto loading docks. A range of 1.5, 2 and 3-yard end-dumping containers were standard. Other sizes and shapes were also available by special order.

An outrigger foot helped prevent truck rollover during the hoisting operation. New 32 and 38-cubic yard Trail-Pack semi-trailer models could also be fitted with the hoist, and were self-powered by an auxiliary engine.

Transfer Trailer

M-B also produced large-capacity, top-loading transfer trailers starting in the late 1950s

The M-B Loader

This clamshell bucket loader attachment introduced in 1956 was fitted to standard dump bodies

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