Classic Refuse Trucks BAUSENBACH

Bausenbach
Buffalo Metal Container Corporation
Buffalo, New York

Arthur E. Bausenbach began selling the Bowles Econo-Packer front loaders in the Eastern United States around 1958. Several models of half-pack, tilt-dump models were offered, shipped from California. Production was to commence at Buffalo in May of 1959, and it is highly likely that some Bowles-design front loaders were indeed built there. In the early 1960s, Bowles products were being marketed by Converto Mfg. of Cambridge City, Indiana, and it appears that Bausenbach then ended their relationship with Bowles.

Bausenbach ad from 1959, showing bodies built by S. Vincen Bowles of Sun Valley, CA

By 1962, and new full-pack "Flex-Arm" model was advertised, consisting of a Hydro E-Z Pack body fitted with Bausenbach-designed over-the-cab (OTC) lift arms. Bausenbach, along with several other companies, was sued by Dempster for infringement on the over-the-cab lift arm. Rather than settle or capitulate, Bausenbach counter-sued Dempster and eventually prevailed, paving the way for universal industry adoption of the OTC arm.

Bausenbach full-pack front loaders of the early 1960s used modified E-Z pack bodies

BAUSENBACH PUSH-N-TILT FTRONT LOADERS
A more modern Bausenbach "Push-n-Tilt" front loader appears to have adopted many west-coast features, perhaps as a result of their earlier involvement with Bowles. As the name suggests, it was almost certainly a partial-pack, tilt-to dump body, but the type of packing blade used is not known. Arthur Bausenbach's claim to fame was as the man who successfully challenged Dempster's patent claims for over-the-cab lift arms, which led to that features widespread adaption throughout the industry. By 1965, production had shifted east to the Bristol-Donald Co. of Newark, New Jersey, while units were still badged as Bausenbachs. In 1969, the Push-n-Tilt front loader changed manufacturers again, to Sanitary Controls of Deer Park, Long Island, where they were produced through the late 1970s.

1965 Bausenbach "custom arm" front loader from Bristol-Donald of Newark, NJ (Walter Lewellen)

REFERENCES

Classic Refuse Trucks:.com: Sanitary Controls Inc.

Classic Refuse Trucks: S.Vincen Bowles Inc. by Eric Voytko and Zachary Geroux (2010)
Chapter 8 Sidebar/"Trash Truck Wars: The Legal Battle over Lift Arms"

7/3/15 (revised 1/1/2019)