Ernst Moser AG was clearly involved in vehicle construction at least as far back as 1971, and example of a drawbar trailer from that year being in existence. Around 1980, the company entered the refuse body business with a rear loader patent that would become one of the most famous designs ever produced in Europe, the Moser Mammut. It was designed by Kurt Fluri who remained with company for many years, ultimately serving on the Board of Directors. The Mammut (translated "Mammoth") lived up to its name, being a giant, heavy-duty bulk loader competitive with the Schorling/Leach 2-R and the Heil Mark V. Fluri's packer design was however, totally unique in the industry, one of the few truly viable rear loader methods developed since 1959.
The Mammut packer assembly consisted of a large u-shaped frame, hinged at the base of the tailgate passage into the body, and pivoted by large rams mounted horizontally against the inside hopper walls. A packer panel was pivotally attached to the u-shaped frame, and powered by two smaller rams. (continued below)
INSIDE THE MOSER MAMMUT
Cycle commences with small cylinders retracting, causing packer panel to swing away from u-shaped frame and over refuse in hopper
Next, the large cylinders retract, swinging the u-shaped frame rearward and carrying packer panel downward and behind refuse in hopper
In the 3rd stage, the small cylinders extend, causing packer panel to pivot forward, collapsing back into the u-shaped frame and sweeping refuse from the hopper into the body
During final stage of cycle, the large cylinders extend, pivoting the entire packer assembly into the body, crushing the load against the ejector panel. The maximum pressure is exerted, as the large cylinders extend with fluid entering the piston side of the cylinder
PACKING CYCLE ANIMATION
Video courtesy of Geesinknorba
1983 Moser Mammut 15-cubic metre rear loader on Mercedes-Benz 1622/39 chassis
The Mammut patent was licensed and manufactured outside of Switzerland, including by Normann Bock in Germany and Geesink in Holland. It was the latter which truly broke open the market for this design, as the GPM Series, one the most popular rear loaders in that country. Geesink was owned for a time by Powell Duffryn Engineering, leading to the GPMs crossing the channel into the United Kingdom as the PDE Vulture.
The Mammut remained one of the mainstays in its home market, sold under the Moser Burgdorf name to differentiate it from the many companies with the Moser name in Switzerland. By the late 1990s, bankruptcy befell Ernst Moser AG, and after a reorganization they traded briefly as Moser Tech. Facing bankruptcy again in 2001, the company was permenantly liquidated. The Mammut design lives on though, and is approaching its 40th anniversary in continuous production. The current version, the Geesink-Norba GPM4 remains a staple of the European market and will undoubtedly be with us for many years to come. Inventor Kurt Fluri has the distinction of having created the only commercially successful rear loader of the modern era that does not use either the slide sweep or swing link methods. This is no small achievement, and one made all the more outstanding because of the designs longevity, reliability and awesome crushing power. The Mammut is a truly neo-classic of the highest historical significance.
Mammut boasts one of the most powerful packing mechanisms ever produced
Moser swing-ejector: note the auxiliary cylinders parallel to the main telescopic ram
One of the last Mammuts built, a 2000 model badged as Moser Tech
MAMMUT VIDEO
Video courtesy of airbusA321boyy
The awesome power: Geesink GPM snaps a 6 x 12 timber as if it were a toothpick!
video courtesy of Geesinknorba GeesinkNorba
