AU2008201435A1 - Dump bin - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Standard Patent Applicant(s): JOHN JOSEPH MOORE and PATRICIA MARGARET MOORE Invention Title: DUMP BIN The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: P71873.AU.1 PetSeLFUIng Appiscalton 20083-2.doc (M) 2 00 O DUMP BIN SField of the Invention 00 5 This invention relates to a Dump Bin and relates particularly, but not exclusively to a dump bin for use with a larger dump bin whereby the contents of the dump Sbin can be discharged into the larger dump bin.

C- 10 Description of Prior Art 00 SHitherto, dump bins have been used for many applications. Typically, dump bins may be loaded from the top. When a dump bin is full, a collection vehicle takes the dump bin to a dump site where the contents are removed by upending the dump bin or by opening the door of the dump bin at one end. We have previously proposed an alternative dump bin in our Australian patent application no. 2003232424. This invention is directed to an improvement over the dump bin disclosed in that patent application. The whole contents of the aforementioned patent application are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Statement of the Invention According to a first broad aspect of the present invention there is provided A dump bin having a top through which the dump bin can be loaded, and a bottom which can be opened and closed whereby to permit a load to be discharged from the dump bin by gravity when opened, the bottom of the dump bin being formed with a swingable trap door means whereby the swinging of the trap door means can open and close the bottom of the dump bin, said swingable trap door means being provided by two independent doors swingable about respective axes which extend parallel to one another and wherein free ends N:\Metboume\Cases\Patent\7 100071999\P71873 ALI 1\Specis\P71873A. 1 Specification 2008-3-28.doc 28103/08 3 00 0 of the independent doors align substantially midway CI between the axes when the trap door means is in a closed tcondition, release latch means being provided to hold the Sindependent doors in a closed condition, said release 00 5 latch means having an operating release arm that extends outwardly past a footprint perimeter of the bottom of the Sdump bin, Ssaid dump bin having fork lift prong engaging means to enable prongs of a forklift device to engage C a10o therewith to permit the dump bin to be raised by the 00 0forklift device, said fork lift prong engaging means being 0 positioned above said operating release arm, whereby, in use, said dump bin can be raised by the fork lift device and manoeuvred above a discharge area in which contents of the dump bin are to be discharged, and wherein said operating release arm can be operated to open the independent doors by the lowering of the dump bin and allowing a part of the operating release arm that extends outwardly past the footprint perimeter of the bottom of the dump bin to engage with a rigid surface adjacent the discharge area, and to thereby permit a force to be applied to release the latch means and open the independent doors, without the need for the release arm to be manually operated.

Most preferably the axes of swinging of the independent doors are external of the inside walls of the dump bin, so that when the independent doors swing to an open position, they can swing to clear the width of the dump bin defined by the inside walls, whereby to provide substantially unhindered discharge of the load through the bottom of the dump bin..

Most preferably said forklift prong engaging means comprises two tubular receptors in which respective prongs can be received, said tubular receptors extending outwardly past a footprint perimeter of the bottom of the N \MeboumekCasesPaenti71OOO-71999\P71873 AL[ 1Specis\P71873 AU. Specification 2008-3-28doc 28/03/08 4 00 O dump bin from the same side of the dump bin as the release Ci arm, the distance of extending of the tubular receptors Sbeing such that when the fork lift prongs are driven fully into the two tubular receptors, said release arm will be 00 5 positioned forwardly of the front of a body of the forklift device whereby to permit the dump bin to be raised by said forklift device and then driven forwardly Sby said forklift device to position the dump bin over said discharge area so that when the dump bin is lowered, the C- 10 release arm will be directly above said rigid surface.

00 Brief Description of the Drawings In order that the invention can be more clearly ascertained an example of the preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the example, Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the example shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the example, Figure 4 is a side elevational view from one side of the example, Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the opposite end of the example shown in Figure 3, Figure 6 is a close-up diagrammatic cross sectional view showing engagement of a releasable latch means holding the bottom of the dump bin, N:Meboume Cases Patenf71 000-71999P7 1873.ALJ. 1SpecisP7 1873.AU. Specification 2008-3-28.doc 28/Y08 5 00 Figure 7 is a view similar to that of Figure 6, but showing the releasable latch means releasing trap door Smeans of the bottom of the dump bin so that a load can be Sdischarged, 00 Figure 8 is a side elevational view showing how Sthe dump bin can be lifted by a forklift device and how a Srelease arm forming part of a release latch means for the trap door means can be engaged with a rigid surface Cl 10 adjacent an area where the contents of the dump bin are to 00 Sbe discharged, Figure 9 is a view similar to that in Figure 7 showing how the releasable latch means releases the trap door means so that load of the bin can be discharged, Figure 10 is a side elevational view showing alternative profiles of forklift prong engaging means which facilitate easy entry of the prongs, and Figure 11 is a close-up view showing an alternative modification to the release arm of the release latch means.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring firstly to Figures 1 5 it can be seen that there is provided a dump bin 1. Typically, the dump bin 1 is fabricated from sheet steel or other suitable metal. Other materials such as plastics are, however, not excluded. The dump bin 1 is shown with an open top 3 of generally rectangular configuration. A lid (not shown) may be provided over the open top 3 if desired.

Typically, the upper edge of the open top 3 has a lip which provides reinforcing to the dump bin 1. The lip extends externally of the inside of the dump bin 1. This is clearly shown in Figure 1 and aids the relatively free N Vvelboume\Cases\Paton:71000-71999\P71 873AU. 1 %Spacis\P71873AU 1 Specfication 2008-3-28.doc 28/03108 6 00 Sintroduction of load into the dump bin 1. The dump bin 1 CI has a width 7, a depth 9, and a height 11 see Figures 4 c and 5. This is also shown in Figure 1. Typically the Sinternal width is 600mm, the internal depth is 600mm, and 00 5 the internal height is 1150mm.

V The dump bin 1 has a bottom 13 which is normally M closed, but which can be opened to permit the load to be discharged from the dump bin by gravity.

C 00 SThe bottom 13 of the dump bin 1 is formed with C swingable trap door means 15 whereby the swinging of the trap door means 15 opens and closes the bottom 13 of the dump bin 1. The trap door means 15 is provided by two independent doors 17 which are swingable about axes 19 which extend parallel to one another and external of the inside walls 21 of the dump bin 1. Accordingly, when the trap door means 15 swings to the open position, the trap door means can move to allow free discharge of the contents without the bottom 13 of the dump bin being partly blocked by the trap door means By observing Figures 6 and 7, it can be seen that the independent doors 17 have free ends 23 and respectively. When the doors 17 are in the closed condition, the independent doors 17 overlap each other at the free ends 23, As can be seen from all the figures, the dump bin 1 is provided with wheels 27 to permit the dump bin 1 to be easily moved. Wheels 27 are preferably castor type wheels that can swing to any desired angular orientation about a vertical axis thereby permitting relatively easy manoeuvring of the dump bin 1.

The dump bin 1 has forklift prong engaging means 29 to enable prongs of a forklift device to locate with N:\Melboume\Cases\Patent\71000-71999\P71873AU. 1Specis\P71873 AU 1 Specification 2008-3-28 doc 28/03/08 7 00 O the dump bin 1, so the dump bin 1 can be raised by the Ci forklift device. The forklift prong engaging means 29 are Sprovided by two elongate rectangular shape tubular Ssections 31 which are fitted externally of the walls 21 of 00 5 the bin 1 at a position nearer the top 3 than the bottom 13. Thus, with a substantially uniformly distributed full load within the dump bin 1, the centre of gravity will be Cbelow the forklift prong engaging means 29 and the load will be stable on the forklift device. It can be seen C 10 further, that even with an empty bin 1, the centre of 0 gravity of the bin 1 will be below the forklift prong Sengaging means 29.

By viewing Figures 1 and 3, it can be seen that the spacing apart of the respective forklift prong engaging means 29 is approximately equal to the width of the bin 21 600mm and therefore the width of the forklift prongs. It can be also be seen from Figure 1 that the length of the forklift prong engaging means 29 is equal to the depth 9 of the bin 600mm and is arranged to be approximately equal to the length of the prongs of the forklift device. It can also be seen that the forklift prong engaging means 29 are reinforced with sheet steel 33.

Releasable latch means 35 (see Figure 6 and Figure 5) is provided to hold the independent doors 17in a closed condition as shown in those figures. The releasable latch means 35 includes arm means 37 that extend from one of the independent doors 17 at the free end 23. In this case the arm means 37 comprises an elongate rod that extends across the depth of the bin 1 i.e. across the depth length of the free end 23 of the independent doors 17. The rod extends past the ends of the independent doors 17. The releasable latch means also includes a swingable catch arm 39 that is pivoted relative to the bin 1 about pivot 41. The catch arm has N\Melboume\Cases\Patent\71000-71999\P71873 AU 1\;lpecis\P71873 AU 1 Specification 2008-3-28 doc 28/03/08 -8 00 O an arcuate elongate slot 43 which can receive the arm Cl means 37 and latch the independent doors 17 in a closed c condition.

00 5 If Figure 7 is considered, it can be seen that the right hand independent door 17 has an up-turned free end 45. As the independent doors 17 are swung to a closed Cposition, the right hand door 17 (Figure 7) locates above the left hand door 17. The up-turned free end 45 assists C- 10 the location of a right hand door 17 in this uppermost 00 Sposition relative to the other door 17. In this case, the Sleft hand door 17 will be lowermost, and when the releasable latch means 35 is engaged so that the arm means 37 locates in the slot 43, the trap door means 15 will be held closed. The catch arm 39 has an arcuate shaped nose 47 (see Figures 6 and 7) to permit it to move over the arm means 37 so that the arm means 37 can pass into the slot 43.

As can be seen from the figures, the releasable latch means 35 comprises a set of the various arm means 37, catch arm 39, pivot 41, slot 43, and nose 47 at each of the front and back of the bin 1. The respective catch arms 39 are connected through an extension arm 49 to an operator handle 51 at one side of the bin 1.

Figure 3 shows a spring loaded adjustable means which causes the catch arm 39 to be spring biased in an anticlockwise direction so that the catch arm 39 securely holds the arm means 37 in the slot 43.

Figure 3 also shows a releasable lock means 55 to hold the releasable latch means. The releasable lock means comprises an elongate pin 57 welded to an external part of the bin 1. The extension arm 49 contains a tongue 59 with an opening therethrough to receive the pin 57 (Figure 3 is the best figure to show this arrangement). A N AMebaumeNCaseskPatent71000-71999P7l873.AU 1%SpePs\P71873.AU. 1 Specdfication 2008-3-28.doc 28/03108 9 00 O hole extends transversely through the free end of the pin CI 57 and sits above the flange 59 when the catch means 35 is Cin the position holding the trap door means 15 closed. A security pin (not shown) can then pass through that hole.

00 5 In this way, the releasable catch means 35 can be held against unwanted release and opening of the trap door means Figure 1 shows that the operator handle 51 has a C- 10 release arm 101 that extends outwardly past a foot print Sperimeter of a bottom 103 of the dump bin 1. This is best Sshown in Figure 4. The release arm 101 can be a bent part of the tubular material forming the operator handle 51.

Figures 1, 2, and 4, clearly show that the fork lift engaging means 29 is in the form of two tubular receptors in which the respective prongs 105 of a forklift device can be inserted. This is best shown in Figure 8. The forklift engaging means 29 permits the prongs 105 to engage therewith, and in this example to slide internally within the tubular receptors, to permit the dump bin 1 to be raised by the forklift device. The forklift prong engaging means 29 are positioned above the operating release arm 101 to permit the dump bin to be raised by the forklift device and manoeuvred above a discharge area such as a larger dump bin 67 or, a dump area. The operating release arm 101 can then be operated by dropping or moving the dump bin 1 downwardly so that the release arm 101 engages with, allowing a part of the release arm 101 that extends outwardly past the footprint perimeter 103 of the bottom of the dump bin 1 to engage with a rigid surface such as the top of the larger dump bin 607 or some other rigid surface. This is clearly shown in Figure 8.

Thus, it should be seen that the forklift prong engaging means 29 extend outwardly from the same side of the bin 1 as the release arm 101 and generally directly in line, with the outer extremities being approximately in N:\Melboume\Cases\Patent\71000-71999\P71873 AU. 1\Specis\P71873 AU.1 Specification 2008-3-28.doc 28/03/08 10 00 O line. The distance that the tubular receptors (the C forklift prong engaging means 29) extend outwardly is such tthat when the forklift prongs 105 are driven fully into Sthe forklift prong engaging means 29, the release arm 101 00 5 will be positioned forwardly of the front of the body of the forklift device, whereby to permit the dump bin to be raised by the forklift device and then driven forwardly by Sthe forklift to position the dump bin 1 over the discharge area such as the larger dump bin 67. This, in turn, C o10 enables the release arm 101 to be positioned directly 00 0above the rigid surface such as the top of the larger dump Sbin 67. Continued movement of the dump bin in a downward direction causes the release arm 101 to operate and to open the trap door means It can be seen that in order to release the trap door means 15, that the operator handle 51 and the release arm 101, are moved upwardly against the bias of the spring loaded adjustable means 53. The bias of the spring loaded adjustable means 53 can be controlled by means of a nut 61 to provide sufficient user resistance to provide good feel to the opening of the trap door means In use, the bin 1 is loaded with a load and when it is required to empty the load from the bin 1, the bin 1 is engaged by a forklift device with the forks passing into the forklift engaging means 29. The bin 1 is then raised such as over a larger dump bin 67 (see Fig.9). The larger dump bin 67 may, in fact, be an opening in a floor or the like and therefore it is not always essential that the bin 1 be raised during the unloading operation, although it is preferred. The handle 51 and release arm 101 can then be moved upwardly after suitably releasing the lock means 55, so that the releasable latch means will release permitting the trap door means 15 to swing to the open position. The contents/load will then fall by gravity from the bottom 13 of the bin 1, such as into a N %MeboumeCasesPatent\71 000-71999\P71873 AU Ik'SpeasP71873AU 1 Specicabon 2008-3-28.doc 28/03/08 11 00 larger dump bin 67. The dump bin 1 can then be moved away CI from the dump bin 67 so that as it is lowered onto a c surface, such as the floor, or the top of a sidewall 69 of Sthe a larger dump bin 67, the swingable trap door means 00 5 will close. The releasable latch means 35 will then self re-latch closing the bottom 13 of the bin. The dump bin 1 Scan then be moved to any desired location by pushing the Sdump bin 1 and causing it to roll on the wheels 27.

C- 10 Figures 1, 2, 3, 8, show releasable fork prong 00 Ssafety holding means 107 for each of the tubular receptors ^C of the fork lift prong engaging means 29. These safety holding means 107 are comprised of shaped steel rods in the form of pins, that can pass through apertures 109 in each of the respective fork lift prong engaging means 29. Figure 8 clearly shows that the prongs 105 have been driven fully into the tubular receptors of the forklift prong engaging means 29. The prongs pass into cut-out parts 111. This, in turn, causes the forklift prongs 105 to have moved past the apertures 109 so that the safety holding means 107 can be passed through the apertures 109 to lock the bin 1 relative to the forklift prongs 105.

This, in turn, maintains the prongs 105 locked relative to the receptors of the forklift prong engaging means 29 and in turn, holds the bin secured to the forklift device.

shaped brackets 113 are provided adjacent the apertures 109 so an outermost bent part of the safety holding means 107 can be located in a generally horizontally extending plane along the length of the forklift prong engaging means 29 to, in turn, lock the safety holding means 107 relative to the bin 1 and prevent accidental displacement of the safety holding means 107 from the apertures. The safety holding means 107 may be held relative to the bin 1 by safety chains 115 or similar safety retaining means so that when displaced from the apertures 109, to release the dump bin, they will not be lost.

N:\MelboumeCases\Patent\71000-71999\P71873.AU 1\Specs\P71873 AU. 1 Specification 2008-3-28 doc 28/03/08 12 00 Cl Figure 10 shows a modification of the forklift Sprong engaging means 29 where the transverse profile of Sthe receptors for the prongs 105 has an outwardly 00 5 diverging outermost side surface 117. This is provided to facilitate ease of insertion of the prongs 105 therein.

SFigure 11 shows a further embodiment with a modification to the release arm 101. In this case, the C- 10 release arm 101 has a diagonally extending extension 119 Sthat is fixed so that it extends downwardly towards the Sbottom of the dump bin 1. This, in turn, lowers the effective height of the release arm 101 and minimises the distance that the dump bin must be lowered in to the larger dump bin 67. This facilitates the ease of opening of the trap door means 15 of the dump bin if the larger dump bin has been loaded to a near full capacity. In other words, the contents of the larger dump bin do not interfere with the swinging operation of the trap door means Modifications may be made to the dump bin as referred to in the specification of the aforementioned Australian patent application.

These and other modifications may be made without departing from the ambit of the invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description, except where the context requires otherwise N:\Melboume\Cases\Paten\71000-71999\P71873AU .1 Specis\P71873 AU.1 Specification 2008-3-28.doc 28/03/08 13 00 o due to express language or necessary implication, the word C1 "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or 3 "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to Sspecify the presence of the stated features but not to 00 5 preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

00 (N 00 N\Melboume\Cases\Patent\71000-71999\P71873.AU. \Specs\P 7 1873 AU 1 Specification 2008-3-28 doc 28/03/08

Claims (3)

1. 3. A dump bin as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, C 10 wherein said forklift prong engaging means comprises two 00 tubular receptors in which respective prongs can be Sreceived, said tubular receptors extending outwardly past a footprint perimeter of the bottom of the dump bin from the same side of the dump bin as the release arm, the distance of extending of the tubular receptors being such that when the fork lift prongs are driven fully into the two tubular receptors, said release arm will be positioned forwardly of the front of a body of the forklift device whereby to permit the dump bin to be raised by said forklift device and then driven forwardly by said forklift device to position the dump bin over said discharge area so that when the dump bin is lowered, the release arm will be directly above said rigid surface.
2. 4. The dump bin as claimed in claim 3, wherein releasable fork prong safety holding means is provided at each receptor for holding the fork prongs locked relative to the receptors, so the dump bin can be held locked relative to the forklift device during raising and lowering of the dump bin by the forklift device. The dump bin as claimed in claim 4, wherein the releasable fork prong safety holding means comprises a respective pin for each receptor, and wherein each said pin can be passed through apertures in a respective receptor behind the rear of fork prong driven into a receptor for locking the dump bin, and wherein each said N: Melboume\Cases\Paten\71000-71999\P71873 AU. I Specis\P71873 AU 1 Specification 2008.3-28 doc 28/03/08 16 00 pin can be removed from the apertures to release the Cl locking of the dump bin.
3. 6. A dump bin as claimed in any one of the preceding 00 5 claims and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 00 NA~eboume\Cases\Patent\7 1000-71 999\P71 873.AU.i 1Specis\P7 1873.AU. 1 Specification 2008-3-28.doc 28J03/08