GB2403704A

GB2403704A - Sack holder

Info

Publication number: GB2403704A
Application number: GB0315968A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Derek Victor George Chapman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-08
Filing date: 2003-07-08
Publication date: 2005-01-12
Also published as: GB0315968D0

Abstract

A portable holder for a refuse sack 16 comprises a frame 12 to which the sack is secured and a lateral handle 24 by which it can be ported. The handle can be mounted on, for example, a garden implement 20 by means of a bracket 18, thereby providing a free-standing refuse collection arrangement. A sack-retaining flexible collar 14 is tensioned by springs 26 extending from the collar to arms 22 which connect the frame 12 to the handle 24. The bracket 18 comprises a hook 32 and a channel 34 to engage upper and middle parts of the implement 20, respectively, and a hook 36 and a plate 38, 40 to engage the handle 24 and the frame 12, respectively.

Description

Sack Holder This invention relates to a holder for a sack, such as a

refuse bag. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to holders for sacks used for garden waste.

Flexible sacks with an open end are commonly used to hold and store refuse, such as garden waste. Mostly, the sacks are made of a contiguous plastic material such as polyethylene. However, other forms of sack can be made of netting. Such sacks are well known to be difficult to hold open unless there is a significant amount of material already in them. Frames for bags are known by which the mouth of the bag is held open to receive refuse. One proposed design uses a hoop which is arranged to be fixed to the open end of the sack. For example, there is a type of litter bin which comprises a stand resting on the ground to which the bag is attached by means of such a hoop connected to the upper end of the stand. In another form, the hoop rests on the ground in an upright attitude to receive garden waste that is swept into it.

Another proposal for making the filling of refuse sacks more convenient is a flexible sheet of plastics material which is arranged as a column within the bag, thereby allowing it to stand up on its own.

None of these proposals is intended to be portable in use. Each device is designed to be put in one position and filled from there. However, as a practical matter is often more convenient to be able to take the bag to the refuse rather than the refuse to the bag. It is in this circumstance when the filling of a flexible sack is at its most awkward.

Furthermore, all of the solutions referred to cannot be particularly conveniently stored, as each constitutes a piece of equipment dedicated to the task that cannot be disassembled into constituent parts.

According to the present invention there is provided a portable holder for a flexible sack comprising an assembly for holding an open end of the sack, the assembly including a frame and a clasp for securing the material of the open end of the sack to the frame so that the sack can be held open, a handle attached to the assembly which includes a member extending outwardly from the assembly and a grip arranged generally laterally with respect to the member.

The portable holder provides a frame for holding the sack open and a particularly convenient form of handle with a lateral grip by which it can be carried and manipulated as necessary. The outward and lateral disposition of the grip is of particular benefit in providing controllability by movement of the user's fore arm and wrist. Because the grip is laterally arranged the user is able to gain more purchase on the swinging of the open end of the bag to face the waste, as opposed to the pitch of the open end of the bag which is of less importance when porting and filling the sack.

Preferably, the handle is attached to the frame part of the assembly as opposed to the clasp. However, it can be connected to the clasp.

Preferably, the handle itself comprises a pair of spaced members extending from the assembly, the grip being connected between the members.

Alternatively, the handle is a T-piece.

Preferably the clasp comprises a releasable collar embracing the frame by which the material of the sack can be clamped to the frame. The collar may be resiliently secured to the handle for clamping the material to the frame. The collar is alternatively resilient and arranged to clamp to the frame to hold the bag.

The invention also extends to a holder assembly for a flexible sack, comprising a holder for holding the sack open, the holder including a handle; and a bracket adapted for mounting on a generally upright post, the bracket being connected to the holder by the handle.

In particular, the bracket of this aspect to the invention can be mounted on, for example, a garden implement including the post, or other temporary structure driven into the ground. The holder may be in accordance with the other aspect of the present invention.

Preferably the bracket comprises a first part for engaging a top of the post and a second part for engaging an intermediate portion of the post. Alternatively, a lower potion of the bracket is shaped for use as a dibber.

Preferably, the first part is a hook adapted to engage a cross-wise handle of, for example, a garden implement. Furthermore, the second part of the bracket preferably comprises a channel part which engages the post.

For securing the holder, the bracket preferably comprises a further hook for engaging a handle part of the holder, and a member extending from the hook on which a frame part of the holder rests. To retain the holder in position, the bracket further preferably comprises a lip which engages the frame to prevent the handle part from disengaging from the further hook.

The present invention can be put into practice in various ways, some embodiments of which will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bag holder mounted on a garden spade; Figure 2 is a top view of the holder of Figure 1; Figure 3(a) is a side view of a bracket for mounting the holder; and Figure 3(b) is a front view of the bracket of Figure 3(a).

Referring to the drawings, a holder for a garden rubbish sack comprises a frame and clasp assembly 10. The assembly includes a rigid hoop 12 forming the frame, and a flexible collar 14 which embraces the hoop 12. The material of a bag 16 is clasped between the hoop and inside the collar. The assembly for holding the bag is attached to a bracket 18 which is releasably mounted on (in this illustration) a garden spade 20. The garden implement could equally well be a hoe, fork, dibber or any other upright article having a spike or end that can be driven into or rested on the ground A pair of parallel arms 22 extend from one side of the hoop. A handle 24 is connected between the arms and is, thus, laterally arranged with respect to the projecting arms. This handle is for gripping by the user when it is demounted from the bracket. The collar 14 is tensioned on the outside of the hoop by means of springs 26 which are respectively secured to each end of the collar and to each of the arms 22.

As shown in Figure 1, the bracket is mountable on the handle 28 and shaft 30 of the garden implement. A hook 32 on the bracket 18 engages the crosswise handle 28 of the garden implement so that the remainder of the bracket depends downwardly against the shaft of the implement. The bracket is held in position with respect to the shaft by a channel 34 in the bracket which engages the shaft 30.

Towards the top of the bracket is a further hook 36 under which the handle of the holder is secured. The hoop 12 of the holder rests against an outward extending plate 38. To retain the holder in position, the plate has a retaining lip which engages on the inside of the hoop to keep the handle secured beneath the further hook. When mounted the holder thus rests on the plate 38 of the bracket facing generally upwardly so that the bag is ready to receive waste 1 0 material.

The holder 10 can be used in two ways. Firstly, as a separate item it can be held by the user and carried around a garden for collecting rubbish. The lateral grip of the handle allows the user to orientate the bag as necessary according to the position of the rubbish. It has been appreciated by the inventor that it is the rotation of the bag towards to rubbish that is important. The open end is usually allowed to hang from the user's hand under gravity. Thus it is important to be able to swing the open end of the bag from side to side to present the open end to the rubbish. However, the pitch of the open end of the bag, i.e., orientation of the open face with respect to the vertical is less important as the rubbish falls into the sack which is flexible and is held inside as the rubbish always lies beneath the opening.

The other way in which the holder can be used is in the free standing arrangement mounted on the bracket which is itself attached to a garden implement as shown in Figure 1.

The materials for the holder can be any suitably rigid plastics material or metal.

It will be appreciated that the collar, while shown as a flexible strip, could be a cord of rope or elasticated material. The use of elasticated material would obviate the need for other resilient forms of tensioning the collar. Alternatively, the collar could be a resilient clasp or clip not requiring other positive attachment to the holder.

Similarly, the bracket can be of metal or any suitable plastics material of sufficient rigidity. While the bracket is shown mounted on a crosswise handle, it could equally well be adapted for use on a plain ended post. While the bracket is also shown loosely engaging the shaft of the garden implement, it could be more securely connected by means of a strap or other form of attachment.

Claims

Claims 1. A portable holder for a flexible sack comprising: an assembly

for holding an open end of the sack, the assembly including a frame and a clasp for securing the material of the open end of the sack to the frame so that the sack can be held open; and a handle attached to the assembly which includes a member extending outwardly from the assembly and a grip arranged generally laterally with respect to the member.
2. A holder as claimed in claim 1, in which the handle is attached to the frame.
3. A holder as claimed in claim 2, in which the handle comprises a pair of spaced members, the grip extending between the members.
4. A holder as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the clasp is a releasable collar embracing the frame by which the material of the sack can be clamped to the frame.
5. A holder as claimed in claim 4, in which the collar is resiliently secured to the handle for clamping the material of the sack to the frame.
6. A holder as claimed in any of claims 1-5 in which the holder is demountably secured to a bracket on an upright post.
7. A holder assembly for a flexible sack comprising: a holder for holding the sack open, the holder including a handle; and a bracket adapted for mounting on a generally upright post, the bracket being connected to the holder by the handle.
8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7, in which the holder is as claimed in any of claims I to 5.
9. An assembly as claimed in claim 7 or 8, in which the bracket comprises a first part for engaging the top of the post and a second part for engaging an intermediate portion of the post.
10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, in which the first part is a hook adapted to engage a cross-wise handle of a garden implement.
11. An assembly as claimed in claim 9 or 10, in which the second part is a channel adapted to engage the post.
12. An assembly as claimed in any of claims 7 to 11, in which the bracket comprises a further hook for engaging the handle of the holder and a member extending from the hook for engaging the assembly to retain the holder facing generally upwardly.
13. An assembly as claimed in claim 12 in which the bracket further comprises a retaining lip for engaging the frame to retain the handle in engagement with the further hook.