US2314331A - Device for holding garbage cans - Google Patents

Description

March 23, 1943. H. B. FALLls DEVICE FOR HOLDING GARBAGE CANS v Filed oct. e. `1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 23, 1943.A

H. B. FALLIS DEVICE FOR HOLDING*(LRBGE CANS r'2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6, 1 .941

-Patented Mar. 2,3,

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFicE i k nnvlcn ron noznrirslosnnscn cans l Herbert B. Falill, Wichita, Kans. Application October 6. 1941, Serial No. 413,883 1 claim. (ci. 24a-31o) This invention relates to an improved device for holding a garbage can so asto prevent accidental upsetting thereof, as by' means of dogs and cats attempting to gain access to the contents of the garbage can. V Y,

The present invention also relates to an improved device, operable by the foot, for opening the lid of a garbage can, whenever it is desired to deposit garbage in the can or to empty the garbage therefrom.

An object of the present invention is to provide a garbarge can holder of the above kind which is extremely simple and durable in con struction and eiliclent in use.

A further object of the present invention is l to provide a foot operated device for opening the lid of a garbage can, which device is readily adjustable for use with garbage cans of different sizes, both in cross-section and in vertical height.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section, showing a garbage can operatively associated with a holder and lid opening device constructed in accordance with the present invention Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the device, partly in section;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken online 6 4 of Figure 1` and partly broken away;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation, partly broken away and in section, showing the means 36 for connecting the horizontally swinging arm of the lid opening device with the handle of the lid;

Figure 6 is a sectional perspective view of the spirally grooved tubular member forming part 40 of the'means for causing the horizontal swinging arm to be actuated when elevated; and

` Figure 7 is a transverse cross section taken on the line 1--1 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present invention includes a can holder or vstand consisting of an upright 5 preferably consisting of a sheet metal plate whose m'ajor lower portion is reinforced by means of side or longitudinal 5 and extending in diverging relation therefrom are horizontal channel members 1 whose intere mediate or base portions are provided with central longitudinal elongated slots 8. Angular through the slot l of each channel member 'I `and is threaded into the associated arm 8. By

tightening the thumb bolts II, the angular mem- Y 2l. flanges 6. Rigid with the lower end of upright bers 8, I0 may be secured in adjusted position relative to the channel members "I, and it will be seen that the body II' of a garbage can is adapted to be disposed upon the horizontal arms 'v 9 and contacted at spaced points by the arms I0 and upright 5 so that the can will be eiectivell/ held in a desired position and is prevented from accidentally upsetting. By loosening thumb bolts II, the arms I0 may be adjusted into snug contact with the can body while it also contacts the upright 5, said thumb bolts being subsequently tightened to secure the adjustment. The holder may be suitably anchored to the ground, as by means of a threaded stud I2 projecting downwardly from the lower end of upright 5 and threaded into the upper end of a pipe or other threaded member I3 embedded and anchored in the ground. The outer or spaced ends of the channel members 'I` may be rigidly connected by means of a suitable connecting bar Ill so `that any spreading strains on said channel members i will be eectively resisted and so that said chan nel members will be effectively braced in theirproper diverging relation.

The present invention also includes simple and eilicient means for raising and then swinging the lid I5 of the can II laterally to an out of the way position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1 so that access may be had to the can II' for placing garbage therein or for permitting removal of the can I I' to empty the contents thereof. This means includes a vertical shaft having a hollow upper sectionl I6 journaied in a bearing Il on the outer side of the upper end of upright 5, and a lower section I8 journaled in a bearing I9 on the outer side of the upright E near its lower end. The shaft sections I6 and I8 are slidably telescoped so that the length thereof may be adjusted, and the lower end portion of section I6, is split as at 20 and encircled by clamping band By loosening the clamping band 2|, the length of the shaft may be properly adjusted,

. and by tightening the band this adjustment may be secured in a generally well known way. Rigid with the upper end of shaft I6, I8 is a horizontal arm including an inner hollow section 22 rigid members as associated with the channel mem- 66 with the shaft section I6 and an outer arm secgrooves 33, as will be apparent.

outer end of section 22 is split as at 24 andencircled by a. clamping band 25 which may be loosened to permit adjusting the length of the arm 22, 23 and then tightened to secure the adjustment. By providing the adjustable shaft and arm, the device may be adapted for use with cans of different sizes, both in horizontal crosssection and vertical height. The outer end of arm 22, 23 is suitably fastened to the handle 26 of the lid I5. which handle is in the usual form of a U-shaped hand grip of curved transverse form as shown more clearly in Figure 5. This fastening means preferably consists of a clamping plate 21 and a U-bolt 28 having its threaded ends passing upwardly through end apertures in the plate 21, nuts 29 being threaded on the ends of U-bolt 28.above the plate 21. 'I'he clamping plate 21 is attached to arm section 23 by means of a depending threaded stud 30 rigid with the arm section 23 and threaded centrally into the plate 21. In practice, the intermediate portion of plate 21 is thickened and provided with a convex under-side adapted to t the concaved upper surface of handle 26, the intermediate portion of U-bolt 28 being arched to fit the under-side of said handle. By tightening the bolts 29, the intermediate portion of handle 26 may be rmly clamped between the plate 21 and the U-bolt 28.

As shown more clearly in Figure 6, the lower bearing I9 has diametrically opposed vertical grooves 3| in the lower portion thereof which are normally engaged by the ends of a cross pin 32 extending through the shaft section I8. Extending upwardly from the upper ends of vertical straight grooves 3| are spiral grooves 33 into which the ends of pin 32 will pass from the grooves 3|. By this means, thel shaft I6, I8 may be elevated for the length of the grooves 3| without being rotated so as to lift the lid completely off of the can body after which the shaft I6, I8, upon being further elevated, will be caused to turn and thereby swing the arm 22, 23 and the lid 5 laterally for a sufficient distance to position the lid i5 entirely out of the way as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. This rotation of the shaft is effected by the engagement of the ends of pin 32 in the spiral In order to manually operate shaft I 6, I3 for causing the above operation, I provide a pedal 34 mounted upon a horizontal pivot 35 on the lower portion of upright 5 so that an arm of said pedal engages the lower end of shaft section I8. By applying foot pressure to the other end of pedal 34 so as to swing the latter in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 3, the shaft will be elevated in the desired manner. It is further noted'that the pedal 34 is movable laterally on the pivot pin 35 so that by pressing the pedal 34 laterally toward the upright 5 after the shaft I8, I8 has been completely elevated, the depressed arm oi' pedal 34 may be engaged under a lug 36 rigid with the upright 5 for holding the lid in .its out of the way position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1. Conversely, the pedal 34 may be slid away from the upright 5 on the pivot 3 5 to disengage it from the lug 36, whereupon the parts may be returned to normal position by simply swinging the arm 22, 23 back to the full line position of Figure 1. When this takes place, the lid |5 reaches a position over the top of can |I' and then lowers vertically onto the upper end of the latter. At the same time, pedal 34 returns to its position of Figure 3, excessive return swinging movement of said pedal being prevented by means of a suitable stop pin 31 carried by the upright 5 beneath the inner arm of said pedal.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as Well as the advantages of the present invention, will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. The construction is extremely simple and durable, and aifords an efficient and comparatively inexpensive device for effectively carrying out the stated objects of the invention. Minor changes may be made in the details of construction illustrated and described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

In a garbage can support, a channeled upright having the lower end thereof reduced to cylindrical shape and screw threaded for threading into a ground anchor, a horizontally arranged V- shaped member having the apex thereof formed on the upright adjacent to and above the reduced lower end of said upright, a brace connecting the ends of the member, said member having channels in the diverging portions thereof and provided with slots located in the channels, L- shaped members including vertical and horizontal portions and having the horizontal portion slidable in the channels for the adjustment of the vertical portions toward and from the upright to receive and grip cans of different sizes, and thumb screws extending through the slots and threaded into the L-shaped members for releasably securing said L-shaped members in adjusted positions.

HERBERT B. FALLIS.

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