US2862443A - Tamper for waste paper container - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 2, 1958 C. s. STRONG ETAL 2,862,443

TAMPER FOR WASTE PAPER CONTAINER 2 Sheets- Shet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1957 ATTORNEYS I Dec. 2, 1958 c. s. STRONG ET AL 2,862,443

TAMPER FoR wAsT'E PAPER CONTAINER 2, Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. '7., 1957 Egli.

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ATTORNEYS,

United States Patent TAMPER ron WASTE PAPER CONTAINER Application February 7, 1957, Serial No. 638,782 7 Claims. (Cl. 10U-265) This invention relates to a waste paper container or receptacle with an automatic tamper, and has for an object to provide a container for waste paper or similar compressible material and the like with an improved form of tamping means for tamping down the discarded material to increase the holding capacity of the container and increase the time required between emptying operations, and to provide an improved means for operating the tamper and an inlet closure means for the container or receptacle.

Another object is to provide an improved means for mounting the tamper, including a treadle means for raising it to a position at the top of the container to permit free deposit of the discarded material, and an improved connection from the treadle means to the tamper having a motion-multiplying action whereby a relatively small movement of the treadle will impart a larger desired movement to the tamper to raise it to its upper position to permit deposit of the compressible material and permit automatic operation of the tamper when released.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, we have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown,

' but may embody various changes and modifications-within the scope of the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a front view of the container with parts broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 2 is a side view with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View with the top wall removed;

Fig. 4v is an enlarged side View of the forward end portion of the treadle with part of it broken away;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view looking toward the bottom of Fig. 4; j

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the operative connection from the tamper operating means to the closure;

Fig. 7 is a similar View showing a slightmodication;

Fig. 8 is a side view of a holding means for a receptacle within the container;

Fig. 9 is a partial end elevation and partial section thereof substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;v

Fig. l0 is a vertical section through the top and front walls of the container on a larger scale taken substantially on line 10'-10 of Fig. 1l, and

Fig. 11 is a similar section taken substantially on line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

This container is an improvement on the waste recep-A tacle of the copending application of Clinton S. Strong, Serial No. 461,311, led Oct. 1l, 1954.

This improved container or receptacle for waste paper or similar compressible material comprises a body 1 including a front wall 2, side walls 3, rear wall 4 and bottom wall 5 forming a receptacle for waste paper and similar waste material, and its upper end is closed by a top wall 6. The bottom wall 5 is also spaced above a second bottom wall 7 providing space for the operating treadle 8. This container or receptacle structure is preferably of sheet metal, with suitable means for securing these' walls together.

The front wall 2 is provided with an inlet or deposit opening 9 in its upper portion closed by a closure 10 preferably pivotally mounted adjacent its lower edge, as indicated at 11, so that its upper edge may swing outwardly from the closed position shown in full lines to its open position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 10. At its outer ends it is preferably provided with end walls 12 to form a sort of chute with the front wall of the closure for guiding the material into the container or receptacle. The pivotal connection 11 may be in these end walls. This closure is spring-loaded so as to close automatically when released, an eiective means being a coil spring 13 connected to the body structure at its lower end 14- and to one of the end walls of the closure at its upper end 15.'

Within the container is a tamper 16. This is a weighted member of considerable weight and may be of different shapes, but preferably is substantially circular with a downwardly and inwardlytapered, preferably inverted conically shaped lower surface 17 for better tamping effeet, and its upper surface 18 also may be conically shaped. This tamper is mounted for free up and down movement to tamp the loose papers or similar material in the container so that it will compress them to a smaller volume and the container will hold more than it would otherwise, thus increasing the time intervals between the necessity of emptying the container. For this purpose the tamper is freely supported by a coil spring 19 connected at its lower end to the weighted member 16, and to permit the use of a longer spring for greater movement of the tamper and reduce the necessary space required, the member 16 is provided with a vvertical passage 20 therethrough in which the spring is located, and connected at its lower end 21 to the weighted member by any suitable means, such, for example, as a washer 22. The passage therefore provides an enclosing positioning means for the spring, which retains the tamper in the upright position and the spring projects from the top of the weighted member and is secured at its upper end to an attaching means 23. The spring therefore forms the sole support for the weighted member and suspends it freely within the container or receptacle above the waste material therein.

The spring is suspended from a iexible cable 24 passing over a guide pulley 25 in the top of the container over the weighted member and mounted on any suitable support such, for example, as supporting brackets 26 mounted on a cross wall 27, and passes over a second pulley 28 mounted adjacent one corner of the container on suitable brackets 28a and down around and under an operating pulley 29 mounted on the treadle 8 with its free end extending upwardly from this pulley and anchored at 30 above the pulley to any suitable part of the container, as, for example, the bottom wall 5. The treadle may be of any suitable construction, but that shown comprises a ilat bar 31 pivoted at its rear end at 32 to a suitable bracket 33 mounted in the container structure between the bottom walls 5 and 7. At its forward end it projects through an upright slot or opening 34 in the front wall 2 where it is in a position easily accessible for depression by a foot of the operator. The pulley 29 is mounted on this treadle adjacent the front end thereof, it being secured to the treadle by any suitable means such, for example, as the bracket or housing structure 35, and there may be mounted a suitable tread 36 on the front end of the treadle, such, for example, as a rubber pad or similar device.

There ris also `an operative connection from this cable 24 to the closure 10. This m-ay be of `different constructions, but a simple and effective construction is that Patented nec. 2, s'

shown comprising a second flexible cable 37 connected at its upper or inner end to a bracket 38 mounted on the closure and passing over a guide pulley 39 and downwardly tola connectingblockffmfslidable onthe cable 24. Above1the'bl'ockl40 'securedfonthe cable 24is -a stop 41 preferably inthe form of -a ball, and on-t-hefcable 37 below-the-block 40 is 'secured a similar stop yor ball- 42. By locating thelball 41 ar desirable-` distance above the block .40 there -is a lost motion effected between the cable 2li-'andl the cable 37, which permits a certain amount` of movement' of thel cable 24--before shifting the block 49 to-operate the closure 1);y Thisiis desirable as less motion i's-y required fori-opening thefclosure than for liftingthe tamper weight; 16. Astill further lost motion action may bei effected by mountinga spring: 43 onthefcable 37 below-fthefblock`40 betweenthis blockand the stopball 42. Thiswill permit the block to slide oncable v317 for further movement of -the Vcable 24and block 40" after the closure reaches its extreme outer position.- This provides a safety featurewhich, as indicated, will permit movement of the cable 24 after the limit of movement of the closure, and does away with 4the necessity'fofaccurately locating the two stops 41 and 422foroperating the closure. VA suitable enclosing means or guard 144 may be provided at the inner side of thefront` wall 2 about the cables 24 and 37 andthe connecting block 4G to prevent interference with their operation by cloggingfrom the waste paper or other material deposited in the container.

The material may be tamped directly in the receptacle formed bythe side and bottom walls, and removed through a door in the rear wall, or if preferred, an auxiliary or removable container such as a metal basket or a large paper bag 45 may be provided and held in its uprightropen position to receive the waste material by a suitable number of springclips 46 mounted on removable rods 47 at opposite'sides ofthe container, therods being supported at their oppositeends in suitableanglebrackets 48 and seatingin recesses 49Vopening through the tops of these brackets.

- ln operation, depressing of the outerfree end of the treadle 8 from its full 'line to its dotted line position of lFig. 2 will shiftthek pulley 29 carried by this treadle downwardly, and this pulley operating on the cables 24 will by a two-t-o-oneratiofbecause of movement of this pulley and the-anchored` end 30 of the cable, give twice as much motion tothefcabler24 and the weighted tamper 16Y as is impartedto-the pulley 29.Y This will raise the weighted tamper 16 above the level of the opening 9 for the closure 10, permitting waste material to be deposited through this opening Yinto the receptacle or container under the weighted tamper. At the same time, this movement of the cablewill open the closurell through the connecting lock 40 and cable 37, but there is a certain amount of lost motion provided, as previously indicated, because there is not as much motion needed toropen the closure as is required' for lifting the weighted tamper. After the waste material has been deposited in the container, the operator merely releases the treadle 8, which permits the closure to swing to the closed position under action of the spring 13 and at the same time permits the weighted tamper 16 to fall. As this weighted member is freely supported by the spring 19, which forms the sole support for this member, the momentum of the falling movement of the weighted member causes it to continue to fall after the treadle reaches its upper position, to stretch or tension the spring 19, and then this tensioned spring again raises or shifts thetamper 16 upwardly, and this member continues a series of'up and down movements until an equilibrium is reached Vbetween the Weight of this member and thespring. During this movement the tamperhas a very effective tamping action on the loose material such, for example, as paper towels and the like, which havebeen'deposited in the container, land this tamping action is-further facilitated and increasedl and-'the length and duration 'of the reciprocating move:

ment is increased by the tapered lower surface 17 ofthe tamper, as the surface engaging the loose material for compressing them, because of this taper, increases progressively from a minimum to a maximum, instead of immediate maximum pressure, as would be the case if the surface were at. This weighted member has a very effective tamping and compressing effect on thev loose material deposited in the container to materially reduce its volume, and this action is secured automatically without any further operations required by the user of the device than merely the operation of depressing the treadle to open the closure to permit deposit of the material in the container, which at the same time raises the tamper to its upper position, and then the mere release of the treadle permits the tamper to operate automatically for the paper compression and tamping operation. This `device is particularly adapted for use wherever compressible material has to be disposed of, such as in anofce or rest room adjacent to a washbowl, for use with paper towels" or the like, and a paper towel dispenser may-be mounted on the top of vthe container, or it may be usedfin'any loca-Y tion where it is desiredl to have a receptacle fori compres-l sible material, and where it is desirable to increasethe time intervals' between necessary emptying operations for the container or receptacle.

Havingthus set forth the nature of our invention, we-

claim:

l. A- container forwaste material such as paper, comprising side and bottom walls forming a receptacle, one

of the side walls Vprovided with an inlet openingadjacent the top thereof,a closure forsaid opening spring-loaded to-close automatically, a vertically movable weighted tam'- per in the receptacle, meansv for freely suspending theV tampercomprising'a coiled spring connected at its lower end to the tamper, a exible cableconnected to theupper end of the spring, a depressible treadle at the lower part of the receptacle, a pulley carried by the treadle, guide 'pulleys atthe upperfpart of the receptacle, said-'cable passing from the-spring over the upper and treadle pulleys and anchored at its lower free end to the receptacle, and an operative connection from the cable to the closure to open the closure ondepression of theltreadle.-

2. A container for waste material such as paper cornprising side and bottom wallsforming'a receptacle, oneA of the side walls provided with an inlet opening adjacent the top thereof, a closure for said opening spring-loaded to close automatically, a vertically movable weighted` tamper in the receptacle, means for freely suspending the tamper comprising a coiled spring-connected at its lower end to the tamper, a depressible treadleatthe-lower part of the receptacle, a pulley mounted on the treadle, guide pulleys at the upperfpart of the receptacle fincluding a pulley above the tamper, a exible cable connected to the upper'end of the spring forming the sole support forthe tamper passing over the latter pulley and passing under the treadle pulley and anchored to the receptacle at its free end above this pulley, and an operative connection from the cable to the closure to shift it to the open posi.-` tion on'depression of the treadle.

3. A container for waste material such as paper cornprisingzside yand bottom walls forming a receptacle,y a vertically movable weighted tamper in thereceptacle, means for freely suspending the tamper comprising a coiled springiconnectedat its lower end to thevtarnper, means connected to the upper end of the spring to support it and the'tamper and raise the tamper to the upper part of the receptacle including a iieXible-cable, a depressible treadle at the loweripart of the container, guide pulley means above the tamper, a pulley carriedby the treadle, and said cable passing from itsl connection with the spring over said pulley means and downwardly'around undertheutreadle pulley andv anchored at itsfree end abovelthispulley to raise the tamper on depression of the treadle andlpermit the tamper to fall of itsvown weight and reciprocateup-andfdown on release-inf the' treadlex 4. A container for waste material such as paper according to claim 3 in which the tamper has a substantially inverted conically shaped lower tamping surface and an upright central passage in which the spring is located, and means connecting the lower end of the spring to the tamper adjacent the lower end of said passage.

5. A container for waste material such as paper according to claim 3 in which there is an inlet opening in a side wall adjacent the top thereof, a movable closure for said opening spring-loaded to move automatically to the closed position when released, and a lost motion connection from the cable to the closure to shift the closure to open position on depression of the treadle.

6. A container for waste material such as paper comprising side and bottom walls forming a receptacle, one of the side walls provided with an inlet opening adjacent the top thereof, a closure for said opening spring-loaded to close automatically, a vertically movable weighted tamper in the receptacle, means for freely suspending the tamper comprising a coiled spring connected at its lower end to the tamper, means connected to the upper end of the spring to support it and the tamper and raise the tamper to the upper part of the receptacle including a exible cable, guide pulley means above the tamper, a depressible treadle at the lower part of the container, a

pulley carried by the treadle, said cable passing from its connection with the spring over said guide pulley means and around under the treadle pulley and anchored at its free end above this pulley to'raise the tamper on depression of the treadle and permit the tamper to fall of its own weight and reciprocate up and down on release of the treadle, and an operative connection from the cable to the closure comprising a second cable, a connector block having longitudinal passages through which said cables extend, and stop means for the block on the lirst cable above the block and on the second cable below the block.

7. A container for waste material such as paper according to claim 6 in which there is a coiled spring on the second cable between the block and the stop on this cable below the block.

References Cited in the le of this. patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France June 25, 1945

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