US3295691A

US3295691A - Support device for receptacles

Info

Publication number: US3295691A
Application number: US539564A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jerry D Bowman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-04-01
Filing date: 1966-04-01
Publication date: 1967-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 1984-01-03

Description

Jan. 3, 1967 J. D. BOWMAN SUPPORT DEVICE FOR RECEPTACLES Filed April 1, 1966 JERRY D. Ban/Mm. INVENTOR BY MM W ATZWRIVEY United States Patent Q 3,295,691 SUPPORT DEVICE FOR RECEPTACLES Jerry D. Bowman, 1310 N. Dukane St, Indianapolis, Ind. 46224 Filed Apr. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 539,564 Claims. (Cl. 21171) This invention relates to a support device, particularly for garbage cans.

A common custom for a resident, who disposes of his garbage by a garbage-collection agency method, is to keep his garbage can in a back yard or near a kitchen door throughout the week. Then, on the day when the collection route-man is to collect the garbage (or the night before), the resident will carry the garbage can to a collection or pick-up location, often in the front of his house and out by the street curbing.

However, such things as wind or dogs often blow or knock over the can, spilling its contents which are often quite messy and dirty, often germ-laden and fiy-laden; and this causes either incomplete pick-up, or the annoying and dirty task of somehow picking or scooping up the spilled garbage.

Even if no knock-over of the can has been effected prior to garbage-collection, the tin-weighted condition of the can after collection lends to it being easily knocked over after collection, with consequent disorderly sight of the can and lid in the yard of the resident or of a neighbor; and damage is caused to the can or lid.

Concepts of the invention, accordingly, provide a novel and advantageous garbage-support device which minimizes the likelihood of such disadvantageous happenings as have been described.

The inventive concepts, advantages, features, and other details of the invention are more fully described in the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying somewhat diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a garbage can having hooked thereon a support device according to the inventive concepts, this being a storage condition of the can and device;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view thereof, a can-lid also being shown;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the garbage can and the support device, but the support device being shown in its ground-supported position supporting the can, this being a supporting condition at the collection location; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the device in the supporting condition, illustrating three garbage cans being supported.

As shown in the drawings, the invention provides a can-support device It) which is quite simple and economical.

The overall device 10 is shown as comprising an upright column member shown as a rod 12, having adjacent its top a downwardly-opening hook 14 and one or more upwardly-opening hooks 16. Three of the hooks 16 are shown.

As shown, these

hooks

14, 16 are carried on a horizontally-extending arm member shown as a curved support plate 18, the curvature of which is generally that of the associated garbage can 20. Rivets 22 are shown connecting the rod 12 and the plate 18.

The books 16 are spaced about fifty-five degrees apart, and plate 18 extends about one hundred twenty degrees, in the illustrative embodiment, :as is shown in FIG. 4.

A chain 24 is also shown connected to plate 18, being of a length and nature such that it can be retainingly secured to the handle 26 of the can-lid 28 during and throughout use of the invention.

In use, the user hangs the device 10 upon the garbage 3,295,691 Patented Jan. 3, 1967 can 20, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, by hanging the hook 14 upon the upper rim 30 of the can 20*, and outside the can 20, with the curved plate 18 and the rod 12 lying along the cylindrical vertical Wall of the can 20. (The hook 14, it will be observed, is directed inwardlv' of the can; and the hooks 16 are directed outwardly thereof.)

When so hanging, the device 10 is out or the way of access to the can 20; and the book 14 is sufiiciently small that it permits the loose-fitting can-lid 28 to overlie it as well as the can-rim 30, although the hook 14 is of sufficient vertical length that the plate 18, and the hooks 16 and chain 24 carried thereby, are sufficiently low so as not to interfere with the can-lid 28 as it rests on the can 20.

When the user subsequently moves his garbage can 20 to the garbage-collection location, he carries the can 20 in whatever convenient manner he chooses. (as by the canhandle or bail 32); and the device 10 is thus automatically taken to the collection location, for the device It) is hanging onto the can in.

A vertical sleeve 34 is buried in the ground 36 at the garbage-collection location; and when the user gets the can 2% and device 10 to the collection location, he unhooks hook 14 from the can-rim 30 (temporarily lifting can-lid 28 to accommodate this), and he inserts the lower end of support rod 12 into the ground-sleeve 34.. (It-is assumed, as in FIG. 3, that a sleeve-lid 38 has been moved to a retracted position, uncovering the upper end of the sleeve 34-.)

Then the user places the can 20 on the ground, and then he slips the can-handle 48 over the desired one of the upwardly opening hooks in. (Or, if desired, he may pass the can-bail 32 over the hook 16.)

FIG. 3 illustrates this condition of the can 20 and support device it? at the garbage-collection location, the garbage can 20 being supported by the device 10 which is supported by the ground. Dogs nor the Wind cannot push over the can Zil.

When the garbage-collection agent comes to remove the garbage from the can it he removes the lid as, and easily moves the can 2@ from the device 10 by a lifting motion which clears the can'handle 44? from. the hook 16. (The chain 24 assures that the lid 23 will remain conveniently close to the location at which the can 20 Will be replaced; and assures also against the lid 28 blowing or rolling away.)

After the garbage contents of the can at have been duly transferred to the collection vehicle, the collector then places the can 2%) down. The presence of the hooks 16 and the lid 23 at the specific location of the device 410 hopefully encourages the collector to replace the can 29 with its handle it? over a hook 15. The tendency would seem to be encouraging to the goal, for the additional reasons that the collector sees that the resident is himself taking some care and pride of the property, and the device 16 visually announces itself to be the specific location desired. Moveover, the desired replacing of the can 25) in the supported manner is rather convenient, so no great effort or time need be spent by the collector in replacement.

Even, however, if the collector does not so replace the can 2% desirably also replacing the lid 28 atop the can 20, it is quite convenient for the resident to replace the empty can 20 and the lid 28 in the supported (FIG. 3) position; and if desired, the resident may permit the can 2%) to remain at the garbage-collection location until a more convenient time to move the can 20 back to the usual storage location. In moving the can 20 back to the storage location, the device It is hooked onto the can 20 as described above, thus easily moving the device it? to the storage location as an incident to the moving of the can 20 thereto; and the presence of the chain 24 a; associated with the can-lid 28 reminds the user not to move the can 20 without also the device 10, for the lid 28 cannot be moved (more than the chain length) without the device 10.

The curved nature of the plate 18, as shown, permits one support 19 to accommodate a plurality of cans 20 in a rather compact space.

If desired, a ground-sleeve 34 may be installed in the storage area of the can 20, providing that the resident may maintain the supported (FIG. 3) condition of the can 20 in its storage location as well as at the collection location. The rod 12 may if desired be provided with a spiked or pointed lower end, for thrusting into the ground, if no ground-sleeve 34 is desired.

It is thus seen that a can-supporting device according to concepts of the present invention provides novel and advantageous concepts and features of simplicity, economy of manufacture, smallness and compactness, ease of use, and convenience of use, toward the overall result of providing an advantageous and novel support device particularly for garbage cans. Its use and utility are fairly effectively assured; and its convenience and handy character and use have been described.

Accordingly, it will be seen from the foregoing description of the invention according to the illustrative embodiment, considered with the accompanying drawing, that the present invention provides a new and useful device having desired advantages and characteristics, and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

Modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the invention; accordingly, the invention is not limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described or shown.

What is claimed is:

'1. A support device for a receptacle, comprising, in combination:

a ground-engaging support;

a first abutment means for engaging an associated receptacle to support the device by the receptacle; and

a second abutment means for engaging the associated receptacle to retain the receptacle by the said support device.

2. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the said first abutment means comprises a downwardly-opening hook means adapted to hook over the rim of the said associated receptacle.

3. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the said second abutment means comprises an upwardly-opening hook means adapted to retainingly receive a handle of the associated receptacle.

4. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which a connector means is provided and is retainingly engageable with the said device and also with associated lid of said associated receptacle.

5. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the support device includes an arcuate member, the radius of curvature of which generally corresponds to the radius of curvature of the said associated receptacle.

6. A support device as set forth in claim 5, in combination in which there are plurality of the second abutment means, being located at spaced locations along said arcuate member, accommodating a plurality of associated receptacles by a single support device.

7. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which there is support means associated with the ground and retainingly receives said groundengaging support.

3. A support device as set forth in claim 7, in which said ground-associated support means is a sleeve means recessed into the ground, and said ground-engaging support means retainingly but removably fits theneinto.

9. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which said first abutment means extends in one direction from the said ground-engaging support, and the said second abutment means extends in a generally opposite direction.

10. A support device as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the said first abutment means is po si-tioned operatively upwardly of said second abutment means to provide that the associated lid of the associated receptacle may overlie the said first abutment means and the top of said associated receptacle without interference of said second abutment means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,43 0,672 11/ 1947 Grandrud 24815 6 3,079,119 2/ 1963 Brooks 248-146 3,080,978 3/1963 Gress fill-71,

CLAUDE A LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A RECEPTACLE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A GROUND-ENGAGING SUPPORT; A FIRST ABUTMENT MEANS FOR ENGAGING AN ASSOCIATED RECEPTACLE TO SUPPORT THE DEVICE BY THE RECEPTACLE; AND A SECOND ABUTMENT MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE ASSOCIATED RECEPTACLE TO RETAIN THE RECEPTACLE BY THE SAID SUPPORT DEVICE.