US3521787A - Refuse container cover remover - Google Patents

Description

July 28, 1970 E. ,1. MADERE REFUSE CONTAINER COVER REMOVER Filed Jan. 22, 1969 E lmare J. Madere lNVIiNTOR. @062 v Attorneys United States Patent 3,521,787 REFUSE CONTAINER COVER REMOVER Elmore J. Madere, Rte. 1, Box 1194-D, Reserve, La. 70084 Filed Jan. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 793,051 Int. Cl. B65d 43/04 U.S. Cl. 220-43 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE For use on an outdoors-type refuse container having a friction-retained lid or cover, a cover lifting, dislodging and freeing attachment characterized in part by an adapter bracket having a fixed pivot pin on which a handleequipped cam is operatively mounted. A marginal edge of the cam has camming contact with the usual overhanging bead on the rim-flange of the cover. By catching hold of and turning the handle in an orbital path, the resulting action lifts the cover to an easily removable position.

This invention relates to a simple mechanical device which lends itself to ready attachment to a wall portion of residential-type trash and garbage containers and which can be actuated by a single hand to dislodge and free the lid in a manner to facilitate the steps of loading and unloading the container.

An object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide a self-contained adaptation which in addition to the turnable lid prying cam embodies a unique adapter bracket, that is, a bracket which is adaptable to ready installation on trash and garbage containers and is such in construction that the cam operating handle can be latched and retained in a set but ready-to-use position so that it is necessary to intentionally disengage the handle preparatory to bringing the cam into play.

Briefly, the attachment comprises a one-piece adapter bracket whose long limb is capable of being welded on the side wall of the container or can in a position adjacent the overhanging bead of the lid or cover. This long limb is provided with an integral outstanding pivot pin on which the cam means is eccentrically pivoted to act on the lid. The cam means comprises a disk-like cam whose edge has wiping contact with the overhanging bead. An auxiliary or companion disk is mounted on the cam disk and it is of requisite smaller diameter and has an edge portion provided with a shank carrying a handgrip and providing appropriate and conveniently actuatable handle means.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a refuse container (also referred to in the trade as a trash can or a garbage can as the case may be), the same being of more or less standard construction but having added thereto the improved cover lifting and removing device.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective similar to FIG. 1 and showing the cam turned or moved from its normal set position to its functioning position in which position it has lifted the lid so that it can be expeditiously set aside for container loading and unloading purposes.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken approximately on the plane of the section line 33 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

And FIG. 4 is a horizontal fragmentary section taken on the plane of the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular the container (trash or garbage can) is denoted by the numeral 6. The attachable 3,521,787 Patented July 28, 1970 ICC and detachable lid or cover is denoted at 8 and embodies the usual lid portion provided with a centralized handgrip 10 and having a marginal depending flange or rim 12 terminating in an outstanding bead 14.

The lid lifting, dislodging and freeing attachment or device is characterized by a substantially L-shaped adapter bracket 16 made from strap metal or the like and which has an elongated or long limb 18 and a short limb 20, the limb 20 being provided with an outwardly opening notch 22 providing an appropriate keeper seat. The long limb is opposed to the upper side wall portion 24 and is welded thereto as denoted at 26 in FIG. 3. The upper end portion of the long limb 18 is provided with an integral outstanding headed stud which provides a suitable pivot pin 28. It is on this pin that the cam means is eccentrically and operatively mounted. This means is preferably made up of a main flat-faced disk 30 having a marginal edge 32 which has wiping and operating contact with the bead 14 as brought out in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in particular. A smaller fiat-faced companion disk 34 is superimposed and fixedly mounted on the outer surface of the disk 30 with its peripheral edge spaced inwardly of the encompassing edge 34. Both disks constitute a unit. It would be within the purview of the invention to mold the two disks as a single unit (not shown) if so desired by the manufacturer. In any event these companion disks 30 and 34 are eccentrically mounted on the pivot pin 28 and can be switched from the set or latched position shown in FIG. 1 to the lid lifting and prying position shown in FIG. 2. It will be noticed that the marginal edge of the smaller disk 34 is provided with an outstanding shank 36 which in turn is provided with an appropriate swivelly mounted handgrip 38. The handgrip and shank can be described as a disk actuating crank and is sometimes referred to as a cam operating handcrank. The shank 36 is such that it is capable of being releasably seated in the keeper notch 22 when the disks 30 and 34 are in the latched position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. By catching hold of the handcrank and disengaging the shank 3 6 from the keeper notch the crank and disks can be turned on the eccentric pivot pin so that the edge 32 rides against the bead 14. The latched position is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the lid prying, lifting and removing position is shown in FIG. 2. It will be evident that a container or can of the type shown equipped with the attachment shown facilitates the loading and unloading steps and will doubtless meet with the approval of homeowners and trash collectors.

It is submitted that a trash can equipped with the manually actuatable mechanical attachment shown and described well serves the purposes for which it has been devised and successfully used. Accordingly, a more extended description is deemed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, an open top refuse container, a manually attachable and detachable cover for said open top, said cover having a depending marginal rim-type flange snugly encompassing and adapted to be frictionally retained atop said container, and lid lifting, dislodging and freeing means exteriorly located on an upper portion of the container, said means embodying a circular cam having a marginal edge engaging an adjacent coacting edge of said flange, said cam having a handle which is accessibly arranged for convenient use.

3 2. The combination defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said cam comprises a fiat-faced disk of requisite diameter, and a pivot pin, said disk being eccen trically operatively mounted on said pivot pin.

3. The combination defined in and according to claim 2, and an adapter bracket fixed on said upper portion, said pivot pin being carried by said bracket.

4. The combination defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein said bracket is L-shaped in edge elevation and embodies long and short limbs, said pivot pin being fixed on and projecting laterally from said long limb.

5. The combination defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein said bracket is L-shaped in edge elevation and embodies long and short limbs, said pivot pin being fixed on and projecting laterally from said long limb, and said short limb having a notch and said notch constituting a keeper seat for a coacting component part of said handle.

6. For use on an outdoors-type portable trash can having a readily applicable and removable friction-held cover, a lid prying and lifting attachment comprising an L-shaped adapter bracket embodying long and short limbs,

said short limb being notched and providing a keeper and said long limb being attachable to the can and provided adjacent one end with an outstanding pivot pin, and disk means eccentrically mounted on said pin and provided with handle means;

7. The structure defined in and according to claim 6 and wherein said first-named means comprises a main disk eccentrically operable on said pivot pin and an auxiliary disk superimposed on said main disk and exteriorly located and provided diametrically opposite the pivot point with a radial outstanding shank, said shank having a free end portion provided with a handgrip, said shank and handgrip providing a'handcrank, and said handcrank being releasably cooperable with said keeper notch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 930,306 8/1909 Miner 220-43 2,045,248 6/1936 Pearl 220-43 GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner

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