US2817476A - Bottom opening garbage can - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 24, 1957 E. K. MILLS, JR 2,817,476

BOTTOM OPENING GARBAGE CAN Filed June 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 2 /6 74 Edward flufifilL Jr.

7 W" Ti ATTORNEY Dec. 24,, 1957 E. K. MILLS, JR

\ BOTTOM OPENING GARBAGE CAN 2 Shee ts Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 1954 INVENTOR Edward xr. mm, (1%.

BY H ATTORNEY 2,817,476 Patented Dec. 24, 1957 fiice BOTTOM OPENING GARBAGE CAN Edward K. Mills, Jr., Morristown, N. J.

Application June 3, 1954, Serial No. 434,103

2 Claims. (Cl. 232-431) This invention relates to garbage and trash cans and, more particularly, to a non-leak, bottom opening receptacle with a remotely operated latch mechanism.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved temporary container of the type used in kitchens, laboratories, and the like locale, which container will provide, among other things, a means for the efiicient and sanitary transfer of its contents to the conventional larger outdoor garbage or trash can, by discharge of its contents directly into the larger outdoor can without opening the top of the smaller indoor container, thus eliminating unsanitary physical contact with, or unpleasant visual observation of, the contents and also eliminating the spillage, blowage, and breakage involved in the present standard practice of manually upending and dumping the contents from the smaller container to the larger. A main purpose for the truncated coneshaped of the subject container is to assure the unobstructed discharge by gravity of its contents directly into the larger outdoor can. If the sides of the container were vertical or of the usual design, there would be a disposition for the contents to jam against the bottom of the sides and thus prevent the automatic discharge thereof.

In contrast with prior bottom opening garbage cans, the objects are, first, to guard against leakage of the odoriferous juices which accumulate at the bottom of a mass of garbage. To this end it is intended to provide a pivotally operable can bottom having an upwardly concave surface in which the juices will collect rather than seep through the joint between the can bottom and sides. Another object in providing the upwardly concave bottom closure is that, when it is pivoted open to dump the load, the accumulated juices and trivia will slide off, and the surface can be readily wiped clean.

Another major object is to provide a remotely operated latch for the pivoted bottom closure whereby the can may be held over a larger collection receptacle and dumped Without soiling ones hands. By utilizing a cam and spring biased latch mechanism, provision is made for closing the can bottom by resting the free edge of the down-hanging bottom on the ground and, moving the can body towards the ground so that the lid will be swung closed, and snapped shut.

Still another object is to provide a can having a truncated cone-shaped body of great inherent stability, and easy to clean with a hose by opening the bottom and top, and by spraying the hose stream through from the bottom. By forming the side wall of the can as a downwardly enlarged truncated cone, bits of liquid and sticky semi-liquids which ordinarily stick to a vertically sided can will drain and fall off downwardly towards the upwardly concave catch basin formed in the can bottom.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are front and side elevations, respectively, of the improved garbage can;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the can shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken vertically along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing in front elevation the details of the upper portion of the remote latch operating linkage;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing, in front elevation, the details of the remotely operated latch for the bottom closure; and,

Fig. 8 is a cross-section along the line 8--8 of Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote similar elements the garbage can indicated generally at 2 is preferably formed of stiff sheet material, such as sheet metal or suitable plastic, and provided with a side wall 4 of truncate cone-shaped with the large end down. The garbage can is manually portable by two handles mounted on the side walls, one of which handles is shown at 5. A lid 6 pivoted to the side wall as indicated at 8 and having a handle 10 provides access to the interior of the can from the top.

Garbage can 2 has a bottom closure 12 pivoted to side wall 4 by hinge 14 so that when the can is manually engaged at the upper region thereof and suspended in the air, bottom closure 12 may be pivoted open so as to hang substantially straight down from the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Bottom closure 12 has, on the side opposite pivot 14, an outwardly extending headed pin 16 engaged by latch 18 for keeping the bottom closed. Latch 18 is formed as a bell crank pivoted at 20 intermediate its ends, with a lever arm 22 pivoted, at 23 to the lower end of a push rod 24. The upper end of push rod 24 has a thumbpiece 26, and below the thumbpiece the push rod slides through apertured space guides 28 and 30, respectively, at 29 and 31 to the can side wall 4. A stop collar 32 aflixed on push rod 24 forms an abutment for one end of a compression spring 34, the other end of the spring being engaged against guide 28 so that push rod 24 is normally biased to an upper position, with latch 18 normally positioned as shown in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 7. As detailed in Fig. 7, latch 18 has a cam nose 36 on its lower end and a socket 38 in ledge 40 for nesting pin 16. As shown in Fig. 4 the upper and normally inner side of bottom closure 12 is upwardly concave as indicated generally at 42.

In operation, garbage can 2 rests on the floor with the bottom 12 closed. Debris deposited in the can after opening lid 6 falls to the enlarged bottom portion defined by truncate cone-shaped side wall 4 and becomes ballast. Because of the downwardly enlarged shape, the can is inherently stable and the downwardly and outwardly flaring inner surfaces of side wall 4 deter lodgment of liquid or sticky substances and enhance their downward flow ofi the inner surfaces of the side wall. The downwardly draining liquids gravitate to the catch basin formed by upwardly concave bottom surface 42 which constitutes an ample reservoir for the liquids so that they will not seep out between the flange 413 of bottom 12 and the overlapped bottom portion of side wall 4. It should be noted that one handle 5 is near thumbpiece 26 of the remotely operating push rod 24 for latch 18 so that, when it is desired to empty can 2, it is lifted by grasping handle 5 or handles 5, 5 can is held over a larger collecting receptacle, and the thumb is extended to engage thumbpiece 26 which, when pushed downwardly, operates through push rod 24 to unlock latch 18 about pivot 20 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 7. Thereupon bottom closure 12 swings downwardly about pivot 14 and the contents of can 2 are discharged. The can may be easily washed by leaving the bottom open and by resting it on its side on the ground or floor so that it can be flushed out through the open bottom. In this position, the interior surfaces of the can are all disposed towards the hose stream. However, the can need not be washed as often as conventional ones since very little if any matter sticks to the sides and the upwardly concave bottom can be easily wiped ofi. Bottom 12 is closed by resting the downwardly hanging edge against the ground or floor, and pressing the remainder of the can downward and over bottom 12 so as to engage pin 16 against cam nose 36 so that latch 18 snaps over pin 16 to re-engage socket 38 beneath the pin.

The invention is not limited to the details disclosed and described hereinbefore, but is intended to cover all substitutions, modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A portable bottom opening collection receptacle, comprising a downwardly enlarged body of truncated cone shape having a side wall of closed configuration and an open bottom and top, a top closure pivoted to said side wall atthe top thereof, a bottom closure, a pivot mounting said bottom closure on one side of said side wall at the bottom thereof, a hook latch pivotally mounted on the exterior of said side wall adjacent the bottom thereof and on the side opposite said pivot, means on said bottom closure engageable by said hook latch for retaining said bottom closure closed, a pair of handles exteriorly mounted on opposite sides of said side wall adjacent the top thereof and respectively disposed substantially directly above the pivot and hook latch, a latch operator comprising a vertical push rod mounted on the exterior of said side wall and connected at its lower end to said hook latch, said push rod being slidable downwardly and upwardly for pivoting said hook latch between engaging and disengaging positions with respect to the means on the bottom, the upper end of said push rod terminating adjacent the handle which lies substantially directly abovethe hook latch, a spring engaged between said side wall and push rod for biasing the latter upwardly, and a thumb piece on the upper end of the push rod.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, the bottom closure being upwardly concave and having an upwardly extending peripheral flange overlapping the bottom of said side wall in the closed position of the bottom closure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 47,646 Knox May 9, 1865 983,267 Schellenberg July 14, 1908 947,785 Bjork Feb. 1, 1910 1,013,775 Hoffman Ian. 2, 1912 1,671,832 Lyon May 29, 1928 2,200,531 Bishelany May 14, 1940 2,417,178 Ritter Mar. 11, 1947 2,495,505 Bella Jan. 24, 1950

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