US3007664A - Garbage can support and lid holder - Google Patents

Description

N 7 19 1 J. D. FAIRBANKS ErAL 3,007,664

GARBAGE CAN SUPPORT AND LID HOLDER Filed Nov. 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l 541., {J m m 3% 2 5 X. M

0 344 ii 4 $3 Q Nov. 7, 1961 J. D- FAIRBANKS ETAL 3,007,5 4

GARBAGE CAN SUPPORT AND LID HOLDER Filed Nov. 7, 1960 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR-S' ATTORNEY United States Patent Gffice 3,007,664 Patented Nov. 7, 1961 3,007 664 GARBAGE CAN SUPPOllT AND LID HOLDER James D. Fairbanks, Box 252, Rte. 2, and C B. Fairbanks, 1629 Tower St., both of Decatur, Ala. Filed Nov. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 67,593 6 Claims. (Cl. 248-126) This invention relates to supports for holding metal cans for garbage, trash or other refuse.

Such metal cans or containers have removable covers and they are usually placed on the ground at the rear of a dwelling. Frequently such a garbage can is knocked over by dogs seeking food and the contents is scattered over the lawn or yard. If there is a high wind even the can cover or lid will be blown away. Placing the can on the lawn or on a bench presents a problem of keeping the grass cut under and around the can. In some cities and towns there are ordinances requiring that such garbage and refuse cans be on the outside of a fence enclosing the house lot so that they will be more accessible to the refuse collector. In some cases it is desirable to support the can on a fence post or on a separate post, on the outside of a fence near its top so that the house owner may readily deposit refuse in the can while on the inside of the fence and the refuse collector may readily empty the can without coming into the yard.

One object of the invent-ion is to provide an improved can support and holder for its lid which will be free from the above mentioned drawbacks to the present general practice, not withstanding the various proposals that have been offered for supporting the can above the ground on a post.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garbage can support with a lid holder that is laterally swingable on the supporting post and also vertically slidable in the post and held under spring tension, the amount of downward movement of the holder being preferably adjustable according to the proportions of the can and its lid and the position of the can on the supporting post.

Another object of the invent-ion is to provide a container support composed largely of metal pipe sections and fittings in which the post has a lower section readily removable from an upper section and carrying a head to which an anchor bar may be bolted when the post is to be anchored in the ground in concrete, the head forming half of a metal pipe clamp, so that when the lower section of the post is removed from the upper section and applied to a fitting at the top of the latter, the lower section may be clamped on a fence post or bolted to a wall or the like in a horizontal position and serve as a supporting arm or bracket to hold the upper sect-ion of the post in an upright position spaced from a fence, :1 wall or the like.

Another object is to provide a refuse can support of the above indicated character in which the can supporting post has at its top an upturned hook member to be engaged by one of the pivoted hand loops near the top of the can, the post having on its lower portion a vertically adjustable bracket member to be engaged by the bottom of the can to support the weight of the latter, the bracket member being quickly adjustable, without the use of any tool, so that cans of different sizes may be supported.

Another object is to provide a can or container support of the above indicated character which may be easily mounted in different ways, on which a can or cans of different sizes may be easily applied and as readily removed for emptying, and which is of such construction that it will be strong and durable and may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illus trated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the can support mounted on the post of a fence;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the support with its post set in the ground in concrete, and showing the manner of adjustably mounting the bracket member, and a portion of a can being shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale with parts being broken away, through the upper portion of the post showing the manner of mounting the spring-pressed slidable and swingable holders for the lids of cans;

FIG. 4 is a detail vertical section on an enlarged scale through a portion of the post showing the manner of mounting the adjustable bracket member;

FIG. 5 is a detail top plan view of the upper end of the post parts being broken away and in section;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the bracket members.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the numeral 10 denotes as a whole an upright can supporting post which may be supported from a fence post, as shown in FIG. 1, or anchored in the ground, as shown in FIG. 2. In the disclosed embodiment the device is shown as adapted to support two cans but it is to be understood that the device may be made to support only one. The post 10 is shown as made from sections of metal pipe and pipe fittings, and it comprises an upper section 11 screw threaded at both ends, a T-fitting 12 threaded on the upper end of the section -11, a threaded coupling sleeve 13 screwed on the lower end of the section 11, a detachable lower section 14 screw threaded at one end and adapted to be threaded into either the lower end of the coupling 13 to form a continuation of the section 11 as shown in FIG. 2, or into the branch 15 of the T-fitting 12 to form a horizontal supporting bracket for the post as shown in FIG. 1. When the section 14 is used as a bracket arm, the lower end of the coupling 13 may be closed by a screw plug 16.

At the other end of the section 14 there is formed a transversely extending head 17 shaped to provide one half of a pipe clamp. This attaching head has a curved seat 18 and oppositely projecting apertured ears 19. When the post is to be set in concrete an apertured anchor bar or plate 20 is placed against the cars 19 and fixed thereto by bolts 21, as seen in FIG. 2, so that the post will be rigidly supported. When the section 14 is to be used as a post supporting bracket, the seat 18 receives less than half of the diameter of a metal post P of a fence P, such as the well known Anchor fence, and a coacting pipe clamp member 22, similar to the head 17, is placed on the post P and connected to the head by bolts 24, as shown in FIG. 1, so that the bracket will be securely fixed to the fence post. However the head 17 may be bolted against a solid board fence, a building wall or any upright support.

The weight of the can is preferably supported by a bracket member 25 which is vertically adjustable on the post section 11, and the construction and mounting of the bracket is such that the adjustment for cans of different heights may be made very quickly without the use of any tool, and that cans of different diameters and different downward tapers may be effectively held against shifting. A vertical series of holes 26 is formed lengthwise of the section 11 and any one of them is adapted to be engaged by a book 27 projecting upwardly from the inner end of an outwardly or radially projecting arm 28 forming the body portion of the bracket 25. Also at the inner end of the arm 28 is a downwardly extending abutment plate 29 adapted to engage the outer face of the section 11 when the hook is in one of the openings 26. This abutment is an arcuate metal plate the inner curvature of which corresponds to the outer curvature of the section 11. The hook 27 is inwardly offset from the inner curved face of the abutment 29 a distance corresponding substantially to the thickness of the wall of the pipe forming the section 11. It will be seen that when the bracket arm 28 is tilted to a vertical position, the hook may be inserted in one of the apertures 26 and when the arm is then swung downwardly, the plate 29 will engage the section 11 and hold the bracket in a substantially horizontal position.

At the outer end of the arm 28 is a substantially triangular shaped loop disposed substantially in a plane that is inclined downwardly and outwardly from the end of the arm. That loop comprises two outwardly diverging upper portions 30 extending from the arm 28 and connected by a lower portion or rod 31 on which the bottom of the can C is adapted to rest while the curved side wall of the can bears against the loop portions 30. The length of the supporting rod 31 is substantial so that cans of various diameters may be supported; and while the rod may be straight and horizontally disposed, it is preferably slightly bowed or curved longitudinally in an upward and outward direction so that its central portion may take under the usual depending bottom flange on a downwardly taped but substantially cylindrical metal can such as are commonly used for garbage, trash and other refuse. The bracket 25 is preferably made by bending a metal rod to form the parts 27, 28, 30 and 31 and welding the parallel parts forming the arm 28 together and welding thelatter to the top of the plate 29. When two cans are to be supported on the post by such brackets, two rows of holes 26 will be formed at approximately diametrically opposite points in the section 11.

While the member 12 may be especially made for the support, a standard T-fitting is preferably used and on the open top of it is welded at 34 a flat metal plate 35 which carries at least one book member 36 for engagement by one of the usual pivoted handle loops H on the can, and also at least one can lid holder or retainer 37. The hook 36 extends outwardly and upwardly from the plate 35 and is preferably formed by a bent U-shaped metal rod welded to the plate. As shown there are two diametrically opposed hooks 36 formed by bending a single rod and welding it as at 38 to the bottom of the plate 35. If a can is of such height that the bracket 25 cannot be positioned low enough to engage its bottom, the weight of the can can be supported by the hook 36 and the side of the can will bear against the rod 31.

The retainer or holder for the removable lid or cover L of the can C comprises a straight metal rod 40 that is slidably and rotatably mounted in an opening in the top plate 35 and has at its upper end a right angularly extending horizontal arm 41 movable over the top of the lid and preferably formed with a down turned extremity 42 carrying a cushioning head cap 43 of rubber or the like. The major portion of the vertical rod 40 is disposed in the fitting 12 and the upper portion of the section 11 and to its lower end is attached one end of a coil spring 44, the other end of the latter being attached to a fixed vertical rod or bar 45 that extends downwardly from the plate 35, as shown in FIG. 3. The spring functions to press the arm 41 or its cap 43 down on the top of the lid L; and to limit such downward movement of the lid holder, a stop collar or sleeve 46 is slidable on the projecting upper portion of the rod 40 and adjustably held thereon by a set screw 47. The adjustment of the stop collar is determined by the height of the can, the depth of its lid or cover L, and by the position of the can relative to the top of the supporting device. When two cans are to be supported on the post 10, the second cover holder will be of the same construction and the lower end of its retracting coil spring will also be attached to the fixed rod 45. If the plate 35 is not removably attached to the fitting or member 12, the section 11 may be unscrewed from the latter to provide access to the spring 44 should it need replacement.

The threads in the coupling 13 and the T-fitting 12 are the same so that the plug 16 may be used in the branch or arm 15 of the fitting when the post is to be anchored in the ground or used in the coupling 13 when the post is to be supported from a fence post or from a wall or solid board fence. Thus in both uses of the plug 16 it will serve to keep out of the post dust, dirt, rain, mud-dobbers and other things that might affect the operation of the spring device in the post. In order to effectively guide the rod 40 a tubular bearing sleeve 48 is preferably welded to the bottom of the cover plate 35, as seen in FIG. 3, so that the rod is freely slidable and rotatable in the bearing.

It will be seen that the post of the device may be either anchored in the ground or attached to a fence post or to a building wall or the like, the section 14 being used in either case. When mounted on a fence post or near a fence, the can may be positioned near the top of the fence on the outside of the latter so that refuse may be placed in it from the inside of the yard and the trash pickup man may conveniently empty the can. The bottom of the can will be sufficiently above the ground to permit grass and weeds under the can and along the fence to be cut by a lawn mover. The adjustability of the lid holder 37 and of the bottom support or bracket 25 permits the device to hold cans of various heights and diameters. The inverted U-shape top portion 41 of the lid holder forms a convenient handle so that the holder may be readily lifted and swung into either lid locked or unlocked position.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A can holder of the character set forth and adapted to support a can either from a post anchored in the ground or from a fence post or upright support in laterally spaced relation thereto, said holder comprising a first upright tubular section, a second tubular section, a T-fitting on the top of the first section and having a laterally projecting branch, a tubular sleeve on the lower end of said first section, a recessed and apertured cross head on one end of said second section and forming onehalf of a pipe clamp, the other end of said second section being adapted to be either fixed in the lower end of said sleeve to form a post to be anchored in the ground or fixed in said branch of the T-fitting to form a supporting bracket for said upper section when the holder is to be supported from a fence post, a wall or any other upright support, and means carried by said first section for supporting a can.

2. The can holder of claim 1 in which said means comprises a laterally projecting hook adjacent the top of said first section to be engaged by a hand loop on the can, and a can-engaging bracket vertically adjustable on an intermediate portion of said first section.

3. The can holder of claim 2 together with a holder for the lid of the can, said lid holder comprising an upright rod slidably and rotatably mounted in a closure at the top of said T-fitting and having its lower portion extending into the upper portion of said first section, the upper portion of said rod having a laterally projecting arm swingable over the lid of the can and vertically movable with respect to the latter, and spring means within said first section and acting on said rod to move it downwardly.

4. The can holder of claim 1 together with a can lid holder rotatably and slidably mounted in said T-fitting and the upper portion of said first section and having at its projecting top a laterally projecting arm to overlie the can lid, spring means within said first section to urge said lid holder downwardly, and an adjustable stop on the upper portion of said lid holder and engageable with the top of said T-fitting to limit the downward movement of said arm.

5. The can holder of claim 1 in which said means comprises a laterally projecting hook adjacent the top of said first section to be engaged by a hand loop on the can, and a can-engaging bracket vertically adjustable on an intermediate portion of said first section, said bracket comprising an arm having at one end an upturned hook adapted to be entered into any one of a vertical series of holes in said first section, a transversely extending curved abutment plate spaced from said hook and depending from said arm to engage the outer face of said tubular first section to hold said arm substantially hori zontal when said hook is in its engaged position with one of said hoies, and a generally triangular shaped can engaging loop at the outer end of said arm.

6. The can holder of claim 5 in which said loop has outwardly and downwardly projecting arms united by a connecting portion bowed upwardly and outwardly and adapted to engage under a depending flange at the bottom of a can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,448,456 Niskanen Aug 31, 1948 2,690,893 Mokhiber Oct. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 651,822 Great Britain 'Apr. 11, 1951

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