Garbage can

March 26, 1935.

P. PENCOV1C

GARBAGE CAN

1,995,779

Filed July 10, 1934

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Patented Mar. 26, 1935

1,995,779

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,995,779 GARBAGE CAN Perry Pencovie, San Francisco, Calif.

Application July 10, 1934, Serial No. 734,494

Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in garbage cans and has particular reference to those garbage cans, into which garbage is discharged through a chute as in cases, for instance, 5 in which the garbage can is used in connection with apartment houses several stories high.

The.principal object of the invention is to provide a convenient means for lifting the cover and for holding the same in lifted position while 10 an operator removes the garbage can for emptying the contents thereof into a truck or other garbage receiving vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means of the character described that is sim15 pie, easily installed on an existing garbage can chute at small cost, easily operated and arranged m such a manner that it will last indefinitely.

A further object of the present invention is to provide certain structural improvements and ad20 vancements in connection with a garbage can cover lifting device.

Further objects, and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds. _x The preferred form of my invention is illus25 crated in the accompanying drawing in which

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a garbage can and a chute for the same having my device attached thereto, the cover being in can closing position,

Figure 2 shows the same combination with the cover raised,

Figure 3 a front elevation of the cover raising mechanism,

Figure 4 a plan view of the same as seen from 35 line 4—4 'of Figure 1,

Figure 5 a detail view in plan of a modified form of supporting ring for a lever mechanism and

Figure 6 a perspective detail view of a modified 40 form of link connection.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto 45 without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail: The garbage can 1 is of conventional construction and is provided with a cover 2 having a flange 3 fitting 50 around the upper rim of the garbage can and a neck 4 which is slidable on the chute 5 through which garbage may be deposited into the can. The chute, as appears from Figure 2, does not extend into the can but stops short of the samp 55 so that when the cover is lifted the can may be (Cl. 220—47 removed for dumping the contents thereof into a garbage carrying vehicle.

For lifting the cover I provide a lever mechanism comprising a horse-shoe lever 6 pivoted relative to the chute as at 7 so that its legs 8 5 straddle the chute and having links 9 connecting the free ends of the legs with straps 10 profiting from the neck 4 of the garbage can cover. The links are pivoted to the lever as at 11 and to the straps as at 12. ' ₁₀

For supporting the lever I provide a band 13 which may be clamped upon the chute by means of a bolt 14 passing through registering flanges 15 and I secure, preferably by means of rivets 15', two tongues 16 to the band, the tongues be- 15 mg made to extend in substantially parallel relation and to receive the pivots 7 off-center relative J;o a diametrical plane passing through the pivots 12. The links 9 are pivoted to the legs 8 of the lever so as to ride along the outside of 20 the legs and are sufficiently long to swing past the pivots 7 when the free end of the lever 6 is depressed as in Figure 2. The lever itself is bent so that the legs 8 normally have a substantially horizontal position and are swung past the cen- 25 terlme of the pivots 7 and 12, as shown in Figure 2, wnen the free end of the lever 6 is pulled downward to its end position.

The straps 10 are riveted as at 10' to the neck ⁴ of the can cover and have bends 17 for clearing 30 a bead 18 provided at the upper end of the neck 4 and also for insuring proper positioning of the links relative to the lever.

A modified form of lever supporting band is illustrated in Figure 5 in which the band is made 35 in two sections 19 and 20, the former being somewhat more than semi-circular and having the tongues 16' projecting therefrom while the latter is complementary to· the former and. adapted to be fastened thereto by means of bolts 21 passing 40 through registering flanges of the two· sections.

A further modification is shown in Figure 6 for securing the straps 10' to the neck 4 of the can cover. In the form shown in Figure 1 the strap 10 is riveted to the neck. Where it is desired to· dis- ⁴⁵pense with the riveting operation the form shown in Figure 6 may be used in which each 10' is made of a length equal to the length of the neck and is formed with an upper flange 22 fitting over the ₅₀bead 18 of the neck and with a lower flange 23 fitting against the conical portion of the can cover while a band 24 is made to· encircle the neck and the two straps thus positioned for holding the straps to the neck. The band 25 is held in 55

1,005,779 position by bolts passing through registering flanges 25.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description. For lift_P ing the cover the operator merely depresses the ° horse-shoe lever 6 and moves the same from the position shown in Figure 1 to that in Figure 2. Through the link mechanism the cover will be lifted to clear the can and the cover will be locked in lifted position because the links 9 are swung past center. The can may now be easily removed and emptied and replaced whereupon an upward movement of the lever 6 will cause the cover to automatically drop back into position.

._r It will be noted that my lever mechanism per° manently secures the garbage can lid to the chute and thereby improves sanitary conditions. Where no such lever mechanism or other equivalent structure is provided it frequently happens ₂₀ that the operator fails to return the lid so as to fully cover the can or in some cases fails to return the lid altogether. Where my mechanism is employed, the lid is positively locked in its inactive position and when released it automatically 9₅ slides back into active position so as to fully cover the can, without any effort on the part of the operator.