Refuse receptacle

Aug. 22, 1939

L. B. BERG

2,170,677

REFUSE RECEPTACLE

Sheets-Sheet 1

Filed May 4, 1938

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Aug. 22, 1939. l. b. berg 2,170,677

REFUSE RECEPTACLE Filed May 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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Patented Aug. 22, 1939

2,170,677

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,170,677

REFUSE RECEPTACLE

Louis B. Berg, Chicago, Hl., assignor to BorgWarner Corporation, Chicago, HL, a corporation of Illinois

Application M&amp;y 4, 1938, Serial No. 205,948

Claims.

My invention relates to the temporary disposal of refuse, such as garbage and the like, in a kitchen, and has as its primary object to provide refuse disposal mechanism which may be em5 bodied In built-in form in an enclosure, such as for example a kitchen sink cabinet.

A common practice in modern houses is to provide, in a cabinet into which the kitchen sink is built, a space below the.sink, normally closed 10 by a conventional cabinet door, in which a garbage can may be kept. Such a location is a convenient one for a garbage receptacle, and the present invention aims to Improve on such practice by eliminating the necessity for opening a 1® conventional cabinet door or stooping down in order to gain access to the garbage receptacle.

Accordingly, the invention contemplates the provision of a refuse chute, mounted in the front wall of the sink cabinet, or whatever enclosure 20 the invention is embodied in, so as to be movable from a normally closed position in which its forward side forms a closure for the opening in the wall which accommodates the chute, to a position in which its upper region is projected for25 wardly from the wail so as to allow refuse to be deposited therein, and its lower end is in position to deliver such refuse to a suitable refuse storage receptacle inside the cabinet.

It is an object of the invention to arrange the 30 receiving chute so that its upper end will be sufficiently high from the floor to allow the housewife to deposit the refuse therein without stooping.

The invention also contemplates the provision 35 of foot pedal controlled means for projecting the chute to its operative position, so that the housewife may operate the same without the necessity of using either hand, such arrangement being particularly convenient when she is engaged, as 40 for example, in washing dishes.

Another object of the invention, where the same is embodied in a sink cabinet, is to arrange the receiving chute so that when projected to its operative position, it will be disposed with its re45 ceiving mouth directly below the rim of the sink or the sink apron so as to eliminate the likelihood of spilling any refuse on the floor during transfer from the sink to the chute.

Another and important object of the invention 50 is to provide a refuse receptacle, receivable in a compartment in an enclosure, such as a sink cabinet, having a hinged closure member, such as a raisable cover, together with means controlled by a foot pedal accessible from the exterior of the 55 cabinet, whereby the housewife may open said (CL 312—192) closure member to allow the insertion of refuse, without the necessity of opening a conventional cabinet door or reaching into the cabinet in order to gain access to the receptacle.

In this connection, the Invention contemplates 5 an arrangement in which the operating mechanism for opening the receptacle closure is built into the cabinet while the receptacle itself, and the cover, are removable from the cabinet for the purpose of emptying the refuse therefrom. It is 10 an object of the invention in this respect to provide a simple arrangement whereby the cover of the receptacle, when the receptacle is being installed in the cabinet, will move into operative relationship with the opening mechanism as an in- 15 cident to the movement of the receptacle into position, and, vice versa, when the receptacle is being removed, the operative connection will be automatically severed as a result of such removal.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ₂n arrangement of a chute and a receptacle as above specified, wherein the same operating means is adapted to simultaneously project the chute to its receiving position and open the closure of the receptacle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement in which the receptacle closure, in being opened, is raised, and in which the weight of the closure when thus raised, serves to return the operating mechanism and the chute ₃₀to their initial and normal positions, when the pressure on the foot pedal is released.

The invention further contemplates an arrangement in which the chute and operating mechanism, when in their normal positions, will ₃₅remain in such positions while the receptacle is removed from the cabinet, so that the operating mechanism may be in position to assume proper operative relationship with the cover when the receptacle is replaced in the cabinet.

An important object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of refuse disposal chute and receptacle, as above specified, wherein an operative connection between the chute and the closure of the receptacle is provided, such that when the 45 chute is projected to its operative position for receiving refuse, the closure will be thereby automatically raised so as to allow the refuse to be delivered from the lower end of the chute into the receptacle. ₆θ

Other objects, the advantages and uses of the invention will become apparent after reading the following specification and claims, and after consideration of the drawings forming a part of the specification, wherein:

2,170,677

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a kitchen cabinet embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken on the line 2—2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the end of the cabinet, taken on the line 3—3 of Fig. 2, the parts being shown in normal closed position; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the parts m jn open and projected positions.

While it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in any enclosure, I have shown for illustrative purposes, a preferred embodiment in which the invention is built into a kitchen sink cabinet. Such a cabinet is shown in Fig. 1 in front elevation, wherein the numeral I® indicates the floor line of the kitchen. The cabinet may include a front wall II having conventional hinged doors 12 and 13 and drawers 1« therein. 2® The top of the cabinet may comprise a sink, shown generally at 15, such sink including a basin portion 16 and drain boards 17 at either end of the basin portion 16. An end wall 18 of the cabinet is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The cabi2g net may also include a bottom wall 19 and a base 20 on which the cabinet is supported. The sink f 5 may include a rim portion ί 5α receiving and resting upon the upper edges of the front wall II, the end wall 18, and the opposite end 30 wall which is not shown.

A refuse conveying chute 21 fs hinged at 22 in an opening 23 in one of the walls 11 or 18. The opening 23 is shown as being located in the wall IS, i. e„ in the end of the cabinet, although it 36 could equally as well be located in the front wall It. A refuse receptacle 24 is adapted to be inserted into the cabinet through an opening 25 which, if the opening 23 is located in the end wall 18, will be located in the front wall 11, or, 40 if the opening 23 is located in the front wall II, will be located in the end wall IS. The opening 25 extends to the bottom wall !9 of the cabinet and is adapted to be closed by a door 26 hinged at 27 to the wall II.

Attached to or formed integrally with the bottom wall 19 are spaced parallel guides 28 extending forwardly and rearwardly in substantially registering relationship with the side extremities of the opening 25, so as to receive and 50 guide the receptacle 24 as it is inserted through the opening 25, and cause it to be properly positioned in the cabinet with relation to the chute 21 and the operating mechanism which will hereinafter be described. A stop member 29, attached 55 to or formed integrally with the bottom wall 19, may, as shown in Fig. 2, engage the rear end of the receptacle 24 as it is pushed rearwardly into the cabinet, so as to determine the proper position of the receptacle along its axis of move60 ment into the cabinet. The receptacle 24 is somewhat longer than the width of the chute 21 so that when thus positioned by the stop 29, both its forward and rear ends will project beyond the respective sides of the chute, as shown in 65 Fig. 2, whereby to ensure all of the refuse being received in the receptacle.

The receptacle 24 may be provided with a handle 30 attached to its forward end, by means of which it may be readily moved into and out 70 of the cabinet.

Hinged to one side of the receptacle at 31 is a cover 32 constituting the receptacle closure. The cover 32 is adapted normally to rest by gravity in engagement with the upper edges of the side 75 walls of the receptacle 24, closing the same against the escape of odors therefrom, or the access of insects thereto.

The chute 21 includes a forward wall 33 and a rearward wall 34 converging toward the forward wall 33 in a downward direction, but terminating 5 short of the lower end of the forward wall 33 so as to provide a discharge opening 35. The forward and rear walls 33 and 34 are connected by sector-shaped side walls 36. They are spaced apart at their upper ends to form a receiving ]o mouth 37.

The pivots 22 on which the chute 21 is mounted may be in the form of rivets extending through the side walls 36 and mounted in brackets 38 welded or otherwise suitably attached to the end 15 wall 18 adjacent the side extremities of the wall 23 therein. The axis of the pivots 22 is located intermediate the upper and lower ends of the chute, so that the upper end of the chute may be projected forwardly from the wall 18 while the 20 lower end is projected rearwardly into the cabinet to a position overhanging the side wall of the receptacle 24 adjacent the wall 18 of the cabinet.

The cover 32 is hinged to the opposite side of the receptacle 24 so that when raised, it allows 25 the lower end of the chute 21 to be projected over the side of the receptacle, bringing the discharge mouth 35 of the chute into registry with the receiving space 40 formed between the cover 32 and the top of the receptacle. 30

The wall 18, at the upper extremity of the opening 23, may be formed with an inwardly offset lip 41 projecting below the upper extremity of the opening 23 so as to form an abutment against which the upper extremity of the for- 35 ward wall 33 may be positioned when the chute 21 is in its normal closed position. The lip 41 also serves to provide a stop against which the upper extremity of the rearward wall 34 may come to rest so as to support the chute in its 40 outwardly projected position shown in Fig. 4.

The operating mechanism comprises an arm 42 welded or otherwise secured to the side wall 36 of the chute 21, and projecting into the cabinet. The arm 42 may be offset, as at 43, to bring it 45 beyond the rear end of the receptacle 24. Secured to the cover 32 and projecting rearwardly above the arm 42 is a finger 44 which is adapted to be engaged by the arm 42 when the latter moves upwardly in response to forward projec- 5® tion of the chute 21 to its operative position shown in Fig. 4. When the chute is in its normal closed position shown in Fig. 3, the arm 42 will be positioned just below the pin 44 in the position the latter assumes when the cover 32 is 55 closed, as shown in Fig. 3.

Movement of the chute 21 to its projected position will automatically cause the cover 32 to be raised. If desired, the projection of the chute 21 may be accomplished by grasping a handle 45 60 which may be provided at its upper end, and simply pulling it outwardly.

However, provision is made for operating the chute and lifting the cover without the necessity of using the hands in the form of a foot pedal 46 65 pivoted at 47 in an opening 48 in the base 20 through which the pedal 46 projects. The hinge 47 may be in the form of a crank shaft journalled in brackets 49, the pedal 46 being secured to one end of the shaft 47 and the other 70 end of the shaft 47 being formed with a crank arm 50 having a trunnion 51 received through an opening in the lower end of a connecting link 52, the upper end of which is pivoted at 53 to the arm 42. 75

2,170,677

The pedal 46 Is preferably located near the forward corner of the cabinet so as to be more readily accessible.

By arranging the mechanism so that the pedal 5 46 projects from the end of the cabinet, as shown, it may be conveniently reached by placing the side of the foot against the end of the cabinet and moving it downwardly until it engages the pedal. At the same time, by projecting from the 10 end of the cabinet, it is so arranged in a normal kitchen cabinet set-up as to be out of the path of normal movement of the feet of persons walking in the kitchen, whereby it does not present an obstruction over which a person is apt to be 15 tripped.

m the operation of the device, the housewife, while manipulating the dishes in the sink 15, may depress the pedal 46 with her foot, whereupon the crank shaft 47 will be rotated so as to 20 cause the crank arm 50 to move upwardly, thereby raising the link 52 and swinging the lever arm 42 upwardly. This will simultaneously cause the cover 32 to be raised as hereinbefore described, and tilt the chute 21 around its pivot 25 22 to the projected position shown in Fig. 4.

Refuse may then be dumped into the mouth 37 of the chute 21 and will slide down through the chute and be delivered into the open mouth 40 of the receptacle 24. As soon as the pressure 30 upon the pedal 46 is released, the weight of the cover 32 acting against the arm 42, will move the latter downwardly and thereby swing the chute 21 back to its closed position shown in Fig. 3 in which it is flush with the wall 18 and serves as 35 a closure for the opening 23 therein.

An alternative method of operation, as hereinbefore stated, is to engage the handle 45 and pull the upper end of the chute 2f outwardly, thereby causing the arm 42 to swing upwardly 40 and raise the cover 32.

When the chute is in its closed position, the weight of its upper region, disposed inwardly of the axis of its pivot 22, together with the weight of the operating mechanism, will maintain it in 45 such closed position. Accordingly, the receptacle 24 may be removed and replaced without disturbing the positions of the chute and operating mechanism. In doing, so, the pin 44 simply pulls away from its position above the arm 42 and 50 moves back into such position ready to be again engaged by the arm 44 when the pedal 46 Is depressed.

Although it is preferable to have the chute 21 located in one of the side walls of the cabinet, 55 this is not entirely essential, and it will be understood that the invention contemplates the mounting of the chute in any wall of a kitchen cabinet or enclosure, whether a vertical wall or a top wall, in an operative arrangement of the 60 type hereinbefore specified.