Hamper

Nov. 22, 1966

W. G. DURYEE, JR

HAMPER

3,286,752

Filed Aug. 13, 1964

<img file="US3286752A_D0001.tif" />

3,286,752

Patented Nov. 22, 1966

United States Patent Office

3,286,752

HAMPER

Winsor Gould Duryee, Jr., Delano, Minn., assignor to

Mobilcraft Manufacturing, Incorporated, Delano, 5

Minn., a corporation of Minnesota

Filed Aug. 13,1964, Ser. No. 389,361

Claims. (Cl. 150—49)

This invention relates to hampers for collecting laundry, waste paper and collection chores of a similar nature. It is a rolling hamper of the general type comprising a folding frame of rigid material, usually metal, on which a bag is secured. It is provided with casters whereby a rollable hamper of a collapsing nature is achieved. The 15 bag is removably secured so that when it is filled with material, it can be removed from the frame and replaced with an empty bag. A filled bag is closed, and can be taken to a place of disposal or in the case of soiled linen or the like to a laundry for washing. The particular 20 novelty in this bag resides in the method of securing the bag temporarily to the framework which comprises pockets stitched to the bag and embracing the upper ends of the frame work. These pockets are reinforced by webs spaced apart points along their length to serve the dual 25 purpose of absorbing major stresses and also providing a base for fasteners which secure the pockets on the framework to prevent accidental disengagement. A further novel feature of this structure resides in the construction of the bag itself in which two of the sides and the bottom 30 are formed from a single piece and the two additional sides are stitched thereto on the marginal edges. This construction provides the bag with unusual strength to meet the requirements of this particular usage. Still further novelty resides in providing a folding platform 35 that engages the bottom of the bag when the hamper is in an open position ready for use to add further support to the bag.

Hampers of this general type have been available for some time for such uses as laundry hampers, waste ham- 40 pers and the like, but substantially all of them have some characteristic points of weakness. Common practice among janitors, who use these rolling hampers to collect waste, is to place waste in the hampers till they are nearly filled in a loose or fluffed form and then pack the ma- _4gterial down most commonly by actually getting inside the hamper and tramping it with the feet. As a result of this rough usage an extremely sturdy structure is essential. Actually all of the other available devices of this type known are secured by hooks on the frame extending ₅θ through grommets placed in the upper marginal edges of the bag. It has been discovered that these almost invaribly tear out sooner or later in the course of rough usage of these bags described above. It is to eliminate the tearing of the bag and general destruction of the bag part _ggof the hamper that this invention is directed and it is the pockets providing wide support for the bag as over the entire length of the frame ends together with the folding platform which provides the necessary support to prevent destruction of the bags in use. θθ

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent and apparent in the apparatus as described, pictured and claimed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features herein- _ggafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

The invention will be described with reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the hamper ready for use;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a similar side elevation view taken from the same side as FIGURE 2 but with the framework col- lapsed as for transport or storage; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a vertical section taken on the line 4—4 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings and specifically to FIGURE 1 the device may be seen to have a principal frame constructed of the inverted U-members 10 and 12 each of which has a closed upper end and legs that terminate in free ends. These two inverted U-frame members are suitably pivoted together intermediate their ends as by nut and bolt assemblies such as the one 14. Frame members 10 and 12, which are desirably made out of steel tubing, may be reinforced and slightly spaced apart at the pivot point by the members 16 and 18 secured to the members 10 and 12 respectively. At each free end of each leg is an adapter member here aptly illustrated in a form of a slightly bent foot member 20 that fits over the frame member 10 and receives any suitable caster means such as the ones designated 22. As substantial duplication of this structure is repeated on each of the four free ends of the frame members the other three are not separately described and numbered.

Between the free end member 20 of frame member 10 and its counterpart designated 24 illustrated in FIGURE 1, extends a reinforcing rod 26. A similar rod, just the end of which may be seen at 28, extends between the free ends of the frame member 12. A platform member such as the one designated 30 is pivoted to one of the reinforcing rods 26 and 28. In this instance it is shown pivoted to the rod 28. The shelf itself may be of any suitable form and is here shown as a metal framework covered by expanded metal as shown at 32. The rod 26 is engaged by bracket or ear members such as the ones shown in 34 in FIGURE 1 secured to platform 30. When the frame members are pivoted away from each other as far as the limiting hinge bracket 36 will permit, and there is a similar bracket on the other end of the frame, the platform may be hinged about its pivotal attachment to rod 28 and the brackets 34 engaged with rod 26. In this manner, platform 30 additionally stabilizes the lower ends of the U-frame members 10 and 12. In addition, a platform is provided which receives and supports the lower end of bag 38.

The side 40 of bag 38 is formed integrally with the bottom of the bag as is the end or side of the bag diametrically opposed to the side 40. Panel 42 is a separate piece that is stitched to the adjacent marginal edges of the panels 40, its opposite member and the bottom which cannot be seen in FIGURE 1. The side opposed to side 42 is similarly stitched to the opposite marginal edges of panel 40 its opposite member and the bottom thereby forming a five-sided bag structure. The top of the bag is reinforced by means of a webbing 44 which forms a hem structure at the top of the bag. Webbing hem 44 has suitable openings that may be fitted with grommets as at 45 for example and through which the drawstring 47 extends at the end of the bag hem adjacent to panel 40. A similar drawstring that also extends entirely around the bag in hem 44 also has its end protruding above the panel that is opposite to panel 40. When the bag is removed from the frame, the two drawstrings may be pulled to close the bag and hold the contents thereof 7Q in a secure manner until it is desired to empty them from the bag.

No only does the webbing 44 provide a hem but it pro3,286,752 vides necessary strengthening to the bag to which the cuff members 46 and 48 are secured. The cuff members are shaped to fit the curved ends and closed portions of the inverted U-frame members. As long as the weight applied to bag 38 is distributed on these pockets the ability of the bag to resist tearing is substantially greater than any of the other commercial structures known. Additional strength is derived from tapes such as the ones 50 and 52 which not only help support the weight of the bag on the frame, but also provide an anchor for fasteners such as the snaps 54 to secure the pockets 46 and 48 against accidental dislodgement from the frame. In the case of larger units a third webbing may be applied as shown at 56. It is also supplied with a fastener to maintain tension on the webbing substantially equal throughout the length of the pockets 48 and 46. Similar webbing is provided for the pockets 46 and a portion of the fasteners appear facing the inside of the bag 38 as seen at 58 for the center webbing.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the structure shown as placed in FIGURE 1 and illustrates how the bag member 38, by reason of the pockets 46 and 48 interconnected as they are by the webbing hem 44, tends to limit the amount of outward movement of the upper, closed ends of U-frame members 12 and 1®. Also shown clearly in this picture is the pivoted bracket 36 which limits pivoting movement of the two U-frame members relative to each other. Platform 30 may also be seen clearly supporting the bottom of the bag member 38. In this view also the angle provided for the feet members such as the one nominated 20 is seen clearly.

In FIGURE 3 the manner in which frame members 10 and 12, platform 3® and bag 38 can be collapsed for convenient storage or transport is shown clearly. It will be noticed that the feet members such as the ones 20 cross each other to provide a narrow but adequate stance to hold the device in an upright position even when collapsed. The bracket 34 which engages the rod 26 is also clearly visible in FIGURE 3.

In FIGURE 4 a detail of the pocket structure is shown. The bag member 38 may be seen forming a portion of the pocket that is completed by the webbing hem forming member 44 with stitching, 60 at the bottom and 62 at the top, securing these members together to form the hem in which the drawstrings may function. A binding tape 64 embraces the upper edges of both the webbing tape 44 and the bag material 38. Simultaneously with the securing of the tops of the bag material 38 and the tape 44 stitching 62 also extends through the binding tape 66 and the material forming the pocket 48 which embraces the upper end of frame member 12 shown in section. Reinforcing tape 52 also is shown clearly and these are secured with a binding tape 68 and conventional stitching 70. The material that forms the pocket 48 is doubled back on itself, is bound by another binding tape 72 together with the doubled back edge of tape 52 which extends up past the fastener 74 which is substantially identical to fastener 54 identified in FIGURE 1. The binding tape 68 of course extends around the corners of the pockets in order to provide a totally secured upper hem and this may be seen in both FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3 quite clearly.

The structure disclosed herein will withstand unbelievably rough usage from janitors and the like in packing down waste paper and so forth by actually standing inside and crushing down the waste material with the weight of their bodies. At the same time by merely pulling on the ends of the various binding tapes such as those designated 52 and 56 in FIGURE 1, the snap fasteners are released, and the pocket 48 is made releasable from the frame member 12. Similar action will release pocket 46. The bag portion of the hamper can then easily be lifted off the frame and by using the drawstring 47 and its counterpart, not visible on the other end of the bag, pull the bag shut and tie it for transport to a disposal place. Thus a single frame may serve to hold several bags if that is necessary in order to complete one clean-up.

Placing a new bag on the frame is also very simple in 5 that it is simply opened up, the pocket members 46 and 48 dropped over the upper ends of frames 10 and 12 respectively and the fasteners of whatever nature secured. The device is then again ready to receive waste.

It is apparent that many modifications and variations of this invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.