Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TECHNICAL FIEID
This invention relates to bag spreading and holdingdevices, more particularly to a form that holds a trash bag on
the outside, allowing filling and packing within the form and
upon removal thereof leaving the contents compressed inside.
BACKGROUND ART
Prior art is replete with devices to hold open the end
of a polyethylene trash bag and create some inside support to
expand the interior providing a convenient method for receiving
refuse. Prior art, known to the applicant at the present time,
consists of the following U.S. patents:
PATENT NO. INVENTOR ISSUE DATE
3,211,404 Edmiston et al 12 October 1965
3,905,406 Cruse 16 September 1975
3,934,803 Paulus, Jr. 27 January 1976
3,936,087 Alexander 3 February 1976
4,229,365 Battle 10 November 1981
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Cruse, Paulus, Jr., and Battle all teach a struc-
tural frame upon which the bag is supported. sattle
incorporates a pair of ground engaging skids permitting
the device to be dragged along the ground while main-
taining the mouth of the hag :in the open position.
Edmiston et al utilizes a plurality of elastic
elements that render an equal pull upon a receptacle
such as a vase or container that is connected to a flat
stable structure. These elastic elements are extended
between adjacent slots and pass under the base to form
a cushion and anti-skid device for transporting contains
that are basically unstable on their own base.
Paulus, Jr. teaches a support apparatus with a
blade distending adjacent to the base, preventing tilt-
ing when positioned horizontally upon the groun~
Cruse, in Patent No. 3,905,406, discloses a standthat is readily collapsible and adjustable for different
sized paper bags. A wire band is wound around a pair of
aligned notches and secured forming frictional binding
action between elements facilitating collapsing for stor-
age and transportation. A spring is also incorporated to
accommodate smaller sized paper bags by angularly off-
setting the structural member.
Finally, Alexander discloses a collection receptacle
having a cylindrical base formed of sheet plastic with a
scraper tray attached therefrom. The base is assembled by
inserting clips into a series of holes forming a cylinder
open at both ends or if it is not desired for disassembly,
a band of adhesive is substituted for the clips. The
scraper tray is bent and inserted into the cylinder and,
likewise, attached with clips.
It will be noted that each reference except Edmiston
relates to a structural apparatus to fill a plastic trash
bag, however, they individually ail to accommodate any
strength to allow compacting, as in most cases, rely upon
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the strength of the bag itself for support. Even
~lexander utilizes a semi-rigid material for his cylinder
that is pliable enough to roll overlapped for storage
and in operation has no bottom, again relying upon the
inteyrity of the bag in that area.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The use of plastic trash bags or liners has become
evermore prevalent as a convenient receptacle for trash.
One of the problems encountered with this type of bag,
that of affording a structure to hold the top open, has
been solved by prior art including many variations. This
art utilizes brackets for support, stakes or prongs to be
embedded into the ground and even scoops to assist in
filling. One of the problems not yet addressed is inhelent
in the bag itself, wherein branches or sharp objects have
a tendency to penetrate and tear the thin skin when being
inserted or packed down.
Another application of the bag is its use for lining
conventional trash cans, such as the metallic or thermo-
plastic type. This plastic liner is filled while in thecan and removed for disposal. This application also has
its drawbacks in that the bag often times tears when being
pulled from the rigid trash can simply by its own weight,
or it catches upon an irregular surface of the interior
of the can. Another problem of this liner application is
caused by the plastic bag being hard to extract from the
parent can, due to the intimate contact between the inside
surface and the bag. This difficulty is especially appar-
ent when both the bag and trash can are virtually airtight.
When the bag is full, lifting the top has a tendency to
transfer the force to the bottom and sides expanding to
an even tighter fit between contiguous surfaces, as it is
forced outward to the sides. When the bag is lifted, a
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vacuum is pulled in the void bet:ween the bag and the
bottom of the can, making extraction difficult and some-
times requiring the user to lift with one hand while
holding the can with the other, creating an awkward
situation. Using the bag as a :Liner for heavy debris
or trash li~its the usage as the bag, due to its thinn-
ess and effect created by static electricity, must be
used singly, thereby limiting the capacity to the strength
of the bag. Multiple bags would allow additional amplitude,
however, this is impractical in light of the above.
Compacting trash in a lined can is also inefficient, as
the inherent taper in the can re~uires the refuse to be
packed tighter at the bottom, while the force is applied
at the top requiring successive compression throughout the
entire load, which may be resilient by itself.
The need has long been r~lt to have a device that
would overcome these difficulties, therefore, it is a
primary object to place the bag on the outside of a hol-
low inversely tapered enclosure with a solid base covering
the bag. Thls approach allows the enclosure to take the
abuse when loading, instead of the tender thin-skinned
bag, thereby eliminating completely the tendency to tear
or penetrate the wall. Further, the taper of the device
is reversed, therefore, when resilient debris, such as
branches and leaves, are compacted, each layer is handled
separately, therefore, the bottom is not required to be
compressed from successive layers. Since the apparatus
has structural integrity, compression may be vigorous,
such as the user placing all of this weight onto the
contents during loading. This may be accomplished by
positioning his feet on the top surface forcing the trash
down in tromping fashion. It will be seen that the fragile
nature of the bag is replaced during loading by a solid
rigid structure, completely eliminating the problems of
tearing while compacting from the top surface. An
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important object of the invenlion allo~s the enclosure
to be folded flat in the square embodiment and be
stac~ed when not in use. This may be on top of each
other when multiples are used, or on edge in single
applications. Since most trash cans are unitary and
take-up the same space when they are full as empty,
this feature has great advantage over prior art, since
space is usually at a premium~
Another object of the invention addresses the
problem of the vacuum pulled by the bag when removed
from the can. Inasmuch as the can is replaced by a
hollow enclosure which is reversed in its taper, having
the smallest opening on the top, the removal of the can
from inside the bag no longer allows this phenomenon to
take place, as there is no void at all between elements.
It may also be noted that slnce a smooth side of the
enclosure is contiguous with the bag, the tendency to
catch and tear is also minimized.
Still another object of the invention allows double
bagging to be accomplished with ease. Since the bags are
placed over a rigid structure, no limit is placed on the
number of bags that may be utilized and the difficulty of
installation is not increased in successive layers.
Yet another object allows the invention, in a round
embodiment, to be nested together for shipping and storage
in a merchandising facility. This provides minimum space
requirements in these areas similar to that of a conven-
tional trash can.
A final object requires only one support enclosure
to be required for multiple bags. In usage, a single
enclosure may be used to compact the detritus, after
which the form may be removed and the bag tied at the top
and stored for removal. This procedure necessitates only
a single enclosure with as many bags as required to
accomplish the task at hand. In common practice, multiple
cans are required, due to the difficulty in removal,
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therefore, the bags are used as liners only and may not
be removed when the trash is dumped from the individual
can.
These and other objects and advantages of the pre-
sent invention will become apparent from the subsequent
detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the
appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompany-
ing drawings.
~RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a partial exploded isometric view of
the preferred embodiment with the square enclosure illus-
trating the sequence in which the assembly is positioned.
FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the square box enclosure
partially folded, as in the stora~e position, removed
from the invention for clarity.
FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the square box enclosure
folded flat, in the view on the right and doubled within
on the left for storage, completely removed from the in-
vention for clarity.
FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines
4-4 of FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken
along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 1 with an integral living
hinge in the corner.
FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken
along lines 6-6 of FIGURE 1 with a continuous hinge in
the corner.
FIGURE 7 is a partial isometric view of the round
embodiment with the lid shown cut-away for clarity. The
trash bag is installed on the cylinder with the bottom
pan and lid in place.
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FIGURE 8 is a partial cross-sectional vlew taken
along lines 8-8 of FIGURE 7.
FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary isometric view of the
bottom portion of the invention illustrating the embodi-
ment rotated appro~imately ~5 degrees, illustrating thestrap retainer attached to the bottom pan.
FIG~RE 10 is an exploded isometric view of the
round embodiment with the trash bag removed completely
from the assembly for clarity.
10FIGURE 11 is a partial fragméntary view of the
cylinder handle in its uppermost position for lifting.
FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary view of one of the ends
of the strap completely removed from the invention and
rotated to illustrate the attaching hook.
15BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The best mode for carrying out the invention is
presented in terms of a preferred and a second embodi-
ment. Both embodiments are primarily designed using a
tapered enclosure 18 having open ends with the top of the
enclosure somewhat smaller in size than the bottom. The
enclosure has a smooth unrestricted surface on the out-
side, so as to not provide any sharp protrusions or areas
that cause friction or catch a thin walled plastic bag.
The preferred embodiment, best illustrated in FIGURES 1
through 6, utilizes a box 19 formed in trapezoid shape
having four flat sides, two of which are attached together
establishing the four corners. The material of the box 19
may be thermoplastic, such as polyethylene, polycarbonite,
polypropolene, polyvinyl chloride, or the like, either
vacuum formed, blown, or injection molded. Sheetmetal may
also be used, such as steel or aluminum, with a protective
coating suitable for the application. The four corners
are attached together in a hinged manner. If thermoplas-
tic material is used, the preferred hinge is formed
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integrall~ with the sides, as shown in FIGURE 5, and is
known in the art as a living hinge 21. This construction
technique allo~s the parent material to flex in reduced
thickness along the corners. If the box l9 is made of
metal, or if more rigid thermoplastic is selected, a
continuous hinge 23 is utilized on the corners as shown
in FIGURE 6. This hinge may be any type well known in
the art and is attached to the box 19 by conventional
methods, such as resistance welding, riveting threaded
fasteners, structural adhesive, and the like.
FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate how the box 19 is folded
flat for storage purposes. FIGURE 2 depicts a partial
folded position and the right illustration in FIGURE 3
shows the box l9 completely flat. Another method of
folding is depicted in the left illustration in FIGURE 3
wherein the box is doubled into a condition no longer
than ore of the sides with only four thicknesses in
width.
Gripping means 27 are utilized in the preferred
embodiment in the form of a pair rotatable handles 22
that are mounted into a formed recess 25 in at least
two sides of the box l9. This configuration allows the
handles to be out of the way when folded flat and hinge
upwardly to a fixed position away from the box l9 when
lifting.
A bottom pan 24 is incorporated in the assembly
and is formed with a flat underside and an upright flange
sized to nest into the bottom end of the enclosure 18.
This pan is completely separate and interfaces with the
enclosure 18 only when in use. The method of construc-
tion and material is the same as above described for the
box l9. This pan 24 rests upon the ground or floor
supporting the trash inside the enclosure 18 and becomes
the bottom or base of the assembly.
A pair of strap retainers 26 are attached onto the
pan 24 at the upright flange on the opposite outside
surface. These re-tainers 26 are in "U" shape or may be
flanged into a hat section, as depicted in FIGURES 1
and 9, and are constructed of metallic bar stock or may
be molded in-to the sides in the thermoplastic embodiment.
These opposed retainers 26 serve as guides for holding
attachments captive within.
A laterally flexible strap 28 with attachment means
on each end is threaded into the above described strap
retainers 26 and across the bottom of the pan 24 with an
equal length extending from each end. Each end of the
strap 28 has a hook 30 attached thereon. This hook 30
is formed from a round rod formed into a shape having a
loop for engaging the strap 28 on one end and bent into
"J" shape on the other. The strap 28 is made of any
material that is laterably flexible with a synthetic
fiber, such as cotton or nylon with rayon being pre-
ferred. Attachment of the hook 30 to the strap 28 is
accomplished by means well known in the art, such as
stitching with thread, welding the plastic material to-
gether with heat o.r riveting, and the like.
A lid 32 completes the assembly and is formed much
like the bottom pan 24 with a flat or domed top and verti-
cal side flanges. The inside dimensions of the lid 32are slightly larger than the top of the enclosure 18
allowing a nesting fit when placed over the upper edge.
The lid 32 further contains a handle 34 that is either
fixed or rotatably secured upon the center of the top.
When utilizing the hinged configuration, as shown in
FIGURE 1, the handle 34 lays flat upon the top when not
in use and is rotated vertically to provide a surface for
gasping. The fixed configuration is shown in FIGURE 10.
The second embodiment is illustrated pictorially
in FIGURES 7 through 12 and differs only in the shape of
the enclosure and the type of handles. The shape,
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instea~ of being square, is round forming a cylinder 20
with the top diameter smaller than the bottom. This
cylinder 20 may be of any material having structural
integrity for the purpose, such as sheetmetal, either
hot rolled or cold rolled, with a finish of a sacrificial
metal electro-deposited on the top, with hot dipped
galvanized being preferred. Aluminum may also be
utilized for this purpose, or a thermoplastic material
is suitable, either vacuum formed or injection molded.
In any case, a bead 21 is either rolled or formed into
the edge of the open top and bottom to stiffen and main-
tain the round configuration. Further, this bead 21
provides a smooth contoured end, allowing a bag to be
pulled over easily without tearing or abrading. A
series of raised portions longitudinally formed into the
parent material may be also utilized to strengthen the
walls and provide integrity of the structure. This
ribbed shape is not essential to the invention, however,
it allows thinner walled material to be employed.
A pair of handles 22 are rotatably affixed to the
cylinder 20 on opposite sides near the top of the outside
surface. This addition allows the device to be lifted
easily by grasping each handle simultaneously in a con-
ventional manner. Each handle 22 consists of a closed
loop of metallic rod retained within a bracket in such a
manner as to hinge upwardly to a fixed position anywhere
from 90-degrees to 30 degrees from the side wall. This
arrangement eliminates pinching of ones fingers when
lifting the invention after it has been packed with re-
fuse. Any practical method may be utilized to includethis element as it is well known in the art.
In use the box 19 or cylinder 20 is inverted and a
plastic trash bag 36, such as in common usage, is placed
over the enclosure and the combination is then rotated
with the smaller inside end on the top. Another method
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is to lift the enclosure 18 up and place it into an open
bag 36. In any event the bag is on the outside surface
of the enclosure 18 and completely surrounds it around
the sides and across the bottom. The assembly is then
placed over the bottom pan 24 nesting thereinto or may
have the pan 24 so installed while in the reversed upside
down position immediately after sliding the bag 36 in
place. It will be noted that in this condition the bag
36 is on the outside of the enclosure 18 and on the in-
side the bottom pan 24, with the top lapped over theupper edge of the enclosure. In the second embodiment
the bag 36 is then moved away from the handles 22 on each
side, exposing them clearly without allowing the bag to
slip down from the cylinder top. The strap 28 is then
attached to the handles 22 with the hook 30 on each end.
The handle 22, being exposed, is rotated slightly allow-
ing the hook 30 to engage securely on one end with some
force necessary on the other end to cinch the bottom pan
24 rigidly to the assembly. With the bottom pan 24 in
place, the form may now be filled and manually compressed,
as only the bottom surface of the bag 36 is now contigu-
ous with the refuse and it is reinforced underneath with
the structural pan. When the assembly is lifted, the
handles 22 are rotated outwardly pulling directly upon the
bottom pan 24. As the straps 28 deflect only slightly in
the longitudinal direction the entire weight is supported
entirely by the straps 28 as they continue under the pan
24. This arrangement allows the material in the pan 24
to be of a minimal thickness and transmits the lifting
load from the structure to the straps 28 and assures a
tight fit between the pan 24 and the box l9 or cylinder
20.
For convenience in storage, the lid 32 is positioned
on the top of the assembly and fits tightly over the top
of the bag 36 with the exception of the areas immediately
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surrounding -the handles 22 in the second embodiment.
In both e~bodiments the contents may be stored and
even moved from one place to another, as with conven-
tional lined trash cans. To withdraw the enclosure 18
from the b~g 36 leaving the contents inside, the top lid
32 is removed and the bottom pan 24 is disconnected from
the gripping means 27 by detaching the straps 28. The
form is then extracted upward away from the pan 24 leav-
ing the bag 36 completely exposed, except for the
enclosure l~ inside, which is then slid upward out of
the bag. Inasmuch as the taper is inverted and the
largest end is at the bottom, the compacted trash easily
slides out of the enclosure 18, leaving it at the bottom
of the now unsupported bag 36. Since the sides are
smooth and the compression has been against a rigid
structure, the bag 36 retains its full integrity, as it
is not damaged or torn from abuse. Many other assembly
and removal methods may be used and the steps varied as
to the actual application and type of refuse that is to
be packaged.
While the invention has been described in complete
detail and pictorially shown in the accompanying drawings,
it is not to be limited to such details, since many
changes and modifications may be in the invention without
departing from the spirit and the scope thereof. Hence,
it is described to cover any and all modifications and
forms which may come within the language and scope of the
- appended claims.
