IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0794547
(1991-11-19)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
Mason, Jr., Joseph C.Smith, Ronald E.
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
22 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
A retriever and a cart that are detachably secured to one another are used for retrieving and transporting, respectively, heavy containers of the type found in trash compactors. A pair of biased looking bolts hold the retriever and container together when they are in repose. The locking bolts are re
A retriever and a cart that are detachably secured to one another are used for retrieving and transporting, respectively, heavy containers of the type found in trash compactors. A pair of biased looking bolts hold the retriever and container together when they are in repose. The locking bolts are retracted by squeezing a latch release handle positioned just below the retriever handle so that the cart and retriever can be easily separated from one another. The cart has curved leading surfaces so that the two parts can be reattached by simply pushing them together; the curved surfaces drive the locking bolts into their respective retracted positions so that the latch release handle need not be activated during the reattachment procedure. Another biased latch holds the retrieved containers onto the retriever and is released upon activation of a foot-operated pedal; the pedal is biased and specifically configured so that attachment of the retriever and container is accomplished in the absence of foot pedal operation. The container itself is specifically configured so that tightly compacted trash falls out of it when it is inverted, and the cart is specifically configured so that it retains the containers when it is inverted. A trash receptacle having the capacity to similarly retain a plurality of containers when inverted is also provided.
대표청구항
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1. A device for retrieving containers and for transporting them, comprising: a container having a flange extending from its opposite side walls; a manually-propelled retriever for retrieving from a predetermined location said container; said retriever including a pair of parallel, transversely
1. A device for retrieving containers and for transporting them, comprising: a container having a flange extending from its opposite side walls; a manually-propelled retriever for retrieving from a predetermined location said container; said retriever including a pair of parallel, transversely spaced apart, forwardly extending arms, each of said arms engaging an associated flange of said container when said retriever retrieves said container; said retriever having wheels so that it is easily transported over a support surface; a manually-propelled cart having a frame upon which retrieved containers are deposited; said wheels of said retriever supporting said arms a first predetermined distance above said support surface when said retriever is unattached to said cart; said cart having wheels that support said frame a second predetermined distance above a support surface; first latch means for releasably attaching said retriever to said cart so that said retriever and cart are transportable as a unit; said second predetermined distance being greater than said first predetermined distance, said wheels of said retriever being suspended above said support surface when said retriever is attached to said cart; second latch means for latching said container to said retriever and for releasing said container when it is deposited upon said cart; said wheels of said retriever including a set of primary wheels that are in rolling engagement with a support surface only when said retriever is detached from said cart, a set of auxiliary wheels that rollingly engage said support surface only when said retriever is detached from said cart, said primary and auxiliary wheels being mounted in orthogonal relation to one another; said forwardly extending arms being disposed generally parallel to said support surface when said retriever is attached to said cart and which are disposed at an upwardly inclined, predetermined angle relative to said support surface when said primary and auxiliary wheels are rollingly engaged with said support surface; a notch formed at a preselected location on an underside of each of said forwardly extending arms; said frame of said cart having a pair of longitudinally extending, transversely spaced apart frame members, an upstanding pintle member being fixedly secured to each of said frame members at a predetermined location, said retriever being pivotal about said pintle members when said notches pivotally engage said pintle members so that attachment of said retriever and cart is accomplished in part by pivotally rotating said retriever into engagement with said cart whereby neither the retriever nor a container carried thereby need be lifted when said reattachment is performed; said retriever further including a transversely disposed handle, a pair of handle support members depending from opposite ends of said handle, said forwardly extending arms of said retriever being fixedly secured to said handle support members near a lowermost end thereof in orthogonal relation thereto; and said first latch means including a movably mounted latch release handle disposed in parallel and closely spaced relation to said handle. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said second latch means includes a foot plate that is pivotally mounted to said retriever, wherein a container has secured thereto a bracket engageable by said foot plate, wherein a bias means urges said foot plate into retaining relation with said bracket so that said foot plate retains said container when said bias means is in response and releases said container when said bias means is loaded, said loading of said bias means being accomplished by pivoting said foot plate from its position of repose, and wherein said foot plate has a leading edge that is specifically configured so that it is displaced by said bracket when pushed thereagainst so that said container is attachable to said retriever by pushing said retriever and its foot plate against said container bracket in the absence of foot pedal operation. 3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a locking aperture formed in each of said cart frame members adjacent a retriever end of said cart, a complemental locking aperture formed in a lowermost part of said retriever, a biased locking bolt, associated with each of said locking apertures, that is biased to extend through its associated locking aperture to interlock said retriever and cart when said locking bolts are in repose, and means for retracting said locking bolts against an associated bias means when said latch release handle is activated. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein said means for retracting said locking bolts includes a pair of pivotally mounted bell cranks each of which has a fulcrum and a pair of angularly disposed arms, wherein said movably mounted latch release handle has a pair of elongate support members that depend from its opposite ends, wherein each of said support members are fixedly secured to a predetermined first arm of an associated bell crank, and wherein a predetermined second arm of each bell crank bears against its associated bias means and compresses it when said bell crank is pivoted. 5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a curved wall positioned at the retriever end of each of said cart frame members, each of said curved walls slidingly engaging its associated locking bolt and driving said locking bolt against its bias means to retract it when said retriever is brought into engagement with said cart so that attaching said retriever to said cart is accomplished in the absence of manipulation of said latch release handle. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein said retriever includes a handle member, said pair of parallel, transversely spaced apart arm members being fixedly secured to said handle member near a lowermost end thereof in a predetermined fixed angular relation thereto, wherein a first set of wheels is rotatably mounted on an inboard side of each of said arm members, each wheel of said first set of wheels rotatably engaging a support surface when said retriever is attached to said cart and when said retriever is engaged to a container to be retrieved, wherein a second set of wheels is rotatably attached to said inboard side of said arm members in upwardly spaced relation to said first set of wheels, and wherein said second set of wheels rollingly engages an associated flat flange when said retriever is in engagement with said container. 7. The device of claim 6, further comprising means for capturing said flat flanges when said container is supported by said cart, said means for capturing being a structural part of said cart, said cart including a pair of side frame members of I-beam construction and each of said side frame members including a lip under which said flat flanges are positioned when said containers are loaded onto said cart, said lips enabling said device to be inverted while still retaining said containers on said cart. 8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a set of rollers rotatably mounted on an inboard side of said side frame members, said rollers being engaged by said flat flanges when said containers are loaded onto said cart. 9. A device for retrieving containers and for transporting them, comprising: a retriever for retrieving containers from a predetermined location; `said retriever having wheels so that it is easily transported over a support surface; a cart upon which retrieved containers are deposited; said cart having wheels so that it is easily transported over a support surface; a first latch means for releasably connecting said retriever to said cart so that said retriever and cart are transportable as a unit; a second latch means for latching and unlatching a container to and from said retriever, respectively, to facilitate retrieval of said container; said retriever having a set of primary and a set of auxiliary wheels that are in rolling engagement with a support surface when said retriever is detached from said cart and which are suspended above said support surface when said retriever is attached to said cart; said primary and said secondary wheels being disposed at a predetermined angular relation to one another; said retriever having a pair of transversely spaced apart, forwardly extending arms disposed generally parallel to a support surface when said retriever is attached to said cart and said arms being disposed obliquely to said support surface when said retriever is unattached to said cart; a notch formed on an underside of each of said arms; said cart including a frame having a pair of longitudinally extending, transversely spaced apart frame members, an upstanding pintle member fixedly secured to each of said frame members at a predetermined location; said retriever being pivotal about said pintle members when said notches pivotally engage their associated pintle members whereby attachment of said retriever to said cart is accomplished in part by pivotally rotating said retriever into engagement with said cart so that neither said cart nor a container carried by said cart need be lifted when said cart is attached to said retriever; said retriever further including a transversely disposed handle, a pair of handle support members depending from opposite ends of said handle, said forwardly extending arms being fixedly secured to said handle support members near a lowermost end thereof in orthogonal relation thereto; and said first latch means including a movably mounted latch release handle disposed in parallel and closely spaced relation to said handle. 10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a locking aperture formed in each of said cart frame members adjacent a retriever end of said cart, a complemental locking aperture formed in a lowermost part of said retriever, a biased locking bolt, associated with each of said locking apertures, that is biased to extend through its associated locking aperture to interlock said retriever and cart when said locking bolts are in repose, and means for retracting said locking bolts against an associated bias means when said latch release handle is activated. 11. The device of claim 10, wherein said means for retracting said locking bolts includes a pair of pivotally mounted bell cranks each of which has a fulcrum and a pair of angularly disposed arms, wherein said movably mounted latch release handle has a pair of elongate support members that depend from its opposite ends, wherein each of said support members are fixedly secured to a preselected first arm of an associated bell crank, and wherein a preselected second arm of each bell crank bears against its associated bias means and compresses it when said bell crank is pivoted. 12. The device of claim 11, further comprising a curved wall positioned at the retriever end of each of said cart frame members, each of said curved walls slidingly engaging its associated locking bolt and driving said locking bolt against it bias means to retract it when said retriever is brought into engagement with said cart so that attaching said retriever to said cart is accomplished in the absence of manipulation of said latch release handle.
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