The present invention relates generally to the field of roll-off containers and more specifically relates to double-walled waste containers.
A roll-off container is generally an open top dumpster that is usually rectangular in shape with wheels to help roll the dumpster into place. The roll-off container is designed to be transported by a special truck or similar vehicle. Roll-off containers are commonly used to carry loads of construction and demolition waste or similar types of debris or waste. Most roll-off containers have a door, or pair of doors, on the end to allow user access to fill the container and also to empty the container at the waste disposal site, which may include tilting the roll-off container to dump its contents. It is common for a roll-off container to have an open top to allow better access to the container during filling.
One (1) limitation with a roll-off container is that they can often accumulate water or other liquids, which can cause corrosion problems when the container is constructed of a ferrous material. These corrosion problems can limit the useful life of a roll-off container. Attempts have been made to coat the surfaces of a roll off container with anti-corrosion coatings, which can be expensive and time consuming as is the use of a lid. Also, anti-corrosion coatings are prone to being damaged during use of the roll-off container.
Additionally, during use of the roll-off container, the exterior surface may show bulges and damage when large or heavy objects are loaded into the roll-off container, making the roll-off container unsightly. Therefore, a suitable solution is desired to prevent corrosion, increase the useful life, and maintain the appearance of a roll-off container.
Various attempts have been made to solve problems found in roll-off containers. Among these are found in: U.S. Pat. and Pat. App. Pub. No. 3,897,882 to Budoff, Pat. No. 4,844,336 to Huber et al., Pat. No. 5,294,016 to Crenshaw, Pat. No. 6,955,520 to Flerchinger et al., Pat. No. 8,261,918 to Powell et al., and 2010/0025407 to Benson. These prior art references are representative of roll-off containers.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed. Thus, a need exists for a reliable double-walled waste container, and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.
The principles of the present invention provide for a container which comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall which is parallel to the first sidewall, a rear wall which is affixed between a first perimeter edge of the first and second sidewalls, a floor which is affixed to a bottom perimeter edge of the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the rear wall thereby defining an interior, a cap which is affixed to a top perimeter edge of the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the rear wall, a first door which is hingedly attached to a second perimeter edge of the first sidewall, a second door which is hingedly attached to a second perimeter edge of the second sidewall, a pair of wheels which are respectively secured beneath the floor subjacent the second perimeter edge of the first sidewall and the second perimeter edge of the second sidewall and a pair of rails secured between the pair of wheels and beneath the floor. The first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the rear wall comprise a double wall. In a separate embodiment, an existing waste container is secured within the container.
The double wall may further comprise of an outer wall having a plurality of single “U”-shaped wall portions and an inner wall. Each single “U”-shaped wall portion is welded to an adjacent single “U”-shaped wall portion in an overlapping manner forming the outer wall. The outer wall is secured to the inner wall thereby forming a plurality of interior spaces within the double wall.
The double wall may also comprise a unitary corrugated outer wall and an inner wall. The outer wall may be secured to the inner wall thereby forming a plurality of interior spaces within the double wall. The first door and the second door may also comprise the double wall.
A door securement device may be attached to the first door for securing the first door to the second door. The door securement device may further comprise of a pair of locking plates which are secured to an outer face of the first door with each having a locking pin aperture, a plurality of latches which are disposed near a perimeter edge of the first door opposite the first sidewall; a plurality of rod brackets which are secured to an outer face of the second door disposed near a perimeter edge of the second door opposite the second sidewall, a pivot rod which is vertically held in position by the rod brackets, a release bar which is perpendicularly secured to the pivot rod and a plurality of hooks which are perpendicularly secured to the pivot rod and aligned with the plurality of the latches.
The locking plate may be perpendicularly secured to the first door such that the locking pin apertures are aligned. When the first door and second door are closed, movement of the release bar towards the first door results in a corresponding rotation of the pivot rod which in turn results in a corresponding rotation of the plurality of hooks. When the release bar is flush with the first door, each hook becomes removably engaged with each latch. When the release bar is flush with the first door, the release bar is positioned between the locking plates behind each locking pin aperture. When the release bar is positioned between the locking plates behind each the locking pin aperture, a locking pin is capable of being inserted through each the locking pin aperture thereby securing the release bar into place.
At least one (1) drain aperture may be located on the floor between an inner wall and an outer wall of the double-walled construction. Each rail may have at least one cantilevered edge.
The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:
10 double-walled waste container
12 floor weldment
13
a first rail
13
b second rail
14 cap weldment
15
a side wall
15
b rear wall
16 cantilevered rail portion
20
a left side door half
20
b right side door half
21
a left side hinge
21
b right side hinge
23 door latch weldment
24
a release bar
24
b locking pin
24
c locking plate
25 pivot rod
26 rod bracket
27 hook
28 latch
30 wheel assembly
40 outer wall
40
a outer wall portion
50 inner wall
60 drain aperture
62 weld
100 existing waste container
110 gusset
The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within
The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one (1) of the referenced items.
The present invention describes a double-walled waste container (herein described as the “container”) 10, which provides an open-top roll-off container being rectangular in shape and having double door portions 20a, 20b at one (1) end. The container 10 employs a double wall construction 40, 50 to minimize damage during use. Additionally, the container 10 provides a plurality of drain apertures 60 to provide a means of liquid drainage to prevent corrosion of the container 10.
Referring now to the
The embodiment of the container 10 illustrated here provides a pair of wheel assemblies 30 which are welded to opposing bottom portions of one (1) end of the floor weldment 12, thereby allowing the container 10 to be more easily transported and loaded on to and off of a truck or other similar vehicle. The wheel assemblies 30 enable the container 10 to be filled at one (1) location and transported to another location for unloading. The first rail 13a and second rail 13b with each having a cantilevered portion 16 facilitate the sliding of the container 10 onto and off the bed of a transportation vehicle. Some embodiments of the container 10 may include additional wheel assemblies 30 for improved mobility.
As shown here, the container 10 includes a left side door half 20a and a right side door half 20b which join together to close one (1) end of the container 10. The embodiment of the container 10 shown here includes a left door half 20a and a right door half 20b, each being pivotingly attached to opposing vertical edges of opposing sidewalls 15 via respective left side hinges 21a and right side hinges 21b. The doors 20a, 20b swing outwardly to allow access to the interior of the double-walled waste container 10.
The door halves 20a, 20b are to be secured to each other in a planar manner via a door latch weldment 23 which includes portions which are welded or otherwise affixed to the door halves 20a, 20b. Affixed to the left door half 20a are a plurality of welded latches 28 and a welded locking plate 24c. Affixed to the right door half 20b is a release bar 24a, a pivot rod 25, a plurality of welded rod brackets 26, and a plurality of hooks 27. Following rotation of the door halves 20a, 20b to a jointly planar position, an operator may rotate the release bar 24a to the left to secure the door halves 20a, 20b together. The release bar 24a is a portion of a door latch weldment 23 made up of the release bar 24a, the pivot rod 25, and the hooks 27. As the release bar 24a is pivoted to the left, the vertical pivot rod 25 rotates within the stationary rod brackets 26 together with the welded hook portions 28 which in turn engage the correspondingly positioned stationary latch portions 28 located upon the left door half 20a. The operator may then secure the position of the door halves 20a, 20a by securing the release bar 24a to the locking plate portion 24c of the left door half 20a by inserting a locking pin 24b through the locking plate 24c.
In some embodiments of the container 10, the door assemblies 20a, 20b may comprise a single door that swings side-to-side, which latches to the side walls 15a in a similar manner as the previously described embodiment. Further embodiments may include a single door that opens downward or upward to facilitate dumping of the contents of the container 10 and/or to allow better access to the interior by a user as the door may act as a ramp in some embodiments. It is understood that the teachings of the container 10 may be integrated into designs of various waste containers having various standardized volumetric sizes with equal benefit, such as, but not limited to: ten cubic yards (10 yd3), twenty cubic yards (20 yd3), thirty cubic yards (30 yd3), forty cubic yards (40 yd3), and the like, and as such should not be interpreted as a limiting factor of the container 10.
It is understood that the door halves 20a, 20b may further provide a double-wall construction including inner wall 50 and outer wall portions 40a similar to that of the side walls 15a and rear wall 15b (as discussed in
Referring now to
The inner wall 50 comprises a flat and smooth arrangement to allow materials deposited in the container 10 to easily be removed by tilting and dumping. The configuration of the inner wall 50 and the outer wall 40 are such that when heavy materials are deposited into the container 10 in a manner that causes damage to the container 10, the inner wall 50 sustains the damage and prevents damage to the outer wall 40. This maintains the strength of the container 10 as well as prolonging a like-new appearance when viewed externally.
The configuration of the inner wall 50 and the outer wall 40, together, increases structural rigidity such that the thickness of the inner wall 50 and outer wall 40 may be reduced such that overall weight and cost of materials of the container 10 may be lower in comparison to similar existing waste containers 100. This overall reduction in weight may also reduce operating and fuel costs for transportation and storage of the double-walled waste container 10.
Referring now to
The exact specifications, materials used, and method of use of the container 10 may vary upon manufacturing.
Referring now to
It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the device 10, it would be utilized as indicated in
The method of utilizing the device 10 may be achieved by performing the following steps: procuring a model of the container 10 having a desired internal volumetric size; transporting the container 10 using a special truck, or similar suitable vehicle, to a site for waste loading; unloading the container 10 upon a ground surface using the wheel assemblies 30 to help roll the container 10 into place; configuring the container 10 for ground-level loading, if desired; opening the door halves 20a, 20b by removing the locking pin 24b; rotating the release bar 24a to disengage the hooks 27 from the latches 28; pivoting one (1) of both of the door halves 20a, 20b about the hinges 21a, 21b until the end of the container 10 is accessible; utilizing the container 10 to carry loads of construction and demolition waste or similar types of debris as needed or until full; closing the door halves 20a, 20b by reversing the aforementioned steps; continuing to load waste materials into the container, if desired, into the open-top portion as needed or until the container 10 is full; utilizing the drain aperture features 60 of the container 10 to remove any liquids which may accumulate within the container 10; transporting the container 10 as previously described to a waste disposal site; utilizing the special transport vehicle to tilt the container 10 to dump and empty its contents; and, benefiting from a waste container 10 with improved strength, reduced corrosion, and lasting like-new appearance, afforded a user of the present invention 10.
The method of utilizing the alternate repair of an existing waste container 100 using side wall portions 15a may be achieved by welding sections of the double-walled sidewall 15a to protruding channel-shaped gusset portions 110 of an existing waste container 100, and utilizing the strengthened and repaired existing waste container 100 in a similar manner as the previously described container 10.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/294347 which was filed Feb. 12, 2016, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62294347 | Feb 2016 | US |