Patent Grant
10752437
The present disclosure relates in general to waste containers, variously known as roll-off bins, “dumpsters”, and other names, and relates in particular to lids and lid-opening mechanisms for such containers.
Roll-off bins are widely used for a variety of purposes, such as (to name only a few) for collecting waste and debris from construction and demolition sites, general industrial waste, and hazardous waste. After being loaded with such waste materials, the bins are transported to appropriate disposal sites where they are emptied.
Roll-off bins are so-named because they typically have wheels at one end so that they can be loaded onto tilting flatbed trailers (or “roll-off trucks”), or onto non-tilting flatbed trailers using suitable ramps, then transported to an industrial site (for example) where they are rolled off into position to be filled with waste materials. Roll-off bins are typically of rectangular configuration, with a generally flat rectangular floor structure and a pair of longitudinal sidewalls extending between a pair of transverse endwalls, so as to define an open-top waste containment chamber. Especially on larger roll-off bins, one of the endwalls (typically at the wheeled end of the bin) may be hinged, either vertically or horizontally, to facilitate rapid emptying—for example, by opening the hinged endwall while the loaded bin is still securely mounted on a roll-off truck which then tilts the bin so that its contents slide out the open endwall by gravity.
Roll-off bins can vary greatly in size. They commonly have a nominal width of 8 feet, corresponding to the typical maximum permissible width for highway vehicles without requiring special permits. Common volumetric capacities for roll-off bins range from 10 to 40 cubic yards, depending on bin length and bin wall height.
Roll-off bins typically require a lid for one or more reasons, such as for protection of bin contents from the weather, for prevention of loss of bin contents during transport, for general security reasons, and for the safety of workers and the public. Numerous types of roll-off bin lids are known in the prior art. The simplest types are flat lids hinged along the top of one of the bin sidewalls, without the provision of any mechanism for opening and closing the lid. For light-duty waste bins (such as the smaller plastic refuse bins commonly seen in residential complexes for collection of household waste), such simple hinged lids may be quite satisfactory, since they typically are relatively light in weight, and thus can be easily opened by a single person, and can close by gravity with minimal risk of inadvertent personal injury. However, larger waste bins are generally made from steel, for both structural strength and durability. Accordingly, the lids for such bins can be quite heavy, and as a practical matter they will typically require some sort of mechanism to facilitate efficient opening and closing, while providing protection against injury that could be caused by inadvertent and uncontrolled closing of the lid.
For these reasons, it is common for hinged lids for roll-off bins to use a winch apparatus for opening and closing the lid, operated either manually or by an electric motor. Such apparatus typically entails the provision of a gin pole or other auxiliary structure to support associated pulleys and cables. Other apparatus for opening and closing heavy roll-off bin lids may use hydraulic cylinders, which can be arranged to avoid the need for auxiliary structure extending above the bin walls. However, roll-off bins are very often used in circumstances and locations where electric or hydraulic operation of bin lids is not feasible or practical, so for practical reasons it commonly must be possible for roll-off bin lids to be opened and closed manually.
Regardless of the particular type of mechanisms that may be used to open and close them, hinged roll-off bin lids have a significant drawback in that when they are in an open or partially-open position, they will project above the bin walls and thus be exposed to wind forces. Accordingly, the lids, hinge mechanisms, and associated structural elements must be designed to withstand strong wind forces that might otherwise damage these components, necessitating costly repairs and putting the bins out of service. As a result, the lids will be heavier and costlier than they would be if they did not need to be designed for wind forces.
Furthermore, even hinged lids that have associated winch mechanisms or electrical or hydraulic operating systems can present a safety hazard in the case of failure of one or more components of such mechanisms or systems (for example, breakage of a winching cable, or loss of hydraulic pressure). In such scenarios, serious personal injury could result from the sudden uncontrolled closing of a heavy hinged lid.
These disadvantages and risks can be avoided by using rolling lids, many examples of which can be seen in prior art bins. In common types of rolling lids, the lid has wheels that travel in or on horizontal tracks, such that the lid can be displaced laterally away from one bin sidewall toward the other sidewall by means of an associated operating mechanism (such as a rack-and-pinion gear arrangement) operated manually by means of a crank. The rolling lid has a longitudinal pivot axis at approximately its mid-width (i.e., parallel to the sidewalls), and this pivot axis moves laterally with the lid. The lid will remain essentially horizontal until it has been laterally displaced far enough that the pivot axis lies outboard of one of the sidewalls. At that point, the lid can be pivoted 90 degrees such that half of its width is disposed against the exterior of that sidewall, with the other half of its width projecting above the top of the sidewall.
One beneficial feature of the rolling lid described above is that it opens the top of the bin to its full width. Another beneficial feature is that it largely eliminates the above-noted safety risks associated with hinged lids. However, one significant practical drawback of this lid design is that its overall width must be greater than the width of the bin itself, because the tracks for the lid must extend a certain distance beyond at least one of the bin sidewalls to facilitate rotation of the lid into a vertical plane. Accordingly, the maximum allowable width of the bin itself, and its volumetric capacity (for a given bin length and height), will be less than for other bin designs in order to stay within maximum vehicle load widths under many highway transportation regulations (i.e., typically 8 feet). Another drawback of the rolling lid is that half of its surface area still projects above the bin walls and thus will be exposed to wind loads.
For the foregoing reasons and others, there is a need for improved waste container lid designs that will:
In a first aspect, the present disclosure teaches a “clamshell” lid assembly for a generally rectilinear (e.g., square or rectangular) roll-off bin, where the lid assembly includes two independently-operable panels having inner longitudinal edges that close against each other when the lid assembly is in the fully-closed position, and where each lid panel, when in the open position, lies alongside the exterior face of a corresponding bin sidewall. More specifically, the present disclosure teaches an open-top bin having:
When a given one of the lid panels is in the closed position, its inner longitudinal edges preferably will lie mid-way between the bin's longitudinal sidewalls, but at a selected height above the top of the sidewalls, while the panel's outer longitudinal edge closes against the upper edge of the corresponding sidewall. Accordingly, when both lid panels are closed, the lid assembly will have a generally arched or vaulted configuration.
Each end of each inner longitudinal lid panel edge is movable within or along a lid track provided in a corresponding track housing structure mounted on the bin structure, longitudinally outboard of the lid assembly. The lid tracks are configured to define a selected path of travel for the inner lid panel edges as the lid panels move between their closed and open positions. In one embodiment, the lid tracks are provided in the form of slots formed in vertically-oriented plates incorporated into the track housing structure, with a flanged wheel provided at each end of each inner longitudinal lid panel edge to run within the corresponding lid track.
A horizontal lid actuation shaft is mounted at a selected height on the exterior of each bin sidewall, with the shaft being supported by and rotatable in suitable bearings mounted to the sidewall at selected intervals along the length of the shaft. At least two pivot arms are provided in association with each lid actuation shaft, with one end of each pivot arm being securely mounted to each shaft (such as by welding), and with the other end being pivotably mounted to the outer longitudinal edge of the corresponding lid panel. Accordingly, when a given lid panel is in the closed position, the corresponding pivot arms will extend vertically upward from the lid actuation shaft. Rotation of the lid actuation shaft in a first direction will cause the pivot arms to pivot outward and away from the bin sidewall, thus pulling the outer longitudinal edge of the lid panel outward as well, with the wheels at the end of the lid panel's inner longitudinal edge following their respective lid tracks in the track housing structures.
The lid tracks are configured such that continued rotation of the lid actuation shaft will move the lid panel's inner longitudinal edge past the edge of the corresponding bin sidewall, such that the pivot arms will then extend vertically downward from the actuation shaft, and the lid panel will lie essentially vertically alongside the outer face of the sidewall. Rotation of the actuation shaft in the opposite direction will move the lid panel back toward its closed position. The layout of the lid tracks for a particular bin design may be selected to suit case-specific operational criteria, while ensuring adequate clearance between the lid panels and the sidewalls as the lid panels cycle between the open and closed positions.
The lid actuation shaft may be rotated by any operatively effective means, and embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are not limited to the use of any particular shaft rotation means. By way of non-limiting example, the lid actuation shaft can be manually rotated by means of a crank-operated gearbox. The two lid actuation shafts may be rotatable independently of each other to enable opening of only one lid panel if desired. Alternatively, the shaft rotation means may be configured to enable both lids to be opened or closed simultaneously.
Operation of the lid actuation shafts can be facilitated by providing counterweighting means to reduce the rotational force that needs to be applied or transmitted to the shaft. By way of non-limiting example, effective counterweighting means may be provided by helical springs deployed between the bin structure and the pivot arms such that the springs will go into tension as the corresponding actuation shafts are rotated to open the bin lid panels. In certain embodiments, the resultant spring forces may reduce the force required to move a lid panel from the open position to the closed position enough that the panel can be readily closed by manually rotating the pivot arms, without need for a gearbox or other auxiliary lid opening and closing mechanisms.
In the ideal case, the total spring forces acting on the lid panel, when it is in the open alongside the bin sidewall, would equal the weight of the panel, such that the only forces that need to be applied to begin the lid panel closing cycle would be those required to overcome friction in the mechanism. However, even if this “perfect balance” is not achieved, the required bin-opening forces will still be comparatively small.
In addition to the benefits that they provide during the lid-closing cycle, the springs also act as a brake on the lid panel during the lid-opening cycle, to prevent the panel from picking up excess speed due to gravity as it rotates into a vertical plane, thus cushioning the downward movement of the panel so that it does not “run away” and slam down into the open position.
In a second aspect, the present disclosure teaches a unitary (i.e., single-section) lid (alternatively referred to herein as an “arch lid”) for a rectilinear roll-off bin. More specifically, the present disclosure teaches an open-top bin having:
The geometric configuration of the arch lid may generally correspond to that of the previously-described clamshell lid assembly such that when a bin fitted with the arch lid is closed, it will look much the same as if it had been fitted with the clamshell lid assembly instead. The arch lid may be opened and closed using actuating mechanisms similar to those described previously in connection with the clamshell lid. The arch lid may be configured to open in one direction only (i.e., by providing a lid actuation mechanism in association with only one bin sidewall), or to be opened in either direction (i.e., by providing lid actuation mechanisms in association with both sidewalls).
Embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which numerical references denote like parts, and in which:
Roll-off bin assembly 100 also includes a pair of track box structures 20, mounted at opposite ends of container 10 and extending above container sidewalls 12 and endwalls 14,16, so as to define a generally rectilinear (e.g., square or rectangular) bin roof opening defined by and extending between the inner faces of the track boxes 20 and the inner faces of sidewalls 12. As most clearly shown in
Roll-off bin assembly 100 further includes a bin lid assembly 30 comprising a pair of lid panels 32, which are movably engageable with the track boxes 20 (in a manner described in detail later herein) so as to be operable for selective opening and closing of the above-defined bin roof opening.
In the exemplary and non-limiting embodiment shown in
Also as shown in
As further shown in
Referring again to
Container sidewalls 12 typically will have a number of horizontally-spaced vertical stiffeners 13 to provide sidewalls 12 with required structural strength. In the illustrated embodiment, a selected number of these vertical stiffeners (designated by reference number 13A) on each sidewall 12 are modified to carry bearing assemblies 46 to support and to enable rotation of a horizontally-oriented bin lid actuation shaft 42, which is selectively rotatable by suitable shaft rotation means 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the shaft rotation means 40 is shown, by way of non-limiting example, as a gear arrangement operable by a manual crank 41.
A selected number of pivot arms 44 are welded or otherwise rigidly fixed to each lid actuation shaft 42 at spaced intervals, such that they are all perpendicular to shaft 42 and parallel to each other, such that rotation of either lid actuation shaft 42 will cause corresponding rotation of all of its associated pivot arms 44. As perhaps best understood from
At the same time, the track wheels 37 on the inner longitudinal edge 35A of the lid panel 32 will travel along the corresponding lid tracks 24 in track boxes 20. Continued rotation of lid actuation shaft 42 and its pivot arms 44 will ultimately cause track wheels 37 to drop into end pockets 25 provided in outer terminal regions of lid tracks 24, so as to allow the inner longitudinal edge 35A of lid panel 32 to extend beyond the outer face of bin sidewall 12 and to drop to or below the level of top rail 48 on sidewall 12, thus allowing lid panel 32 to lie vertically alongside the exterior of sidewall 12, preferably without any portion of lid panel 32 projecting above sidewall 12.
As shown in
As shown in
Bins with clamshell lid assemblies in accordance with the present disclosure can provide a variety of advantages and benefits over prior art bin and lid technologies, including the following:
Although the illustrated embodiments incorporate a pair of clamshell lids, alternative embodiments of roll-off bins in accordance with the present disclosure could include only one movable clamshell lid, with a portion of the bin having a permanent roof.
As best appreciated with reference to
Whereas each clamshell lid 32 has a structural beam member 36 along its inner longitudinal edge 35A, with a track wheel 37 at each end of beam 36, arch lid 230 has a single structural beam member 236 running along the underside of lid 230 below ridge line 239, with a single track wheel 237 being provided at each end of beam member 236, as best seen in
As shown in
As shown in
In such embodiments, it may be desirable to provide track box structures 220 with optional flashing elements 226 and 228 (as shown by way of example in
As shown by way of example in
Roll-off bins with arch lids in accordance with the present disclosure provide a number of advantages over bins with conventional types of lids. For example, the arch lid can close over and conceal a load of material that is heaped above the top of the bin sidewalls. Combining a track and wheel system with a side arm control system (SACS) elevates the ridgeline 239 of arch lid 230 well above the height of bin sidewalls 12. During the operations of opening and closing arch lid 230, this system controls and directs the “free” longitudinal side edge 235 of arch lid 230 to rise over the heaped bin contents and then down into the position for locking; meanwhile, the ridge of arch lid 230 remains well clear of the bin contents. In contrast, a rolling lid on a roll-off bin cannot be closed easily or at all unless the material disposed therein is entirely below the level of the underside of the rolling lid, because a rolling lid can only move in a horizontal plane.
When arch lid 230 is closed, with all of the SACS release mechanisms in the locked position (i.e., such that all pivot arms 44 are in locking engagement with corresponding pivot brackets 234 on longitudinal side edges 235 of arch lid 230), arch lid 230 will be prevented from coming open inadvertently. Bin 200 can then be securely transported without need for strapping or ratchet straps or other auxiliary means commonly used to secure conventional bin lids during transport.
Optionally, arch lid 230 can be further secured against unauthorized intentional opening by installing one or more padlocks or other locking means provided in association with pivot arms 244 and pivot brackets 234. Because movement of arch lid 230 is constrained by the engagement of track wheels 237 with lid tracks 224, even a single effective lock on only one side of bin 200 will prevent lid 230 from opening.
Although clamshell lids and arch lids in accordance with the present disclosure have been described and illustrated in association with roll-off bins, this is by way of non-limiting example only, as lid embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure can be readily adapted for use with other types of bins or containers, including bins or containers intended for purposes and uses unrelated to common purposes and uses of roll-off bins.
It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications to embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the scope of the present teachings, including modifications which may use equivalent structures or materials hereafter conceived or developed. It is to be especially understood that the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to described or illustrated embodiments, and that the substitution of a variant of a claimed or illustrated element or feature, without any substantial resultant change in functionality, will not constitute a departure from the scope of the disclosure.
In this patent document, any form of the word “comprise” is to be understood in its non-limiting sense to mean that any element or feature following such word is included, but elements or features not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element or feature by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of such element or feature is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one such element or feature. Any use of any form of the terms “connect”, “engage”, “couple”, “attach”, or any other term describing an interaction between elements is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the subject elements, and may also include indirect interaction between the elements such as through secondary or intermediary structure.
Relational and conformational terms such as “horizontal”, “vertical”, “parallel”, and “rectilinear” are not intended to denote or require absolute mathematical or geometrical precision. Accordingly, such terms are to be understood as denoting or requiring substantial precision only (e.g., “substantially parallel” or “generally rectilinear”) unless the context clearly requires otherwise. Wherever used in this document, the terms “typical” and “typically” are to be interpreted in the sense of representative of common usage or practice, and are not to be understood as implying essentiality or invariability.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20190218030 A1 | Jul 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 62618254 | Jan 2018 | US |
