Commercial trash bin locking system

A commercial trash bin is provided with locking arrangements which restrict the use of the trash bin to the authorized user thereof, and still permit the dumping of the trash bins without wasting any extra time by the garbage truck operator. The lids are provided with a special latch which is disabled to permit dumping through gravity action when the trash bin is lifted and inverted and dumped. In one case the mechanism includes a heavy spring which is compressed by the weight of the trash bin, and in another case a gravity operated latch releasing mechanism is employed. In each case, to open the trash bin while it is in the upright orientation, a key-operated release, either in the form of a padlock or a built-in lock mechanism, is used.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to commercial trash bin systems. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Particularly where trash bins are located in alleys where there is heavy 
traffic and many persons having a need to dispose of waste material, the 
person who pays for leasing the trash bins often finds that other 
unauthorized persons are disposing of their trash and precluding him from 
having full use of the facilities which he has rented. While it might be 
logical to provide a lock and key for trash bins, the delay which would be 
involved with the garbage collectors having to tediously unlock each trash 
bin, when combined with the high rental cost of garbage trucks, has 
effectively precluded such a solution to the problem, up to the present 
time. 
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to restrict the 
use of commercial trash bins to authorized users, while not impeding or 
slowing down the garbage collection process from such commercial trash 
bins. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, a commercial trash bin is 
provided with locking arrangements which can be released in either of two 
ways: (1) by the use of a key when the authorized user of the trash bin 
wishes to deposit trash in the bin, when the bin is in the upright 
orientation, and (2) by gravity-operated latch releasing arrangements 
which automatically come into play when the commercial trash bin is 
released and dumped in normal operation by a garbage truck. 
In one specific embodiment, the locking means includes a very heavy spring, 
and the latch is disabled by the compression of this spring when the 
weight of the trash bin rests on the latch as the trash bin is being 
raised and inverted for dumping. 
In another embodiment, the latch releasing mechanism is operated by gravity 
to permit the opening of the lid when the trash bin is inverted. 
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become 
apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and 
the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring more specifically to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a commercial 
trash bin 12 provided with two lids 14 and 16. A latch mechanism 18 
includes a number of parts to be discussed in greater detail below. 
Visible in FIG. 1, however, is one of the heavy springs 20 which forces 
the locking members 22 and 24 over the outer edges of the lids 14 and 16, 
respectively, so that they may not be opened as long as the heavy springs, 
including spring 20, are not compressed, or the padlocks 26 and 28 are not 
opened. 
Referring to FIG. 2, it may be seen that the lid 14 is held down firmly 
onto the trash bin 12 by the latch mechanism 18 including the heavy spring 
20' which exerts a heavy force to hold the upper end 30 of the latch 
mechanism 18 into position above the outer edge of the lid 14. 
FIG. 3 shows a portion of the truck 32 engaging the broad lower portion 34 
of the latch assembly 18, compressing the heavy coil spring 20'. This 
moves the upper end 30 of the latch mechanism out of its overlying 
relationship with regard to the lid 14 which may move away from the bin 12 
as indicated by the arrow 36. Of course, FIG. 3 should actually be shown 
90.degree. or more tilted from the showing of FIG. 2, because it is the 
weight of the trash bin 12 on the truck support member 32 which causes the 
compression of the coil spring 20', thereby permitting the lid 14 to swing 
open for easy dumping. 
It is also noted, as one of the important features of the present 
invention, that no additional time is required on behalf of the garbage 
truck operator to unlock or otherwise be cognizant of the existence of the 
locking mechanism 18. 
FIG. 4 by comparison with FIG. 2 shows the release of the latch 18 by the 
user through unlocking one of the padlocks 26 or 28. With the padlock 
removed, the hasp 38 may be pivoted back, and the L-shaped member 22 with 
its locking lip 30 may also be pivoted so that the lid 14 may be raised 
and garbage dumped into the commercial trash bin. The stop 40 receives the 
full force of the heavy coil spring 20 and 20', and thus permits the 
pivoting back of the upper portion 22 of the latch mechanism without 
interference of the heavy springs. 
The arrangement of FIGS. 5 through 7 is an alternative to that disclosed in 
FIGS. 1 through 4, and it accomplishes substantially the same function. As 
best shown in FIG. 6, the lid 14 is normally restrained from significant 
movement away from the top of trash bin 12 by the obstruction provided by 
latch 42. Thus, in the dash line showing of the lid 14 in FIG. 6, it 
cannot be raised beyond the indicated position because the latch detent 44 
prevents movement of the latch 42 against the biasing force of spring 46 
in view of the positive stop provided by the element 48, which is of 
L-shaped cross section. 
As shown in FIG. 7, however, when the trash bin 12 is inverted for dumping, 
the latch restraining detent 44 falls down to the indicated position away 
from the stop 48 and the lid 14 presses on the angled surface 50 of the 
latch 42, compressing spring 46, and permitting the lid 14 to swing past 
the latch 42. 
Incidentally, the housing 54 which provides a support for the L-shaped stop 
member 48 and the other mechanisms described above, is removable from the 
enclosing support 56 which is welded to the inside of the trash bin 12 
through a reinforcing member 58. The removable member 54 is normally held 
in position by the key actuated bolts 62 and 64 (see FIG. 5) which extend 
outwardly from the removable member 54 through the walls of the enclosing 
rectangular housing 56. However, upon insertion of a key into the lock 66, 
the bolts 62 and 64 may be retracted so that the latch mechanism 54 may be 
raised in its entirety, thereby permitting easy raising of the lid 14 for 
the deposit of trash, by the authorized user. The dash-dot line showing 
and the arrow 68 in FIG. 5 indicates the removal of the assembly 54 as 
described above. 
The support members 72 within the outer rectangular housing 56 serve to 
locate the removable latch mechanism 54 at the proper depth so that the 
bolts, 62, 64 will make easy engagement with the mating openings in the 
enclosing housing 56. 
Incidentally, the key actuated locking mechanisms including the padlocks 
could be provided with other types of security arrangements for unlocking 
them, such as combination lock releases, or coded magnetic releases, for 
example. 
It is to be specifically understood that the two embodiments described 
herein are merely illustrative of the general principles of the invention. 
Other mechanical arrangements to implement the functions described herein 
are within the scope of the present invention. By way of specific example 
but not of limitation, certain lid and trash bin assemblies operate in 
accordance with a first mode of operation with the lid following a first 
predetermined movement pattern in the upright position, and operate in 
another mode and pattern of movement when they are being dumped (see U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,994,415, for example); and a removable locking mechanism or 
stop blocking only the first mode or pattern of movement would also be 
within the scope of the present invention.