Refuse container lid system

A refuse container lid system for providing easily replaced interchangeable covers for the top of a refuse container, in which similar size covers are used on containers of various volumes. A stationary plate is used to cover the portion of the top of the container not covered by the openable covers, and the size of the plate varies depending upon the size of the container. Hinge plates are attached to the side of the container, and have studs extending into tubular ends of the plate and covers. If two covers are used side by side, a pipe is disposed between the tubular portions of the covers, and the studs are disposed in the pipe. The hinge plate is adjustably connected to a bracket on the side of the container and can be removed to replace one or both of the covers.

Large volume refuse containers, having capacities of several cubic yards or 
more, are used in many locations such as apartment complexes and the like, 
so that garbage can be neatly and sanitarily gathered in a central 
location for collection by a garbage truck. Frequently, containers of an 
appropriate size to hold a single day's refuse are used, and the 
containers are dumped daily by the collecting truck to minimize the 
occurrence of offensive odors from the container. A typical type container 
includes a bottom and four side walls, with means being provided whereby 
the refuse collecting truck can engage the container to raise the 
container off the ground and invert the container over a bin on the 
collecting truck, to empty the refuse therefrom. Normally, one or more 
hinged covers are provided on the top of the container, and as the 
container is inverted over the bin, the covers fall open, permitting the 
refuse to fall from the container into the bin on the truck. After the 
container is emptied, it is lowered back onto the ground, and as it is 
lowered the covers fall to the closed position. 
It is preferred in such a container that the covers are freely movable 
about the hinge connection, so that they will open completely and close 
readily during the dumping operation. Further, when refuse is deposited 
into the container, the covers must be raised by the person placing the 
garbage therein. Since frequently a person will be carrying a bag of 
garbage in at least one hand, thus having only one hand free for opening 
the container, it is highly desirable that the cover or covers are easily 
opened while the container remains on the ground. Hence, a lightweight 
cover on a freely rotatable hinge is preferred; however, the process 
whereby the container is dumped is somewhat abusive to the cover. As the 
container is inverted, when the refuse falls from the container it often 
falls against the cover, forcing the cover against the back wall of the 
container. When the container is being lowered to the ground, the cover 
often slams closed forcefully. If lightweight materials are used for the 
covers, the repetitive forceful opening and closing thereof can cause 
structural damage to the covers, creating dents and bending the covers out 
of shape so that the covers will not rotate properly on the hinge or may 
not close the container completely. If the container is one which is 
dumped frequenly, particularly those dumped daily, noticeable damage can 
occur in a relatively short period of time. A dented and bent cover, 
besides not adequately closing the container, presents an undesirable 
appearance when the container is used near apartment complexes or other 
public areas. 
Since the only alternative to a lightweight cover which is easily opened, 
yet will withstand the abusive opening and closing of the covers as the 
container is dumped, is a heavy cover with a complex spring assist system, 
many refuse container users prefer to use the lightweight covers and 
replace the covers when extensive damage occurs. One of the principal 
difficulties associated with the replacement of the covers on refuse 
containers is that, as previously mentioned, containers of a variety of 
different volumes are available, and since the width for all containers 
must remain substantially the same to accommodate lifting by the truck, 
the capacity of the container can be increased only by making the 
container taller, or by making the container deeper from front to back. 
Since the refuse is deposited through the top of the container, only 
moderate volume increases can be achieved through variations in the height 
of the container without making the top inaccessible. Therefore, in larger 
volume containers, the depth of the container from the front wall to the 
back wall is substantially greater than in smaller volume containers, and 
longer covers are required for the larger containers than for smaller 
containers. Hence, different size covers are required for each volume of 
container. For a large refuse collecting firm, which has a wide selection 
for the customer in the volume of container to be supplied, substantial 
expense and storage space are involved in maintaining an adequate supply 
of each size cover, to replace the covers as needed. Further, in 
manufacturing refuse containers of different sizes many different size 
covers must be made, and substantial investment and storage space are 
needed to maintain adequate inventories of covers for initial production 
and replacement supply. 
It is therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention to 
provide a refuse container lid system which may be used on refuse 
containers of virtually any capacity, and which minimizes the number of 
different size covers necessary for a variety of volume containers by 
standardizing the cover size for the containers. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a refuse container 
lid system which includes a freely rotatable hinge for connecting the 
covers of the lid system to the container, thereby permitting free 
movement of the covers, and which includes covers that can be opened 
easily by a person depositing refuse as well as opened completely during 
dumping of the container. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a refuse container 
lid system which has a hinge which will connect several individual covers 
to the container for free movement of each cover, and which permits any or 
all of the covers to be quickly and easily removed for replacement.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and to FIG. 1 in particular, 
numeral 10 designates a refuse container having a lid system 12 embodying 
the present invention. The refuse container includes a front wall 14 and a 
back wall, not shown, with side walls 16 disposed therebetween. Lift 
pockets 18 are disposed on the side walls of the container, for receiving 
lift arms of the refuse collecting truck. Skids 20 and 22 are disposed 
under the floor, not shown, of the refuse container. The present lid 
system works equally well on various types of refuse containers other than 
the one shown in FIG. 1 such as, for example, containers having a 
different lift means, including the type having a single receiving pocket 
on front wall 14 rather than the dual side pockets of container 10. The 
present lid system will also work equally well on refuse containers which 
are not inverted for dumping but instead have openable floors which permit 
the refuse to drop out the bottom of the elevated container. By utilizing 
the present refuse container lid system, a manufacturer of virtually any 
type of refuse container can reduce the space and monetary investment 
required for maintaining adequate cover inventories; however, the system 
is particularly advantageous when used on the type of container which is 
inverted when dumped because of the previously mentioned necessity for 
replacement of the covers. 
Lid system 12 includes covers 30 and 32 which are individually opened to 
deposit refuse, and which automatically fall open when the container is 
inverted and fall closed as the container is returned to the ground. The 
covers are connected to container 10 by a hinge 34 at the back edge of the 
cover, and a stationary plate 36 extends from hinge 34 to the back of the 
container, if the container is of sufficient front to rear depth to 
require use of the plates. Covers 30 and 32 are of sufficient length from 
front to back to cover the top opening of a small volume container. The 
same size cover is used on both the small and large volume containers; 
thus, interchangeability of covers is provided between various size 
containers. Hence, only one size cover is required, and the amount of 
space needed for storage of original and replacement covers is minimized. 
The size of stationary plate 36 from hinge 34 to the back of the container 
will vary depending upon the depth of the container from the front to the 
back walls. On the smallest containers no stationary plate is required, 
and on the larger containers the plate is wider than on the intermediate 
size containers. 
Covers 30 and 32 may be of galvanized metal or other lightweight sheet 
metal material, and have side edges 38, 40, 42 and 44 extending upwardly 
from the main body of the covers. Similar inverted L-shaped edges 46 and 
48 are provided on the front of the covers to provide a handle-like 
structure for grasping the cover when the container is opened to deposit 
refuse. The rear edges of the covers include rolled ends forming tubular 
portions 50 and 52 which form a part of hinge 34. Normally, stationary 
plate 36 is of a material similar to that of covers 30 and 32, and the 
plate has a tubular portion 54 on the front edge thereof connected to and 
forming a part of hinge 34. The back edge of stationary plate 36 near the 
rear wall of the container, is connected to the container by any suitable 
means such as, for example, bolts or screws, or by portions of the plate 
forming a channel 55 extending around the surface of and under the bottom 
edge of a lip 56, which is disposed along the top of the rear wall, front 
wall and side walls of the container. The channel-like connection just 
described is preferred, in that it permits attachment of the stationary 
plate by merely positioning the plate on the top of the container at the 
rearward edge thereof, and sliding the plate until the channel-like 
structure engages with lip 56 of the container. 
In addition to tubular portions 50 and 52 of covers 30 and 32, and tubular 
portion 54 of stationary plate 36, hinge 34 also includes connecting ends 
60 and 62 which rotatably attach the covers to the container. Connecting 
ends 60 and 62 are similar to each other in construction, and the 
description of end 62 which immediately follows is equally applicable to 
connecting end 60. A bracket 64 is disposed on side wall 16 and is 
connected thereto by bolts, welding or any other suitable means of 
attachment. A hinge plate 66 is attached to bracket 64 by bolts 68 and 70, 
and the hinge plate extends upwardly from the bracket past the top of the 
container walls. Studs 72 and 74 project inwardly from hinge plate 66, 
near the upper edge thereof. Stud 74 is disposed in tubular portion 54 of 
plate 36 and holds the front end of the plate against the top of container 
10. A pipe 76 is disposed in tubular portions 50 and 52 of covers 30 and 
32, and extends completely through both tubular portions, thereby 
permitting the covers to pivot independently of one another as they are 
opened and closed. Stud 72 is disposed in pipe 76 to attach the covers to 
the container while permitting the covers to be rotated relative to stud 
72, along an axis defined by pipe 76. 
As shown in FIG. 3, it is preferred that holes 78 and 80 in bracket 64 and 
holes 82 and 84 in hinge plate 66 be rectangular in shape and opposite in 
orientation. Hence, holes 78 and 80 are disposed horizontally in the 
bracket, and holes 82 and 84 are disposed vertically in hinge plate 66. 
When bolts 68 and 70 are inserted through the holes of the bracket and 
hinge plate, the hinge plate is movable relative to the bracket. Thus, the 
hinge plate may be moved vertically or horizontally, as required, to 
properly align studs 72 and 74 with the covers and stationary plate. When 
properly aligned, the bolts are fastened with nuts 86 and lock washers 88. 
In the use and operation of a refuse container lid system embodying the 
present invention, if the container is of a size to require the use of a 
stationary plate 36, the plate is aligned laterally on top of the 
container and is moved forwardly thereon until channel 55 along the rear 
edge thereof engages with lip 56 on the rear wall of the container. Pipe 
76 is inserted through tubular portions 50 and 52 of coves 30 and 32, and 
the covers, with the pipe inserted therein, are placed adjacent stationary 
plate 36 on top of the container, and studs 72 and 74 are inserted into 
pipe 76 and tubular portion 54, respectively. Bolts 68 and 70 are inserted 
into holes 78, 80, 82 and 84 to attach hinge plate 66 to bracket 64. Stud 
74 holds the forward edge of stationary plate 36 along the top of the 
container and, since the rear edge of the plate is attached to the lip on 
the container, the plate is essentially immovable when the lid system is 
completely assembled. Since the forward edges of covers 30 and 32 are 
free, and tubular portions 50 and 52 are rotatable relative to stud 72, 
covers 30 and 32 may be opened and closed, permitting access to the 
container for depositing refuse therein. As the container is inverted to 
be emptied, the covers fall open, and the refuse falls from the container 
into the refuse truck. When the container is lowered back onto the ground 
the covers fall closed. 
If one or both covers are damaged extensively so that replacement is 
required, bolts 68 and 70 are removed from hinge plate 66 and bracket 64. 
Studs 72 and 74 are removed from the cover and stationary plate, and the 
damaged cover may then be slid longitudinally along pipe 76 until the 
cover is completely removed from the pipe. A new cover can then be slid 
onto the pipe, and hinge plate 66 reattached to bracket 64. It is 
unnecessary to remove an undamaged cover if only one cover requires 
replacement, in that either of the connecting ends 60 or 62 may be 
disassembled to remove either cover 30 or cover 32. Replacement of one or 
the other or both covers may be done quickly with the simplified hinge 
structure of the present invention, since only two bolts are used to 
secure each side of the hinge. If a one piece cover is used instead of the 
dual cover structure shown in FIG. 1, pipe 76 may be eliminated as there 
is no need to interconnect the center portion of the lid system. When only 
one cover is used and pipe 76 is not required, stud 72 is inserted 
directly into tubular portion 50 and the cover is rotatable about the 
stud. Only one size cover need be kept in stock for initial installation 
or for subsequent replacement of damaged covers in that covers 30 and 32 
are interchangeable on the left or right side, respectively, and the 
various size containers all have the same size cover, with only the width 
of stationary plate 36 varying from the small to the large volume 
containers. Since the stationary plate is permanently attached to the 
container, and will seldom require replacement, the number of covers which 
must be maintained as adequate inventory for timely replacement of damaged 
covers is greatly reduced. The covers are freely rotatable about an axis 
defined by pipe 76, and open and close easily for the deposit of refuse 
and for emptying the container. 
Although one embodiment of a refuse container lid system has been shown and 
described in detail herein, various changes may be made without departing 
from the scope of the present invention.