Stop motion hinge for a garbage can

A stop motion hinge for use on garbage cans utilizes a spring loaded hinge for stop motion of the lid. A spring loaded washer or plate with a series of bumps abuts the sides of the hinge. The sides of the hinge member have a series of apertures to allow the bumps to protrude through. The base member in connection with the hinge also has a series of apertures corresponding to the bumps so that as the hinge is moved, the pressure of the washer will force the bumps to lock into the set of apertures so that the hinge will form a fixed connection with base member when the lid is raised. The hinge is used on garbage cans in connection with the lid so that a lid with stop motion function is created. The hinge is preferably attached by a pop rivet to make installation easy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to the field of garbage cans and in particular to an 
improved hinge for use on garbage cans and having a stop action function 
in order to allow a garbage can lid to remain in open position after the 
user lifts it open. 
It is observed that garbage can lids have to be held open by the user in 
order for them to function. Such requires manual effort on the part of the 
user so that the lid is open when he/she is throwing garbage in the can. 
This often makes it difficult for the user to use since he/she may have a 
large load of garbage and having to hold open the garbage can is 
difficult. 
It is believed that by providing a stop action hinge for use on garbage 
cans such problems can be alleviated. Such a hinge will allow the user to 
lift up on the garbage can lid once and then provide for the lid to remain 
in an open position without any further actions on the part of the user. 
In this particular invention, the lid will be held open by the action of a 
spring loaded washer in connection with arms of cradle of the hinge. Once 
the user has finished adding garbage to the can, he/she can turn down the 
lid by pushing it down. Such minimum effort is all that is necessary in 
order to turn down the lid. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
While there are hinges used in garbage cans, none of them are of the same 
construction as the applicant's nor are such stop action hinges known to 
be used in connection with garbage can lids. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is an improved stop motion hinge for use on garbage cans. An 
extension piece in connection with the garbage can lid pivots in relation 
to the base member attached to the side of the garbage can. The base 
portion of the hinge has a cradle portion in order to support the 
connecting piece that attaches the lid to the side of the can. The 
connecting piece is attached to the lid and the base is attached to the 
side of the garbage can by a pop rivet. 
A spring loaded washer or plate is used in between the arms of the 
extension piece. Both the cradle of the hinge and the arms of the 
extension piece have a series of apertures so that a series of bumps on 
the plate will lock the cradle and arms together when the lid is raised. 
The plate will urge the bumps outward through the apertures in the arms 
and into the apertures of the cradle so that the lid and can will form a 
fixed connection once the lid is raised. Thus a garbage can with stop 
motion function is created. Both parts of the hinge viz.: the base and the 
extension piece, may be attached to existing garbage cans by means of pop 
rivets for ease of installation on existing garbage cans. 
It is an object of the invention to provide an efficient stop motion hinge 
for garbage can lids in order that garbage cans may be held open when 
depositing garbage and then returned to a closed position. 
Another objective is to provide a stop motion hinge that can easily be 
retrofitted onto existing garbage cans with a minimum of effort and 
expense. 
Other advantages of the invention should be readily apparent to those 
skilled in the art once the invention has been described.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The apparatus is essentially two parts that are connected to one another in 
the manner of a hinge so that the extension piece will pivot in relation 
to the base of the hinge. The overall construction of the apparatus is as 
shown in FIG. 1. There is a hinge base 2 in connection with the side wall 
of garbage can 1. The hinge base has a pair of cradle arms 4 extending 
outward from the base in order to support a connecting piece 6 that forms 
a hinge. At the end of the cradle are a series of apertures (8), 
preferably four apertures, so that bumps 11 in the plate 16 will protrude 
through the apertures 20 as well as the apertures 8 in the base and so 
hold the lid in an open position when the lid is moved upward. 
The extension piece is shown as 6 and is in connection with the garbage can 
lid 5. The extension piece has a pair of spaced apart arms 12 that extend 
from the piece so that they will fit in the space between the cradle arms 
and can be connected to the cradle by means of the connecting piece 7 so 
as to form a hinge. There should be a main hole 14 in each extension arm 
so that the extension piece may be connected to the main bore 17 of the 
cradle by an axle or similar means (the axle not shown). 
Thus a connecting piece will be placed in connection with central bore hole 
14 and 17 of both extension piece and cradle so that the extension piece 
will move in relation to the cradle. Thus a hinge is provided between the 
lid and the can so that the lid can pivot in relation to the can. Other 
connection means that provide for hinge like motion may be used with out 
varying from the spirit of the invention. 
The arms 12 of the extension piece should have a connecting piece 7 located 
between them at one end. This is the end that is placed in the cradle. The 
extension arms should be slightly less wide than the cradle so that it 
might fit in between the arms of the cradle. A spring 15 and a plate 16 
(similar to a washer) the plate will be at each end of the connecting 
piece 7 and in connection with the inner surface of the arm 12. The spring 
15 can be attached around the connecting piece 7. There are series of 
holes 20 in at least one of the arms 12 and there are preferably four 
holes. These are sized and shaped so as to correspond with the apertures 8 
in the cradle. The raised bumps 11 in the plates 16 will protrude through 
the holes 20 and interact with the holes 8 in the base to lock the lid in 
plcae. The bumps may be stamped out of the same metal as the plates and 
can be a raised up part of the metal surface of the plate. 
The resulting arrangement will provide a spring loaded washer or plate that 
is being urged outward by the action of the spring. Such action will force 
the bumps 11 on the plates to interact with the apertures 8 so that as the 
lid is being raised the spring will urge the bumps outward and the 
bearings will engage the apertures 8 and so allow the lid to be locked in 
an open position without any further effort on the part of the user. 
The spring force is not so great that the user cannot lower the lid by 
using manual labor. The spring is simply there to support the lid in an 
open position and should have enough force in order to maintain the lid in 
an open position. When the user is done emptying garbage into the can 
he/she can snap the lid down manually. 
Pop rivets should be used in order to secure the base 2 of the hinge to the 
side of a garbage can 1. Pop rivets should also be used in connection with 
the extension piece in order to secure the lid 5 to the extension piece. 
The use of pop rivets is believed to provide for an attachment process 
that is faster and easy for a consumer. It is thought that this would aid 
greatly in the ability to retrofit existing garbage cans with this stop 
motion type of hinge. 
It is preferred that the hinge and other components be made of metal. 
Galvanized steel is one material that may find usefulness in the 
invention. Other materials, such as aluminum, plastic, stainless steel, 
brass and copper may also be used without violating the spirit of the 
invention.