Abstract:
A trash receptacle mover including a first quick-attach assembly secured to an off-road vehicle and a second quick-attach assembly connected to a trash receptacle attachment member. The quick-attach assemblies may be selectively connected together. The trash receptacle attachment member may be secured to a recessed bar on the trash receptacle so that the trash receptacle may be lifted from the ground and transported to a distant location.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a means for moving large trash receptacles or bins from one location to another. More particularly, this invention relates to a device which is secured to the forward end or rearward of an off-road vehicle by a quick-attach assembly with the quick-attach assembly including means for connection to the trash receptacle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In rural areas, residents must bring their trash receptacles to a highway or main road which is some distance from the residence since the garbage trucks will not normally leave the main road or highway to collect trash from homes located some distance from the highway or main road. The residents must then either roll the trash receptacle to the point of collection or load the same onto a truck or trailer and then haul the trash receptacle to the point of collection. When the trash has been collected, the resident must then retrieve the empty trash receptacle from the point of collection by rolling the same back to the residence or by hauling the trash receptacle back to the residence with a truck or trailer. Since most trash receptacles used in rural areas are quite large, the task of taking the trash receptacles to the highway or main road and then retrieving the same after the trash has been collected therefrom is quite burdensome. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     Applicant has developed a means for conveniently and easily moving trash receptacles to the point of collection and then retrieving the trash receptacles after the trash receptacles have been emptied. 
     The large trash receptacles or bins normally include a tub-like container, a hinged cover, wheels and a recessed lifting rod or shaft at one side thereof which is utilized to dump the contents of the receptacle into a garbage truck. 
     The invention disclosed herein is designed to be used in combination with an off-road vehicle such as an ATV, UTV, riding lawn mower or garden tractor. Although the invention herein may be used at either the rearward or forward ends of the off-road vehicle, the invention will be described as being mounted on the rearward end of the off-road vehicle. 
     A push tube assembly is provided which is pivotally mounted, about a horizontal axis, at the rearward end of the vehicle. A quick-attach assembly is secured to the rearward end of the push tube assembly and includes a front quick-attach assembly and a rear quick-attach assembly. The front quick-attach assembly includes horizontally spaced-apart first and second tubular members, having forward and rearward ends, extending therefrom. The rear quick-attach assembly has forward and rearward ends and includes a box-like housing having a forwardly presented pocket adapted to receive the first and second tubular members therein to enable the rear quick-attach assembly to be selectively secured to the front quick-attach assembly. A trash receptacle attachment member is secured to the rear quick-attach assembly for selective attachment to a trash receptacle. The trash receptacle attachment member includes means for engaging the lifting rod or shaft of the trash receptacle. 
     It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a means for moving trash receptacles from one location to another. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a means for moving trash receptacles which includes a front quick-attach assembly secured to the rearward end of a push tube assembly secured to the off-road vehicle and a rear quick-attach assembly which is adapted to be selectively secured to the front quick-attach assembly with the rear quick-attach assembly having a trash receptacle attachment member secured thereto. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a convenient means for moving a trash receptacle from a residence to a location remote from the residence such as a highway or main road. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating the invention hereof being used to move a trash receptacle; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the front and rear quick-attach assemblies of this invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the front quick-attach assembly of this invention and the trash receptacle attachment member; 
         FIG. 4  is a top elevational view of the front and rear quick-attach assemblies and the trash receptacle attachment member; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view illustrating the invention hereof being attached to a trash receptacle with portions of the trash receptacle being cut-away to more fully illustrate the invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  but which shows the trash receptacle being raised for transport. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
     In  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5  and  6  of the drawings, the numeral  10  refers to a push tube assembly which may be mounted to an off-road vehicle  12  at either the forward or rearward ends thereof. The drawings illustrate that the push tube assembly  10  is pivotally mounted at the rearward end of the off-road vehicle which may be an ATV, UTV, riding mower or garden tractor. Vehicle  12  includes a winch  14  having a winch cable  16  associated therewith for raising and lowering the rearward end of the push tube assembly  10 . 
     Plate  18  is secured to the rearward end of push tube assembly  10  as seen in the drawings. A front quick-attach assembly  20  is secured to plate  18  by any convenient means such as by bolts or the like. Assembly  20  includes plate portion  22  having tubular members  24  and  26  extending rearwardly therefrom. Each of the tubular members  24  and  26  preferably has a generally inverted channel-shaped cross section. As seen in the drawings, the tubular members  24  and  26  not only extend rearwardly from plate portion  22  but extend laterally inwardly at an angle. Pin openings  28  and  30  are provided in the top walls of tubular members  24  and  26  respectively. As seen in  FIG. 2 , the rearward ends of the tubular members  24  and  26  have tapered portions  32  and  34  at the rearward ends thereof for facilitating connection with the rear quick-attach assembly. Bracket  36  extends upwardly from plate portion  22  to enable the winch cable  16  to be connected thereto so that the front quick-attach assembly  20  may be raised or lowered with respect to the vehicle. 
     The numeral  38  refers to a rear quick-attach assembly which includes a box-like housing  40 . Housing  40  has a top wall  42 , side walls  44  and  46 , back wall  47  and bottom wall  48  which define a rearwardly facing pocket  50 . Side wall  44  extends forwardly and laterally outwardly from its rearward end to its forward end. Side wall  46  extends forwardly and laterally outwardly from its rearward end to its forward end. The angles of side walls  44  and  46  match the angles of the outer walls of tubular members  24  and  26  respectively. 
     The numeral  52  refers to a refuse receptacle attachment member which is secured to back wall  47  of housing  40  and which extends upwardly therefrom. Attachment  52  is channel-shaped and has an upstanding front wall  54  and side walls  56  and  58 . A finger-like projection  60  extends upwardly from the forward upper end of side wall  56  and a finger-like projection  62  extends upwardly from the forward upper end of side wall  58 . Preferably, a hand-hold opening  64  is provided in rear wall  54 . 
     Pin openings  66  and  68  are formed in top wall  42  adjacent the forward end thereof. Pin openings  66 ′ and  68 ′ are formed in bottom wall  48  directly below pin openings  66  and  68 . Retainer pins  70  and  72  are adapted to be extended downwardly through the pin openings  66  and  68  respectively through the pin openings  28  and  30  respectively in tubular members  24  and  26  respectively and through the pin openings  66 ′ and  68 ′ in bottom wall  48 . 
     The numeral  74  refers to a conventional trash or refuse receptacle which includes a body portion  76  having a selectable closeable lid  78 . Body portion  76  has a pair of wheels  80  rotatably secured to the lower end thereof at the back side of the receptacle  74 . A recess  82  is formed in the front side of the receptacle  74  and has a conventional lifting bar  84  positioned therein which is engaged by the lifting mechanism of a refuse or garbage truck to dump the contents of the receptacle into the compaction compartment of the truck. 
     When it is desired to move the trash receptacle  74  from one location to another, the rear quick-attach assembly  38  is secured to the front quick-attach assembly  20  by driving the vehicle rearwardly with respect to the rear quick-attach assembly  38  so that the tubular members  24  and  26  are received by the pocket  50 . The rear quick-attach assembly  38  is secured to the front quick-attach assembly  20  by means of the pins  70  and  72 . Alternatively, the rear quick-attach assembly  38  may be simply grasped by an operator by utilizing the hand-hold opening  64  formed therein so that the rear quick-attach assembly  38  may be secured to the front quick-attach assembly  20 . 
     The vehicle is then maneuvered so that the trash container attachment member  52  is received within the recess  82  of the container with the finger-like projections  60  and  62  being positioned below and inwardly of the bar  84 . The push tube assembly  10  is then raised through the use of the vehicle winch so that the projections  60  and  62  move upwardly and inwardly of the bar  84  until the bar  84  rests upon the upper ends of the side walls  56  and  58 . The entire assembly may then be raised which will cause the trash receptacle  74  to be raised from the ground. The vehicle may then be moved to the point of collection and trash receptacle  74  is deposited at that location. When the trash receptacle has been emptied by the trash collection crew, the off-road vehicle may then be driven to the point of collection and connected to the trash receptacle so that the trash receptacle may be returned to the residence. 
     Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives. 
     Although the invention has been described in language that is specific to certain structures and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.