Abstract:
A refuse and recycling receptacle assembly is constructed of two half round slatted receptacles hingedly secured to an intermediate stand upon which plastic garbage bags and the like can be attached. When it is wished to empty the plastic containers, the slatted receptacles can be pivoted out of the way allowing convenient access to the actual containers, which are protected at other times by the slatted half round receptacles which serve as covers for the actual trash receiving containers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates broadly to the collection of recyclables and more particularly to the provision of high volume yet elegant appearing containers that are paired together to form a single free-standing unit, convertible, if desired, to single units for mounting against another surface. 
     (2) Description of the Prior Art 
     During the last two or three decades the public collection of recyclables such as cans of various compositions, glass bottles, plastics, paper products and other nominal waste materials and particularly waste packaging materials which can be recycled has come more and more to the fore. Public bodies such as municipalities, state and federal parks and other public bodies as well as corporate entities such as large companies and the like have undertaken to provide recycling and refuse receivers in public places to encourage the public to both dispose of their refuse and to aid in the collection of recyclables for further processing. 
     At one time, the common public container for all kinds of waste materials was the ubiquitous heavy wire-mesh container. Such containers were fairly durable due to their heavy construction plus a certain degree of resiliency or bendability conferred by the open mesh wire construction. Such containers, however, have the disadvantage that the contents are exposed to public view and are frequently objectionable to many members of the public. In more recent years, various solid containers such as, in many cases, concrete containers and the like have been substituted for the former wire-mesh containers, although wire-mesh containers are still used, particularly where aesthetics is not a factor. While such concrete and the like containers are fairly durable and in many cases, particularly when they have an exterior surface of small decorative stones or the like, not unattractive, they are in many cases both difficult to empty and also expensive. Generally, solid containers made of thin coated metal or even durable plastic, including heavy plastic materials, are fairly economical and easy to handle, but objectionable to many people simply because they look like “garbage cans.” They are also often subject to vandalism, since they can be easily picked up, knocked over and otherwise mishandled, in which case the metal tends to bend and flake off its coating, after which it becomes subject to corrosion. Plastic containers, in addition, can usually be fairly easily cracked or otherwise damaged when attacked by a determined vandal. 
     Within the last twenty years, a type of container having a decorative exterior composed originally of wood slats to give it a rustic appearance and more recently of plastic slats which look like wood or similar materials have come into use, particularly in upscale locations such as in shopping centers, public parks, the interior of large buildings and other places where it is desired to have a trash or recycling receptacle in plain sight, but the appearance of an ordinary trash receptacle or garbage may be unacceptable. The provision of vertical wooden slats or artificial material slats having the appearance of wood over a cylindrical receptacle is particularly desirable because of the rustic appearance provided plus the ease of applying a vertical slat to the exterior of a cylindrical container, so long as the slat is maintained longitudinally aligned with the length of the cylinder. As indicated above, such receptacles have been in use for about two and a half decades and have been extremely popular for about a decade and a half. Such receptacles have been made in various ways including the attachment of the rustic slats on the outside of an ordinary trash can or barrel as well as the provision of a cylindrically shaped receptacle by the use of various internal supporting means such as structural rings and the like to reinforce the other slats so that the combination of the slats and the rings forms their own receptacle. If adequately reinforced internally, such slatted exterior ring-reinforced type containers have proved reasonably strong and durable. 
     Within the last several years a new type of container or receptacle having a slatted exterior has come into use. This By type of container or receptacle is provided with a slanted top rather than a flat top, resulting in a particularly attractive design. Furthermore, when such slatted receptacles are arranged around a central unifying post, a particularly attractive and aesthetically pleasing arrangement is provided. Such an arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Design Patent 331,824 issued Dec. 15, 1992. The initial construction of the new slanted top slatted receptacles was effected by fastening slats with threaded fasteners to the exterior of an ordinary steel barrel with the fastening passing into the external barrel hoops on such barrel. The internal steel barrel formed a strong construction for the container itself and the slatted exterior with attached differential length slats provided a pleasing appearance to the exterior. When a lid was desired, a flat lid was merely placed in the top supported by internal tabs spaced, usually at four locations, on the interior of the slats. The top could either be supported in a horizontal position or preferably was slanted to conform more or less with the top of the receptacle. Unfortunately, while the described arrangement provided a strong lower section to the receptacle, the upper slanted portion was left essentially unsupported, particularly with respect to the longer or higher slats and there was, furthermore, no satisfactory way to securely attach the top to the receptacle. 
     An oval reinforcing or structural ring was developed to reinforce the upper portion of these slanted top slatted receptacles and more recently flat topped slatted receptacles have come into use. Particularly where these are provided with the present inventor&#39;s method for bowing the slats of the receptacles either inwardly or outwardly to a slight degree to provide a more pleasing outline, these flat topped receptacles have met with much favor in the market. The tops of these receptacles can be locked and are quite secure against vandals and the like. 
     One difficulty with a receptacle in which the top must be removed to remove the trash and recyclables collected therein is that in larger sizes of receptacles it is difficult to remove such materials, usually collected within the receptacle in plastic bags or separate thinner plastic containers, through the top of the plastic slatted container even with the entire top or lid removed. The larger the receptacle, or, more especially, the higher the receptacle, the more difficult such removal becomes. Yet it is frequently desirable to make such slatted receptacles higher rather than wider to increase the capacity, since in this way the receptacles take up less floor space. One solution to the removal of the contents of receptacles from the top is to remove such contents from the sides through a door or opening in the side. However, this has not proved to be a really satisfactory solution, because the provision of a side door in a slatted structure is difficult and expensive to implement and the person removing the contents is still forced to work from a cramped position and there then tends in addition to be wasted space in the upper portion of the receptacle. 
     There has been a need, therefore, to provide a recycling and refuse container from which collections of waste and recyclables can be removed easily and efficiently while still providing an attractive, strong, and damage resistant receptacle assembly. The present invention provides such an improved receptacle by providing in a principal embodiment a pair of adjacent half oval (which includes the usual half round) slatted receptacles movably mounted upon a support or stand in face to face position. Each receptacle has an open side where the two receptacles abut each other or the stand upon which stand or support plastic trash bags or the like can be hung or supported. When access is desired to the plastic containers, the slatted receptacles are pivoted from over such containers which can easily thereupon be accessed and removed for disposal. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a plastic slatted receptacle assembly having a pleasing appearance. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a plastic slatted receptacle assembly in which the receptacles have open backs facing each other, which enables such receptacles to be swung away from each other to expose trash and receptacle containers within. The receptacles are preferably supported from a rack or stand and can be conveniently removed from such stand without unusual exertion and/or contortions. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to provide for hingedly supporting the plastic slatted receptacles upon a central support stand to allow swinging of such receptacles out of the way to gain access to the contents thereof. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to provide attractive alternative ways for removing the slatted containers or receptacles from over the plastic collection containers within. 
     It is a still further object of the invention to provide a support for plastic slatted receptacles that can be converted to support against or support from a structural wall of a building. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be recognized from reference to the following description and appended drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an assembly of the invention, showing two slatted receptacles mounted upon a base. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the assembly of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the assembly of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the assembly of the invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of the assembly of the invention. 
     FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the assembly of the invention with one slatted receptacle swung away to show a light flexible plastic container or plastic trash bags within which refuse and recyclables are collected plus the inside of the slatted receptacle. 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the invention with both plastic slatted receptacles swung open showing a pair of rigid plastic containers supported from the frame for receipt of refuse and recyclables. 
     FIG. 8 is a partially broken away depiction of the top one of the receptacles showing one of the half-round structural rings that support the plastic slats. 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of one of the half-oval receptacles with the top removed, showing one of the structural rings supporting the slats and illustrating how there are no slats attached to the straight section of the ring along the back. 
     FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the assembly of the invention with one half-oval or round receptacle moved to the side on a caster at the bottom. An oval plate rather than a strip base is also shown. 
     FIG. 11 is an isometric view of one of the assemblies of the invention with one half round receptacle removed and the entire assembly attached to a wall or other vertical surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a recycling and refuse receptacle assembly incorporating a pair of half oval (including the most frequent half round configuration) plastic slatted recycling and refuse receptacles with the usual construction of structural rings upon which are secured the plastic slats on the curved sections. The half oval slatted receptacles are hingedly supported upon a central frame that enables one or both slatted receptacles to be swung away from the framework to access light plastic or other containers supported upon the central frame from which said plastic containers can be easily removed for emptying or disposal. The complete opening or removal of the slatted receptacles enables refuse or recyclables collected within to be easily removed without significant stress or repetitive bending by the workman and the assembly is clean cut and pleasing in appearance. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following detailed description is of the best mode or modes of the invention presently contemplated. Such description is not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but to be an example of the invention presented solely for illustration thereof, and by reference to which in connection with the following description and the accompanying drawings one skilled in the art may be advised of the advantages and construction of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the plastic slatted receptacle assembly of the invention in which there is shown a receptacle assembly  11  comprised of plastic slatted receptacles  12  and  13  each formed of plastic slats  15  secured to internal structural rings  17  (see FIGS.  8 .and  9 ). Each of such structural rings  17  has a half-oval configuration as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. At the top of each of the plastic slatted receptacles is a top  20  which may itself either be of plastic, in which case it will probably be used with the internal structural rings  17  or, if formed of sturdier metal, may itself serve as a structural attachment for the plastic slats  15 . In the center of the top there will usually be a single restricted diameter orifice  20  through which refuse and/or recyclables such as plastic and aluminum containers and the like may be inserted. Several orifices may at times be appropriate. 
     At the bottom of the plastic slatted receptacles there is a bottom section  21  which conventionally is formed in the center with a grill pattern  23 . Such grill  23  allows air access to the inside of the receptacle, but prevents small animals or the like from gaining entrance. The grill can best be seen in FIGS. 6 and 10. 
     A stand, or support,  25  is provided in the center of the receptacle assembly. Such stand is formed of a preferably rectangular upstanding support member  27  and a bottom stabilizing base portion  29  which spreads outwardly and maintains the upstanding member  27  in an attitude to support internal plastic or other containers as well as the two plastic slatted receptacles  12  and  13 . As shown the upstanding rectangular support portion is formed of two side structural sections  31  plus a crosspiece  33 . These support members can be formed of any suitably strong members such as angles, channels, small I-beams and/or the like and are shown formed of channel members welded together. 
     A base  29  to support the upstanding support member  27  is formed preferably of curved members  35  welded to the sides of the side sections  31  of the upstanding support member  27  so such member is held upright. Again, the curved members  35  can be made of any suitable material, but in view of their preferred curvature may be conveniently formed of a single strip of metal bent into the same general oval (or half-round) shape and welded to the lower portions of the side sections  31  of the upstanding support. This forms a conveniently vertically rigid member which can be fairly wide because of its position directly below the half-oval slatted receptacles, since it is removed thereby from a position where someone might trip over it. If desired, a rectangular base could be formed from straight structural sections welded together. Another alternative would be to provide a reasonably thick flat plate having an outline preferably essentially the same as the outline of the two slatted receptacles supported upon the stand. See FIG. 10 where a circular solid base  34   a  is shown. 
     FIGS. 2,  4 , and  5  illustrate how the upstanding support members  27  separates the two plastic slatted receptacles, providing a pleasing appearance as well. As shown in FIG. 6, when it is desired to remove light plastic or other containers  36  from the interior of the assembly, one or the other, or both, of the half-oval slatted receptacles, which are hinged by any suitable hinge arrangement  41 , to one of the side sections  31  of the upstanding support member, are swung away on one side from the vertical member  31 . The plastic container or containers  36  which are supported from the top cross-piece  33  of the upstanding support  27  can be easily unhooked and carried away. If desired such containers can be transferred on a wheeled transport that can be wheeled or inserted directly under such light containers particularly if a fairly flat base  34   a  is made use of such as shown in FIG.  10 . 
     As shown in FIG. 10 it is possible, although not preferred, to, rather than hinging the oval plastic upstanding support, to instead support such containers on/or by another means such as, for example mounting them on casters  37 . They can then be rolled away from the central support  33  or crosspiece. 
     FIG. 11 illustrates how if the curved base members are made so they can be removed from the central upstanding support member  27 , one of such base members can be removed and half the assembly hung by suitable attachments upon a wall so as to take up even less wall space. 
     As will be recognized, forming a receptacle assembly in accordance with this invention provides an attractive receptacle assembly for recyclables and refuse that is also advantageous in preventing injury to trash collectors and other workmen who must empty the receptacles. The arrangement is sturdy and relatively inexpensive, yet eminently attractive and such as may be used in very upscale locations. The arrangement also allows larger capacity containers taking up less floor space which is frequently important in high volume business locations such as malls, downtown business locations and the like. 
     While the present invention has been described at some length and with some particularity with respect to the several described embodiments, it is not intended that it should be limited to any such particulars or embodiments or any particular embodiment, and is to be construed with reference to the appended claims so as to provide the broadest possible interpretation of such claims in view of the prior art and, therefore, to effectively encompass the intended scope of the invention