Patent ID: 7040677

Claim:
A refuse collecting device which can be used to pick up animal waste, comprising: an elongated handle, a bag supporting member connected to a lower end of the handle with a bag pulled over the bag supporting member, the bag supporting member including a lower portion at a forward position and an upper portion positioned rear of the lower portion, the lower portion of the bag supporting member having a front edge which is thin and generally horizontal in use of the device and relatively stiff so that the lower portion in a first position, with the bag attached, can be held obliquely to a surface and pushed against and under a piece of refuse lying on the surface to pick up the refuse in the manner of a shovel and to carry the refuse on top of and on the outside of the bag, supported by the lower portion, the lower portion of the bag supporting member having raised side edge portions so as to shape the bag to have an upwardly concave surface for catching the refuse, the upper portion of the bag supporting member being connected to the elongated handle in an orientation to define an inclined support which is generally horizontal when the elongated handle is horizontal, and the bag extending over the upper portion, and folding means for pivoting the lower portion of the bag supporting member back on the handle to fold the bag back over upon itself along a generally horizontal hinge axis to a second position so as to trap the picked up refuse between two opposed surfaces of the bag and to transfer the refuse to a bag surface supported by the upper portion, and such that the bag can be stripped off the bag support member with the refuse between the said opposed surfaces to turn the bag inside out with the refuse captured in the bag.