Patent ID: 6938960

Claim:
A top-loading container for collecting, storing, and transporting bulk material, said container comprising: a) sidewall means, a bottom portion, and a cover portion; said sidewall means defining a load-carrying receptacle and including an upwardly facing top peripheral edge section having an open top; and b) sidewall connecting means for pivotally mounting said cover portion to said sidewall means at two pivot locations which are disposed outside of the receptacle and downwardly spaced from said peripheral edge section; said sidewall connecting means being effective to freely move said cover portion independent of said top peripheral edge section between a closed top position and an open top position; c) said sidewall connecting means including cover actuating means, cover extension means having two ends, and at least one connecting member having two ends; d) said cover extension means being fixedly mounted at one end thereof to said cover portion, and being fixedly mounted at the other end thereof to one end of said connecting member that is pivotally connected at the other end thereof to said sidewall means at a first of said two pivot locations; e) said cover actuating means including an upper end section and a lower end section; said upper end section being pivotally mounted to said cover extension means at an upper pivot axis, and said lower end section being pivotally mounted to said sidewall means at a lower pivot axis disposed at a second of said two pivot locations; said lower pivot axis being spaced downwardly and outwardly from said first of said two pivot locations and outwardly from said sidewall means; f) said cover actuating means being effective to move between an extended position and a retracted position wherein said cover portion moves independently of said top peripheral edge section and is in said closed top position when said cover actuating means is in said extended position, and the cover portion is in said open top position when said cover actuating means is in said retracted position.