Side-to-side flip roof for waste containers
AssigneeMclaughlin Waste Equipment Inc.
InventorsDanny M. McLaughlin, Lanny R. Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A side-to-side flip roof has the ability to be manually opened from both sides of a waste container by use of a manually operated handle. A carriage, carrier assembly, and pivot system allows for filling of the container from either side. This product has a plastic full-length roof to resist water ingress to meet legal storm water preparedness requirements. It holds up under extremely rigorous usage. For weight restriction reasons, plastic sheeting appears the best material to use for this roof. The roof mechanism allows a single person to open the roof with height of the box up to 8′, or more. This flip roof is additionally lockable.
Claims12
A side-to-side flip roof apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a set of two carriages;
- (b) a carrier assembly slidably restrained by its respective carriage;
- (i) wherein each carrier assembly translates as constrained by its respective carriage in a primary translational motion;
- (ii) wherein each carrier assembly further comprises:
- (A) a shaft substantially parallel to its primary translational motion;
- (B) a hinged roller bearing that slides upon the shaft;
- and
- (C) a hinge pivot hole disposed within the hinged roller bearing;
- (c) a roof comprising two roof pins rotationally constrained by the hinge pivot hole of each of the carrier assemblies;
- (d) wherein after traversing the primary translational motion of the carrier assembly within its respective carriage, the hinged roller bearing slides upon its shaft for an extended translation in a secondary translational motion;
- (e) wherein at an end of the secondary translational motion, the roof may be pivoted about the roof pins from a substantially horizontal orientation to a substantially vertical orientation through rotation of the roof pins within their respective hinge pivot holes.
A side-to-side flip roof apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a flip roof;
- (b) means for translating a carrier assembly within a carriage to perform a primary translational motion;
- (c) means for translating a hinge pivot hole within the carrier assembly to perform a secondary translational motion;
- (d) means for rotating the flip roof about the hinge pivot hole.
A method for side-to-side flipping of a roof of a waste container, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a waste container comprising a near side and a far side;
- (b) providing a carriage affixed to a top of the waste container, spanning the near side to the far side;
- (c) providing a carrier assembly riding within a channel of the carriage;
- (d) providing a hinge pivot hole slidably disposed within the carrier assembly;
- (e) wherein sliding of the carrier assembly within the channel of the carriage constitutes a primary translational motion;
- (f) wherein sliding of the hinge pivot hole within the carrier assembly constitutes a secondary translational motion;
- (g) providing a flip roof comprising a roof pin rotatably inserted into the hinge pivot hole;
- (h) moving the carrier assembly from a central position between the near side and far side to the near side using the primary translational motion;
- (i) moving the hinge pivot hole through the secondary translational motion beyond a lateral extent of the waste container;
- and
- (j) pivoting the flip roof about the hinge pivot hole by rotation of the roof pin relative to the hinge pivot hole substantially 90°.
A flip roof of a container, comprising:
- (a) a frame;
- (b) a roof covering coupled to the frame;
- (c) a side-to-side opening mechanism in communication with the frame and including a means for coupling with a container having two sides, wherein the roof covering is configured to be movable between a closed position that substantially covers an opening of the container, and an open position which allows access to a substantial portion of the opening on either of the two sides of the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.