Gravity actuated device to restrain or release lid of a refuse container

A gravity actuated rotatable device for restraining, locking, or releasing the top-mounted lid of a refuse container having a front wall, rear wall, and two side walls, the device comprising:

• a left rotator pack and a right rotator pack, each constructed of six metal plates wielded flush together, in planar abutment, with four adjacent plates further having uniquely contoured interior channels;
• the left and right rotator packs being spaced apart and permanently affixed to the front wall of the refuse container;
• a stainless-steel ball located within the confines of certain of the interior channels of the left rotator pack;
• an L-shaped left cantilever beam vertically attached at its lower end to the left rotator pack and an L-shaped right cantilever beam vertically attached at its lower end to the right rotator pack, and further, each cantilever beam attached, at its respective upper end, to an elongated horizontal restraining bar, such that with the refuse container at rest upon a flat surface, the restraining bar is positioned directly above the lid of the refuse container, blocking opening of the lid;
• and
• upon the refuse container being lifted from the flat surface and its front wall tilted forward, the force of gravity causes the stainless steel ball of in left rotator pack to roll, within the internal channels, freeing the left cantilever beam to pivot downward and pull the restraining bar away from its position above the lid, thus allowing the lid to freely swing open.

A gravity actuated rotatable device for restraining, locking, or releasing the top-mounted lid of a refuse container so equipped, comprising:

• (a) left and right upright cantilever beams, each beam attached at its upper end to a linear restraining bar positioned horizontally, directly above the lid of the refuse container, and each cantilever beam pivotably coupled attached at its lower end to a respective left rotator pack and right rotator pack, each rotator pack being an assemblage of metal plates stacked planarly and welded together along their edges;
• wherein
• (b) the metal plates of the left rotator pack comprise a left bracket plate having a left flange, a locking plate, a trigger plate and trigger, a housing plate having an interior wall, a guide plate, and a cover plate, further, each metal plate containing an axle orifice which accommodates the length of a left axle, said left axle further extending through an axle orifice within a left footing of the left cantilever beam and the axle culminating in a weld to the outermost cover plate, the left rotator pack being affixed to the front wall of the refuse container by means of permanent attachment at the left flange;
• (c) the metal plates of the right rotator pack comprise a right bracket plate having a right flange, a locking plate, a trigger plate and trigger, a housing plate, a guide plate, and a cover plate, further, each metal plate contains an axle orifice, which accommodates the length of a right axle, said right axle further extending through an axle orifice within the right footing of the right cantilever beam, with a right axle culminating in a weld at the outermost cover plate, the right rotator pack being affixed to the front wall of the refuse container by means of permanent attachment through the right flange;
• whereby,
• (d) with the refuse container at static rest atop a flat surface, a stainless steel ball rests atop the catch of the left cantilever beam, abuts the rear interior wall of the housing plate, is restrained on one side by the locking plate and on its opposite side by the cover plate;
• whereupon,
• (e) lifting and forward tilting of the refuse container allows gravity to roll the stainless steel ball downward along the left arc of the left cantilever beam, roll to the distal end of the second channel of the adjacent guide plate and the distal end of the first channel of the locking plate, thereby freeing the left cantilever beam to pivot and fully pull the horizontal restraining bar away from its position above the top lie.