# US 4,398,759 A · Litter pick up device

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 4,398,759 A
- Document ID: US4398759A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/259,031
- Filed: 1981-04-30
- Granted: 1983-08-16
- Earliest claimed: 1981-04-30
- Inventors: Alvin J. Manola
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4398759A

## CPC

- E01H 1/1206: {for picking up excrements (manure or urine pouches for animal husbandry A01K23/00)}
- E01H 2001/1293: {Walking cane or the like, i.e. implements allowing handling while in an upright position}
- E01H: STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING {OR PREVENTING} FOG IN GENERAL {CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS}(cleaning in general B08B)

## Abstract

A portable, hand-held device for picking up litter and including a movable handle attached to a control cable which extends to a toggle mechanism which opens and closes a pair of pick-up jaws. A hollow rod extends between the handle and the jaws as a two piece member having a joint which allows the jaws and handle to be rotated with respect to one another to allow the device to pick up in any convenient direction. The control cable includes an adjustment lock which allows the distance between the jaws to be adjusted to thus adapt the pickup member for various types of litter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A portable pick-up device for engaging, grasping, encompassing and disposing of animal litter, in particular, dog litter, the improvement comprising:
a handle having an operating lever pivotally connected thereto and adapted to pivot upon engagement by a user;
a shaft comprising hollow tube means extending from the handle;
jaw means with portions adapted to move between an open and closed position extending from said shaft;
an operating mechanism comprising a cable attached at one end to the operating lever, and having a second end;
toggle link means interconnected between the second end of said cable and said jaw means;
spring means for engaging the cable and biasing the jaw means into said open position by acting directly on said toggle link means and said cable;
lock means mounted on said lever cooperative with the cable for selective adjustment of the length of the cable thereby enabling the adjustment of the opening of the jaw means;
said shaft includes first and second hollow tube portions;
a friction slip connection comprising a reduced diameter portion on said first tube portion insertable within the second hollow tube portion to allow for relative rotation between the two tube portions; and
said friction slip connection being biased together by the force of said spring means acting on said toggle link means and the adjustment of said cable provided by said lock means.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The litter pick-up device of claim 1 wherein said shaft comprises:
a removable handle portion having means disengageable from the cable to pivot the handle to be replaced by a handle having a different length to thereby vary the length of the litter pick-up device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The litter pick-up device of claim 1 and:
a connector box having means attached to said shaft and including hinge means for mounting said jaw means.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The litter pick-up device of claim 3 wherein said toggle link means includes:
a toggle link having one end connected with said cable;
a pair of toggle arms connected with and diverging from the toggle link and having means connected with the jaw means, whereby pivoting movement of the operating lever moves the jaw means between open and closed positions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The litter pick-up device of claim 1 wherein said spring means comprise:
stop means having means fixed to prevent movement;
coil spring means having one end in abutment with said stop means;
floating stop means at the other end of the spring means and having means movable with said cable whereby tightening of the cable urges the floating and fixed stop means together to compress the coil spring means, and, release of the cable allows the spring means to automatically urge the jaw means apart.