Waste container and axle assembly therefor
AssigneeCascade Engineering, Inc.
InventorsRobert A. Walski, Gary L. Kaminski, Sally L. Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A waste container has an axle assembly comprising an axle with opposing axle end caps adapted to mount the wheels of the waste container. The axle comprises a metal rod encapsulated in plastic. An annular axle groove is formed near the ends of the axle in the encapsulating plastic. The metal rod provides the necessary strength for the axle and the encapsulating plastic protects the rod from corrosion while permitting the formation of the annular axle grooves used for mounting the axle to the wheel. The axle can easily be injection molded, reducing the cost and manufacturing time of prior axles while still providing corrosion protection.
Claims33
In a waste container for the storage and collection of residential or commercial waste, the waste container comprising:
- a receptacle having a bottom wall and a peripheral side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall and terminating in an upper edge to define a waste compartment with an open top;
- at least one cover pivotally mounted to an upper portion of the receptacle and moveable between an open position, in which the cover is remote of the open top to permit access to the waste receptacle, and a closed position, in which the cover at least partially overlies the open top;
- a handle extending from the upper portion of the receptacle;
- a wheel assembly mounted to a lower portion of the receptacle and including an elongated axle, wheels rotatably mounted on the axle, and wheel retainers mounted to end portions of the elongated axle outwardly of the wheels to retain the wheels on the axle;
- the improvement which comprises:
- the axle comprises an elongated body formed of a molded synthetic resin;
- and a reinforcing rod encapsulated within the elongated body to form an internal support therefor and strengthen the elongated body sufficiently to avoid undesirable deformation or failure of the axle under expected loads in the receptacle.
In a wheel assembly comprising an axle with a groove at an end portion thereof, a wheel with a central hub having an opening passing therethrough for receiving the axle, a wheel retainer to retain the wheel on the axle and having a lug extending radially inwardly into the groove in the axle to secure the retainer to the axle, the improvement comprising:
- the axle comprises an elongated body formed of a molded synthetic resin and with the groove integrally formed in the elongated body at an end portion thereof;
- and a reinforcing rod encapsulated within the elongated body to form an internal support therefor and to strengthen the elongated body sufficiently to avoid undesirable deformation or failure of the axle during loading of the axle.
A wheel assembly comprising:
- an axle molded of a synthetic resin into an elongated shape with integrally formed wheel retaining indentations at end portions thereof and a reinforcing rod encapsulated within the elongated shape and extending at least along a portion of the elongated shape between the indentations;
- a wheel with a central hub having an opening passing therethrough for receiving the axle;
- a wheel retainer to retain the wheel on the axle, the wheel retainer comprising a spring and having at least one lug, the at least one lug having a first end attached to the spring and a free end extending radially from the first end, the at least one lug extending radially inwardly toward the axis of the axle into the axle indentation, and the spring biases the lug into the axle indentation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.