Material or article handling – Elevator or hoist and loading or unloading means therefor – Tilting carrier
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-02
2004-04-06
Ridley, Richard (Department: 3651)
Material or article handling
Elevator or hoist and loading or unloading means therefor
Tilting carrier
C414S420000, C414S422000, C298S01700B
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715980
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the general field of containers and is particularly concerned with an industrial-type container adapted to be transported and tilted either manually or with the help of a forklift truck.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There exist a variety of situations wherein it is desirable to collect bulk material including rubbish or waste in a container adapted to be transported to a remote location for further processing. Common industrial waste typically collected in containers include bulk waste paper, scrap metal, broken glass, sand, castings, forging, stamped parts, scraps, dust and the like. The prevailing trend in industrial settings is to transport the containers either by manually rolling the latter on the ground surface or by lifting and carrying the containers using conventional forklift trucks.
As is well known in the art, there exist various constructions of lift trucks, among the best known of which are the so-called forklift trucks. Such forklift trucks are typically self-propelled vehicle having, usually at their front end, a support frame or similar structure. A mounting element, such as a mounting frame is mounted on the support frame at least for up and down movements relative to the latter.
A carrying component operable for engaging an object to be lifted is mounted on the mounting element for displacement therewith. The carrying component typically includes pair of fork prongs. Each of such fork prongs typically defines a load-engaging portion and a mounting portion, which extends at substantially right angle to the load-engaging portion.
Conventional containers used with forklift trucks include open topped containers in which the base is pivotal but retained close by a latch. Unlatching frees the base to pivot open when the container is lifted or tilted. Another conventional container is the so-called self-tipping skip/self-dumping hopper. This type of container typically has an open topped body mounted on a vase and pivotable in a constant plane between a normal “loading position” in which the body is substantially upright and a tipped-forward “emptying or dumping position”.
Such self-dumping bins are typically shaped with at least one of their walls angled upwardly and forwardly so that the area adjacent the bottom of the container is smaller than the area of the open top. When such a bin is filled with a generally homogeneous material it becomes relatively unstable. The resulting center of gravity is typically positioned just within the forward edge of the bottom so that the bin will normally remain upright. However, a slight tilt forward causes the center of gravity to shift beyond the forward edge of the bottom so that the bin tips forward to a dumping position.
The prior art is replete with various structures offering variations on the general concept of self-dumping bins adapted for use with conventional forklift trucks. Examples of patents disclosing such variations include U.S. Pat. No. 2,689,054 issued Sep. 14th, 1954 naming Thomas J. Martin as inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 2,738,222 issued Mar. 13th, 1956 naming V. H. Needham as inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,797 issued Nov. 18th, 1958 naming J. F. Wilcox as inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,703 issued Jan. 19th, 1960 naming G. R. Dampster et al as inventors, U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,126 issued Apr. 4th, 1961 and naming B. D. Chambers as inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,684 issued Dec. 19th, 1961 naming J. A. King et al as inventors, U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,678 issued Dec. 30th, 1969 naming C. O. De Wald as inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,643 issued Apr. 18th, 1972 naming Keneson et al as inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,797, U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,593 issued Apr. 15th, 1975 naming Ladislas Sleziak as inventor, an U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,617 issued May 6th, 1975 naming William T. Miller and William G. Morgan as inventors.
Although somewhat useful, the prior art structures suffer from numerous drawbacks. A common major drawback associated with most prior art structures is that they are typically overly complex often requiring assembly of various components. The undue complexity of the prior art structures not only unduly increases manufacturing costs but also renders these structures more or less reliable and more susceptible to failure or breakdown.
Also, some of the prior art structures require modifications to the conventional forklift truck in order to be used efficiently. This increases the overall operational costs for using the container. It also limits the use of the forklift truck to a single type of usage. Other structures require only temporary modifications to conventional forklift trucks using removable adaptors. However, installation and removal of these removable adaptors on the conventional forklift trucks is both tedious and time consuming.
Furthermore, some prior art structures only provide limited pivotal movement and, hence, sometimes lead to incomplete dumping of the material contained therein. Some structures also require complex operations for effecting their pivotal movement between the upright “containing” and tilted “dumping” positions. Other structures require tedious and time-consuming operations for both installation of the container on the tines of the forklift and removal of the container therefrom. Yet other structures provide containers that are not adapted to the safely mounted on the tines of conventional forklift trucks potentially leading to both injury and the destruction of material. Accordingly, there exist a need for an improved tiltable container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved tiltable container.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided A container for use with a forklift, the forklift having a pair of generally elongated and spaced apart lifting tines, the container defining a container centre of mass, the container comprising a base wall, the base wall defining a base wall peripheral edge; a first end wall and a second end wall, the first and second end walls both extending from the base wall in a generally opposed relationship relative to each other; a pair of side walls, each of the side walls extending from the base wall between the first and second end walls and in a generally opposed relationship relative to each other so that the side walls, the first end wall and the second end wall together define an open-topped enclosure having an opening defining an opening peripheral edge; the base wall defining a pair of first abutment walls, each of the first abutment walls extending inwardly in a generally perpendicular relationship relative to an adjacent side wall, from a first surface inner edge to a first surface outer edge, and, in a direction leading generally towards the second end wall, from the first end wall to a pivot location located generally adjacent the projection of the container centre of mass; each of the side walls defining a corresponding second abutment wall extending in a generally perpendicular relationship relative to the corresponding side wall, from a second surface inner edge to a second surface outer edge, and, in a direction leading generally towards the opening peripheral edge, from the pivot location to a second surface end location; each of the side walls also defining a corresponding recessed section extending in a generally perpendicular relationship relative to the first and second abutment walls from the pivot location to the second surface end location, the recessed section being recessed inwardly relative to the second abutment wall from the second surface inner edge to the second end wall; whereby each of the lifting tines is adapted to contact a corresponding one of the first abutment walls for supporting the container in a generally upright position, the recessed section allowing the container to pivot relative to the lifting tines about the pivot location between the upright position and a tilted position wherein each of the lifting tines abuttingly contacts a corresponding one of the second abutment walls.
Preferably, the
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