GB2212383A

GB2212383A - Refuse bag support means

Info

Publication number: GB2212383A
Application number: GB8826898A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Frederick Hugh Peacock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-11-17
Filing date: 1988-11-17
Publication date: 1989-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-17
Also published as: GB8826898D0; GB2212383B

Abstract

A refuse bag support means comprises a ring-like support member (1) of a peripheral length at least equal to the peripheral length of the open end of a refuse bag (2), the upper (open) end of the bag being stretched over the ring to form a skirt (3) to the outside of the ring, and the resilience of the bag effectively holding the bag on the ring. A handle (4, 6) can be provided on the ring to provide a portable arrangement, and ground support rollers (3) can be provided to help the ring to rest on the ground. <IMAGE>

Description

REFUSE AND THE LIKE BAG SUPPORT MEANS This invention relates to refuse and the like bag support means.

Refuse and the like bags are in widespread use and are known to be manufactured from a suitable plastics material.

Such bags are known to be used in their own right and are equally well-known to be used as a liner for e.g. a refuse bin. When plastics bags are used in their own right, such as by an operative whose task is to clear refuse from a given area, there is the difficulty of holding the bag open whilst gathering and placing refuse within it. It is equally so that there is a known advantage in strategically locating a litter or refuse container in, for example, a public area, but frequently the cost of providing a bin for the purpose provided with a plastics bin liner, is prohibitive.

The object of the present invention is to provide a refuse and the like bag support means able to serve the twofold purpose of enabling an operative to hold a bag in an open condition whilst gathering litter or refuse, and enabling the bag to be strategically located in an open condition to faciitate the placing of litter or refuse within the bag.

According to the present invention, a refuse and the like bag support means comprises a ring-like support member of a peripheral length at least equal to the peripheral length of the open end of a refuse and the like bag, and whereby with a bag passed through the ring its .upper end is stretched to extend over the ring-like support means to form a skirt dependent from and to the outside of the ring, and when the resilience of the bag generates a force as betweenthe bag and the ring sufficient to maintain the bag on the ring.

To enable the bag support means and a bag to be carried by an operative, handle means may be secured to the ring in such a manner that the connection of the handle means to the ring does not constitute an obstruction to the upper end of the bag extending around and engaging the ring. Thus, the connection of the handle to the ring may be by way of an upstanding end section to the handle, the end of which is turned through 900 to be secured to the ring such as by welding. The handle could be held directly by the operative or could be connected to a longer handle to enable an operative to hold the open bag in close proximity to the ground without stooping, for example to allow litter or refuse to be brushed into the bag.Thus, a connecting member may be provided in which the handle can be a push fit and into the opposite end of which a longer handle can also be a push fit.

To facilitate the use of the bag support means when it is to be held in close proximity to the ground, it is preferred to provide two rollers or skids strategically located on and to opposite sides of the ring, and each mounted on the ring in a manner such as not to impede the location of the bag on the ring. Thus the bag support means can rest on the ground by the rollers and when it can be moved over the ground with relative ease whilst brushing or otherwise depositing litter or refuse into the bag.

As a means of enabling such an open bag to be strategically located, a support bar can be provided that can be directly secured to the handle with the support bar formed as a spike at its lower end and such that it can be pushed into the ground. Alternatively, the support bar can extend to a foot member and be either directly secured to the foot member or located in an upstanding socket on the foot member.

With either such construction, two open bags can readily be held simultaneously, such as by providing a socket member into each end of which a respective handle of two rings is a push fit. Here, a support bar can be directly secured to one such handle but could equally be directly secured to the socket member. As an alternative, a support for the strategic location of an open bag can be provided by securing leg members to the ring in a manner such as not to impede the location of a bag on the ring, which leg members can make direct contact with the ground or can be secured to a further ring member at their lower ends.

The connecting member or socket member is preferably a square, rolled hollow section of metal or suitable plastics material.

Several embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of bag support means according to the invention with part of the bag cut away for clarity; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bag support means of Figure 1 secured to an elongate handle, and provided with ground support rollers with the bag removed for clarity; Figure 3 is a side elevaiton of the bag support means of Figure 1 attached to a stand for its strategic location; and Figure 4 shows an alternative form of construction of bag support means according to the invention and having a stand for its strategic location.

In Figure 1, a bag support means is formed by a ring 1 preferably of a stiff plastics coated wire having a peripheral length at least equal to the peripheral length of the open end of a plastics bag 2, and whereby with the plastics bag passed through the ring the open end can be stretched to extend over the ring to form a dependent skirt 3, the inherent resilience of the plastics material of the bag being such that a sufficient force is exerted between the plastics bag and the ring for the plastics bag to be held securely on the ring.

The plastics ring is provided with a handle 4 also of plastics coated wire, secured e.g. by welding, to the ring by inturned legs 5 and whereby the connection of the handle to the ring does not impede the location of the bag on the ring.

The bag support means of Figure 1 can be used as such, and carried by a user by the handle 4, and when litter and refuse can be deposited in the bag without the user being inconvenienced by the difficulty of maintaining the bag open.

However, for the further convenience of the user, an elongate handle 6 can be provided, as is illustrated in Figure 2.

Thus, a socket 7 is provided into which the handle 4 is a push fit, the elongate handle 6 being a push fit in the opposite end of the socket 7. By forming the ring 1 with a straight front edge 8, the ring and hence the bag opening, can be held in close proximity to the ground without the need for a user to stoop, and when litter and refuse can be swept into the bag with considerable ease. For the further convenience of the user, and to faciitate the movement of the bag support means over the ground, ground support rollers 9 can be provided, as is also illustrated by Figure 2, with the ground support rollers attached to the ring 1 by inturned legs 1B to ensure that the connection of the rollers to the ring does not impede the location of the bag on the ring.

There are numerous instances where it is highly advantageous to strategically locate a litter and refuse bag.

Thus, and as is illustrated in Figure 3 the bag support means of Figure 1 can be attached to a stand 11. Here, an upstanding leg member 12 has an upper support member 13 and is attached at its lower end to three interconnected feet members 14. Here it will readily be understood that in certain circumstances the feet 14 can be dispensed with and the lower end of the leg member 12 sharpened to allow ground penetration. Equally the leg member can be a sliding fit through a boss 15 at the interconnection of the feet members 14, to provide the advantage of both feet members and the penetration of the leg member into the ground. Thus and as is indicated in Figure 3, a socket 7 is again provided, a push fit on the handle 5 of the ring member and with the support members 13 a push fit in the opposite end of the socket.

Whilst one bag can be so located, there a-re instances where more than one bag can usefully be provided. Thus, although not illustrated, the leg member can be directly secured e.g.

by welding, to a handle of a ring member, and with a socket provided, the handle of that ring can be a push fit in one end of the socket and the handle of a second ring can be located in the opposite end of the socket thereby enabling one stand to support and strategically locate two bags.

In an alternative form of construction and where strategic location is required a support means is formed as a ring member 16 (Figure 4) of plastics coated wire to which are secured e.g. by welding, three dependent leg members 17, also of plastics coated wire, the leg members being attached to the ring member by out-turned connecting sections 18. At their lower ends, the leg members are secured e.g. by welding, to a further ring member 19 again of plastics coated wire. Thus, with a plastics bag 2 passed through the ring member 16, its open end can be stretched to pass over and grip the ring member after the manner of the bag 2 and ring 1 of Figure 1, and held in a stable condition at the required location by the contact between the lower ring member and the ground.

Claims

1. A refuse and the like bag support means comprising a ring-like support member of a peripheral length at least equal to the peripheral length of the open end of a refuse and the like bag, and whereby with a bag passed through the ring its upper end is stretched to extend over the ring-like support means to form a skirt dependent from and to the outside of the ring, and when the resilience of the bag generates a force as between the bag and the ring sufficient to maintain the bag on the ring.

2. A refuse and the like bag support means as in Claim 1, wherein handle means are secured to the ring in such a manner that the connection of the handle means to the ring does not constitute an obstruction to the upper end of the bag extending around and engaging the ring.

3. A refuse and the like bag support means as in Claim 2, wherein the handle has an upstanding end section, the end of which end section is turned through 900 and secured to the ring.

4. A refuse and the like bag support means as in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein a connecting member is provided in which the handle is a push fit and into the opposite end of which a longer handle is a push fit.

5. A refuse and the like bag support means as in any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein two rollers or skids are strategically located on and to opposite sides of the ring and mounted on the ring in a manner such as not to impede the location of the bag on the ring.

6. A refuse and the like bag support means as in any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein a support bar is provided to enable the strategic location of the ring and bag.

7. A refuse and the like bag support means as in Claim 6, wherein the support bar is secured directly to a handle on the ring and formed as a spike at its lower end such that it can be pushed into the ground.

8. A refuse and the like bag support means as in Claim 6, wherein the support bar extends to a foot member for contact with the ground.

9. A refuse and the like bag support means as in Claim 6, wherein a socket member is provided into which a handle on the ring is a push fit, and with the support bar secured either to the handle or to the socket member, and when a handle on a second ring can be a push fit in the opposite end of the socket and whereby to enable two bags to be strategically located.

18. A refuse and the like bag support means as in Claim 1, wherein to enable the strategic location of the ring and the bag, the ring is connected to leg members secured to the ring in spaced relationship around its periphery and secured to the ring in a manner such as not to impede the location of the bag on the ring, the leg members being connected at their lower ends to a further ring for contact with the ground.

11. A refuse and the like bag support means as in any of Claims 1 to 1, wherein the ring, the handle, and the support bar when provided, and the leg members and the further ring when provided, are formed from a plastics coated metal wire.

12. A refuse and the like bag support means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, or Figure 4, of the accompanying drawings.