CONSTRUCTION WASTE REMOVAL CONTAINER

Sheldon Mickelson

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of waste removal containers and more particularly to collapsible waste removal containers for use at construction sites, commercial sites, industrial waste sites, town houses, multi-family homes and condominiums .

Description of the Related Art

At construction sites, such as high-rise buildings for new construction, remodeling, building refurbishment or modernization, and at industrial waste sites, one of the problems faced by the builder, construction company or business is the removal of substantial amounts of waste, debris and garbage. Conventional ways for waste, debris and garbage removal at construction and industrial sites are accomplished by locating multiple containers or bins at various waste collection locations at the construction or industrial site. Typical containers or bins are approximately twenty feet long, six to eight feet wide and three to eight feet deep. These containers are typically referred to as "roll-off containers and may have wheels to make the stationary roll-off containers into mobile roll-off containers. Such roll-off containers usually have three standard sizes: one size is twenty cubic yards, a second size is thirty cubic yards and the other size is about forty cubic yards.

Since all roll-off containers have different trash weight and capacity, which is dependent upon the ability of an associated "roll-off truck" to pick up the loaded containers and upon state and/or local restrictions, the size of roll-off container selected depends upon the weight of trash or other materials to be dumped therein. For example, the twenty yard roll-off containers are typically most efficiently used on construction sites for heavy waste materials, such as broken masonry, concrete and

asphalt; earth; bricks and tile. The thirty and forty yard roll-off containers are typically constrained to receiving lighter- weight materials, such as scrap lumber, plasterboard, broken shingles, tree branches and trimmings, business and household garbage and typical packaging waste such as corrugated cardboard, cardboard and packing materials. Regardless of which roll-off container is selected, these roll-off containers are too heavy for trucks having front or rear end loaders to lift and empty the construction waste materials. Instead, an associated "roll-off truck" will pick up the roll-off container.

Conventional roll-off containers are made as single integrated units constructed of heavy materials such as metal and cannot be disassembled. As such, each roll-off container has a fixed footprint that requires a set amount of space at the construction/industrial site regardless of whether that roll-off container is in use or is waiting to be used. This causes a problem at many construction and industrial sites that have limited space available to place waste containers, much less store empty roll-off containers. More importantly, as roll-off containers are single integrated units, the roll-off containers are typically transported one at a time to the construction/industrial site whether empty or loaded with debris, which squanders time, fuel, resources and money.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to waste removal containers and provide a novel and non-obvious system and apparatus for receiving and containing waste. In one embodiment of the invention, a waste removal container system can be provided. The system can include a plurality of detachable walls and a detachable base wall that can include a locking mechanism to interlock with plurality of detachable walls. The locking mechanism can include a plurality of retaining flanges coupled to the topside of the base wall, which are arranged to interlock with a bottom edge of at least one of the plurality of walls. The plurality of walls can include hinging receptacles located on the side-edges of the

plurality of walls. The plurality of walls can include a pair of detachable side walls, a detachable front wall and a detachable back wall. The system further can include a hinging pin configured for engaging a first hinging receptacle coupled to a side-edge of one of the plurality of walls and a second hinging receptacle coupled to a side-edge of another of the plurality of walls. The hinging receptacles can receive retaining pins to interlock one detachable wall to the next to form interlocking corner joints for the waste removal container system.

In another embodiment of the invention, a method for deploying a waste removal container system can be provided. The method can include transporting one or more collapsible waste containers to a construction site, assembling the collapsible waste removal container by connecting a set of wall members to the base wall and connecting the wall members to the corresponding adjacent wall member. The process yet further can include positioning the one or more collapsible waste containers to receive waste and receiving waste. In embodiments, assembling the collapsible waste removal container can include sliding a bottom end of a front wall into a retaining flange of the base wall. This embodiment further can include sliding a bottom end of a side wall into another retaining flange of the base wall. The hinging receptacles of front wall can be aligned with the hinging receptacles of side wall. Once aligned, a hinging pin can be deployed through the aligned hinging receptacles to interlock a side-edge of front wall with a side-edge of side wall to form a corner joint. This embodiment further can include sliding a bottom end of a side wall into yet another retaining flange of the base wall. The hinging receptacles of front wall can be aligned with the hinging receptacles of side wall. Once aligned, a hinging pin can be deployed through the aligned hinging receptacles and to interlock a second side-edge of front wall with a side-edge of side wall to form a corner joint.

Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the

appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:

Figure 1 is an angled perspective view of a collapsible waste removal container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 A is a bottom view of the detachable base wall of the waste removal container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2B is a front end view of a detachable base wall of the waste container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a front view of a detachable side wall of the waste container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a front view of a detachable front wall (or rear wall) of the waste container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and,

Figure 5 is a front view of a hinging pin of the waste container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This description of preferred embodiments is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, corresponding reference numbers are used throughout to identify the same or functionally similar elements. Relative terms such as

"horizontal," "vertical," "up," "down," "top" and "bottom" as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., "horizontally," "downwardly," "upwardly," etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing figure under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and are not intended to require a particular orientation unless specifically stated as such. Terms including "inwardly" versus "outwardly," "longitudinal" versus "lateral," "distal" versus "proximal" and the like are to be interpreted relative to one another or relative to an axis of elongation, or an axis or center of rotation, as appropriate. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as "connected" and "interconnected," refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. The term "operatively connected" is such an attachment, coupling or connection that allows the pertinent structures to operate as intended by virtue of that relationship.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method and apparatus for receiving and containing waste. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a collapsible construction waste removal container system in a disassembled state can be transported to a construction/industrial site. The collapsible waste container can include a plurality of detachable walls and a detachable base wall that can include a locking mechanism to interlock with the plurality of detachable walls. The locking mechanism can include a plurality of retaining flanges coupled to the topside of the base wall, which are arranged to interlock with a bottom edge of at least one of the plurality of walls. The plurality of walls can include hinging receptacles located on the side-edges of the plurality of walls. The plurality of walls

can include a pair of detachable side walls, a detachable front wall and a detachable back wall. The hinging receptacles can receive retaining pins to interlock one detachable wall to the next to form interlocking corner joints for the waste removal container system. The collapsible waste container system can be assembled and then positioned so that it can receive waste, debris and garbage, e.g., from a downstream end of a waste disposal chute. In addition, waste, debris and garbage collected in the collapsible waste container system can be removed by a waste transport vehicle having a grasping mechanism, e.g., a grappler, and loaded into a waste receiving bed of the waste transport vehicle for transportation to a central waste repository.

In further illustration, Figure 1 is an angled perspective view of a waste removal container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, a collapsible waste removal container system 100 can include a plurality of walls, such as a pair of detachable side walls 102 and 104 (not shown), a detachable front wall 106, a detachable back wall 108 (not shown) and a detachable base wall member 110 that interlocks with side walls 102 and 104, front wall 105 and back wall 108. The detachable base wall 110 can be made from quarter inch thick steel plate and have a length of sixteen feet and a width of seven feet. In embodiments, the base wall 110 can have various lengths, e.g., seventeen feet or twenty feet eight inches, and/or widths, e.g., five feet or six feet, conditional on the lengths and heights of the side walls 102 and 104, front wall 105 and back wall 108 and the desired container size, e.g., twenty cubic yards, thirty cubic yards and forty cubic yards. In embodiments, the detachable base wall 110 can be made by welding multiple sections of the quarter inch thick steel plate together. The detachable base wall 110 can include a plurality of retaining flanges 112 disposed along the outer perimeter of base wall 110 (two of the plurality of retaining flanges 112 are shown in Figure 1). The retaining flanges 112 retain the detachable side walls 102 and 104, the front wall 106 and the back wall 108 to the base wall 110. The detachable base wall 110 is described in more detail with reference to Figures 2 A and 2B.

The detachable side walls 102 and 104, the front wall 106 and the back wall 108 can include a set of hinging receptacles 120 and 122 attached to the opposing sides of each wall. The hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be can be made from segments of metal pipe and welded to the two opposing side-edges of each detachable wall. The hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be configured to receive hinging pins 118, which can be used to interlock the side-ends of adjacent walls 102, 104, 106 and 108. Notably, the hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be positioned in an offset or staggered pattern along the side-edge of the walls 102, 104, 106 and 108 to minimize any gaps in the assembled waste removal container system 100. As illustrated in Figure 1, the detachable side walls 102 and 104, the front wall 106 and the back wall 108 can include a plurality of wall tubing 114 and 116, e.g., two inch by two inch heavy wall tubing, on the outside surface of each wall 102, 104, 106 and 108. The wall tubing 114 can be attached along the outer perimeter of each wall 102, 104, 106 and 108. The detachable side walls 102 and 104, the front wall 106 and the back wall 108 are described in more detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

In further illustration, Figure 2 A is a bottom view of the detachable base wall 110 of the waste removal container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2 A, the detachable base wall 110 can include front side-edge 212, rear side-edge 214, left side-edge 216 and right side-edge 218. The detachable base wall 110 further can include a plurality of wall tubing 202, e.g., two inch by two inch heavy wall tubing, on the bottom side 206 of the base wall 110 and attached along the outer perimeter of the base wall 110. The ends of wall tubing 202 can be cut at forty-five degree angles and welded together at the corner ends of base wall 110. Additional wall tubing 203 and 204, e.g., two inch by two inch heavy wall tubing, can be coupled to the bottom side 206 of the base wall 110 in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, to reinforce base wall 110. For example, wall tubing 203 can be coupled to the bottom side 206 of base wall 110 at one foot increments along a vertical direction and wall tubing 204 can be coupled to the bottom side 206 of base wall 110 at two and one-half foot increments along a

horizontal direction. By varying the distance of the increments, the thickness of the steel plate also can be varied without reducing the overall sturdiness of the detachable base wall 110.

In yet further illustration, Figure 2B is a front end view of detachable base wall 110 of the waste container system 100 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As illustrated in Figure 2B, detachable base wall 110 can include a plurality of retaining flanges 112 disposed along the outer perimeter of detachable base wall 110. In embodiments, the retaining flanges 112 can be made from three-inch channel steel having one-quarter inch wall thickness. The retaining flanges 112 can be configured to receive a tubular rail 114, e.g., two inch by two inch wall tubing, affixed to a bottom end 304 (Figure 3), 404 (Figure 4) of the detachable side walls 102 and 104, the front wall 106 and the back wall 108. The tubular rails 114 located at the bottom ends 304 and 404 of walls 102, 104, 106 and 108 can be slidably connected to the retaining flanges 112 of base wall 110.

In yet further illustration, Figure 3 is a front view of a detachable side wall of the waste container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As illustrated in Figure 3, a detachable side wall 102, 104 can include a top side-edge 302, a bottom side-edge 304, a left side-edge 306 and a right side-edge 308. The detachable side wall 102, 104 can include wall tubing 114, e.g., two inch by two inch heavy wall tubing, on the front side 310 of side wall 102, 104 and attached along the outer perimeter of the side wall 102, 104. The ends of wall tubing 114 can be cut at forty-five degree angles and welded together at the corners of side wall 102, 104. Additional wall tubing 116, e.g., two inch by two inch heavy wall tubing, can be coupled to the front side 310 of side wall 102, 104 in a horizontal direction, to reinforce side wall 102, 104. For example, wall tubing 114 can be coupled to the front side 310 of side wall 102, 104 at two and one-half foot increments along a vertical direction.

In embodiments, the detachable side wall 102, 104 can be made from

eighth-inch thick steel plate and have a length of sixteen feet and a width of seven feet. In embodiments, the side wall 102, 104 can have various lengths, e.g., sixteen feet, seventeen feet or twenty feet eight inches, and/or heights, e.g., seven, eight or twelve feet, conditional on the lengths and widths of base wall 110 and the desired container size, e.g., twenty cubic yards, thirty cubic yards and forty cubic yards.. The detachable side walls 102 and 104 can include a set of hinging receptacles 120 and 122 attached to the opposing sides of each wall. The hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be can be made from segments of metal pipe and welded to the two opposing side-edges of each detachable wall. In embodiments, the hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be made from one and a half inch diameter metal pipe can be approximately ten inches in length. The hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be configured to receive hinging pins 118, which can be used to interlock the side-ends of adjacent walls 102, 104, 106 and 108. Notably, the hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be positioned in an offset or staggered pattern along the side-edge of the walls 102, 104, 106 and 108 to minimize any gaps in the assembled waste removal container system 100.

In yet further illustration, Figure 4 is a front view of a detachable front wall (or rear wall) of the waste container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As illustrated in Figure 4, a detachable front (or back) wall 106 (108) can include a top side-edge 402, a bottom side-edge 404, a left side-edge 406 and a right side-edge 408. The detachable front/back wall 106, 108 can include wall tubing 114, e.g., two inch by two inch heavy wall tubing, on the front side 410 of front/back wall 106, 108 and attached along the outer perimeter of the front/back wall 106, 108. The ends of wall tubing 114 can be cut at forty- five degree angles and welded together at the corners of front/back wall 106, 108. Additional wall tubing 116, e.g., two inch by two inch heavy wall tubing, can be coupled to the front side 310 of front/back wall 106, 108 in a horizontal direction, to reinforce front/back wall 106, 108. For example, wall tubing 114 can be coupled to the front side 310 of front/back wall 106, 108 at two and one-half foot increments along a

vertical direction.

In embodiments, the detachable front/back wall 106, 108 can be made from eighth-inch thick steel plate and have a length of seven feet and a height of five feet. In embodiments, the front/back wall 106, 108 can have various lengths, e.g., five feet, seven feet or twelve feet, and/or heights, e.g., four, five or eight feet, conditional on the lengths and widths of base wall 110 and the desired container size, e.g., twenty cubic yards, thirty cubic yards and forty cubic yards. In embodiments, the wall height of the waste container system 100 can be increased by coupling a bottom edge of a second wall, e.g., front/back wall 106, 108, to the top edge of a first wall, e.g., front/back wall 106, 108 to produce a "jumbo" container. In this way, the height of front/back wall 106, 108 can be increased to twice it standard height and thereby increase the overall container size, e.g., eighty cubic yards, one hundred cubic yards and one hundred-twenty cubic yards. In embodiments, a wall extension support, e.g., a steel plate or angle iron, can be coupled to the bottom edge a second wall, e.g., front/back wall 106, 108, and the top edge of a first wall, e.g., front/back wall 106, 108, to provide additional structural support for the extension of the wall height of a jumbo container. Notably, by assembling the collapsible container system 100 at the waste removal location, the user of the container system 100 enjoys significant flexibility to customize the size of the required container. This flexibility to customize the size of the required container is particularly advantageous at high-rise construction sites where waste removal containers having greater waste capacity are desirable.

The detachable front/back wall 106, 108 can include a set of hinging receptacles 120 and 122 attached to the opposing sides of each wall. The hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be can be made from segments of metal pipe and welded to the two opposing side-edges of each detachable wall. In embodiments, the hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be made from one and a half inch diameter metal pipe and can be approximately ten inches in length. The hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be configured to receive hinging pins 118, which can be used to interlock the

side-ends of adjacent walls 102, 104, 106 and 108. Notably, the hinging receptacles 120 and 122 can be positioned in an offset or staggered pattern along the side-edge of the walls 102, 104, 106 and 108 to minimize any gaps in the assembled waste removal container system 100.

In further illustration, Figure 5 is a front view of a hinging pin of the waste container system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As illustrated in Figure 5, a hinging pinl 18 can have a top end 502 and a bottom end 504 opposite the top end 502. In embodiments, the hinging pinl 18 can be made from one-inch diameter steel rod and have a length of eight feet. In embodiments, the hinging pinl 18 can have various lengths, e.g., five feet, seven feet or twelve feet, conditional on the heights of the walls 102, 104, 106 and 108 and the desired container size, e.g., twenty cubic yards, thirty cubic yards and forty cubic yards.

In operation, the waste container system 100 is a collapsible waste container that can be can be assembled and then positioned so that it can receive waste, debris and garbage, e.g., from a downstream end of a waste disposal chute. For further details of a waste removal system deploying the collapsible waste container system 100, reference may be had to the commonly assigned patent application number 12/058,426, entitled, "System and Method for Construction Waste Removal", which was filed March 28, 2008, and the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

In operation, the waste removal container system 100 can be deployed at construction/industrial sites to provide a more efficient process for waste removal from a construction/industrial site at a significant reduction in overall cost. The process for deploying a waste removal container system 100 can include transporting one or more collapsible waste containers to a construction site, assembling the collapsible waste removal container by connecting the wall members to the base walls and connecting the wall members to the corresponding adjacent wall member. The

process yet further can include positioning the one or more collapsible waste containers to receive waste and receiving waste. In embodiments, assembling the collapsible waste removal container 100 can include sliding a bottom end 404 of a front wall 106 into a retaining flange 112 of the base wall 110. This embodiment further can include sliding a bottom end 304 of a side wall 104 into another retaining flange 112 of the base wall 110. The hinging receptacles 122 of front wall 106 can be aligned with the hinging receptacles 120 of side wall 104. Once aligned, a hinging pin 118 can be deployed through the aligned hinging receptacles 120 and 122 to interlock a side-edge of front wall 106 with a side-edge of side wall 104 to form a corner joint. This embodiment further can include sliding a bottom end 304 of a side wall 102 into yet another retaining flange 112 of the base wall 110. The hinging receptacles 120 of front wall 106 can be aligned with the hinging receptacles 122 of side wall 102. Once aligned, a hinging pin 118 can be deployed through the aligned hinging receptacles 120 and 122 to interlock a second side-edge of front wall 106 with a side-edge of side wall 102 to form a corner joint. Accordingly, the disclosed waste removal container system and process saves a significant amount of time and cost over conventional roll-off container systems. .

The invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, but the invention is not limited only to the particular constructions disclosed and shown in the drawings as examples, and also comprises the subject matter and such reasonable modifications or equivalents as are encompassed within the scope of the appended claims.