Caddy For Disposable Plastic Bags

Abstract

A caddy for disposable plastic bags which supports the bag with the mouth open to receive trash to be swept therein. The bag is clamped on a wire frame by a moveable open frame having a U-shaped groove in which the wire frame is seated. A wedge shaped lip is pivotally mounted on the lower end of the caddy and is spring urged downwardly. The lip is engaged against the surface and the caddy is pressed downwardly to hold the lip tightly against the surface while it serves as a ramp for the sweeping when filling the bag.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to devices for serving as dust pans for receiving sweepings from the floor or table.

Summary of the Invention

A caddy for disposable plastic bags in which an elongate handle is provided at its lower end with a generally rectangular wire frame. An open frame is hingedly connected to the handle for engagement against the wire frame with the open frame having a U-shaped groove in which the wire frame is seated to clamp the open end of the plastic bag therebetween. A spring system retains the open frame in contact with the wire frame. A wedge shape lip is mounted to the lower end of the open frame on a transverse pivot and is spring pressed downwardly to provide firm engagement with the surface to be cleaned when the caddy is in use.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a caddy for disposable plastic bags in which the bag is supported with its open end spread apart for receiving trash.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the caddy with the handle broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the wire frame;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of the lip;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the wire frame and moveable frame with the plastic bag clamped therebetween; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged side elevation of the joint between the handle and the moveable frame.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a caddy for disposable plastic bags constructed in accordance with the invention.

The caddy 10 includes an elongage handle 11 having a hand grip 12 on the upper end thereof. The handle 11 may either be straight or off set as shown in FIG. 1. A bracket 13 is secured to the lower end of the handle 11 by means of a pin 14 extending therethrough. A clamp jaw 15 is secured to the handle 11 below the bracket 13. A second clamp jaw 16 is detachably secured to the clamp jaw 15 by a clamp bolt 17 which extends therethrough.

A wire frame generally indicated at 18 has a generally straight lower section 19 having spaced parallel side sections 20, 21 integrally secured to opposite ends thereof. A short upper section 22 is integrally secured to the section 20 and is arranged in spaced parallel relation to the lower section 19. A short upper section 23 is integrally secured to the side section 21 and extends in spaced parallel relation to the lower section 19 and the short sections 22, 23 are arranged in aligned relation. The short section 22 has a rearwardly and upwardly offset leg 24 integrally secured thereto and the short section 23 has a rearwardly and upwardly offset leg 25 integrally secured thereto with the legs 24, 25 extending into and clamped between the jaws 15, 16 as can be seen in FIG. 9.

The bracket 13 has a forwardly extending leaf 26 integrally formed thereon. A moveable frame generally indicated at 27 has a bifurcated upper portion 28 which engages on opposite sides of the leaf 26 and is pivotally secured thereto by a pivot pin 29. A coil spring 30 is seated in a socket 31 in the upper end of the moveable frame 27 and extends upwardly to engage the leaf 26 so as to secure the moveable frame 27 in either over dead center position of the frame 27 with respect to the leaf 26 as shown in full line and dotted lines in FIG. 9. A handle 32 is integrally formed on the frame 27 to assist in swinging the frame 27 from its position in contact with the wire frame 24 to a released position as illustrated in FIG. 1 in dotted lines. The frame 27 is provided with a recess completely around the rear face thereof and the wire frame 18 is seated in the recess when the moveable frame 27 is in the position illustrated in full lines in FIGS. 1 and 9.

A wedge shaped lip 34 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 35 to the lower end of the frame 27. A coil spring 36 is mounted on the pivot pin 35 and engages the lip 34 to normally urge the lip 34 downwardly with respect to the frame 27.

In the use and operation of the invention a plastic trash bag 37 is drawn through the wire frame 18 from the rear with the moveable frame 27 swung upwardly out of engagement with the wire frame 18. The plastic bag 37 is then folded around the wire frame 18 outwardly and the moveable frame 27 is swung downwardly into clamping engagement with the plastic bag 37 to a position where the wire frame 18 is seated in the recess 33.

The caddy 10 is then placed adjacent trash to be swept up with the lip 34 engaging the floor. Slight downward pressure on the handle 11 then causes the lip 34 to pivot upwardly so that its outer edge is in tight engagement with the floor to guide sweepings into the plastic bag 37. After the initial use of the caddy 10 it may be hung up with the plastic bag containing trash hanging from the lower end thereof until subsequent use is required. Finally as the plastic bag 37 is filled it is removed and replaced with an empty bag.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A caddy for disposable plastic bags comprising a bracket, a handle detachably secured to said bracket, an open wire frame rigidly secured to the lower end of said bracket and offset therefrom, a movable frame, means hingedly securing said movable frame to said bracket for movement into and out of clamping engagement with said wire frame to clamp the open end of a plastic bag therebetween, means for normally urging said movable frame into clamping engagement with said wire frame, and a wedge shape lip pivotally mounted to the lower end of said movable frame for engagement with the surface to be cleaned.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein spring means is provided between said wedge shape lip and said moveable frame for normally urging said wedge shape lip downwardly with respect to said moveable frame.

3. A caddy for disposable plastic bags comprising a bracket, a handle detachably secured to said bracket, an open wire frame rigidly secured to the lower end of said bracket and offset therefrom, a movable frame, means hingedly securing said movable frame to said bracket for movement into and out of clamping engagement with said wire frame to clamp the open end of a plastic bag therebetween, means for normally urging said movable frame into clamping engagement with said wire frame, said means for normally urging said movable frame into engagement with said wire frame including a coil spring seated in said movable frame and engaging said bracket.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 including a second handle integrally formed on said movable frame for facilitating the engagement and disengagement of said movable frame with said wire frame.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the contacting surfaces of said wire frame are offset perpendicularly from both said bracket and said movable frame to provide complete peripheral contact between the mating surfaces of said movable frame and said wire frame while clamping said plastic bag therebetween.