Industrial waste container with rounded bottom and method of making the container

Abstract

A roll-off cable system industrial waste container includes a frame, a container body fixedly connected to the frame and having a rounded bottom defining a container interior for holding industrial waste, and a hoist connector connected to the frame and/or container body for pulling the structure onto a truck. The frame has two top lateral rails, a top front rail connected to the two top lateral rails, a front rail assembly connected at least to the top front rail, a bottom rail assembly connected at least to the front rail assembly, and a rear door assembly connected at least to the bottom rail assembly and one of the two top lateral rails. The door assembly has a pivotable door, a doorframe, and a locking assembly, all of substantially the same material as the body, in particular, steel. A method for making the container is also provided.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/495,628, filed Aug. 15, 2003, and U.S. Provisional Application No. ______ (Atty. Docket No. GLM-8331 Prov2) , filed Aug. 11, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention lies in the field of waste disposal. In particular, the invention is in the field of industrial waste containers that are moved to and removed from construction sites, for example, and are used to hold a significant amount of construction debris—measured in cubic yards—and methods of making such containers.

Such industrial waste containers that exist are made of steel and have four walls and a floor. The four walls form a rectangular box and the floor completes the box to form an open-top waste container. Each of the four walls is substantially vertical and meet at four intersecting corners at right angles (90 degrees). To hold the substantial amount of debris therein, i.e., tons, the walls and floor are integral or are fixedly connected (e.g., welded) to one another in a way that is intended not to separate under the load of the debris. Because of this construction, the waste has direct access to the weld seams of the container and contaminates the seams. The steel, by nature, oxidizes. Thus, after time, the container, when exposed to liquids, oxidizes at the seams.

Also provided, typically, are two cylindrical rollers at a rear bottom side that allow the container to roll over a surface when the front bottom is lifted off of the ground on which the container rests and pulled up a rail system disposed on a truck, the rail system and pulling device being commonly referred to as a roll-off cable system. The containers are transported by the roll-off truck and are mounted off and on the truck by a hoist system.

The prior art industrial waste containers have this configuration because they need to easily load onto and unload from a vehicle that delivers the empty container to a site to be filled, off-loads the empty container at the site, on-loads the container at the site when full, and carries the loaded container to a site at which the debris is dumped out, thereby allowing the container to be reused again.

The truck that will move such a container has a flat “bed” on which the container rests when being transported. At the front of the bed, a winch is disposed and, when loading and unloading the container, is connected to a front side of the container, e.g., by a chain and/or cable assembly. To load the container, the bed tilts down at the back to touch the ground on which the container rests. The winch assembly is connected to the front side of the container and begins to pull the container towards the front of the bed and up along the inclined bed. Two rail guards on the bottom of the container are guided upon rails disposed on the bed to make sure that the container enters the bed in a straight line. As the front of the container lifts, the bottom of the container leaves the ground surface and, substantially, only the rear rollers engage the ground. Thus, the container moves easier as it travels up the bed. After a given distance, the bed is tilted back to horizontal, lifting the entire container off of the ground in the process. To complete the loading, the winch continues pulling the container forward until the container is in a traveling position. The flat surface of the container bottom and the flat surface of the bed provide a relatively smooth surface on which the container can slide. Of course, the bed can have an imbedded roller assembly to allow easier movement of the container thereon.

If the entire bottom surface of the container is flat, it easily slides along the flat surface of the truck on which it is to be transported. Thus, the conventional containers have flat, planar bottoms.

Such a configuration, however, has obvious disadvantages. First, it is hard to unload the waste therefrom because the only access is from the top. In this orientation, only two options are available, either the container needs to be flipped over to be emptied—a feat requiring a substantial amount of effort and machinery or a separate device (such as a crane with a scoop bucket) needs to be lowered into the open top from above to scoop out the waste from within. While the former can, in theory, allow the container to be completely emptied, the latter cannot. The scoop bucket is not designed to clear out the corners of the interior and, therefore, it cannot completely empty the container.

It would be desirable, therefore, to provide an industrial waste container that permits easy removal and/or dumping of the tons of waste therein without requiring a substantial amount of machinery, effort, or inefficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an industrial waste container with a rounded bottom and method of making the container that overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that decreases the unloading time and effort required for unloading and increases the safety and usability of the container.

The container according to the present invention has a rounded floor but still allows the container to be picked up by a roll-off cable hoist system, which can include a winch and cable or a cylinder with a cable. Also, the round configuration prevents contamination of corners because it has none. Furthermore, the container has a rear door. The rear door can be equipped with an automatically locking latch system. Once the locking bar is down, even if the driver does not install a safety pin, the door is prevented from opening.

The round bottom, roll-off open top container is constructed of heavy-duty steel, for example, grade A3, A529, or any type of hot rolled steel. The container is transported by truck using a roll-off hoist system that detaches from the container after the container is unloaded.

The round bottom of the container provides significant advantages over conventional industrial waste containers.

First, it is mechanically stronger. An arched configuration is, by its nature, stronger than a square (bathtub style) container.

Second, the rounded interior bottom is more resistant to rust. Rust is caused by debris residue remaining in the container. Because remaining debris is reduced in the present invention, the container is cleaner and rust is inhibited.

Third, the rounded bottom gives the driver greater visibility. The sides of the container are rounded. Thus, the driver has access to and can see—from the cab of the truck—the two rear corners of the container. This allows the driver to decrease the chances of collision because the driver has a better field of view and depth of field.

Fourth, repair is easier. A rounded bottom allows an individual to access almost all of the bottom surface of the container, whether empty or full. Thus, repairs to the bottom surface are easy. In contrast, to repair a bottom of a conventional bathtub container, the entire container needs to be lifted off of the ground or at least one end has to be lifted up. Each of these processes increases danger to users because of the possibility that the container could fall down. The container of the present invention has virtually all of its bottom surface open to the user without requiring movement, tilting, and/or lifting of the container.

The most significant of all advantages lies in the improvements associated with dumping the debris.

Because of the box-like shape of conventional industrial waste containers, the debris has pockets and corners to stick to, which inhibits dumping. Thus, to empty the conventional container, the driver was required to jerk the truck (backward and/or forward) to loosen the debris. Specifically, the container was tilted to approximately 52 degrees, the driver backed up to a fast speed (relative to a truck moving tons of debris with the container raised to a >45 degree angle), and, then, pressed the brake to impart a rearward momentum to the debris. To fully empty the container, this process was repeated a number of times. As is apparent, this is not a safe process, nor is it good for the truck. Due to the immense weight, the driver always ran the risk of tipping over the container and/or the truck. Further, the process imparted significant wear to the brakes, drums, and tires, and loosened the frame of the truck.

With the container of the present invention, this dangerous process is entirely eliminated. The arched bottom has no corners. As a result, the debris has no pockets and or corners in which to stick. Because of the rounded bottom, the debris naturally and easily slides out of the container when tilted to approximately 30 degrees, i.e., the angle formed between horizontal and the bottom longitudinal axis of the container is approximately a 30 degree acute angle with the rear of the container lying at the apex of the angle. Safety is improved at this substantially lower angle, and less energy is required to tilt the container.

Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an industrial waste container with a rounded bottom, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above a front left corner of a container with a rounded bottom according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged perspective view from above a front left corner of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above a rear right corner of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged perspective view from above the rear right corner of the container of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view from an unloading rear end of the container of FIG. 1 with a door in the open position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, enlarged perspective view of a locking assembly in a locked position on a side of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, enlarged perspective view of the locking assembly of FIG. 6. in an unlocked position;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view from above a front left corner of a second embodiment of the container with a rounded bottom according to the invention having a roller assembly on the front end of a bottom rail assembly;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view from above a front right corner of a third embodiment of a frame for a container according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view from above a front right corner of the third embodiment of the container according to the invention;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the container of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the container of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view from above a front right corner of the container of FIG. 10;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view from below a front right corner of the container of FIG. 10;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the frame of FIG. 9;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view from above a front right corner of a fourth embodiment of a frame for a container according to the invention;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view from above a front right corner of the fourth embodiment of the container according to the invention;

FIG. 19 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a front elevational view of the container of FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view of the container of FIG. 18;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view from above a front right corner of the container of FIG. 18;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view from below a front right corner of the container of FIG. 18;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the frame of FIG. 17;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view from above a front right corner of a fifth embodiment of a frame for a container according to the invention;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view from above a front right corner of the fourth embodiment of the container according to the invention;

FIG. 27 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a front elevational view of the container of FIG. 26;

FIG. 29 is a side elevational view of the container of FIG. 26;

FIG. 30 is a photograph of a second embodiment of the locking assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 31 is a photograph of the locking assembly of FIG. 30 from a different angle;

FIG. 32 is a photograph of the bottom rail assembly of FIG. 25;

FIG. 33 is a photograph of an enlarged portion of the bottom rail assembly of FIG. 32; and

FIG. 34 is a photograph of another embodiment of the bottom rail assembly according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a perspective view from above a front left corner of a container 1 according to the invention.

The container 1 has two sub-sets of parts including a body 10 and a frame 20.

The body 10 is made of a set of curved body planks 12 connected together to form a half-pipe, and a front wall 14. Of course, the set of planks 12 can be a single plank 12. The frame 20 is made of a set of two top lateral rails 22, a top front rail 24, a top rear rail 26, a front rail assembly 30, a bottom rail assembly 40, and a rear door assembly 60. It is noted that the top rear rail 26 can be eliminated or be a part of the rear door assembly 60.

The planks 12 are individually formed by taking a rectangular sheet of heavy-duty steel (for example, hot rolled steel) and rolling it into the substantially half-circular shape shown in FIG. 1. A non-illustrated, conventional steel sheet-bending device is used to bend the plank 12 into a form having a desired interior curved (or partially curved) shape. One embodiment of the sheet-bending device includes three rollers: one upper and two lower. The two lower rollers are spaced apart from one another and the upper roller is disposed between the two lower rollers and above the centerline of the two lower rollers. The sheet is fed between the upper roller and the first lower roller and, because the upper roller is disposed below the top plane of the two lower rollers, the sheet exits the “nip” of these rollers to hit the second lower roller, which forces the sheet upwards, thus, imparting a bend on the sheet. Vertical placement of the upper roller determines the degree of sheet bending. The finished plank 12 takes on an internal concave shape (shown in FIG. 1, for example).

While a half-pipe shape is preferred for the reasons described herein, the shape need not be an entire half-circle. In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 18 to 29, the bottom of the body 10 can be somewhat flattened or flattened (e.g., for up to 1.5 meters) and the two sides can curve at the sides of the bottom up towards the top lateral rails 22 of the frame 20. The curve of the two sides of each plank 12 can extend all the way up to the top lateral rails 22 or, in the alternative, embodiment, the curve can extend approximately half way up to the top lateral rails 22 and, thereafter, travel substantially vertical to meet and connect to the top lateral rails 22.

The container 1 has a desired length L, for example, approximately 6¼ meters (20 to 22 feet). Thus, if four planks 12 are used, they each have a width of approximately 1½ meters (−5 feet). The connection width between each plank needs to be taken into account in calculating the length L if the planks 12 do not directly abut one another. In a preferred embodiment, the planks 12 are welded directly to one another at their sides. As set forth herein, connection of the parts or between parts can be in any manner that can withstand the load weight envisioned by standard industrial waste containers (from 10 to 50 cubic yards). Thus, while the preferred connection process is set forth as being welding, it is not limited thereto.

The ends of the planks 12 can have flanges 16 to increase the welding areas, which flanges are shown in FIG. 1, or they can be smooth. Preferably, the fixed sides of two adjacent planks 12 (leading and trailing with respect to the length L) are substantially smooth in the interior 18 of the body 10 so that the planks 12 do not present any edge upon which debris placed in the interior 16 can be caught. Because the container 1 is for industrial waste, the volume of the container is at least 150 cubic feet. In a preferred embodiment, the volume for the container 1 up to or greater than 50 cubic yards.

Once the desired number of planks 12 are connected to one another, a front wall 14 can be fixedly connected (preferably, welded) to the leading side of the forward-most plank 12 (the left-most plank 12 in FIG. 1), to form a composite structure 12, 14 having a substantially rectangular top opening (to face upward) and a hemispherical rear opening (to face rearward). The front wall 14 can have a strut 15 projection from an inside surface of the front wall 14 towards the interior of the body 10 as shown in FIG. 5. This strut 15 allows the front wall 14 to be more strongly connected to the forward-most plank 12 of the body 10 and provides structural support.

The body 10 can, then, be placed into a secondary structure, the frame 20, for keeping the body 10 oriented with the top opening facing upward. The top opening of the body 10 is rested against or is fixedly connected (e.g., welded) to the two top lateral rails 22 and the top front rail 24.

A bottom rail assembly 40 is provided and the body 10 is placed thereon. The front rail assembly 30 is fixedly connected (e.g., welded) to a forward end of the bottom rail assembly 40, as shown in FIG. 1 and in the enlarged view of FIG. 2. The front rail assembly 30 is also fixedly connected (e.g., welded) to the front wall 14 of the body 10.

To complete the frame 20, a rear door assembly 60, shown in particular, in FIG. 3 and in the enlarged view of FIG. 4, is fixedly connected (e.g., welded) to a rear end of the bottom rail assembly 40 and to the trailing edge of the rear-most plank 12 (the left-most plank 12 in FIG. 4).

As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the door assembly 60 includes a door 70, a doorframe 80, and a locking assembly 90.

The door 70 can simply be a one-piece sheet of material, preferably, 7-gauge or 10-gauge hot rolled steel. Or, as shown in FIG. 3, the door 70 can have a relatively thinner door panel 72 connected to a border structure having, for example, two horizontal top and bottom beams 74 and three vertical beams 76. The door panel 72 can be two or more door panels 72 connected to one another by the border structure 74, 76. Projecting from the end of the door 70 is at least one catch 78, in particular, two catches 78 for the locking assembly 90 and one catch 78 for guiding the door and keeping it aligned so that the locking assembly 90 can engage with minimal friction. See FIG. 30.

The doorframe 80 includes an end plate 82, a door connection wall 84, a lock wall 86, and at least one floor 88.

The end plate 82 can be seen best in FIG. 5. One embodiment of the end plate 82 has an exterior shape substantially corresponding to the inside surface of the door 70 and an interior shape substantially corresponding to the inner curve of the rear-most plank 12 so that a seamless or lipless transition occurs from interior of the rear-most plank 12 over the end plate 82. Such an embodiment assumes that the end plate 82 is connected to the rear-facing, vertical surface of the rear-most plank 12. However, if the end plate 82 is connected under the trailing end of the rear-most plank 12, the end plate 82 still has an exterior shape also substantially corresponding to the inside surface of the door 70 but has an interior shape substantially corresponding to the outer curve of the rear-most plank 12. Thus, a transition in the interior of the body 10 is independent of the end plate 82.

The doorframe 80 includes a rear frame for support. The rear frame includes the door connection wall 84, the lock wall 86, and the floor 88. The door connection wall 84 is a vertical wall connected at a top thereof to the left top lateral rail 22 and at a bottom thereof to a floor 88, which is also connected to the bottom rail assembly 40. The lock wall 86 is, similarly, a vertical wall connected at a top thereof to the right top lateral rail 22 and at a bottom thereof to the floor 88, which is also connected to the bottom rail assembly 40.

Preferably, the door 70, the door connection wall 84, and the lock wall 86 are between approximately 1.4 and approximately 2 meters (4.5 to 6.6 feet) high, in particular, 1.6 meters (63 inches) high. In the preferred configuration, the top rear rail 26, the door 70, the door connection wall 84, and the floor 88 are between approximately 2.2 and approximately 2.5 meters (7 to 8 feet) wide.

The floor 88 can be one piece and, therefore, be connected at the bottom surface of the bottom rail assembly 40, or, the floor can be in two pieces and, therefore, be connected either at the bottom surface of the bottom rail assembly 40 or at respective sides of the bottom rail assembly 40. When so connected, the doorframe 80 provides a very strong structure that, when connected to at least one of the body 10 and the frame 20, can at least support the weight of the door 80.

A moving connection 100 pivotally connects the door 70 to the door connection wall 84 so that the door 70 can swing from an open position to a fully closed position in which the door 70 entirely closes off the partially rounded or hemi-spherical rear opening of the body 10. A preferred embodiment of the moving connection 100 is a set of at least two hinges, as shown in FIG. 1. Of course, there can be one larger hinge (from the top of the door 70 to the bottom thereof) or more than two hinges distributed along the closing end of the door 70, for example, three.

Preferably, the moving connection 100 allows the door 70 to pivot 270 degrees so that the door can be easily secured to the body 10 or the frame 20, in particular, at an outer side of the left top lateral rail 22.

As shown in FIG. 4, a locking assembly 90 is provided at the lock wall 86. See also FIGS. 6, 7, 30, and 31. This first possible embodiment of the locking assembly has a lower pivot pin 91, an upper pivot pin 93, a control bar 92, a follower bar 94, and a tie rod 96 connecting the follower bar 94 to the control bar 92. The tie rod 96 is pivotally connected to a front end of the follower bar 94 and also pivotally connected to the control bar 92 at an intermediate point thereof. The second ends of both the control bar 92 and the follower bar 94 each have a counter-catch that is formed to releasably lock to a respective one of two catches 78 on the end of the door 70.

To lock and unlock the door, when an upward force is imparted to front end of the control bar 92 to pivot the control bar counter-clockwise about the lower pivot pin 91, both the counter-catches of the control bar 92 and the follower bar 94 move downward and counter-clockwise. After a sufficient distance is traveled by the counter-catches, the counter-catches are in a position with respect to the catches 78 such that the catches 78 and the counter-catches do not hit one another when the door 70 is closed fully. When closed, a downward force is imparted at the forward end of the control bar 92 to rotate the control bar 92 clockwise and move both of the counter-catches clockwise to engage the catches 78 and, thereby, lock the door 70 closed. Of course, the control bar 92 can be biased by a bias device 101 that continually imparts a downward force on the control bar 92. To allow automatic closure of the door without having to actuate the control bar 92 in any way, the rear-most, upper corner of the counter-catch can be beveled so that, when the door 70 closes and the round pegs of the catches 78 hit the bevel, the pegs act as a cam and the bevel acts as a cam follower to have the pegs displace the counter-catches downward as the pegs move therepast. Thus, after passing the beveled portion, the pegs no longer impart a force downward against the counter-catches and the counter-catches automatically engage the catches 78 due to the bias imparted by the bias device.

After closure, a locking pin can be placed through any hole existing in any portion of the control bar, 92, follower bar 94, or tie rod 96 and through a corresponding coaxial hole in the body 10 or lock wall 86. See, e.g., FIGS. 30 and 31. Accordingly, all parts of the locking assembly 90 are fixed and the counter-catches retain their hold on the catches 78. As a backup safety device, a chain 99 can be manually connected from any part of the body 10 or lock wall 86 to any part of the door 70. Thus, if the door 70 opened when it was not desired, the chain 99 would prevent the door 70 from opening more than a set distance corresponding to the length of the chain 99. An exemplary embodiment of the chain 99 safety connection is shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 30, and 31.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the forward bottom end of the bottom rail assembly 40 and the bottom of the front rail assembly 30. In this first embodiment, the front end of the bottom rail assembly 40 is in the form of sled rails having an upwardly curving bottom surface 32 (from rear to front) that allow the front end of the container 1 to be dragged over surfaces and over obstacles shorter than the top of the curved surface 32.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show a first embodiment of the rear bottom end of the bottom rail assembly 40 and the doorframe 80. As shown, the bottom surfaces of the floor 88 have rollers 110 thereon for allowing the container 1 to roll over ground surfaces when moved.

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the forward bottom end of the bottom rail assembly 40. In this second embodiment, the sled rails 32 have rollers 34 for rolling the container 1 over rails on the bed of a truck, which houses the roll-off cable hoist system. FIG. 8 also shows a second embodiment of the upper rails, in which the top lateral rails 22 and top front rail 24 are integral.

FIG. 9 illustrates a third embodiment of the frame 20 according to the invention. The two top lateral rails 22 and the top front rail 24 are similar to the first embodiment. The rear door assembly 60, 70 and locking assembly 80 are present. In this variant, details of the third embodiment of the bottom rail assembly 40 are clear. Present are two parallel bottom rails 42 connected by a floor 44. At the front of the floor 44 is a hoist connection 46 for connecting the container 1 to a device (e.g., winch and cable) that pulls the container 1 onto a truck. In this third embodiment, no cross-members are shown. Instead, only a plurality of gussets 48, fixedly connected (e.g., welded) on and outside and/or other surfaces of each bottom rail 42, can be seen. See FIG. 16. Cross-members are disposed, in this embodiment below the floor 44. A second, non-illustrated lower floor can be attached to the cross-members and/or the rails 42 to close off the bottom of the bottom rail assembly 40.

FIG. 10 illustrates the body 10 fully integrated with the frame 20 of FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a top view of the container 1 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the container 1 of FIG. 10. The locking assembly 90 is clearly shown projecting from a side of the container 1 and three hinges 100 are depicted on the opposite side. Between the two catches 78 can be seen a third catch 78 for the door guide 120 (shown better in FIGS. 30 and 31). FIG. 13 is a side view of the container of FIG. 10 and clearly shows the locking assembly 90. FIGS. 14 and 15 are other perspective views of the container of FIG. 10 from above and below the front right side thereof, respectively. A shape of the gussets 48 is shown in FIG. 15. The shape of the gussets 48 and their connection to a rail 42, the floor 44, and the second floor is better shown in FIG. 16, which is a section of one right-side gusset 48 and the right bottom rail 42 and floors 44; above and below the rail 42—the space therebetween is only shown for clarity; actually, the parts are fixedly connected together.

FIG. 17 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the frame 20 according to the invention. The two top lateral rails 22 and the top front rail 24 are similar to the first embodiment. The rear door assembly 60, 70 and locking assembly 80 are present. In this variant, details of the fourth embodiment of the bottom rail assembly 40 are clear. Present are two parallel bottom rails 42 connected by a plurality of cross-members 48 and a forward floor plate 44. At the front of the floor plate 44 is a hoist connection 46 for connecting the container 1 to a device (e.g., winch and cable, or hoist, or hook lift) that pulls the container 1 onto a truck. The cross-members 48 are fixedly connected (e.g., welded) on top of each bottom rail 42 or to the inside surfaces of each bottom rail 42, or any combination of surfaces thereof.

FIGS. 18 and 20 illustrate the body 10 fully integrated with the frame 20 of FIG. 17. In contrast to the front walls 14 of the previously mentioned embodiments, which are substantially vertical, the front wall 14 of this fourth embodiment is curved at a lower portion thereof. This construction presents fewer angled corners at which debris could be snagged and, therefore, allows the debris at the forward end of the container 1 to slide out easily. This embodiment also illustrates an alternative configuration for the body 10. Instead of having the planks 12 begin their curve at the top lateral rails 22, the curve begins somewhere near the halfway point between the bottom rail assembly 40 and the top rails 22, 24, 26. The half-curved shaped is best shown in FIG. 20. Like the third embodiment, the locking assembly 90 is projects from a side of the container 1 and three hinges 100 are depicted on the opposite side.

FIG. 19 is a top view of the container 1 of FIG. 18 and clearly shows the inward-sloped surface caused by curving the front wall 14. The floor is substantially flat and is rounded only at the bottom corners thereof.

FIGS. 22 and 23 are other perspective views of the container of FIG. 18 from above and below the front right side thereof, respectively.

FIG. 24 is a section of one cross-member 48 and the right bottom rail 42 fixedly connected together.

FIG. 25 illustrates a fifth embodiment of the frame 20 according to the invention. The two top lateral rails 22 and the top front rail 24 are similar to the first embodiment. The rear door assembly 60, 70 and locking assembly 80 are present. In this variant, details of the fifth embodiment of the bottom rail assembly 40 are clear. Present are two parallel bottom rails 42 connected by a plurality of cross-members 48 and a forward floor plate 44. At the front of the floor plate 44 is a hoist connection 46 for connecting the container 1 to a device (e.g., winch and cable, hoist and cable, or hook lift system) that pulls the container 1 onto a truck. The cross-members 48 are fixedly connected (e.g., welded) on top of each bottom rail 42 or have two keyhole grooves that allow the cross-member 48 to be connected on three sides of each bottom rail 42, or any combination of sides thereof. Like the third embodiment, gussets 49 are integral or are fixedly connected (e.g., welded) at a top surface at an end of each cross member 48. (See FIG. 16.)

FIGS. 26 and 29 illustrate the body 10 fully integrated with the frame 20 of FIG. 25. Like the fourth embodiment, the front wall 14 of this fifth embodiment is curved at a lower portion thereof. Similarly, the planks 12 begin their curve somewhere near the halfway point between the bottom rail assembly 40 and the top rails 22, 24, 26. The half-curved shaped is best shown in FIG. 28. Like the third embodiment, the locking assembly 90 projects from a side of the container 1 and three hinges 100 are depicted on the opposite side.

FIG. 27 is a top view of the container 1 of FIG. 26 and clearly shows the inward-sloped surface caused by curving the front wall 14.

FIGS. 30 and 31 are pictures of an alternative embodiment of the locking assembly 90. Clearly shown in FIGS. 30 and 31 is the door guide 120 and its interaction with the middle catch 78.

FIGS. 32, 33, and 34 are various alternative embodiments of the bottom rail assembly 40 according to the present invention. FIGS. 32 and 33 show an embodiment similar to FIG. 25. FIG. 34, however, shows the bottom rail assembly 40 entirely enclosed, both from the front and from the side. This adds structural support and is aesthetically smoother.

Features are present in some of the embodiments described herein but not others. It should be understood that any feature can be transferred and/or combined with any other feature of the various embodiments to form different configurations of the container 1 according to the invention and the invention should not be limited to the details shown or described.

Claims

1. A roll-off cable system industrial waste container, comprising:

a frame; and

a container body: fixedly connected to said frame; and having a rounded bottom defining a container interior for holding industrial waste; and

a hoist connector connected to at least one of said frame and said container body for connecting said frame and said container body to a pulling device.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein:

said frame defines a frame interior; and

said container body is disposed in said frame interior.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein said rounded bottom is arched and has no corners.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein said rounded bottom has a relatively flat bottom portion and rounded sides.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein said rounded bottom has a relatively flat bottom portion and sides that are partially rounded and partially substantially flat.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein said body has a front wall and a set of curved body parts connected together in a substantially half-pipe shape.

7. The container according to claim 6, wherein said front wall is one of integral with and fixedly connected to said set of curved body parts.

8. The container according to claim 1, wherein said frame has:

two top lateral rails;

a top front rail connected to said two top lateral rails;

a front rail assembly connected at least to said top front rail;

a bottom rail assembly connected at least to said front rail assembly, and

a rear door assembly connected at least to said bottom rail assembly and one of said two top lateral rails.

9. The container according to claim 8, wherein said body has a bottom and at least one side curving up from said bottom towards at least one of said two top lateral rails.

10. The container according to claim 9, wherein said at least one side curves all the way up from said bottom to said at least one top lateral rail.

11. The container according to claim 9, wherein said at least one side curves part way up from said bottom towards said at least one top lateral rail and, then flattens out adjacent said at least one top lateral rail.

12. The container according to claim 9, wherein said at least one side curves approximately half way up from said bottom towards said at least one top lateral rail and, thereafter, travels substantially vertical to said at least one top lateral rail.

13. The container according to claim 1, wherein said interior of said body has inner surfaces and said inner surfaces are substantially smooth.

14. The container according to claim 8, wherein said body defines a top opening fixedly connected to said two top lateral rails and to said top front rail.

15. The container according to claim 8, wherein:

said body has a trailing edge;

said bottom rail assembly has a rear end; and

said rear door assembly is fixedly connected to: said rear end of said bottom rail assembly; and said trailing edge of said body.

16. The container according to claim 8, wherein said door assembly has a door, a doorframe, and a locking assembly.

17. The container according to claim 16, wherein said door is of substantially the same material as said body.

18. The container according to claim 16, wherein said door has an automatically locking latch system.

19. The container according to claim 16, wherein said doorframe has:

an end plate;

a door connection wall connected to said end plate;

a lock wall connected to said end plate; and

a floor connected to said end plate.

20. The container according to claim 19, wherein:

said door has an inside surface shape;

said body has a rear interior edge with an inner shape; and

said end plate has an exterior shape substantially corresponding to said inside surface shape of said door and an interior shape substantially corresponding to said inner shape of said rear interior edge of said body.

21. The container according to claim 16, wherein said door is movably connected to said door assembly.

22. The container according to claim 16, further comprising a hinge movably connecting said door to said door assembly.

23. The container according to claim 19, wherein said locking assembly is disposed at said lock wall and locks said door at least in a closed position thereof.

24. The container according to claim 15, wherein said bottom rail assembly has:

two longitudinal beams; and

a plurality of horizontal beams connected to each of said two longitudinal beams.

25. The container according to claim 24, wherein:

said body has a bottom area; and

said two horizontal beams are connected to said body at said bottom area.

26. The container according to claim 24, wherein:

said two longitudinal beams have forward ends; and

forward roller assemblies are respectively connected to said forward ends.

27. The container according to claim 15, wherein rear roller assemblies are connected to at least one of said bottom rail assembly and said door assembly.

28. The container according to claim 1, wherein said frame has a rear door.

29. The container according to claim 1, wherein said container body is of a material constructed to hold at least one thousand pounds in said container interior.

30. The container according to claim 1, wherein said material is steel.

31. The container according to claim 1, wherein said pulling device is a roll-off cable system for pulling said frame and said container body onto a truck.

32. An industrial waste container, comprising:

a frame; and

a container body: fixedly connected to said frame; and having a rounded bottom defining a container interior of at least 150 cubic feet for holding industrial waste.

33. An industrial waste container, comprising:

a frame; and

a container body: fixedly connected to said frame; and having a rounded bottom defining a container interior for holding industrial waste.

34. A method for constructing an industrial waste container, which comprises:

shaping metal material into a structure having an at least partially curved bottom portion, an open-top, and open ends including a leading end and a trailing end;

fixing a front wall to the leading end to form a body having a top opening and a rear opening;

connecting the body to a frame having a rear end to orient the top opening upward and the rear opening towards the rear end; and

connecting a rear door assembly to at least one of the rear end of the frame and the rear opening to form an open-topped container having at least 150 cubic feet of waste holding space.

35. A method for constructing an industrial waste container, which comprises:

curving a plurality of metal planks into an approximately rounded shape;

connecting the curved planks together to form an open-topped and open-ended structure having a leading end, a trailing end, and a rounded bottom;

fixing a front wall to the leading end to form a body having a top opening and a curved rear opening;

connecting the body to a frame having a rear end to orient the top opening upward and the curved rear opening towards the rear end;

connecting a rear door assembly to the rear end of frame and to the rear opening to form an industrial waste container.

36. The method according to claim 35, which further comprises connecting a hoist connector to at least one of the frame, the body, and the rear door assembly for pulling the container with a pulling device.

37. The method according to claim 35, which further comprises:

providing the frame with two top lateral rails and a top front rail; and

carrying out the body-frame connecting step by connecting at least a portion of the top opening to the two top lateral rails and connecting the front wall to the top front rail.

38. The method according to claim 37, which further comprises

providing the frame with a bottom rail assembly; and

carrying out the body-frame connecting step by connecting the bottom rail assembly to a portion of the body.

39. The method according to claim 38, which further comprises

providing the frame with a rear door assembly; and

carrying out the body-frame connecting step by connecting rear door assembly to at least one of the rear opening of the body, the bottom rail assembly and at least one of the two top lateral rails.