Container for holding organic matter during decomposition

• US 4,352,888 A
• Filed: 12/23/1981
• Issued: 10/05/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suncast Corporation
• Original Assignee: Custom Plastics, Inc.
• Inventors: Tisbo, Thomas A., Tisbo, Cosmo N.
• Primary Examiner(s): LANDER, FERRIS
• Application Number:
  US06/333,701
• Time in Patent Office: 286 Days
• Field of Search: 220/4 F, 220/18, 435/287, 435/298, 435/299, 435/809, 435/813, 435/818, 435/819, 422/184, 71/8-10, 71/23, 71/901
• US Class Current: 435/290.1
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 17/907 Small-scale devices without mechanical means for feeding or discharging material, e.g. garden compost bins
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/40 Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/809 Incubators or racks or holders for culture plates or containers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/819 Fermentation vessels in series
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 71/901 Refuse conditioning

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of the organic matter. The container includes a lower section. The lower section includes a plurality of flat sides positioned in a substantially vertical attitude. The flat sides are joined at opposite edges to form a closed figure having an open bottom. An upper section is mounted on the lower section. The upper section includes a number of flat sides equal in number to the flat sides in the lower section. The flat sides of the upper section are positioned in a substantially vertical attitude and joined at opposite ends to form a closed figure. Each of the flat sides of the upper section is connected to a respective flat side of a lower section. Each of the flat sides of the upper and lower sections has a rectangular outline. Each flat side has a bead along a vertical edge and an elongated socket formed integral with the opposite vertical edge. Each socket is adapted for slidably receiving the bead of a like flat side for interconnecting the flat sides. Each of the flat sides has a plurality of horizontal recesses with a vent in each of the recesses to allow gases to pass from one side of the flat side to the other side of the flat side. Each flat side has an indentation in its upper edge and a ridge formed in the indentation in the flat side. Each flat side has a flexible ear formed integral with its lower edge, which ear is mateably lockably positionable in the indentation of a like flat side. Each ear has a groove for mateably receiving the ridge in the indentation for locking to each other vertically aligned flat sides. The container includes a cover removably mounted on the upper edge of the upper section.

Claims

1. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter comprising:

a lower section including a plurality of flat sides positioned in a substantially vertical attitude joined at opposite edges to form a closed figure having an open bottom, an upper section including an equal number of flat sides as the lower section, the flat sides of the upper section positioned in a substantially vertical attitude joined at opposite edges to form a closed figure mounted on the lower section with the respective flat sides of the upper and lower sections being vertically aligned, each of said flat sides having a rectangular outline, each of said flat sides having a bead along a vertical edge, an elongated socket formed integral with the opposite vertical edge of each of said flat sides, each socket being adapted for slidably receiving the bead of a flat side in its respective section, each of said flat sides having a plurality of horizontal recesses, a vent in each of the recesses to allow gases to pass from one side of the flat side to the other side of the flat side, each flat side having an indentation on its upper edge, a ridge formed integral with the flat side in the indentation, each of said flat sides having a flexible ear on its lower edge mateably releasably positionable in the indentation on a like flat side, each ear having a groove for mateably receiving the ridge in the indentation for locking adjacent flat sides to each other, and a cover removably engageable with the upper edge of the upper section.

2. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cover is a molded integral part having a substantially flat top, a handle formed integral with the top, and a downwardly extending wall formed integral with the outer periphery of the top adapted for engaging the upper edge of the upper section.

3. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cover includes a peripheral wall extending over the upper edge of the upper portion, and including a lock releasably securing the cover to a flat side, each flat side having a top lock aperture adjacent to its upper edge, said lock including a tongue positioned in a top lock aperture of one of the flat sides of the upper section, a post formed integral with the tongue and extending upward to the upper edge of the respective flat side, a hook formed integral with the post and extending over the upper edge of the flat side, and a ledge formed integral with the post and extending away from the tongue, and said cover wall having a cover lock aperture releasably receiving a portion of the ledge to secure the wall of the cover to the flat side.

4. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as defined in claim 1 including, an anchor secured to one of the flat sides of the lower section and being particularly adapted for being embedded in a supporting material to secure the container to the supporting material, said anchor including a head hook adapted for being positioned in a vent adjacent to the lower edge of a flat side of the lower section, a shank having one end formed integral with the head hook and extending beyond the lower edge of the respective flat side, and a pair of flukes formed integral with the other end of the shank and extending generally outward.

5. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cover is a molded plastic integral part having a substantially flat top, a handle formed integral with the flat top, and a downwardly extending wall formed integral with the outer periphery of the top adapted for engaging the upper edge of the upper section, each flat side having a top lock aperture adjacent to its upper edge;

and a lock including a tongue positioned in a top lock aperture of one of the flat sides of the upper section, a post formed integral with the tongue and extending upward to the upper edge of the respective flat side, a hook formed integral with the post and extending over the upper edge of the flat side, and a ledge formed integral with the post and extending away from the tongue; and

said cover wall having a cover lock aperture releasably receiving a portion of the ledge to secure the cover wall to the flat side.

6. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cover is a molded integral plastic part having a substantially flat top, a handle formed integral with the top adjacent to the center thereof, and a downwardly extending wall formed integral with the outer periphery of the top adapted for engaging the outer portion of the upper edge of the upper section, and including an anchor secured to one of the flat sides of the lower portion, said anchor including a head hook positioned in a vent adjacent to the lower edge of a flat side of the lower section, a shank having one end formed integral with the head hook and extending beyond the lower edge of the respective flat side, and a pair of flukes formed integral with the other end of the shank and extending outward to be embedded in a material supporting the lower section to secure the container to the supporting material.

7. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cover includes a peripheral wall extending over the upper edge of the upper section, said peripheral wall having a cover lock aperture contained therein;

and including a lock releasably securing the cover to a flat side, each flat side having a top lock aperture adjacent to its upper edge, said lock including a tongue positioned in a top lock aperture of one of the flat sides of the upper section, a post formed integral with the tongue and extending upward to the upper edge of the respective flat side, a hook formed integral with the post and extending over the upper edge of the flat side, and a ledge formed integral with the post and extending away from the tongue to be selectively positioned in the cover lock aperture of the cover for releasably securing the cover to the flat side.

8. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as defined in claim 1 wherein, the cover is a molded integral plastic part having a substantially flat top, a handle formed integral with the top adjacent to the center thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, and a downwardly extending wall formed integral with the outer periphery of the top and adapted for engaging the upper edge of the upper portion, said downwardly extending wall of the cover including a cover lock aperture;

each of said flat sides having a top lock aperture adjacent to its upper edge;

a lock including a tongue positioned in the top lock aperture of one of the flat sides of the upper section, a post formed integral with the tongue and extending upward to the upper edge of the respective flat side, a hook formed integral with the post and extending over the upper edge of the flat side, and a ledge formed integral with the post and extending away from the hook and being positioned in the cover lock aperture of the downwardly extending wall of the cover to secure releasably the cover to the respective flat side; and

an anchor including a head hook positioned in a vent adjacent to the lower edge of a flat side of the lower section, a shank having one end formed integral with the head hook and extending below the lower edge of the respectiv flat side, and a pair of flukes formed integral with the other end of the shank and extending outwardly for holding the anchor embedded in a material supporting the lower portion to secure the lower portion to the supporting material.

9. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as defined in claim 1 including, a cover lock connected to the upper edge of a flat side of the upper section and being releasably engageable with the cover to secure releasably the cover to the flat side.

10. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as defined in claim 1 including, an anchor secured to a flat side of the lower section and extending below the lower edge of the flat side to be embedded in material supporting the flat side to secure the flat side to the supporting material.

11. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter as define in claim 1 including, a cover lock connected to the upper edge of a flat side of the upper section and being releasably engageable with the cover to secure releasably the cover to the flat side, and an anchor secured to a flat side of the lower section and extending below the lower edge of said flat side to be embedded in a material supporting the flat side to secure the flat side and the container to the supporting material.

12. A plastic container for holding organic matter during decomposition of said organic matter comprising;

a lower section including four flat interconnected sides positioned in a substantially vertical attitude joined at opposite edges to form a closed figure having an open bottom, an upper section including four flat sides positioned in a substantially vertical attitude joined at opposite edges to form a closed figure mounted on the lower section with the respective flat sides of the upper and lower portions being vertically aligned, each of said flat sides having a rectangular outline, each of said flat sides having a continuous bead along a vertical edge, a plurality of elongated sockets aligned with each other formed integral with the opposite vertical edge of each of said sides, each of said plurality of aligned sockets being adapted for slidably receiving the bead of a side in its respective section, each of said flat sides having a plurality of horizontal recesses, a plurality of vents in each of the recesses of each flat side to allow gases to pass from one side of the flat side to the other side of the flat side, each of said flat sides having a plurality of indentations on its upper edge, each of the indentations on the upper edge of each side facing in the opposite direction of its adjacent indentation, a ridge formed integral with the flat side in each indentation, each ridge being parallel to the upper edge of the flat side, a plurality of flexible ears equal in number to the plurality of indentations formed integral with the lower edge of each side for being mateably releasably positioned in the indentation of a like flat side, each ear of each side having a groove for mateably receiving the ridge of the respective indentation for locking adjacent flat sides to each other, and each flat side having a top lock aperture adjacent to its upper edge;

a cover removably engageable with the upper edge of the upper portion, said cover being a molded integral plastic part having a substantially flat top, a handle formed integral with the flat top at its center, a downwardly extending wall formed integral with the outer periphery of the top and being adapted for engaging the upper edge of the upper section, and said wall having a plurality of cover lock apertures contained therein;

a lock releasably securing the cover to a flat side, said lock including a tongue positioned in a top lock aperture of one of the flat sides of the upper section, a post formed integral with the tongue and extending upward to the upper edge of the respective flat side, a hook formed integral with the post and extending over the upper edge of the flat side, and a ledge formed integral with the post and extending away from the tongue positioned in a cover lock aperture in the cover wall to secure the cover to the flat side; and

an anchor secured to one of the flat sides of the lower section being adapted to be embedded in a supporting surface to secure the container to the supporting surface, said anchor including a head hook positioned in a vent adjacent to the lower edge of a flat side of the lower section, a shank having one end formed integral with the head hook and extending below the lower edge of the respective flat side, a pair of flukes formed integral with the other end of the shank and extending outward, and each of said flukes including an arm extending outward from the shank and a tongue formed integral with each arm.