Weighing down trash cans
 

Here's something that might work:

http://www.boatersworld.com/product/327250346msk.htm

I can clamp something like this to the wheel axle, but it would needs
to be a lot heavier (each one weights about a pound), and a little more
cost effective.

Weighing down trash cans
 

On 5 Dec 2006 15:01:19 -0800, "mike" wrote:

Here's something that might work:

http://www.boatersworld.com/product/327250346msk.htm

I can clamp something like this to the wheel axle, but it would needs
to be a lot heavier (each one weights about a pound), and a little more
cost effective.

If you want to put weight on the axle then take the axle apart and
install a pipe over it.

Weighing down trash cans
 

"mike" wrote in
ps.com:

Here's something that might work:

http://www.boatersworld.com/product/327250346msk.htm

I can clamp something like this to the wheel axle, but it would needs
to be a lot heavier (each one weights about a pound), and a little more
cost effective.



How about a couple of spring clips to hold the axle,mount the clips to a
weighted or anchored (staked down)exterior grade plywood base?
Like those clips to hold rake handles to your garage walls.If you have
to,slide a PVC pipe over the axle to make the right size for the clips.
Then I'd install a bungee cord or 2 inside the container to pull the lid
shut,but still allow it to open when tipped upside down by the lift arm.
It shouldn't add too much weight.

I'm sure the sanitation engineers aren't going to notice the bungees inside
the container.

then you wheel out your trash bin,and lower it into the clips. After the
lift arm does it's stuff,it may not get set back into the clips,though;that
would depend on how accurate the arm is in replacing the bin to it's
original spot.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Weighing down trash cans
 

On 4 Dec 2006 09:13:40 -0800, "mike" wrote:

Hi, I live in a very windy area and my neighbors and I are having
problems with trash cans getting knocked over because of the strong
wind gusts, as well as the lids opening up.

I am trying to come up with a way of weighing down both the bottom and
the lid of the trash cans so that:

1) The lid doesn't open up when trash is set out to be picked up.
2) The empty can doesn't blow away after the trash has been picked up.

I cannot simply tie weights to the cans because they will flail around
when the trash cans are emptied by the mechanical arm of the trash
truck. The weights also have to be able to stay secured even when the
can is shaken upside down when it is emptied.

Also, the weights need to be easily attachable/removeable since it's
only windy a few months out of the year, and I cannot seriously alter
the trash cans since they are city property.

I was thinking of bolting on something that can hold the weights
themselves, and when the weights are not needed, they can be removed
while the thing that holds the weights stays permanently attached. I
haven't found anything that would do the job for this.

Any other ideas?

Bolt a pair of these
http://www.agmfg.net/twoholestraps.html

or these

http://www.agmfg.net/conduithangers.html

to the can

Use a 3 - 6 inch piece of rigid pipe for what ever weight you want.

Weighing down trash cans
 

"mike" wrote in message
ups.com...
I like the idea of the bungees since they're lightweights, so I could
keep them on there all the time if they don't get in the way.

The problem with putting bolts in the cans is that I either have to
live with the weights in the cans year-round or I have to remove them
and deal with the holes in the can. With the winds we get around here,
having a couple extra pounds isn't going to do the job...I need to be
putting in probably about 20 pounds of weight at the bottom. I could

1/2" steel plate the diameter of a common garbage can is probably at least
20 pounds. Bolt it to the bottom and be done with it.

No one's going to inspect the garbage cans for "unauthorized modifications".

Weighing down trash cans
 

In article om, "mike" wrote:
Here's something that might work:

http://www.boatersworld.com/product/327250346msk.htm

I can clamp something like this to the wheel axle, but it would needs
to be a lot heavier (each one weights about a pound), and a little more
cost effective.

I figure a good gust of wind would apply around 20-40 pounds
of sideways force to the upper half of a typical trash bin
(10-20 lbs/sq ft).

How much weight do you reckon would be required at the
base of the bin to prevent it from toppling?

Too much to be practical, methinks.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weighing down trash cans
 

wrote in message
...
It sounds to me that you are using the approved garbage receptacle
that the trash pickup company recommends in order to work properly
with their automated truck arms. If so it's up to them to make it
work. If it doesn't work for whatever reason you need to complain
to them until they come up with a solution.

That makes about as much sense as calling in with a complaint that it
smells.

Steve

Weighing down trash cans
 

On Tue, 5 Dec 2006 19:32:34 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
It sounds to me that you are using the approved garbage receptacle
that the trash pickup company recommends in order to work properly
with their automated truck arms. If so it's up to them to make it
work. If it doesn't work for whatever reason you need to complain
to them until they come up with a solution.

That makes about as much sense as calling in with a complaint that it
smells.

Steve

It makes a whole lot of sense especially if the company starts losing
garbage cans because of the wind.

Weighing down trash cans
 

Definitely, especially with the axle on these things. The weights would
have to be on there snug. The axle wouldn't support much weight on its
own...and when the container gets whipped around by the arm, that thing
wouldn't stand a chance.

Weighing down trash cans
 

The arms aren't very accurate. Sometime they don't even set the
containers down so that they are standing up.

I think whatever way I end up doing this, I can't depend on the
container being set down in the same place.

Weighing down trash cans
 

I would guess 20 pounds would be the practical limit. I'm guessing that
would work for most windy days. It won't hold up against the strongest
winds here, but it will at least help.

Weighing down trash cans
 

"mike" wrote in message
ups.com...
The arms aren't very accurate. Sometime they don't even set the
containers down so that they are standing up.

I think whatever way I end up doing this, I can't depend on the
container being set down in the same place.

Reading this thread, and looking at the retracting leash I use for my ID
cardkey badges at work- Mebbe a giant version of the same thing, with a
quick-release to latch on to the bottom of the cart? Arm could still pick it
up, and the (nylon?) rope would play out, with a spring-loaded retractor
pulling back down as the arm released? Calibrate the spring to match the
wind load on the sail area of the can. Maybe one of those retracting dog
leashes could be modified to work- the ones for big dogs have a pretty good
retracting action. Bolt it to a stake, and wire the trigger down so it is
always under tension.

aem sends...

Weighing down trash cans
 

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 5 Dec 2006 19:32:34 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:


wrote in message
. ..
It sounds to me that you are using the approved garbage receptacle
that the trash pickup company recommends in order to work properly
with their automated truck arms. If so it's up to them to make it
work. If it doesn't work for whatever reason you need to complain
to them until they come up with a solution.

That makes about as much sense as calling in with a complaint that it
smells.

Steve

It makes a whole lot of sense especially if the company starts losing
garbage cans because of the wind.

"They" don't "lose" them.

"You" do.

And "you" are responsible for them when they come up missing for whatever
reason.

I doubt that they are going to let it slide when "their" trashcan goes
missing because "the wind blew it away."

I believe that will be on your next bill.

Steve

Weighing down trash cans
 

From all the info I've gathered here, it sounds like the most practical
approach is to use bungee straps for the lid, and to bolt a steel plate
onto steel rails on the bottom of the can. I can permanently bolt a
couple of steel rails to the inside of the can's bottom with threaded
holes so that the steel plate can be easily attached or removed when
not needed. I'm not sure if the steel plate will be attached on the
inside (plate on top of rails) or outside of the can (bolts through the
bottom of the can)...I need to check the clearance on the outside
bottom of the can and see if the attached plate will fit. Outside is
preferable so I don't need to reach inside to detach the plates. I can
plug the holes with a bolt and rubber washer when the plate is not
attached.

Thanks all for your help on this!

Weighing down trash cans
 

mike wrote:
From all the info I've gathered here, it sounds like the most practical
approach is to use bungee straps for the lid, and to bolt a steel plate
onto steel rails on the bottom of the can. I can permanently bolt a
couple of steel rails to the inside of the can's bottom with threaded
holes so that the steel plate can be easily attached or removed when
not needed. I'm not sure if the steel plate will be attached on the
inside (plate on top of rails) or outside of the can (bolts through the
bottom of the can)...I need to check the clearance on the outside
bottom of the can and see if the attached plate will fit. Outside is
preferable so I don't need to reach inside to detach the plates. I can
plug the holes with a bolt and rubber washer when the plate is not
attached.

Thanks all for your help on th

There isn't a perfect solution to this. I think that if you do that,
you need to keep in mind the way the center of gravity will now be
placed in an empty can: the bottom. It's the opposite of the way some
older SUVs and vans were built and that was top heavy. A good gust of
wind may cause the can to flip over anyways, but I do think the can
would be prevented from traveling down the street at least.

Weighing down trash cans
 

That's where I want the COG to be. If I'm not mistaken, the higher the
weights are placed, the easier it will be for the wind to knock it
over. That's why SUVs had (have?) a tendency to tip over...a higher
COG.

Regardless, my solution is not ideal, and I'm open to suggestions to
make it better. :)

Weighing down trash cans
 

mike wrote:
That's where I want the COG to be. If I'm not mistaken, the higher the
weights are placed, the easier it will be for the wind to knock it
over. That's why SUVs had (have?) a tendency to tip over...a higher
COG.

Regardless, my solution is not ideal, and I'm open to suggestions to
make it better. :)

Well, I am just thinking that if your trash can is anything like mine,
it's not a normal geometric shape and so the center of gravity would
have to be adjusted accordingly. In my setup, the top is larger than
the bottom and it is a slanted can with two metal handles and two
wheels.. like a wheelbarrel almost. I would look at a building a box to
block the wind and make it easy to disassemble in the non-windy seasons.

Weighing down trash cans
 

Mine is tapered, the top being wider than the bottom. I'm pretty sure
that's to distribute the weight of a can that is full so that it is
more balanced (I've learned that the hard way when I loaded some
construction debri on the top of the can with a bunch of lightweight
stuff on the bottom...it nearly tipped over when I moved it). Lower the
COG would be beneficial in what I'm trying to deal with the wind, and
being able to remove the weight and raise the COG back would be
beneficial when it's not windy.

I have to put my trash cans on the street, so I can't build anything
there.

Weighing down trash cans
 

On Mon, 04 Dec 2006 17:39:10 -0800, pe wrote:

On Mon, 04 Dec 2006 20:19:36 -0500, Eric Kent wrote:

How about getting a shallow wide box, filling it with concrete and
putting a bolt sticking out. You drill a hole in the trash can, set
it on the concrete and attach it with nuts, take it off when you don't
need it. Or, do the same with 4 coffee cans, one on each corner.

Or build a small 3 sided structure to hold the trash can. Cover it
with climbing vines. You could use 4 sides and a top and tell every
one you were bear proofing the can.

Then the truck can't lift the can, and certainly not put it back..:)


I guess it would depend on how big of a coffee can you used and how
many.
Or if you meant because of the 4 sides, obviously one would be a door.
Wait a minute, you knew that. Sorry, it is hard to "get it" when some
one is just messing with you.

E