Debris removal container and method of removing debris from a construction site

Abstract

The debris removal container ( 10 ) includes interiorly projecting strengthening ribs, such as ribs ( 25 - 29 ) that reduce the frictional contact between adjacent containers when one container is being nestably stacked in a lower container. The removable fork receptacle feet ( 14 and 15 ) may be replaced when damaged. The nested containers are placed in an upright, nested, stacked relationship for transport by a truck ( 44 ) and the containers are formed of light weight material so that a rotary forklift can lift and manage a nested stack, by inverting or resting the containers on their sides on a horizontal surface and picking the lowermost container from the nested stack for distribution at a construction site.

1 . A method of disposing of debris comprising: 
 transporting on a vehicle a plurality of open top containers in an upright attitude and nested in stacked relationship with respect to one another;    removing the plurality of containers from the vehicle while in their upright nested stacked relationship;    tilting the plurality of containers while in their nested stacked relationship;    depositing the plurality of containers on a horizontal surface while in their nested stacked relationship in a non-upright attitude so as to expose the bottom of the lower receiving container;    pulling one container at a time from the nested stacked relationship on the horizontal surface;    setting each container upright on a horizontal surface; and    depositing debris into the container.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of pulling one container at a time from the nested stacked relationship comprises engaging the bottoms of the containers with the forks of a rotary forklift.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each container includes a lower portion that has a receptacle for the forks of a forklift and the steps of removing, tilting, depositing and pulling are performed by engaging with the forks of a forklift the receptacles for the forks.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of depositing the nested containers on the horizontal surface comprises depositing the nested stacked containers on their sides.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of depositing the nested containers on the horizontal surface comprises depositing the nested stacked containers in an inverted attitude  
   
   
       6 . A container for receiving, transporting and dumping debris comprising: 
 a rectangular bottom wall having opposed inner and outer surfaces and a rectangular perimeter;    four side walls each having opposed inner and outer surfaces, said four side walls extending upwardly and sloped outwardly from about the perimeter of the bottom wall, the side walls defining an upper edge with a rim and defining an upwardly facing opening for receiving and dumping debris;    the side walls each including a plurality of strengthening ribs extending from adjacent the bottom wall toward the rim and projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the container;    the container configured for nesting with duplicates of the container with the strengthening ribs of the nested containers engaging and supporting a duplicate container received therein; and    a pair of fork receiving members removably connected to the bottom of the rectangular bottom wall configured for receiving the fork of a forklift vehicle.    
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 6  and wherein said bottom wall and four side walls are formed of plastic material.  
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 6  and wherein said side walls each include at least two strengthening ribs that slidingly receive a duplicate container.  
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 6  and wherein opposed ones of the side walls are sloped at a different angle than the others of the side walls.  
   
   
       10 . A method of collecting and disposing of debris comprising: 
 moving a vehicle to a site where debris is to be collected with open top containers in a vertically nested stack in an upright attitude on the vehicle,    engaging the lowermost container in the stack and lifting with the lower-most container and transporting the stack from the vehicle to a site for collecting debris,    depositing the stack at the site in a non-upright attitude that enables the lower-most container to be retrieved from the stack,    pulling in sequence the containers from the bottom of the stack,    placing the containers pulled from the bottom of the stack in an upright attitude on a site, and    placing debris in the containers placed on the site.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , and further including the step of transporting a forklift with the vehicle, and wherein the steps of engaging, depositing, pulling and placing are performed by the forklift.  
   
   
       12 . A container for receiving, transporting and dumping debris comprising: 
 a bottom wall having opposed inner and outer surfaces and a perimeter,    side walls each having opposed inner and outer surfaces, said side walls extending upwardly and sloped outwardly from about the perimeter of the bottom wall, the side walls defining an upper edge with a rim and defining an upwardly facing opening for receiving and dumping debris;    the side walls each including a plurality of strengthening ribs extending from the bottom wall toward the rim and projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the container,    the bottom wall including a pair of parallel recesses that extend across the bottom wall, from side wall to side wall, projecting into the interior of the body portion and aligned with the strengthening ribs of the side walls,    fork receptacle feet for engaging a horizontal surface on which the container is to be supported, the feet each mounted in one of the parallel recesses and defining a channel that is configured for receiving a tine of a fork of a rotary forklift.    
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 12  wherein the fork receptacle feet are bolted to the bottom wall of the body portion of the container.  
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 12  wherein the fork receptacle feet are bolted in a recess to the bottom wall of the body portion of the container.