Trash compactor and bag system

Abstract

A trash compactor includes a container and a ram for compacting waste materials deposited therein, and a reusable liner positioned within the container receives the waste material, and facilitates removal of the waste material after compaction thereof. The liner has interfitting sections each with upstanding sidewalls and a bottom wall with one side wall of each of the sections being shortened to permit their ready assembly and disassembly. A tubular bag of seamless plastic sheet material having one sealed end is placed in the liner. The bag has a cuff portion which folds over the upper end of the liner and the container. Holes in the cuff portion engage buttons on the exterior of the container. The bag is longer than the liner depth to permit the sealed bag end to bunch in the bottom of the liner, and when a bag of compacted trash is removed, the material drops to the sealed end of the bag leaving an excess at the cuff portion for closing the open end of the bag. The holes may then provide a means for engaging a tie to close the bag.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. .[.For use in.].  .Iadd.In .Iaddend.a trash compactor having a housing, a ram mounted in said housing and including a reciprocating drive therefor, and a container having rigid walls positionable in said housing beneath said ram to receive items of trash for compaction in said container by movement of the ram into said container, said container having .Iadd. outwardly projecting .Iaddend.buttons on the exterior of opposite sides thereof; a disposable trash receiving bag .[.fittable.].  .Iadd.fitted .Iaddend.within said container and including an upper cuff portion of sufficient length and width .[.to be.].  reverse folded .Iadd.over and .Iaddend.around the upper edge of said container,   and said bag having holes in said cuff portion .[.providing a means of engagement.].  .Iadd.engaging .Iaddend.over the buttons on said container .[.to hold.].  .Iadd.and holding .Iaddend.the bag in position on said container against forces tending to draw said cuff portion thereof into the container as trash is compacted within the bag and against the restraint of the container walls.   
     
     
       2. .[.A bag for use in a trash compactor.].  .Iadd.A trash compactor .Iaddend.as defined in claim 1, wherein said bag is formed as a seamless tubular member of plastic material having the end thereof opposite from said cuff portion sealed to form a liquid tight lower end of the bag, said bag being substantially greater in length than the depth of the container providing for folding of said cuff portion about the upper edge of the container and in addition providing an excess quantity of bag material at said lower end thereof within the container whereby compacted trash within the bag will settle into such excess portion of the bag as the bag is removed from the container. 
     
     
       3. In a trash compactor having a housing, a ram mounted in said housing and including a reciprocating drive therefor, an access door opening to the interior of the housing in the region beneath said ram, and an open top container having rigid walls positionable in said housing beneath said ram to receive and restrain items of trash for compaction in said container by movement of the ram into said container, said container having retainer projections .Iadd.directly outwardly .Iaddend.from the exterior of its top on opposite sides thereof; the improvement comprising a thin flexible trash receiving bag fittable within said container and including an upper cuff portion of sufficient length and width to be reverse folded .Iadd.over and .Iaddend.around the top edge of said container,   and said bag having holes in said cuff portion engaging over said projections on said container to hold the bag in position on said container against forces tending to draw said cuff portion thereof into the container as trash is compacted within the bag against the restraint of said container walls.   
     
     
       4. A trash compactor as defined in claim 3, including a removable rigid liner of a plurality of interfitting separable parts within said container and receiving said bag, said container walls providing the restraint for the liner and said bag against compacting force,   and said liner being removable and separable to release a full bag from the compactor. .Iadd. 5. A trash compactor as defined in claim 1, including a removable rigid liner of a plurality of interfitting separable parts within said container and receiving said bag,   said container walls providing the restraint for the liner and said bag against compacting force,   and said liner being removable and separable to release a full bag from the compactor..Iaddend.