Excerpt from Popular Mechanics: Shop Notes, Volume 16, 1920.
To Keep Animals from Molesting the Garbage Can
The refuse pail in the back yard is attractive to cats and dogs,
and sometimes to rats. Often the pail is thus tipped and the
refuse spread on the ground. The contrivance illustrated remedies
this condition. The pail is placed near a clothes post or
fence; a narrow strip is hinged to the post, level with the
top of the pail. A second strip is hinged above the first
at about the angle shown.
When both strips are down, the upper one falls and rests
on the lower, checking it from being raised unless the upper
one is raised first. To release the pail, raise the upper
strip; then raise the lower strip to engage the cleat on the
Editor's Note: This is a reprint of an article published
in 1920. It describes what was recommended in accordance with
the knowledge and practices of the day. While reading it,
please consider this fact.