The 1935 Dempster-Dumpster, the first dumpster - photos and patent

**Jon** · Oct 7, 2017, 12:50 PM

I was reading a post by Toolmaker51, in which he mentioned: "Wiremold is not only a generic item name but an actual brand as well".

Toolmaker51 was defining a "generic trademark" - a brand name that becomes so popular that it is eventually synonymous with its general product. For example: Band-Aid, Kleenex, Thermos, and...

...Dumpster.

George Roby Dempster was an industrious homemade tool builder who invented the Dempster-Dumpster in 1935.

Dempster eventually held dozens of patents, but it looks like this was the big one:

Interestingly, the dumpster was not originally intended for refuse, but for general construction work. As a younger man, Dempster hoboed around the country before finding work on the Panama Canal as a steam shovel operator, where he saw the need for such a tool.

However, around the 1930s, large American cities were becoming plagued by the buildup of trash, and Dempster's invention found a perfect use in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee - one of America's first "Dumpster Cities".

Dempster's invention was so appreciated by city dwellers that he was elected mayor! History speaks kindly of him as both a professional civic leader, and a guy who knew how to git 'er done.

Dempster died in 1964, and his funeral is described as the largest one ever held in Knoxville.

More:

Orginal dumpster patent
Classic Refuse Trucks DEMPSTER
Fountain City History

**mklotz** · Oct 7, 2017, 12:56 PM

I don't want to think about how they transported the coffin to the cemetery.

**KustomsbyKent** · Oct 7, 2017, 11:04 PM

Jon,
Thanks for posting this along with all of the great pictures of the dumpster in use, and also the patent drawings. Gotta love vintage drawings in patents, you just know someone actually drew those all by hand! Nowadays for new patents, they use a software that renders digit designs and makes it look vintage like that, which is not quite as impressive.
I'm a big fan of COE trucks, and I currently have a couple, so it's pretty cool seeing COE trucks with the dumpster units on them. I wonder if any originals exist? I've never seen this pop up in any of my COE searches, so this was really interesting.
Thanks
Kent

**Jon** · Oct 8, 2017, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by KustomsbyKent

Nowadays for new patents, they use a software that renders digit designs and makes it look vintage like that, which is not quite as impressive.

Lame! I had no idea. I love those old patent drawings. The cross-hatch shading, the fancy lawyer signatures. There is a lot of drama and bureaucratic annoyance in the patent process, but it's also the backbone of technological advancement in a society. Dempster was homeless in The Great Depression, and grew wealthy by virtue of the value he provided to society with his inventions. Literally - he was a hobo.

All good people love COE trucks!

**skibo** · Mar 18, 2018, 06:44 PM

That's a cool old bucket truck ("Dempster Dumpster") must of been the start of what is called a Lugger Truck today! I remember seeing my first Lugger truck when I worked at Weyerhaeuser Pulp mill in 1968, I drove them a lot of years up until I retired!

**PJs** · Mar 19, 2018, 01:10 PM

Gotta love vintage drawings in patents, you just know someone actually drew those all by hand!

You are right Kent. Did a few Patent drawings back in the day on Bristol Board with pen and ink and sometimes used a LeRoy set. No room for error...At All...Start over from the beginning. They have a look and feel of timelessness to me. Until the advent of ACAD in 82' and for a few years later until it could be proven out and Regulated all drawings were done by hand on Bristol Board but Not sure when they were actually allowed. The regulations for all detail were quite stringent and difficult to discern in verbosalese, written up buy those Bureaucrats trying to hold some standards...tedious in all cases. Now it's all about Lair's and $$$$. My son has 4 now and will check with him to see what he knows about them but think they have a Dept for that.

All good people love COE trucks!

I've not always been a good people but do love the old cabovers too...is that ok? Thanks for bringing this around again, a great posting, musta missed it during my bad people times.

PJ