Dempster Brothers, Inc. of
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...
, was an industrial firm that made
waste handling vehicles including the Dempster Dumpmaster and Dempster Dinosaur. The firm was originally established by
George Roby Dempster
George Roby Dempster (September 16, 1887 – September 18, 1964) was an American businessman, inventor, and politician, active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the first half of the 20th century. Dempster is known for the invention ...
with his brothers Thomas and John Dempster. The company is notable for popularizing the word
dumpster, which eventually became a
generic trademark
A generic trademark, also known as a genericized trademark or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name that, because of its popularity or significance, has become the generic term for, or synonymous with, a general class of products or ...
.
Dempster Dumpmaster
The Dempster Dumpmaster, introduced in the 1950s,
was the first commercially successful, front-loading
garbage truck in the United States. The product uses the ''Dempster-Dumpster'' system of mechanically emptying standardized metal containers, which had been patented by the company in 1937. It had arms at the front that picked up a
dumpster and lifted it over the cab to tip it into the hopper. A rearward-traveling compacting panel compressed the garbage stored in the truck and was also used to push it out through a door at the back when it was being emptied.
See also
*
Garwood Load Packer
The Garwood Load Packer was a refuse collection vehicle built by Garwood Industries in Detroit, Michigan. Engineered by Melvin Donald Silvey, the Packer brought significant changes in the mode and automation of garbage collection in the United St ...
References
External links
ClassicRefuseTrucks.com
Blue Star Dumpsters
Waste collection vehicles
Waste management companies of the United States
Companies based in Knoxville, Tennessee
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