Abstrict A can crusher is provided with a can feed hopper having an open
inlet at the top of the can crusher through which opening a plurality
of cans may be inserted one after another to fill the hopper. Sequentially,
each can falls by gravity into a crushing compartment where a power-driven
ram crushes the can axially to crumple the can's cylindrical wall
thereby reducing the can's length to about one-fourth or less of
its original length. The crushed can falls by gravity through a
discharge chute to be automatically discharged. Each can in the
hopper automatically falls in succession into the crushing compartment
to be crushed and discharged. To prevent human fingers from being
inserted through the hopper inlet or the discharge chute and into
the crushing compartment, the guiding chute paths are non-linear
and/or tortuous to reduce the length thereof and to block a straight
finger insertion into the crushing compartment. To remove an uncrushed
can from the crushing compartment, the can feed hopper may be detached;
and this detachment operation automatically operates an electrical
switch to disable a power drive for the ram to thereby prevent crushing
of the human fingers removing the uncrushed can.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. A can crusher for power crushing a sequence of cans inserted
therein and for automatically discharging cans crushed in the lengthwise
direction, said can crusher comprising:
a lower base unit having vertical end walls and front and rear
vertical walls substantially larger in width than the vertical end
walls;
an upper can feed hopper detachably mounted on the lower base unit;
first walls including a sloped wall in the upper can feed hopper
defining a downwardly sloped first path in a first direction for
supporting a first, single row of cans;
second walls including a second sloped wall in the upper can feed
hopper defining a reversely sloped path beneath the first path and
being sloped in a reverse direction to the first direction for supporting
a second, single row of cans beneath the first row of cans;
a crushing station in the base unit for receiving cans discharging
from the second row on the second sloped wall in the detachable
can feed hopper;
the crushing station being accessible with removal of the upper
can feed hopper from the lower base unit for removal of a can therein;
a power driven ram in the lower base unit movable to engage an
end of a can in the crushing station to crush the can lengthwise
to reduce its length; and
walls in the lower base unit defining a curved discharge chute
leading from the crushing chamber to a discharge aperture through
which the crushed cans are discharged, the discharge aperture being
in the lower base front wall.
2. A can crusher in accordance with claim 1 in which the discharge
aperture has a height slightly greater than the diameter of a can
and a width slightly greater than the thickness of a crushed can.
3. A can crusher in accordance with claim 1 in which the feed hopper
is wider than the lower base unit with cans in the hopper unit being
positioned outside of the lower base unit's width in their travel
to the crushing chamber.
4. A can crusher in accordance with claim 1 in which a safety interlock
is actuated by removal of the can feed hopper to prevent operation
of a crushing ram, while a person's fingers are at the crushing
station removing a can therefrom.
5. A can crusher in accordance with claim 4 further including an
electric motor coupled to the power driven ram and an electric motor
circuit, the safety interlock comprising an electrical switch in
the electric motor circuit and an actuator on the can feed hopper
to actuate the electric switch to enable the electric motor circuit
when the can feed hopper is attached to the base unit and to disable
the electric motor circuit when the can feed hopper is detached
from the base unit.
6. A can crusher in accordance with claim 5 in which the actuator
comprises a projection on the can feed hopper, and a slot in the
base unit accepts the projection which moves through the slot to
a position internally within the base unit to engage the electrical
switch in order to enable the electric motor circuit.
7. A can crusher for power crushing of a sequence of cans inserted
therein and for automatically discharging cans crushed in the lengthwise
direction, said can crusher comprising:
a lower base unit;
an upper can feed hopper detachably mounted on the lower base unit;
first walls including a sloped wall in the upper can feed hopper
defining a downwardly sloped first path in a first direction for
supporting a first, single row of cans;
second walls including a second sloped wall in the upper can feed
hopper defining a reversely sloped path beneath the first path and
being sloped in a reverse direction to the first direction for supporting
a second, single row of cans beneath the first row of cans;
a crushing station in the base unit for receiving cans discharging
from the second row on the second sloped wall in the detachable
can feed hopper;
the crushing station being accessible with removal of the upper
can feed hopper from the lower base unit for removal of a can therein;
a power driven ram in the lower base unit movable to engage an
end of a can in the crushing station to crush the can lengthwise
to reduce its length; and
walls in the lower base unit defining a non-linear discharge chute
leading from the crushing chamber to a discharge aperture through
which crushed cans are discharged, said lower base unit walls including
a non-linear lower chute wall formed of lower wall portions oriented
in different directions and a non-linear top chute wall formed of
corresponding top wall portions, each lower wall portion spaced
from and extending in the same direction as one of the corresponding
top wall portions;
whereby a person's hand is obstructed from entering the crushing
chamber through the hopper and discharge chute during can crushing.
8. A can crusher in accordance with claim 7 in which the feed hopper
is wider than the lower base unit with cans in the hopper unit being
positioned outside of the lower base unit's width in their travel
to the crushing chamber.
9. A can crusher in accordance with claim 7 in which the lower
base unit has vertical end walls and has front and rear vertical
walls substantially larger in width than the vertical end walls,
the discharge aperture being in the front wall, and wherein the
discharge chute along which the crushed can rolls from the crushing
chamber to the discharge aperture is curved.
10. A can crusher in accordance with claim 7 in which a safety
interlock is actuated by removal of the can feed hopper to prevent
operation of a crushing ram, while a person's fingers are at the
crushing station removing a can therefrom.
11. A can crusher in accordance with claim 10 further including
an electric motor coupled to the power driven ram and an electric
motor circuit, the safety interlock comprising an electrical switch
in the electric motor circuit and an actuator on the can feed hopper
to actuate the electrical switch to enable the electric motor circuit
when the can feed hopper is attached to the base unit and to disable
the electric motor circuit when the can feed hopper is detached
from the base unit.
12. A can crusher in accordance with claim 11 in which the actuator
comprises a projection on the can feed hopper, and a slot in the
base unit accepts the projection which moves through the slot to
a position internally within the base unit to engage the electrical
switch in order to enable the electric motor circuit.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a power-operated can crusher for crushing
cans, and more particularly, to a can crusher for use in the home
for crushing aluminum cans.
The present invention is directed to a can crusher that is intended
to be purchased for use in a home for crushing cans made of aluminum
such as the typical soft drink or beverage cans. With recycling
of cans, there is a desire to crush cans to a small fraction of
their uncrushed size for placing in recycling containers. Manually
operated can crushers are available and require the operator to
supply the force by pulling a lever to crush the can. Some power-operated
can crushers are available in which a crusher ram is driven by an
electric motor to crush a can within the can crusher. These power-operated
can crushers crush the can within a crushing chamber access to which
is by means of a door. In use, the door is opened and a can is inserted
into the crushing chamber, and the door is closed. The ram is driven
by the electric motor to crush the can and the door is again opened
to remove the can. A safety interlock prevents operation of the
crusher ram while the door is open to prevent crushing of human
fingers by operation of the crushing ram.
In some instances, a steel can may be inserted into a conventional
can crusher, and the crusher ram is operated without crushing the
steel can. In such instances, the can is often jammed by the ram
with a stalled motor drive forcing the ram tightly against the steel
can, which may be partially compressed. One known can crusher requires
a very difficult and time-consuming reverse movement of a drive
train for the crusher ram in order to back off the ram to release
the jammed steel can. It is not recommended that a screw driver
or other instrument be used to pry the jammed can loose because
the screw driver may puncture the can, and release any liquid therein.
The present invention is directed to providing a much faster and
more convenient can crusher in which a plurality of cans can be
loaded and fed sequentially into the can crusher through an uncovered
opening. That is, the opening is not covered by a door that needs
to be opened and closed for a single can crushing operation. This
door opening and closing, and waiting until the previous can is
crushed before inserting a second can renders the can crushing task
tedious particularly where one wants to crush a plurality of cans
with a minimum of effort. The present invention is also directed
to providing an automatic discharge of crushed cans from a discharge
opening without having to open a door for each crushed can, as in
the above-described, conventional can crusher.
The present invention is also directed to meeting certain Underwriter
Laboratories' safety criteria that specify restrictions with respect
to the size of opening and relative length of path from the exterior
of the can crusher to the crushing chamber so that human fingers
may not be inserted through a can inlet or a can discharge opening
and inserted into the crushing chamber. If the fingers can be placed
in the crushing chamber, an operation of the can crusher, whether
by an accidental start or as part of an ongoing can crushing sequence,
results in fingers being crushed. The can crusher needs a fairly
large inlet opening to receive a can; and a hand can be easily inserted
therein. This can crusher which is for use in the home, cannot be
so large as to provide a linear inlet chute longer than a arm. In
order to be marketable, these can crushers cannot take a large amount
of limited counter space in a kitchen or the like. Also, these can
crushers should be of a size to be mounted on a wall in a kitchen
or the like. Thus, in order for the can crusher to be commercially
successful, it must be limited in size.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved, power-operated can crusher for home usage.
Another object of the invention is to provide a can crusher in
which cans are rolled from an open inlet to a crushing compartment,
and then automatically crushed and discharged from the crushing
compartment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of cans may
be loaded into a can feeder or hopper, and the cans will roll automatically
into the crushing station one after another, and the crushed cans
are automatically discharged from the can crusher. The user may
place another can into the can feeder as soon as a crushed can is
being discharged. Thus, the user may bring to the can crusher a
large number of cans, and without opening and closing doors, feed
a continual supply of cans into the can feeder with each of the
crushed cans being automatically discharged. In the preferred embodiment,
the can feed hopper will hold six cans so that the user will usually
be able to load it by rolling six or less cans into the feeder,
and leave the can crusher unattended as each of the cans in the
feed hopper will roll sequentially into the crushing station, at
which place they are crushed and then discharged automatically.
The can feed hopper is removably mounted on a can crusher base
unit to allow access to a steel can that will not be crushed by
the ram. A safety interlock prevents operation of the ram so that
human fingers cannot be accidentally crushed while the can feed
hopper is removed. The preferred interlock includes a hidden electrical
switch that is actuated by a projection on the can feed hopper that
moves internally within the base to activate the circuit for the
ram to enable the electric motor when the hopper is attached to
the base unit. Conversely, when the can feed hopper is removed from
the base unit, the switch is shifted to disable the motor operation
of the ram.
The preferred inlet opening for the can, and the discharge opening
from the can crusher are uncovered openings. To prevent a child
or adult from inserting a hand through the inlet opening to the
crushing chamber, the inlet chute is a non-linear chute which prevents
a straight insertion of the hand and arm into the unit. The preferred
inlet chute has walls that direct the cans to roll down a slope
in a first direction, and then roll in a reverse direction before
dropping downwardly into the crushing chamber. The hand and fingers
cannot make this reversal of direction and reach the crushing chamber.
The can discharge opening is a much smaller size opening so that
an adult hand cannot be inserted therein. The preferred discharge
path is also along a non-linear path so that a hand cannot be inserted
straight into the can crusher to the crushing chamber. Preferably,
the discharge is a downwardly dropping, curved chute which should
defeat any small hand inserted therein from being crushed by the
ram.
Preferably, the can crusher can be mounted on a room wall with
a back side thereof attached to the wall and with the cans being
dropped into an upper inlet opening and with the discharging crushed
can dropping automatically from the bottom portion of the can crusher
into a recycling container. In the illustrated embodiment of the
invention, the cans are dropped into the can inlet at the top side
of the crusher and the crushed cans are discharged at a lower discharge
aperture in the lower portion of the front side of the can crusher.
In this embodiment, the cans travel in a downward path with one
edge of the can traveling in a substantially vertical plane as it
travels through the can feed hopper, the crushing chamber and the
discharge chute.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the can crusher mounted on a room
wall and embodying the features of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of the can crusher of FIG.
1 showing cans in the feed hopper and the crushing station, and
showing a crushed can being discharged;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the feed hopper being removed
from a base unit;
FIG. 3a is a schematic view of an electrical circuit for the motor
of the can crusher;
FIG. 4 is a cross-section through the can crusher showing a can
travel path;
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the vertical drop of the
can through the can crusher;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional, plan view of the crushing chamber
and ram and of the ram drive; and
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the gear train
drive mounted on a subframe in the housing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention
is embodied in a can crusher 10 that has an inlet opening 11 through
which cans 12 are fed into the can crusher. The can is crushed internally
within the can crusher by a piston or ram 14 which is power driven
by a drive means 16 that includes an electrical motor 18. Herein,
the can is crushed by the ram engaging one end 20 of the can and
pushing this end towards the other end 21 of the can to collapse
a sidewall 22. The other end of the can is held stationary by a
wall 24 in a crushing chamber 25 in which the can is crushed. The
can is, in essence, a thin wall, cylindrical column that is collapsed
by forces exerted on its ends.
In prior conventional can crushers that had a ram to crush the
can, the can crusher had an access door that had to be opened to
insert a can and then closed before the can could be crushed. After
crushing, the door had to be opened and the can removed before a
new can could be inserted. Thus, it was necessary to wait until
the previous can was crushed before a new can may be inserted; and
this insertion requires both a door opening and the placing of the
second can in the crushing chamber. Thus, this conventional can
crusher involves a relatively slow and time-consuming process for
someone who has a number of cans to crush.
In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of cans,
e.g., six (6) cans may be loaded into a can feed hopper 26; and
each can 12 rolls in succession into the can crushing chamber 25
where it is crushed; and each crushed can is automatically discharged
from a discharge chute 28. The user may place another can in the
feed hopper as soon as the first can is crushed.
A person may roll cans into the crushing chamber 25 through a relatively
large can feeder opening 11 that is large enough to insert a hand;
but the path the can travels is tortuous in the sense that one may
not insert one's hand and arm very far without hitting an end wall
30 that blocks further inserting movement. The preferred tortuous
or non-linear path involves the cans traveling in a first direction,
as shown by the direction arrow A in FIG. 2 and then in an opposite
direction, as shown in by the direction arrow B in FIG. 2 until
the can drops down into the crushing chamber 25.
The discharge chute 28 for the crushed cans has a discharge aperture
32 which is much smaller in width the can inlet opening 11 so that
an adult may not insert his hand through the discharge aperture
32. Although a small hand could be inserted into the aperture, the
fingers would abut a non-linear lower chute wall 34 formed of lower
wall portions 34a and 34b oriented in different directions and a
non-linear top chute wall 35 formed of corresponding top wall portions
35a and 35b and be blocked thereby from further straight insertion
to the crushing chamber. The preferred discharge chute is non-linear
and, in fact, is curved rearwardly and upwardly from the discharge
aperture to the crushing chamber 25. Thus, both the hopper feed
chute and the discharge chute are non-linear and serve to prevent
insertion of human fingers into the crushing chamber. These non-linear
paths reduce the length of the chutes from that which would be needed
to satisfy Underwriter Laboratories' specifications if the chutes
were linear with a straight insertion path into the crushing chamber
for human hands.
It sometimes occurs that a steel can will be rolled into the crushing
chamber 25 and that the ram 14 will be unable to crush the steel
can because it is too strong a column. The uncrushed steel can will
need to be manually removed from the crushing chamber because it
is too large to pass through a discharge port or hole 36 in a bottom
wall 100 of the crushing chamber. To provide access to the crushing
chamber 25 the can feed hopper 26 is detachably mounted to a base
unit 40 in which the crushing chamber is located. As best seen in
FIG. 3 removal of the can feed hopper from the base unit, leaves
the crushing chamber exposed from the top so that a person may grasp
the steel can and lift it from the crushing chamber. To prevent
an accidental operation of the ram 14 while the hopper 26 is removed
and the crushing chamber 25 and ram 14 are exposed, a safety interlock
means 42 is provided. The preferred safety interlock means comprises
a switch actuator 44 on the can feed hopper that operates an internal,
electrical switch 46 in an electrical circuit 48 to disable the
drive means 16 and electric motor 18 for as long as the hopper is
detached. When the hopper is re-attached, the actuator 44 actuates
the electrical switch 46 to enable the electrical circuit for the
drive means 16 and the motor 18 to allow the ram to be driven to
again crush cans. The electrical circuit for the motor also includes
a manually-operated, on-off switch 50 on the base unit. When the
switch 50 is in its "on" position, the ram continually
reciprocates through crushing cycles. When this switch 50 is in
the "off" position, the electrical circuit for the electrical
motor is disabled.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the can crusher 10
may be mounted on a room wall 51 (FIG. 1) with a rear side 64 of
the crusher housing flat against the room wall. The cans are fed
through the upper inlet 11 and travel by gravity into the underlying
crushing compartment 25; and, after crushing, fall by gravity through
the discharge chute 28 located at a lower portion of the housing
into a recycling container 53a. Preferably, the can inlet is at
the upper side of the housing; and the discharge aperture 32 is
at the lower portion of the housing, and in the front wall 68 of
the housing.
The can crusher may be set upon a counter 55 (FIG. 2) resting on
the bottom side 72 of the housing or it may be mounted on the wall,
as shown in FIG. 1.
In this illustrated can crusher 10 the cans travel in a generally
downward path without being shifted axially. That is, the left end
21 of the can, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3 travels in a substantially
vertical plane in its travel through the can crusher. This left
can, end first, falls down along a vertical hopper sidewall 53 from
the inlet opening 11 as it rolls down to a position adjacent the
crushing chamber's stationary end wall 24 and then falls down along
chute sidewall 54 which ends at the discharge aperture 32. The
inlet hopper sidewall 53 the chamber end wall 24 and the discharge
chute sidewall 54 are generally aligned in a vertical plane so that
the can end 21 travels generally in a vertical plane as it travels
through the can crusher.
Referring now in greater detail to the preferred and illustrated
embodiment of the invention, the feed hopper includes a molded plastic
housing which has a curved front wall 30 extending from the top
inlet opening 11 down to a lower end 30a. The cans roll down an
inclined divider plate 60 within the hopper to reverse their direction
of travel when they leave the edge 60a of the inclined divider plate
and hit the inside surface of the curved wall 30. The inclined divider
wall 60 extends forwardly and at a slight slope and has the forward
edge 60a spaced from the curved wall 30 by a distance greater than
a can diameter so that a can may travel past the edge 60a, and then
abut and be guided by the lower portion of the curved wall 30 for
reverse direction travel beneath the divider plate towards crushing
chamber 25.
The hopper 26 also includes a rear wall 62 that is aligned with
and is in the same vertical plane as rear wall 64 of the base unit.
These walls 62 and 64 are called rear walls because the unit may
be mounted on a room wall 51 as shown in FIG. 1 in which case
these walls are abutted against a room wall 51. The curved hopper
wall 30 guides cans to engage an inlet ledge 66 on the base unit
just before the top opening 25a (FIGS. 3 and 4) into the crushing
chamber 25. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 the first inserted can
rolls down in the inlet chute across the inlet ledge 66 to drop
through the opening 25a, and fall down into the crushing chamber
25. The second can rolls the same path to a position at the opening
25a, and comes to rest at and to sit upon the first can. Another
four cans, as shown in FIG. 2 may be inserted into the hopper and
they will abut each other and assume the positions shown in FIG.
2.
To accommodate the inflow of cans 12 from the feed hopper into
the crushing chamber, the base unit 40 has a front wall 68 with
a side cut-out 70 through which the cans pass. This cut-out 70 is
covered by the lower end 30a of the curved hopper wall 30. The base
unit has a front wall 68 which is generally a vertical wall that
is parallel to the base rear wall 64. The base unit also has a top
wall 65 parallel to a base bottom wall 72. The base unit also has
vertical end walls 73. Vertical front 68 and rear 64 walls are substantially
larger in width than vertical end walls 73.
Rather than being mounted on a room wall, the bottom wall 72 may
be seated on a counter or table. The top wall has a cut-out 71 above
the crushing station to allow access to a steel can or the like
in the crushing station when the hopper is removed, as is being
done in FIG. 3. The hopper is configured at its lower end to rest
on top of the base unit and to cover the crushing chamber.
The preferred safety interlock includes the T-shaped switch actuator
44 projecting downwardly from the bottom of the hopper and its lower
curved wall 30a. A mating T-shaped slot 74 is provided in the ledge
66 in the base unit. Also, to connect the hopper to the base unit,
the base unit has a pair of dovetail projections 75 on the interior
side of the rear wall 64 of the base unit. These dovetail projections
75 have a sliding fit with slots (not shown) in the rear wall 62
of the hopper. The wider outer part of the dovetail projections
abut the inside of the rear wall 62 of the hopper 26 with a narrow
neck of the T-shaped cross-section dovetails being fitted in the
slots (not shown) in the rear wall 62. When the dovetail projections
75 slide in the slots in the hopper rear wall 62 and the T-shaped
actuator 44 slides down into the T-shaped slot 74 in the ledge 66
the hopper 26 will be connected and stabilized against tipping or
rocking and will be aligned in proper position over the crushing
chamber.
The preferred and illustrated drive means 16 includes the electric
motor 18 and a series of gears in a gear train 80 (FIG. 7) which
drive a pair of crank bars or arms 82 and 82a which are connected
by a connecting rod 84 (FIG. 6) to the piston or ram 14. The connecting
rod 84 is pivotally connected at one end 84a to the piston ram 14
at pivot pin 90 which extends horizontally through the piston ram
14. The other end 84b of the connecting rod is sandwiched between
the upper ends of a pair of crank arms 82 and 82a; and a pivot pin
91 is bolted through the crank arms and the upper connecting rod
end 84b. The crank arm 82a has its lower end pivoted at a pivot
pin 93 in a boss 95 in a molded subframe 97. The other crank arm
82 has its lower end fastened to a horizontal drive shaft 83i to
which is affixed the output drive gear 83g for the crank arm 82.
Thus, as the gear 83g rotates, the upper end of the crank arm 82
and attached upper ends of the connecting rod 84 and crank arm 82a
oscillate forwardly and rearwardly to reciprocate the piston ram
14.
The drive means 16 includes the electric motor 18 which is mounted
on the subframe 97 with its output shaft 81 horizontal and driving
fixedly attached pinion gear 83. The gear train for reducing the
speed includes a second large gear 83a fixed to a shaft 83b on which
is also fixedly mounted a smaller gear 83c. The shaft 83b is journaled
for turning in the subframe 97. The gear 83c drives a very large
gear 83d mounted on a horizontal shaft 83f journaled in the subframe.
A smaller gear 83h is mounted on the shaft 83f, and it is meshed
with the output drive gear 83g which is fixed to the drive shaft
83; which extends through the boss 85 in the subframe 97 and has
a flattened end connected to the lower end of the crank arm 82 to
oscillate the crank arm 82 attached thereto.
The gear train is provided to allow the motor to turn at high speed
and to generate the torque needed to be applied to the crank arms
and connecting rod to push the piston ram 14 to apply a force in
excess of 200 lbs. to the can end 20. The illustrated electric motor
is a 1/15 horsepower, electric motor.
The subframe 97 includes an upper horizontal, molded piece 98
as best seen in FIG. 6 which includes the bottom wall 100 for the
crushing chamber 25 with a concave central depression 100a to receive
the curved lower portion of the cylindrical can. The discharge port
36 is formed in the bottom wall and bounded by edges 36a (FIG. 6)
in the subframe 97. The piston ram 14 is a generally block-shaped
member having a slot receiving the lower end of the connecting rod
84 which is pivoted about in the middle of the block-shaped ram
14. The ram has its lower end formed to mate with and slide along
the bottom wall 100 of the crushing chamber 25. The piston ram is
guided for rectilinear, reciprocating travel by a pair of lateral
ears 99 thereon that slide in slots 97aformed in vertical sidewalls
97b and 97c of the subframe. The slots 97a are formed in the longitudinal
direction and along the lower portions of the crushing chamber sidewalls
97b and 97c.
The subframe 97 also has a lower vertical section 97e (FIG. 7)
in which are journaled the respective gear shafts 83b and 83f. The
motor 18 is mounted on the reverse side of vertical subframe section
97e, as shown in FIG. 7 and is centered about its output shaft
81. The motor 18 is disposed directly beneath the bottom wall 100
of the crushing chamber 25. This internal subframe 97 with its lower
section 97e is bolted to and stationary with respect to outer housing
105 which encloses the same and forms therewith the lower base unit
frame structure to withstand the loads encountered when crushing
cans.
The interlock switch 46 is mounted on the subframe section 97e
and includes an upper pivoted lever 107 which pushes on a cam 109
which projects internally within a switch housing 110 having electrical
contacts (not shown) therein. The interlock switch is fastened to
the subframe which has the ledge 66 and the T-shaped slot 74 therein
directly above the interlock switch 46.
When a steel can is attempted to be crushed, the steel can will
be compressed slightly in the axial direction, and the motor torque
will be overcome, and the motor will then stall out. The force of
the compressed can will immediately expand the can slightly when
the ram's motor force is released thereby pushing the ram rearwardly,
and thereby through the crank arms, turn the gears and shafts 81
83 in the reverse direction and, as a result, turn the motor shaft
in the reverse direction. Thus, the piston ram will not be tightly
held against the can end and jamming the can against the other end
wall 24 of the crushing chamber, as would preclude an easy lifting
of the steel can from the crushing compartment. The backing off
of the ram should preclude persons from taking a screw driver or
the like and trying to pry the can loose, as they may try to do
if the can were jammed in the chamber and not loose for removal.
The screw driver may puncture a can and release any liquid therein.
The primary safety concern of using a screw driver to pry a can
loose is that a person may puncture a can, causing the contents
of the can to spray under pressure into the eyes of such person.
In the prior art, the gear units were such that they would not automatically
reverse; and it was very difficult to remove a steel can that became
jammed in the can crusher.
Turning now to the preferred method of operation, cans 12 are fed
one after another into the feed hopper 26 through the inlet opening
26. The cans roll down the inclined divider to the curved wall 30
and then are guided in the reverse direction into a position above
the crushing chamber 25. The first can drops down into the crushing
chamber and the second can rolls onto the top of the first can.
Herein, another four cans may be loaded into the hopper. With operation
of the switch 50 to the "on" position, the electric motor
18 operates its drive means 16 to slide the piston ram 14 to abut
the adjacent end 20 of the can to push the can end 21 against the
chamber end wall 24 and continued piston force crushes the cylindrical
wall 22 of the can as the axially-directed force on the can end
pushes the can end 20 toward the other stationary end 21 of the
can. The can length between its ends 20 and 21 is reduced to about
one-fourth (1/4) of its original length and to a length less than
the width of a discharge port or opening 36; so that as the piston
ram retracts and releases its endwise force on the crushed can,
it is free to drop down into the discharge chute 28 to travel along
a curved path of travel and to automatically drop from the discharged
aperture 32 into a container 53 or the like.
As the first can is crushed and drops, the second can is now released
to drop into the crushing chamber 25 and the other cans also roll,
with the third can rolling onto the top of the second can. Thus,
there is a new space adjacent the hopper inlet to receive a new
can in the hopper. With each stroke of the ram, a new can is crushed
and dropped into the discharge chute until the hopper is emptied
or until the switch 50 is moved to the "off" position.
If a steel can were inserted into the hopper, it would travel to
the crushing chamber 25; and the ram 14 would not have sufficient
force to collapse its cylindrical wall to reduce it to the size
needed to drop the can through the discharge opening into the discharge
chute 28. The steel can will expand in the return axial direction
when the electrical motor stalls out. In such situations, the gears
and shafts 83 are turned and rotate the motor shaft 81 sufficiently
that the steel can will not be tightly wedged in the crushing chamber.
The operator may then lift the hopper unit with the T-shaped actuator
projection 44 being lifted from the T-shaped slot 74 in the ledge,
and with the sides of the hopper guide slots 76 sliding along the
dovetails 75 on the interior side of the base rear wall 64. As the
projection actuator moves upwardly, the electrical unit switch 46
within the motor electrical circuit is opened to disable the electric
motor. The steel can may be lifted by a person from the crushing
chamber and the hopper 26 repositioned onto the base unit. The actuator,
when inserted into the base unit slot 74 will abut the electrical
switch 46 to enable the motor circuit 48. If the switch 50 is in
the "on" position, the can crusher motor 18 will begin
to drive the drive means 16 to move the ram 14 to crush the next
can fed by the hopper into the crushing chamber.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that there is provided a new
and improved can crusher for home usage to crush aluminum cans.
The can crusher is efficient to use because cans may be inserted
into the feed hopper through an open inlet and fed automatically
to be crushed and to be discharged. The can crusher is designed
to be safe to prevent insertion of human fingers through either
the inlet or discharge apertures and into the crushing chamber while
the can crusher is enabled to drive the ram. To remove a jammed
can, the feed hopper is detached, thereby exposing the jammed can
and the crushing chamber. Removal of the feed hopper disables the
electrical circuit for the drive motor which cannot be restarted
until the can hopper is returned, and the actuator operates the
electrical switch in the motor's electrical circuit. The can crusher
may be mounted on a room wall or it may be set upon a counter, table
or the like. Preferably, the cans fall by gravity through the can
crusher in a generally vertical path without being displaced axially
to provide an automatic infeed of cans to the crushing compartment
and an automatic discharge of crushed cans. |