Abstrict A manual can crusher for crushing a can having a housing with a
top opening for receiving a can to be crushed, a bottom opening
for discharging a crushed can, and an interior crushing wall with
a creasing block mounted thereon. A crushing ram is disposed within
the housing and is pivotable between an open position where the
ram is opposite the crushing wall and a closed position where the
ram is adjacent to the crushing wall. A longitudinally extending
handle is rotatably mounted on the housing, and linkage couples
the handle to the ram. A can to be crushed is placed into the top
opening and the handle is rotated to move the ram between the open
and closed positions via the linkage. The can is crushed against
the interior crushing wall until is is sufficiently crushed to be
discharged through the bottom opening.
Claims What is claimed is:
1. A manual can crusher for crushing variously sized cans, comprising:
a housing having a top opening for receiving a can to be crushed,
a bottom opening for discharging a crushed can, and an interior
crushing wall with a creasing block mounted thereon;
a crushing ram including a step disposed within said housing, said
crushing ram and said step being pivotable between an open position
where said ram is opposite said crushing wall, with said step and
said creasing block defining a predetermined clearance therebetween,
and a closed position where said ram and said step are adjacent
said crushing wall;
wherein said step and said creasing block cooperatively support
a can to be creased by said creasing block; and
a longitudinally extending handle rotatably mounted on said housing,
and linkage means for coupling said handle to said ram, whereas
a can to be crushed is placed into the top opening and selectively
retained adjacent said creasing block by said step based on the
size of the can with respect to said clearance, said handle is rotated
to move said ram between the open and closed positions via said
linkage means, to
(i) selectively precrush the can against said creasing block, and
(ii) crush the can against said interior crushing wall, until it
is sufficiently crushed to be discharged through the bottom opening.
2. A manual can crusher according to claim 1 wherein said housing
has a rectangular cross section and includes a front wall, a back
wall and two sides walls, said interior crushing wall being located
on one side of said front wall.
3. A manual can crusher according to claim 2 wherein said crushing
ram is pivotable between an open position, where said ram is adjacent
said back wall, and a closed position where said ram is adjacent
said front wall.
4. A manual can crusher according to claim 3 wherein said crushing
ram is pivotable about a pivot axis, which is rotatably supported
by said two side walls.
5. A manual can crusher according to claim 4 wherein said linkage
means comprises:
a cylindrical coupling attached to said handle and passing through
one of said two side walls;
a plate having a first end attached to said cylindrical coupling
and a second end; and
a link connector having a first end rotatably coupled to said ram
and a second end rotatably coupled to said second end of said plate.
6. A manual can crusher according to claim 5 wherein said ram
includes a crushing surface which is generally parallel to said
front and back walls of said housing when said ram is in the closed
position.
7. A manual can crusher according to claim 6 wherein said ram
additionally includes side plates mounted perpendicular to said
crushing surface and generally parallel to said side walls.
8. A manual can crusher according to claim 7 additionally including
a link axis which is rotatably mounted onto said side plates, said
first end of said link connector being rotatably mounted on said
link axis.
9. A manual can crusher for crushing a can, comprising:
a housing having a top opening for receiving a can to be crushed,
a bottom opening for discharging a crushed can, and an interior
crushing wall with a creasing block mounted thereon, said housing
having a rectangular cross section and including a front wall, a
back wall and two side walls, said interior crushing wall being
located on one side of said front wall;
a crushing ram disposed within said housing and pivotable between
an open position where said ram is adjacent said back wall and opposite
said crushing wall, and a closed position where said ram is adjacent
said crushing wall of said front wall, said crushing ram being pivotable
about a pivot axis, which is rotatably supported by said two side
walls, said ram including a crushing surface which is generally
parallel to said front and back walls of said housing when said
ram is in the closed position, said ram additionally including side
plate mounted perpendicular to said crushing surface and generally
parallel to said side walls; and
a longitudinally extending handle rotatably mounted on said housing,
and linkage means for coupling said handle to said ram, said linkage
means comprising:
(a) a cylindrical coupling attached to said handle and passing
through one of said two side walls;
(b) a plate having a first end attached to said cylindrical coupling
and a second end; and
(c) a link connector having a first end rotatably coupled to said
ram and a second end rotatably coupled to said second end of said
plate;
a link axis rotatably mounted onto said side plates, said first
end of said link connector being rotatably mounted on said link
axis;
a spring attached to said link axis and said back wall of said
housing for biasing said ram in the open position, wherein said
link axis is generally located in the middle of said ram; and
whereas a can to be crushed is placed into the top opening and
said handle is rotated to move said ram between the open and closed
positions via said linkage means to crush the can against said interior
crushing wall until it is sufficiently crushed, to be discharged
through the bottom opening.
10. A manual can crusher according to claim 9 wherein said pivot
axis is mounted adjacent to the bottom opening of said housing and
said side plates of said ram are pivotally mounted on said pivot
axis.
11. A manual can crusher according to claim 10 wherein said ram
includes an aperture adjacent a top end of said ram, for receiving
said creasing block when said ram is in the closed position.
12. A manual can crusher according to claim 11 wherein said plate
of said linkage means is securely mounted to said cylindrical coupling
and said longitudinally extending handle, said plate extending generally
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said handle.
13. A manual can crusher according to claim 12 wherein said link
connector is generally perpendicular to said plate, when said ram
is in the closed position.
14. A manual can crusher according to claim 13 wherein said ram
includes a step adjacent to the aperture, said step and said creasing
block cooperatively supporting a can when said ram is in the open
position, so that said creasing block creases the can when said
handle is rotated to move said ram from the open to the closed position.
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a manual multiple size can crusher. More
specifically, it relates to a can crusher having a handle which
operates a movable ram to crease and crush different sized preopened
cans.
2. Prior Art
Various types of can crushers are known from the prior art, including
powered can crushers, manual can crushers, can crushers with creasing
means, etc. Certain electrically-powered can crushers are shown
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2920554; 3036517; and 3763772. The drawbacks
of these powered can crushers is that they are costly to operate
due to their power consumption, and they present a danger to individuals
operating them, for example, if attempts are made to dislodge a
jammed can. Furthermore, these powered can crushers do not disclose
creasing means which therefore limits the size of a can which can
be crushed by the device.
Manual can crushers are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. Nos.
3299802 and 4532861 which are less costly and safer to operate
than the powered can crushers. However, these devices do not have
creasing means. The lack of creasing means and the relatively small
size of these devices limit the size cans which can be crushed.
The device to Moller, U.S. Pat. No. 3832941 discloses creasing
means and crushing means which are each operated by a separate lever.
However, Moller states that the apparatus is for flattening thin
metal cans. Although creasing means are provided, the size of the
apparatus prevents larger cans from being crushed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a
manual multiple size can crusher which overcomes the drawbacks of
the prior art and allows multiple sizes of cans to be crushed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a can
crusher which is inexpensive to manufacture, reliable in operation
and inexpensive to operate.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide
a can crusher with creasing means for creasing large cans to easily
allow the cans to be crushed flat.
These and other related objects are achieved according to the invention
by a manual can crusher for crushing a can having a housing with
a top opening for receiving a can to be crushed, a bottom opening
for discharging a crushed can, aired all interior crushing wall
with a creasing block mounted thereon. A crushing ram is disclosed
within the housing and is pivotable between an open position where
the ram is opposite the crushing wall and a closed position where
the ram is adjacent to the crushing wall. A longitudinally extending
handle is rotatably mounted on the housing and linkage means couple
the handles to the ram. A can to be crushed is placed into the top
opening and the handle is rotated to move the ram between the open
and closed positions via the linkage. The can is crushed against
the interior crushing wall until is is sufficiently crushed to be
discharged through the bottom opening.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and features of the present invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection
with the accompanying drawings which discloses one embodiment of
the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the
drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not
as a definition of the limits of the invention.
In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar
elements throughout the several views:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a can crusher according to the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view in part section of the can crusher;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view in part section from the opposite
angle of FIGS. 1 and 2; and
FIGS. 4a and 4b are two series of side elevational views taken
along the line 4--4 from FIG. 1 showing the various stages of creasing
and crushing a large can.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now in detail to the drawings and, in particular, FIG.
1 there is shown a manual multiple size can crusher 8 having a
housing 10 levers 11 and 12 and a handle 13 attached to the top
ends of levers 11 and 12. Levers 11 and 12 are approximately 24
inches long, for example. 10 includes a U-shaped channel 14 and
a back panel 15 which together form an elongated rectangular chute
16. U-shaped channel 14 has a front wall 17 where a creasing block
18 is mounted within chute 16. Opposite creasing block 18 is a movable
ram 19. Movable ram 19 pivots around pivot axis 20 located at the
lower portion of housing 10 and chute 16. Movable ram 19 is pretensioned
towards bar 21 located beneath back panel 15 by a spring 22. Housing
10 includes a mounting plate welded into a notch across part of
the bottom for mounting the can crusher to a table top.
Creasing block 18 is a V-shaped metal plate mounted on front wall
17 with the open ends of the V facing ram 19. The open ends of
the V have a width, for example, of 2.5 inches. The height of creasing
block 18 is 4 inches, and the depth 3 inches. The closed end of
the V is slightly square and has a width of about 1 inch. This 1
inch surface provides sufficient area to be welded onto front wall
17. Creasing block 18 is formed from 3/16 inch thick metal which
has sufficient strength to pre-crush large cans without deforming.
As can be seen in FIG. 2 spring 22 is attached to a link axis
23 which is coupled to the back side of movable ram 19. Link axis
23 is part of a link assembly 24 which couples levers 11 and 12
to movable ram 19. The bottom end of levers 11 and 12 are non-rotatably
attached to link drives 25 each of which includes a cylindrical
portion 26 and a plate portion 27. Levers 11 and 12 are located
outside of U-shaped channel 14 and are connected to link drives
25 which are inside U-shaped channel 14. Levers 11 and 12 drive
link drives 25 through a slot machined in an adapter 28 located
on the bottom of each lever 11 and 12 and a machined central projection
on the end of each link drive 25. Handle 13 and levers 11 and 12
can be removed for storage and shipping.
Plate portion 27 of link drives 25 are oriented at approximately
90.degree. with respect to the longitudinal axis of levers 11 and
12. Plate portion 27 of link drive 25 is attached to a link connector
29 by a pin 30. Link connectors 29 are attached to the rear of movable
ram 19 by link axis 23. link axis 23 is attached approximately at
the middle of ram 19 for example. Link connectors 29 are rotatably
mounted at each of their ends so that their orientation with respect
to link drives 25 and movable ram 19 changes as handle 13 moves
to open and close ram 19. Link connectors 29 are approximately 5
inches long, for example. Plate portion 27 is approximately 3.5
inches long, for example. Link connectors 29 achieve a 90.degree.
angle with plate portion 27 (as shown in FIG. 4b) when plate portion
27 is approximately 53.7.degree. above a horizontal position.
As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 ram 19 has an upper section 35
a middle section 36 and a lower section 37. Upper section 35 includes
an aperture 38 which is slightly larger than creasing block 18.
Upper section 35 and middle section 36 together form an L-shaped
step 39. The gap between step 39 and creasing block 18 is less than
the diameter of a size 603 can which is 6 3/16 of an inch. These
large cans would be retained on step 39 for precreasing, while smaller
cans would travel further down chute 16 beyond step 39. A stop 40
is mounted on the central portion of lower section 37. Stop 40 is
an L-shaped bracket mounted on the face of lower section 37. Side
plates 42a and 42b are mounted perpendicular to the surface of lower
section 37. The lower portion of side plates 42a and 42b are rotatably
mounted on pivot axis 20. Approximately half way up side plates
42a and 42b, link axis 23 is rotatably mounted. Behind lower section
37 are ram stiffeners 43a, 43b, and 43c.
The can crusher operates as follows, reference being made to FIGS.
4a and 4b. FIG. 4a shows the can crusher in its fully opened position
with lever 12 pointing generally straight up. The clearance between
creasing block 18 and step 39 is shown as distance 45. Can 46 has
been placed into chute 16 with the ends of the can facing levers
11 (not shown) and 12. Can 46 for example, is a size 603 can which
is 7 inches high and has an outer diameter of 6 3/16 inches. Distance
45 is smaller than the diameter of can 46 to the extent, that can
46 is retained on step 39 with its cylindrical side squarely facing
creasing block 18.
Handle 13 is then rotated in the direction of arrow 47 so that
creasing block 18 engages and partly crushes the rounded side of
can 46. Upper section 35 and middle section 36 of ram 19 hold the
opposite side of can 46 so that can 46 does not slip as ram 19
moves toward creasing block 18. As the side of can 46 is precrushed,
the circular ends of can 46 will move from a parallel orientation
to an angled position in which they point towards creasing block
18. Handle 13 is now moved back up to the vertical position in the
direction opposite arrow 47. Precrushed can 46 now has a diameter
which is less than distance 45. Can 46 then falls off of step 39
and moves down chute 16 for further crushing. The precrushing decreases
the amount of force required to crush the larger diameter cans to
a manageable level.
FIG. 4b shows can 46 which is below stop 40 and is held within
chute 16 by stop 40. Handle 13 is again moved in the direction of
arrow 47 to its terminal position which is approximately horizontal.
In the event that the force required to crush can 46 exceeds the
force which can be exerted by the operator, handle 13 is alternately
rotated up and down, further crushing can 46 with each downward
stroke. As can 46 moves closer to pivot point 20 the mechanical
advantage increases until the operator can move handle 13 into the
horizontal position, closing ram 19 and flattening can 46. Handle
13 is then rotated back up to the vertical position and can 46 passes
through exit 50 (see FIG. 4a) out of chute 16.
Can crusher 8 is designed to crush all sizes of preopened empty
cans from size 202 (2.125 inches outer diameter) to size 603 (6.1875
inches outer diameter, seven inches high) cans. To crush a medium
or small size can, the can is placed into chute 16 in any orientation.
Since only the larger cans will be retained on step 39 a medium
or small size can will pass down chute 16 until it is cooperatively
retained by front wall 17 and movable ram 19. Handle 13 is rotated
in the direction of arrow 47 moving ram 19 towards front wall 17
to crush the can. If the force required to pull handle 13 down becomes
too high, handle 13 is rotated in a direction opposite arrow 47
to move ram 19 away from front wall 17. The partially crushed can
will then fall further down chute 16 where it can be crushed flat.
While only a single embodiment of the present invention has been
shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and
modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. |