Abstrict A vertical can crusher of the type having a vertical standard carrying
a cantilever head supporting a vertically movable crushing ram,
and means for vertically actuating the ram reciprocatably relative
to an upwardly facing worktable substantially spaced below the head
and fixed relative to the standard, and comprising a vertical tubular
can receptacle having its lower end separably supported on the work
table and having its upper end open to receive a can therein and
adapted to receive the ram for crushing the can against the worktable.
Horizontal means attached to the receptacle and guided by the standard
controls the receptacle for movement relative to the standard and
the head between a first position operatively aligned under the
ram so that a can placed in the receptacle is adapted to be crushed
by the ram into a flattened disk, and a second position adapted
for discharging the crushed can disk from the receptacle. A third
position of the receptacle supported at its lower end on the worktable
at a location intermediate the first and second positions adapts
the receptacle for loading thereinto a can to be crushed.
Claims I claim as my invention:
1. In a vertical can crusher of the type having a vertical standard
carrying a cantilever head supporting a vertically movable crushing
ram, and means for vertically actuating the ram reciprocatably relative
to an upwardly facing worktable substantially spaced below said
head and fixed relative to the standard, the improvement comprising:
a vertical tubular can receptacle having its lower end separably
supported on said worktable and having its upper end open to receive
a can therein and adapted to receive said ram for crushing the can
against said worktable;
and horizontal means attached to said receptacle and guided by
said standard for controlling said receptacle for movement relative
to said standard and said head between:
a first position operatively aligned under said ram so that a can
placed in said receptacle is adapted to be crushed into a flattened
disk by operating said actuating means to drive the ram downwardly
into the receptacle, followed by raising of the ram from said receptacle,
and
a second position adapted for discharging the crushed can from
the receptacle clear of said worktable.
2. A can crusher according to claim 1 wherein said horizontal
means is adapted for controlling movement of said receptacle into
a third position, with the lower end of the receptacle being open
and supported on said worktable, and at a location intermediate
said first and second positions and adapted for loading a can to
be crushed through said upper open end into the receptacle.
3. A can crusher according to claim 1 wherein said horizontal
means comprises a bar, means on said standard for guiding said bar
for rectilinear movement, and spaced stop means on said bar cooperating
with means on said standard for indexing said first and second positions
of said receptacle.
4. A can crusher according to claim 1 including an upwardly projecting
fixed handle on said standard.
5. A can crusher according to claim 1 wherein said means for actuating
the ram comprises an upwardly projecting rack bar plunger on said
ram, said rack bar plunger extending upwardly through said head
and having a vertical series of rack teeth, a pinion mounted in
said head and meshing with said rack teeth, said pinion having a
shaft journalled in bearing means in said head, and an operating
handle connected with said shaft for driving said pinion.
6. A can crusher according to claim 5 wherein the connection of
said operating handle with said shaft comprises a reversible pawl
and ratchet mechanism so that said shaft and thereby said pinion
and said rack bar plunger and said ram are adapted to be selectively
driven in respectively opposite directions by pumping said operating
handle.
7. A can crusher according to claim 6 including anti-back lash
means carried by said head and acting on said rack bar plunger.
8. A can crusher according to claim 7 wherein said anti-back lash
means comprises a pressure pad means and means for adjusting the
pressure pad means.
9. A can crusher according to claim 1 including base means supporting
said worktable at an elevation greater than the thickness of a crushed
can disk slug discharged from said receptacle.
10. A can crusher according to claim 9 wherein said worktable
comprises a plate, and said means for supporting the worktable plate
comprises a base plate and spacer means supporting said worktable
plate on said base plate.
11. A can crusher according to claim 1 wherein said means for
vertically actuating the ram comprises an elongate plunger member
which projects upwardly from said head, and a combination guard
sheath and handle mounted on said head and extending upwardly about
said plunger member.
12. A can crusher according to claim 1 including a base supporting
said standard, and means securing said standard to said base releasably
so that adjustments of the standard can be made for accommodating
different sizes of cans to be crushed.
Description This invention relates to vertical can crushers of the type having
a vertically movable crushing ram and means for actuating the ram
reciprocably relative to a worktable and fixed relative to the ram,
and is more particularly concerned with such a device having new
and improved means to facilitate handling a can for crushing and
for discharging the crushed can.
Numerous and varied can crushers have been proposed heretofore,
and I am aware of the following U.S. Pat. Nos. disclosing such crushers
of the vertical type:
2563379--8/1951--discloses a vertical crushing ram operated by
a lever and link arrangement, but provides no means for discharging
the crushed can.
2638957--5/1953--discloses a vertical plunger driven by rack
and pinion means, but provides no means for discharging the crushed
can.
3009414--11/1961--provides a lever and link drive for for the
crushing plunger, but has no means discharging the crushed can.
3889587--6/1975--discloses a rack and pinion plunger for crushing
the can within a pivotally mounted guide sleeve which is pivotal
with the plunger device relative to a base for discharging the crushed
can.
4088072--5/1978--provides a handle and lever arrangement for
driving can crushing jaw means but has no means for discharging
the crushed can.
4228734--10/1980--provides a handle and toggle arrangement for
driving the can pressing plunger, but has no means for discharging
the crushed can.
After a can has been crushed in a can crushing device, the crushed
can should be removed to make room for additional can to be crushed.
Of the above noted patents, only U.S. Pat. No. 3889587 has an
arrangement to facilitate discharge of a crushed can, in which the
tubular sleeve or guide for the can to be crushed must be pivoted
together with the entire plunger device relative to the anvil or
crushing table and then the sleeve and plunger must be swung back
over the table whereafter the plunger must be retracted and swung
on a pivotal arrangement out of obstructing relation to the sleeve
so that another can to be crushed can be loaded into the sleeve.
An important object of the present invention is to provide a new
and improved can crusher which is simple, rugged and compact in
structure, and which provides a new and improved arrangement to
facilitate loading a can to be crushed, crushing the can and discharging
the crushed can.
Pursuant to the invention, there is provided in a vertical can
crusher of the type having a vertical standard carrying a cantilever
head supporting a vertically movable crushing ram, and means for
vertically actuating the ram reciprocatably relative to an upwardly
facing worktable substantially spaced below the head and fixed relative
to the standard, the improvement comprising a vertical tubular can
receptacle having its lower end separably supported on the worktable
and having its upper end open to receive a can therein and adapted
to receive the ram for crushing the can, and horizontal means attached
to the receptacle and guided by the standard for controlling the
receptacle for movement relative to the standard and the head between
a first position operatively aligned under the ram so that a can
placed in the receptacle is adapted to be crushed into a flattened
disk by operating the actuating means to drive the ram downwardly
into the receptacle, followed by reversing the ram from the receptacle,
and a second position adapted for discharging the crushed can disk
from the receptacle clear of the worktable. The horizontal means
is also adapted for controlling movement of the receptacle into
a third position with its lower end supported on the worktable and
at a location intermediate the first and second positions and adapted
for loading into the receptacle a can to be crushed.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be
readily apparent from the following description of a certain representative
embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing
although variations and modifications may be effected without departing
from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts embodied in the
disclosure and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a can crusher embodying the invention;
FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional detail view through the crusher
of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken substantially
along the line III--III of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the can crushing
ram at the end of a crushing stroke;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the can guiding
receptacle in the can discharging position as well as in a can loading
position, and a different upright handle is provided; and
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the
operating handle hub, partially broken away to reveal internal details.
A vertical can crusher 10 embodying the present invention has a
vertical standard 11 carrying a cantilever head 12 reciprocatably
supporting a vertically movable crushing ram 13 over an upwardly
facing worktable 14 substantially spaced below the head 12 and fixed
relative to the standard 11.
Of particular significance to the present invention is the provision
of a vertical tubular can receptacle 15 having its lower end separably
supported on the worktable 14 and having its upper end open to receive
a can therein and adapted to receive the ram for crushing the can.
Horizontal means in the form of an elongate bar 17 connected to
the receptacle 14 is guided by the standard 11 for controlling the
receptacle for movement relative to the standard 11 and the head
12 between a first position (FIGS. 1 and 2) operatively aligned
under the ram 13 so that a can C placed in the receptacle 15 is
adapted to be crushed into a flattened slug or disk D (FIG. 4) by
operating actuating means comprising a rack 13a to drive the ram
13 downward into the receptacle 15 followed by retraction of the
ram from the receptacle (FIG. 5), and a second position adapted
for discharging the crushed can from the receptacle clear of the
worktable 14. By having the lower end portion of the receptacle
15 flared as shown at 15a, jamming of the disk D is avoided. The
bar 17 is adapted to guide the receptacle 15 into a third position
with its lower end supported on the worktable 14 and at a location
(phantom outline in FIG. 5) intermediate the first and second positions
and adapted for loading a can C to be crushed into the receptacle.
In a desirable construction, the standard 11 comprises a rugged
vertical frame having spaced parallel upright bars 18 rigidly connected
together at their upper ends by a spacer 19 and secured at their
lower ends as by means of bolts 20 to a base plate 21 adapted to
be attached as by means of bolts 22 to a supporting structure 23
which may be a table, stand, or the like. Projecting upwardly above
the top of the standard may be a rigid upright handle 24 having
a suitable hand grip 25 and which may be employed as a steadying
handhold to be grasped by one hand of the user while manipulating
the crushing ram with the other hand. The handle 24 may also be
useful for transporting the crusher 10 as a portable device, and
for steadying the crusher where it is merely set down upon the supporting
structure 23 without being bolted thereto. Although the base plate
21 may serve as the worktable 14 in the preferred arrangement,
the worktable 14 comprises a separate plate supported by spacer
means comprising a pair of spaced parallel front to rear runner
bars 27 secured to the plates 14 and 21. The combined thickness
of the plate 14 and the spacers 27 is desirably greater than the
thickness of the crushed can slug or disk D so that after the same
has dropped from the receptacle 15 the lower end of the receptacle
15 will clear the discharged disk for return from the discharge
position to the loading position.
In keeping with its receptacle-guiding function, the guide bar
17 is fixedly secured to the receptacle 15 and projects rearwardly
therefrom and extends through a guideway provided by and between
horizontal guide members 28 fixed to and between the bars 18 of
the standard 11. A freely longitudinally slidable engagement of
the guide bar 17 in the guideway 28 is provided for. Through this
arrangement, the receptacle 15 is adapted to be readily shifted
horizontally between the can crushing position, the discharging
or unloading position and the loading position by simply manually
rectilinearly pulling or pushing the same, using the receptacle
as a handle. In order to index the receptacle 15 in the can crushing
coaxial alignment with the plunger 13 the guide bar 17 has stop
means in the form of a stud 29 properly located adjacently spaced
from the receptacle 15 for stopping engagement with the guide 28
(FIG. 2) when the receptacle 15 has been pushed rearwardly into
the can crushing position. A limit stop in the form of a stud 30
adjacent to the rear or free end of the guide bar 17 is adapted
to engage the guide means 28 for indexing the receptacle 15 in the
fully forwardly pulled can disk unloading position (FIG. 5).
In a preferred arrangement, the device 13a for actuating the can
crushing ram 13 comprises a plunger bar which projects upwardly
from the ram 13 through, and is guided by, the head 12 and has along
its vertical rear edge rack teeth 31 which mesh with complementary
teeth on a pinion 32 mounted in the head 12. As best seen in FIGS.
2 and 3 the head 12 comprises a forwardly projecting head block
member which has laterally projecting and rearwardly facing base
flanges 33 secured as by means of bolts 34 to the bars 18 of the
standard 11. A vertical upwardly and downwardly and forwardly opening
slot 35 in the head member 12 accommodates the plunger bar 13a in
the forward part of the slot and the driving pinion 32 in the rearward
portion of the slot. A driveshaft 37 extends through and is keyed
to the pinion 32 and has one end portion projecting through a bearing
bushing 38 in one wall defining the slot 35 and on its outer end
portion carries a fixed but removable retaining collar 39. The opposite
end portion of the shaft 37 extends rotatably through a bearing
bushing 40 in the opposite wall of the head defining the slot 35
and has connected thereto a hub 41 of an operating handle 42 which
projects radially from the hub and is adapted to be manipulated
for driving the ram 13 in can crushing and return strokes. Can crushing
efficiency is attained by generating crushing strokes of 500 to
1000 pounds of the ram 13.
Although the handle hub 41 may be fixedly secured to the shaft
37 in a preferred arrangement a reversible pawl and ratchet connection
is provided for selectively connecting the hub 41 to the shaft 37
for selectively driving the pinion 32 in either rotary direction.
To this end, as shown by way of example in FIGS. 3 and 6 the hub
41 is hollow and accommodates a ratchet wheel 43 which is keyed
to the shaft 37. A selectively shiftable double-acting pawl 44 is
mounted within the hub and is controllable by a digitally operable
member 45 on the outside of the hub 41 for selectively shifting
the pawl 44 relative to the ratchet wheel 43 for driving the shaft
37 either clockwise or counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6. For
driving the pinion 32 clockwise and raising the plunger rack bar
13a when the handle 42 is pumped, as indicated by directional arrows
in FIG. 4 the pawl 44 has its rear end depressed to engage the
ratchet wheel 43. When it is desired to lower the plunger bar 13a
and the ram 13 for crushing a can in the receptacle 15 the pawl
44 is reversed to depress its forward end for driving the ratchet
wheel 43 in counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 6 by pumping
the handle 42. Means for retaining the hub 41 on the shaft 37 comprise
a retainer disk 47 secured as by means of a screw 48 to the adjacent
outer end of the shaft.
Adjustable friction clutch means are provided for imposing sufficient
resistance against independent travel or slippage of the plunger
rack bar 13a. For this purpose, a backlash pressure pad 49 (FIGS.
2 and 3) is mounted in an inwardly facing recess 50 in a closure
plate 51 secured to the forward end of the head 12 across the forward
opening of the slot 35 means such as screws 52 securing the plate
51 in place. Adjustment set screws 53 thrust the pad 49 into frictional,
slidable engagement with the forwardly facing vertical edge of the
bar 13a, substantially in line with the driving pinion 32. In addition,
a friction set screw 54 may be threadedly engaged in one of the
walls of the head 12 defining the slot 35 with the inner end of
the friction screw 54 adjustably pressing the bar 13a toward the
opposite wall of the head 12. By proper adjustment of the screws
53 and 54 not only is backlash of the bar 13a avoided, but the
desired frictional resistance to independent movement or vertical
slippage of the bar achieved. Thereby, in the pumping driving actions
of the handle 42 the bar 13a is held steadily and against backlash
or movement in reverse to the direction in which it is desired to
advance the bar 13a by action of the pawl 44 acting on the rack
gear 43.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides
a compact, rugged, simple can crusher in which the can crushing
ram 13 need be raised only sufficiently to just clear the top of
the can receptacle 15 so that the range of movement of the ram is
minimized between the fully raised receptacle clearing position
and the fully depressed can crushing position of the ram. This desirably
limits the height of overhead clearance needed for accommodating
the crusher 10. The width of the crusher need be only enough to
accommodate the relatively narrow worktable 14 and stable base plate
21. The length of the worktable 14 need only be sufficient to accommodate
the can crushing position of the receptacle 15 and the loading position
thereof just barely clear of the crushing ram 13. Rearward clearance
is needed only to accommodate maximum rearward projection of the
receptacle guide bar 17.
Instead of the handle 24 the device 10 may, in a presently preferred
embodiment, be provided with an upstanding rigidly mounted tubular
guard or sheath 55 projecting upwardly from the head 12 and functioning
not only to enclose the rack bar plunger 13a in its raised position
but also serving as a steadying or stabilizing or otherwise advantageous
handle (FIG. 5).
Standard size cans of about 12 oz. capacity generally constitute
the bulk of cans requiring disposal and the device as shown may
be considered equipped for handling that size of cans for crushing.
However, if larger capacity, and thus longer, cans must be accommodated,
it is a simple matter to raise the standard 11 adjustably and thus
the clearance of the lower end of the receptacle relative to the
table 14. This can be done, for example, by releasing the screws
20 and inserting and securing suitable spacer means to and between
the lower ends of the bars 18 and the base 21.
While for certain parts, bolted or screwed securement has been
indicated, it will be appreciated that any preferred means for securing
parts together may be adopted, and welding securement may be understood,
where no other specific means of securement has been indicated.
It will be understood that variations and modifications may be
effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel
concepts of this invention. |