US2191488A - Displaying draining, and crushing apparatus for tin cans and the like - Google Patents

Description

Feb.v27, 1940. 2,191,488-

DISPLAYING, DRAINING, AND CRUSHING APPARATUS FOR TIN CANS AND THE LIKE D. A. McCQWAN Filed A ril 22, 1957 Ii 'EJQ w wawgi Q'III q Patented Feb. 27 1940 l APPARATUS LIKE STATES; f

DISPLAYING, DRAINING,

FOB TIN CANS AND THE AND I CBUSHING David A. McGowan, Toronto, Ontario, Canadav Application April 22, 1937,- Serial No. 13 8,479 In Canada April 23, 1936 I 1- Claim. (01. 153-10) It has been usual for a long time todispense oil for motor vehicles at service stations in glass 1 bottles or other open containers. Recently, I, however, the practice of dispensing oil in metal containerasuch astin cans, has been adopted. The iull cans, of course, occupy considerable storage space, which cannot be avoided, but dif- I iiculty arises in storing or disposing of empty 1 cans. Further, there is also some wastage of oil 1D due to the fact that the customer does not desire to wait for the cans to completely drain and the cans are discarded with the all remaining therein. p My object therefore is to devise apparatus which may be used to salvage this otherwise waste oil from the cans and which may then be used to collapse the cans so as'to occupy less. storage space.

A further object is toprovide in conjunction with said apparatus display racks for the full cans, which racks may be readily picked up and carried from one position to another with the cans thereon, instead of having to handle the cans individually as is now the case; Itwill be seen that the use of portable racks permits the:

racks to be taken undercover with the cans thereon when the service station is closed and also per I mits the racks being carried to a position convenient for use and then carried back. to the apparatus so that the empty cans maybe drained and collapsed at a more convenient time.

I attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawingin which-- Fig. l is an end elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 a side elevation with the display rack and side cover plate removed; I

Fig. 3 a side elevation illustrating more particularly the display rack; v

Fig. 4 a detail in plan of oneoi the can sup,- porting bars;

Fig. 5 a front view or" the same; and

Fig. 6 a side elevation of a display rack tilted in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawing like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

I indicates a supporting frame which may be.

formedof angle or other structural metal, and of suitable shape to support the various parts. The

frame is preferably enclosed with end and side plates, the side plates being preferably detachable to permit access into the interior as well as to facilitate their removal for the painting of the signs or displays thereon.

On the top of the frame is positioned a hood-or housing 2 provided with a hinged door 3 at each n The frame ,i is provided 7 mechanism for collapsing the cans.

end to permit closed position.

with three superimposed supporting framesor open platforms 4, 5 and 6." The upper platform 4'15 provided with cross bars 7 so positioned that an oil can 8 may be positioned in tilted position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to drain off any oilfclinging to the inside of the. can. 7 Accommodation. is preferably arranged so that two cans may be simultaneously drained. Each can, when being emptied, is provided with a detachable spout 9, and this spout is allowed. to remain on the can while it. is being drained. v

The drainage passes to a sump l9, preferably removably supportedon the platform 5. From this sump the'oil passes through a pipe H to a container l2 removably mounted on' the platform 6, said container being provided with a funnel mouth it to iacilitatecatching'the oil from the pipe ll; It'will be seen that simple means "are provided for salvaging the oil remaining in the ,cans.

After the cans have been drained it is desired to collapse them so that they occupy less storage space as well as putting them into a condition where they would be worth while handling to reclaim the metal therein for re-use.

I therefore support on the frame I suitable I V In a suitable guide I4 is mounted the stem I5 of a pressure head I G. The pressure head is actuated by means of a lever l1 pivoted on the frame, the lever having a pawl or dog'l8 pivoted thereon which engages the teethof a rack I9 on the stem i5. By operating the lever H, the plunger may be raised and is held in raised position by a second pawl or dog 20 pivoted on the support. A-rod 2| has one end connected to this pawl 29, its other end extending through the end of the support where it has a spring 22 mounted thereon tending to hold the rod with the pawl 203 inrack-engaging entrance to its interior. Springs tare provided tending whom the doors 3 inv position. A stop 23 is supported by'the frame 4 3 with which stop the top of the can engages.

'When it is desired to collapse can, it is placed on the pressure head l6 below the stop 23, the end of the casing being provided with an opening 24 for this purpose. The lever I1 is then operated to raise the head step by step, the

pawl 01" dog- 20 supporting the plunger while the lever is'positioned for 'each'subsequent stroke. When the can has been sufiiciently collapsed, the rod 2! is actuated to. disengage the pawl or dog 20 from the rack. In moving away from the rack, the upper end of the pawl 21? moves over in front of the pawl l8 and holds the latter out of engagement with the rack thus allowing the pressure head to drop. The collapsed can may then beremoved, although I find it convenient to simply shove it out of the way by another can to be collapsed, the collapsed can 8 falling-onto the platform 63 or a receptacle carried thereby. g

The top of the head 56 and the under side of the stop 23 are preferably provided with an annular groove to prevent slipping of the can during the collapsing operation.

I desire to combine with the apparatus above described means for displaying a plurality of full cans. At each side of the support l is mounted a can support, each of which is formed of a metal frame 525 of inverted U-forrn, as shown in Fig. 3. Attached to the legs at the front side thereof are horizontal can supporting bars 26, while to the rear side of the legs intermediate the bars 26 are rear bars 2'5 which engage the back of the can. The bars 2% are carefully spaced apart such a distance that if the can support is tilted forwardly as shown in Fig. 6 the tops of the cans engage the-under edge of the bar 265 above and are thus prevented from falling out of position. The upper row of cans is held in place by a bar 23 extending between the legs of the frame 25.

To prevent slipping of the lower ends of the cans, the bars 25 are provided with pairs of notches 29 which receive the bead at the lower end of the can as indicated in Fig. 4. As the cans sometimes have atendency to bulge at the ends, preferably the upper edge of the bar 26 between each pair of notches is slightly con-. caved or otherwise cut away.

As will be seen from Fig. l, hooks 3!) are provided at the lower part of the frame 1, with which engage a bar 3! on the frame 25 by means of which the latter is supported. The frame, with the cans thereon, normally lies tilted against the side of the frame as shown in Fig. l, but it will be seen that it may readily be picked up and carried to a more convenient position nearer where the contents of the cans is to be dispensed.

What I claim as myinvention is:

In apparatus for crushing tincans and the like, the combination of a support; an abutment on said support; a movable pressure head below said abutment and adapted to co-operate with said abutment to receive between them the can to be crushed; an operating rod for said head, said operating rod having a rack formed on one side thereof; a lever fulcrumed on the support; a pawl pivoted on the lever adapted to engage the rack to lift the operating rod when the lever is rocked in one direction and to slide over the rack when the lever is rocked in the opposite direction; a second pawl pivoted on said support adapted to engage the rack to hold the head in position while the lever is being rocked in said opposite direction; a pull rod slidably mounted on the support and connected to said second pawl; and spring means normally tending to hold said pawl and rod in rackengaging position; said second pawl being positioned when out of rack-engaging position to also engage and hold said first mentioned pawl out of rack engaging position.

DAVE) A. MCCOWAN.

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