US2619150A

US2619150A - Can crushing mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2619150A
Application number: US137780A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harvey J Smith
Original assignee: Modern Metal Products Co Inc
Current assignee: Modern Metal Products Co Inc
Priority date: 1950-01-10
Filing date: 1950-01-10
Publication date: 1952-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 1969-11-25

Description

NOV. 25, 1952 H, 1 sMlTH 2,619,150

CAN CRUSHING MECHANISM ATTORN EY Nov 25, 1952 H. J. SMITH 2,619,150

CAN CRUSHING MECHANISM Filed Jan. l0 1950 2 SHEETS-*SHEET 2 miiiiiiiimm.

ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 25, 1952 CANCRUSHING MECHANISM Harvey J. Smith, Greensboro, N. C., assignor to Modern Metal Products Company, Greensboro, N.` C., a corporation of North Carolina.

-Application January 10, 1950, Serial No. 137.780

1 Claim. `1

My invention relates to racks of the kind disclosedin my Letters Patent No. 2,320,159, issued May' 25, 1943; No. 2,343,248, issued March '7, 1944; No.12,432',455, issued December "9, 194'7;v andi No. 2,443,837, issued June 22, 1948.

.Mypresent invention has for its object tojprovide, in combination with such racks, a `means to crush and flatten the cansafter they shall have been drained.

More specically, the invention seeks to provide a can crusher which is automatically set into operation by the can to be crushed after it leaves the can chute on which it has been retained for draining purposes.

Again, it is an object to provide a motor which is set into operation as aforesaid and which will continue to operate for a predetermined time interval required fully to compress the can into the smallest possible space before delivering the can to the used-can chamber of the machine.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be iirst fully described in the following detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section on approximately the line I--I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail face View of the oscillatable Jaw.

Fig. 4 is a face view of the xed jaw.

In the drawings, in which like numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all the gures, I represents the base of the cabinet, 2 the back wall of the same, 2a the front wall, and 3 the side walls of the cabinet. 4 designates the partitions on the outside of the side walls, between which unopened cans of oil are adapted to be stacked. The top of the cabinet is indicated at 5. The front wall 2a has an upper opening 6 closable by a door 8, and a lower opening I closable by a door 9. Within the cabinet is a can chute I on a bridge II; over the chute is carried a springy can-retarding iinger I2. A drainage tank I3 for oil from chute I0 is 1ocated below the chute and carries a can opener receiving rack I4. The tank I3 can be drained va a drain cock I5.

All the foregoing parts may be of the knownv 12 constructions and-perse, are 4notoi my present invention.

My present invention residesA in the provision of a can crusherand flatteningl apparatus embodying a fixed jaw 2l and an oscillating jaw between which cans 49, leaving the chute? I0,

are directed by means of a deflector bar I1 and a can-guide chute I6,-afdetector switch I8v being mounted on the guide chute I6 with its operating arm IS projected through an opening 20 into the chute in the path of the cans.

The fixed or stationary jaw 2| has side arms 22 between which the leg 26 of the oscillating or movable jaw 25 lies and is pivoted thereto on a pivot pin 29, passing through

holes

21 and 28 respectively.

The jaw 2I has mounting lugs 23v suitably secured in any desired way to the side walls 3. The face of the jaw 2l has a wedge-shaped concavity 3I to cooperate with that, 24, of the jaw 2|. When the jaws are the closest together (the closed position), a space 5I between the jaws equal to the thickness of a crushed can 50 is left at the lower ends of the jaws, while at the top the jaws may be brought closer together in the closed position in order to facilitate the discharge of the crushed can 50.

Pivot studs on the sides of the jaw 25 receive the pivot ends 32 of connecting rods 33 having an eccentric strap 34 on an eccentric 35 carried on a shaft 36. The shaft 36 is driven via a Worm gear 31 and a worm and worm shaft 40, the latter being coupled to an electric motor 42. Bearings 39 in a housing 38 are provided for the worm shaft.

The motor 42 is securely mounted by having its lug 43 secured to xed brackets 4I. The rods 33 pass through openings 2|a in the jaw 2|.

44 designates a time-switch of any approved kind whose function is to keep the motor 42 running for a predetermined time interval after a can has engaged the detector switch arm I9 and has closed the circuit of the switch I8. The motor running time should, preferably, be such as to allow a can to be processed by the crusher before a second can is delivered to the same.

45 indicates a Wire from the detector switch I8 to the time-switch 44; 46 indicates wires from time-switch 44 to motor 42; and 48 indicates the power line connections.

Operation The used cans are placed on the chute in the u sual way, one at a time, the cans being successively retarded by the iinger I2. Upon being pushed along past the nger I2, the can moves along the chute I0 and drops into the guidechute I6 and passes into the open ends of the `aws 2|, 25, the actuating detector switch I8 in its passage thereby causing switch 44 to be set and the motor 42 started to operate. The operation of the motor effects the opening and closing of the jaws and the progressive downward feed of the can while simultaneously flattening the can sidewise and crushing it together until the crushed, flattened can drops out, as at 50 in Fig. 1; whereupon the time-switch 44 cuts out the motor, unless in the meantime a second can has engaged detector switch arm I9.

In this way another object of my invention is attained, namely, a, larger number of used cans can be permitted to accumulate in the collection chamber C than would be possible with uncrushed cans.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates.

What I claim is:

In a machine of the class described wherein is provided a cabinet having a can chute, means for maintaining a can on said chute until a second can has been placed on the chute, a can Crusher located in said cabinet below said chute, a can guide chute between said rst named chute and said can crusher, means to operate said Crusher for a predetermined time interval, said means including a drive motor and a time-switch, means operable by a can passing into said guide chute for setting said time-switch in action, said Crusher including a fixed jaw and a movable jaw the opposing faces of which have cooperating wedge-shaped concavities, and power transmitting means connecting said motor with said movable jaw.

HARVEY J. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 969,720 Pickett Sept. 6, 1910 1,045,205 Skirrow Nov. 26, 1912 2,128,630 Wright Aug. 30, 1938 2,178,461 Apprill Oct. 31, 1939 2,246,394 Steele June 17, 1941 2,511,506 Hruby June 13, 1950 2,558,255 Johnson et al June 26, 1951