GB2469925A

GB2469925A - Container crusher with creasing action

Info

Publication number: GB2469925A
Application number: GB1007039A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Basil Knight
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-27
Filing date: 2010-04-27
Publication date: 2010-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2030-04-27
Also published as: GB201007039D0; GB0907176D0; GB2469925B

Abstract

A container crusher 1 comprises a pair of jaws 6, 7 pivotally connected at respective ends by a proximal end pivot 8, one jaw 6 including an abutment 12 for locating of one end 3 of a can to be crushed, the other end 5 being located between the abutment 12 and the pivot 8, the other jaw 7 further incorporating a crushing member 16 which faces the first jaw 6, has a recess or mouth (21 fig 1) formed between webs 19, 20 and directed away from the first jaw 6 and is pivotally connected to the second jaw 7 at the recess. In use a can is placed between the jaws 6, 7, against the abutment 12 with the crushing member pressing against a side of the can intermediate its ends 3, 5 and against the end 5 diagonally opposite the abutment 12. As the jaws 6, 7 are brought together, the crushing member 16 presses into the side of the can such that it is creased, with the end 5 being folded downwards. Wings 22, 23 on the crushing member 16 may provide further crushing action after the initial creasing. The crusher 1 is suitable for crushing steel cans.

Description

CONTAINER CRUSHER

The present invention relates to a container crusher, particularly though not exclusively for crushing steel domestic cans.

Crushers for aluminium beverage cans are known, but are generally insufficiently substantial for crushing steel domestic cans. They act by compressing the can axially. Aluminium cans are relatively weak. Relatively stronger steel cans cannot be compressed in this way.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved container crusher able to crush steel cans.

According to the invention there is provided a container crusher comprising: 15. a pair ofjaws pivotally connected at respective ends by a proximal end pivot; * an abutment on one of the jaws for locating one end of the container when positioned between the jaws with the other end of the container between the * abutment and the pivot and * ** *** 0 * a crushing member connected to the other jaw, facing the one jaw and having: : 20 * a recess directed away from the one jaw and *00* :. * a pivotal connection to the other jaw at the recess, the arrangement being such that on initial contact of the crushing member with the * 0.* * .. container, when located against the abutment, the crushing member presses both *: * against the container intermediate its ends at its side opposite from the abutment and against the other end of the container diagonally from the abutment, with the pivotal connection being between the two points of pressure, whereby the pressed side of the container is creased towards the one jaw and the other end is folded towards the one jaw.

Preferably the crushing member has a mouth, from which the recess extends towards the pivotal connection, which is substantially half the size of the container between its opposite sides. The size is the diameter of the container, when the latter is a round can.

The crushing member conveniently includes wings extending in opposite directions from the mouth for applying crushing action to the container subsequent to the initial creasing. The wing remote from the pivot of the jaws can include a supporting return towards its jaw. Alternatively this jaw can include a support for the wing.

The crushing member will normally have faces of the recess extending from the pivot to the wings. The remote wing and its face define an included angle greater than a right angle; whilst the near wing and its face define an approximate right angle in the preferred embodiment.

The container crusher is primarily for crushing steel cans having an open end from which a disc has been cut by a conventional can opener or removed via a ring pull. The disc can be placed in the can before crushing so that the lid and can can be disposed of as one. However it is envisaged that the action of the crusher in creasing the side of the container for folding down of the end can be utilised in crushing other containers, such as ones having a closed end and a partially open end. In this case the * container is initially creased, then reversed end for end and then creased for folding * : . 20 down of the second end. Crushing is completed in either case by continued closing of * the jaws towards each other.

I

" : Preferably the abutment will have two or more abutment points to * . accommodate differing sizes of container.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crusher for a steel can according to the invention, the crusher being open; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with a can to be crushed received in the crusher; and Figure 3 is a central, cross-sectional, side view of the can and crusher showing the can creased on initiation of crushing.

Referring to the drawings, a crusher I is shown for a used steel can 2 having an open end 3, from which a closure disc 4 has been removed and placed inside the can, and a closed end 5.

The crusher has two plate steel jaws 6,7 pivoted to each other at respective ends via a pivot pin 8. The jaws have edge flanges 9,10 for rigidity, the inner jaw have lower flanges than the outer jaw, whose flanges extend outside those of the inner jaw when the crusher is closed. The inner jaw 6 also has an end flange 601 at the proximal end, also for added rigidity. The outer jaw has a handle cut-out 11.

On its face directed towards the outer jaw, the inner jaw 6 has an abutment 12 for the open end of the can, with its closed end located against the pivot pin 8. As shown the abutment is a three-tier abutment, with three abutment points, 112, 212, 312, to accommodate differing sizes of can. The abutment point 12 may be provided with a single abutment point, or a plurality of abutment points. A further pin 14 extends between the flanges 10 of the outer jaw 7 intermediate the positions of the pivot pin 8 and the abutment 12 when the jaws are closed. It carries a crushing * * member 16, formed as a steel pressing. This has a bearing section 17 formed complementarily with the further pin 14 and retained on it by two fingers 18. The * *, crushing member has two webs 19,20 extending substantially radially from the bearing section to a mouth 21 between wings 22, 23 extending towards and away *** : from the pivot pin connecting the two jaws. S. S * S. * S

The flanges 10 of the outer jaw being relatively deep, with the pivot pin close to the edge thereof and the further pin 14 closed to the jaw, the pins can be aligned one above the other, with the jaw 6 horizontal, and the other jaw not completely upright. This is the position, shown in Figure 3, in which the can 2 is placed between the jaws, with its open end 3 against the abutment 12 and the closed end 5 against the pin 8. The further pin is spaced just above the can and the crushing member bears against the can at the edges 24,25 between the wings and the webs. The web 19 and its wing 22 having the edge 24 make an obtuse angle at the sides directed towards the jaw 7, whilst the web 20 and the wing 23 make a right angle. The geometrical result is that the edge 24 is further than the edge 25 from the further pin 14.

The edge 24 bears on the side of the can at a position where it is relatively weak against collapse and the edge 25 bears against the end which is relatively stronger; however the edge is at a longer moment arm than the edge 25. The result is that on application of closure force on the jaws, the edge 24 begins to crease the side of the can, as shown in Figure 3. This reduces the stiffness of the can against movement of the end and with the edge 25 acting at the smaller moment arm the end of the can begins to fold down. The mouth of the crushing member, that is the distance between the edges 24,25, is half the diameter of the can, whereby when the closed end is flattened, the crease underlies its diameter.

As the crushing continues, the open end begins to flatten. The crushing member, being in effect pivoted about the pin 8 slides over the top of the can, whilst this is stopped by the abutment. The end of the crushing member and its wing 22 is held off the jaw 7 by a flange 26. The can ends substantially flat, with the wing 22 resting on the abutment and the wing 23 pressing down on the flattened, closed end 5. *S.. * * * *** * * *

S *e** * **S

I * S.. * * I ** S S. * * II * S.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A container crusher comprising: a pair ofjaws pivotally connected at respective ends by a proximal end pivot; * an abutment on one of the jaws for locating one end of the container when positioned between the jaws, with the other end of the container between the abutment and the pivot and a crushing member connected to the other jaw, facing the one jaw and having: 10. a recess directed away from the one jaw and a pivotal connection to the otherjaw at the recess, the arrangement being such that on initial contact of the crushing member with the container, when located against the abutment, the crushing member presses both against the container intermediate its ends at its side opposite from the abutment and against the other end of the container diagonally from the abutment, with the pivotal connection being between the two points of pressure, whereby the pressed side of the container is creased towards the one jaw and the other end is folded towards the one jaw.
2. A container crusher as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crushing member has a *.s. . . . * * *, 20 mouth, from which the recess extends towards the pivotal connection, which is * * * substantially half the size of the container between its opposite sides. The size is the diameter of the container, when the latter is a round can. ****
3. A container crusher as claimed in claim 2, wherein the crushing member further * includes wings extending in opposite directions from the mouth for applying crushing *:: : 25 action to the container subsequent to the initial creasing.

* *
4. A container crusher as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wing remote from the pivot of the jaws can include a supporting return towards its jaw.
5. A container crusher as claimed in claim 3, wherein the jaw includes a support for the wing.
6. A container crusher as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the crushing member has faces of the recess extending from the pivot to the wings.
7. A container crusher as claimed in claim 6, wherein the remote wing and its face define an included angle greater than a right angle; and the near wing and its face define an approximate right angle in the preferred embodiment.
8. A container crusher as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the abutment includes two or more tiers to accommodate different sizes of can.
9. A container crusher substantially as hereinbefore described with references to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings * * S...SS..... * . S... *.. * S.. S... * SS *5 S *. . S S * S 55