U.S. patent number 3,659,520 [Application Number 05/021,066] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-02 for beverage can compressor.
Invention is credited to Charles E. Brown, Jimmy D. Garrett.
United States Patent |
3,659,520 |
Garrett , et al. |
May 2, 1972 |
BEVERAGE CAN COMPRESSOR
Abstract
An upstanding abutment wall outwardly from a first side of which
a horizontal support extends. A vertical slot extends along the
wall and projects at least slightly outwardly from the first side
thereof for downwardly receiving therethrough a can extending
lengthwise along the first side of the wall and flattened
thereagainst. A pressure plate generally paralleling and opposing
the first side of the wall is provided and guidingly supported for
reciprocation toward and away from the wall for flattening a can
thereagainst and the horizontal support includes a pair of bowed
leaf springs disposed generally normal to and outwardly of the
first side of the wall, supported at their ends remote from the
wall and curving upwardly at their ends adjacent the wall for
support of an unflattened can therefrom in elevated position
relative to the slot, outwardly of which slot the ends of the
springs adjacent the slot terminate.
Inventors: |
Garrett; Jimmy D. (Maryville,
TN), Brown; Charles E. (Maryville, TN) |
Family
ID: |
21802150 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/021,066 |
Filed: |
March 19, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
100/216; 100/218;
100/245; 100/266; 100/295; 100/292; 100/902 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B30B
9/321 (20130101); Y10S 100/902 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B30B
9/32 (20060101); B30b 015/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;241/99
;100/215,216,218,292,245,295,266,257 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wilhite; Billy J.
Claims
What is claimed as new is as follows:
1. An upstanding stationary abutment surface, an upstanding
pressure plate generally paralleling and opposing said abutment
surface and guidingly supported for movement toward and away from
the abutment surface, means operatively associated with said
pressure plate for alternately shifting said pressure plate toward
and away from said abutment surface, means for automatically
positioning a container to be compressed between said plate and
said abutment surface each time said plate is shifted away from
said abutment surface, and means for automatically discharging a
container compressed between said pressure plate and abutment
surface upon initial movement of said pressure plate away from said
abutment surface, a pair of upstanding walls, said pressure plate
and abutment surface being disposed in upstanding planes generally
normal to said walls, said pressure plate being disposed between
the movable along said walls, said abutment surface comprising the
surface of an end wall extending between one pair of corresponding
ends of the first mentioned walls opposing said pressure plate, a
lower wall extending between the lower marginal edge portions of
said end wall and parallel walls, said means for discharging a
compressed can comprising a slot formed in said lower wall and
extending along and projecting outwardly from the lower marginal
edge portion of said abutment surface, said means for automatically
positioning a can between said pressure plate and abutment surface
including an inclined chute whose lower end is registered with
upper portion of the area defined between said pressure plate and
abutment surface when said pressure plate is shifted away from said
abutment surface, and also retractable spring means including
portions thereof disposed between the lower portions of said
pressure plate and abutment surface when said pressure plate is
retracted away from said abutment surface and operable to support a
can disposed between said pressure plate and abutment surface in
elevated position above the lower extremities of said pressure
plate and abutment surface, said spring portions being disposed to
be automatically cammed downwardly by said pressure plate and thus
retracted from between said pressure plate and abutment surface
upon movement of said pressure plate toward said abutment
surface.
2. A stationary horizontal base plate, an upstanding stationary
abutment member supported from and projecting upwardly beyond said
base plate, said base plate having a narrow slot formed therein
extending along one side of said abutment member and downwardly
through which a flattened item sliding downwardly along said one
side of said abutment member may pass, elongated bowed leaf spring
means overlying said base plate on the side of said slot remote
from said abutment member and extending lengthwise toward and away
from the latter with the end of said leaf spring means remote from
said abutment member anchored relative to said base plate and the
other free end of said leaf spring means adjacent said slot curving
upwardly away from said base plate and terminating a space distance
from said abutment member and the remote side of said slot when
said spring means is in a substantially horizontal straightened
condition, and an upstanding pressure plate opposing said abutment
member guidingly supported for movement relative to said base plate
toward and away from said abutment member with said pressure plate
overlying said leaf spring means and operable to downwardly deflect
and thus retract said free end of said leaf spring means upon
movement of said pressure plate toward said abutment member, the
free end of said leaf spring means, when said pressure plate is
retracted away from said abutment member, curving upwardly into the
lower portion of the area disposed between said pressure plate and
said abutment member for supporting a can to be flattened between
said pressure plate and said abutment member in an elevated
position above the lower extremity of said area until initial
movement of said pressure plate toward said abutment member causes
the can to be flattened to be frictionally gripped and thus
retained in elevated position above the base plate between the
pressure plate and abutment member.
3. The combination of claim 2 including means for automatically
positioning a can to be compressed between said pressure plate and
said abutment member each time said plate is shifted away from said
abutment member.
4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said spring means includes a
plurality of individual elongated laterally spaced leaf
springs.
5. The combination of claim 2 including a pair of axially spaced
and aligned guide sleeves stationarily supported relative to said
abutment member, and disposed on the side of said pressure plate
remote from said abutment member, a support rod reciprocal through
said guide sleeves, the end of said rod adjacent said abutment
member having said pressure plate supported therefrom, said means
for shifting said plate toward and away from said abutment member
including rotary cam means operatively associated with the end of
the rod remote from said pressure plate for forcing said rod toward
said abutment member, and expansion spring means operatively
connected to said pressure plate yieldingly biasing said pressure
plate and rod away from said abutment member.
6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said pressure plate is
mounted on the end of said rod adjacent said abutment member for
adjustable positioning longitudinally of said rod.
Description
The instant invention has been designed specifically to flatten and
therefore compress beverage cans as well as other metallic
containers which are used in volume and may be readily
flattened.
It has been proposed that for purposes of beutification of areas in
which beverage cans are discarded, economical reasons and for the
purpose of re-claiming various metals of reasonable value there
should be devised some means whereby metallic containers such as
those utilized in marketing beverages may be collected after use
and reprocessed for subsequent use. Various beverages are marketed
in aluminum cans and substantial monetary savings and savings in
aluminum could be realized if all aluminum containers or cans in
which beverages are marketed could be reclaimed and returned to the
manufacturer for reprocessing into new containers.
Accordingly, the main object of this invention is to provide an
inexpensive metallic container compressor which could be widely
marketed and utilized by various business establishments as well as
individuals to compress aluminum cans or containers and the like
for subsequent compact shipment back to the manufacturer.
Another object of this invention, in accordance with the
immediately preceding object, is to provide a container compressor
which may be readily rendered automatic in operation and
constructed so as to be operative to receive metallic containers to
be compressed in an orderly fashion from a large hopper of
discarded metallic containers.
A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated
herein is to provide a metallic container compressor which will
conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple
construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be
economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in
operation.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and
operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part
hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and
in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the can compressing machine of
the instant invention with a can delivery chute operatively
associated therewith;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the assemblage illustrated in FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a somewhat enlarged vertical sectional view taken
substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 3--3 of FIG.
2; and
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view of the left hand
portion of the assemblage illustrated in FIG. 1 and with portions
thereof being broken away and illustrated in vertical section.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10
generally designates the beverage can compressor of the instant
invention. The compressor 10 includes an inverted channel-shaped
base 12 consisting of a pair of upstanding parallel flanges 14 and
16 interconnected along their upper marginal edge portions by means
of a web or base plate 18 extending therebetween. The base 12 is
disposed on any suitable support table 20 having a slot 22 formed
therein underlying one end of the base 12.
A gear head motor referred to in general by the reference numeral
24 is supported from the base 12 in any convenient manner and
includes a rotary output shaft 26 upon which an eccentric cam disk
is mounted. The disk 28 is keyed to the shaft 26 as at 30 for
rotation with the shaft and a pair of aligned sleeve bearing blocks
32 and 34 are secured to the web 18 in any convenient manner such
as by fasteners 36. The aligned blocks 32 and 34 are aligned with
the cam disk 28 and an elongated cylindrical rod 38 is slidingly
received through the blocks 32 and 34. The end of the rod 38
adjacent the cam disk 28 includes a bifurcated head portion 40
between whose furcations a roller 42 is journalled and the roller
42 is rollingly engaged with the outer peripheral surface 44 of the
cam disk 28.
The end of the rod 38 remote from the cam disk 28 is externally
threaded as at 46 and has a pressure plate 48 mounted thereon. The
pressure plate 48 includes a threaded socket mount 50 in which the
threaded end of the rod 38 is threadingly engaged and a pair of jam
nuts 52 are also threaded on the rod 38 and tightened relative to
each other and the mount 50. Also, a further adjusting nut 54 is
threaded on the rod 38 on the side of a resilient washer 56 remote
from the roller 42. The washer 56 is disposed about the rod 38 and
is adapted to engage the opposing surface portions of the sleeve
bearing block 34 upon movement of the rod 38 to the left as viewed
in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings.
The member 50 includes a pair of anchor eyes 58 disposed on
opposite sides of the rod 38 and corresponding ends of a pair of
expansion springs 60 are secured to the anchor eyes 58. In
addition, the other pair of ends of the expansion spring 60 are
anchored to the fasteners 36 utilized to secure the sleeve bearing
block 34 to the web 18.
The pressure plate 48 includes a lower edge portion which is spaced
slightly above the upper surface of the web 18 and a plurality of
arcuate leaf springs 62, 64 and 66 have one set of corresponding
ends thereof secured in corresponding notches 68 formed in the
undersurface of a retaining bar 70 secured to the web 18 by means
of suitable fasteners 72 also passed through the adjacent ends of
the leaf springs 62, 64 and 66.
The beverage can compressor 10 further includes a pair of parallel
upstanding walls 74 and 76 which are secured to the web 18 in any
convenient manner and generally parallel the rod 38. The ends of
the walls 74 and 76 remote from the sleeve bearing block 34 is
interconnected by means of an end wall 78 secured therebetween and
to the web 18. Further, the upper end of the pressure plate 48
includes an abutment flange defining extension 80 which is secured
through the pressure plate 48 by means of fasteners 82 and serves a
purpose to be hereinafter more fully set forth.
The web 18 includes a vertical slot 84 which is centrally
registered with and spaced above the slot 22. In addition, it will
be noted that the longitudinal edge portion of the slot 84 remote
from the sleeve bearing block 34 is coplanar with the face of the
end wall 78 which opposes pressure plate 48.
The lower end of a slightly inclined trough referred to in general
by the reference numeral 86 includes a depending support flange 86
which is secured to the outer surface of the end wall 78 by means
of suitable fasteners 90. The trough 86 includes upstanding
generally parallel sides 92 and 94 interconnected by means of a
bottom wall 96 extending therebetween and the trough 86 is adapted
to receive a plurality of cylindrical containers or cans 98.
As may best be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings the springs
60 serve to yieldingly bias the rod 38 rearwardly or to the left as
viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. When the pressure plate
48, which is attached to the forward end of the rod 38, is
retracted by means of the springs 60, the spacing between the
pressure plate 48 and the end wall 78 is such to allow the
lowermost can in the trough to roll therefrom and down into the
area between the pressure plate 48 and the end wall 78. However,
when the pressure plate 48 is retracted, the ends of the leaf
springs 62, 64 and 66 adjacent the end wall 78 curve upwardly in
the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. Thus, as a can 98
falls into the area between the pressure plate 48 and the end wall
78, the can 98 is supported in elevated position above the web
18.
While the lower portion of the next can 98 in the trough 86 also
tends to fall into the upper portion of the area between the
pressure plate 48 and the end wall 78, as the cam disk 28 is
rotated from the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the
drawings to the position illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings and
the pressure plate 48 is advanced to the right as viewed in FIG. 4
of the drawings to compress the lowermost can 98, the latter is
vertically elongated and the upward projection of the upper
extremities of the can being flattened causes the can 98 disposed
thereabove to be elevated back up to a position wherein it may be
contacted by the extension 80 and urged backward up the trough 86.
Further, inasmuch as the can 98 to be compressed is initially
positioned with its lower peripheral portions spaced above the web
18, as the lower portion of the can being compressed is projected
downwardly during compression of the can, sufficient clearance is
provided without the lower portion of the can being compressed
contacting the web 18. Then, as the rod 38 is subsequently
retracted to the left as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings,
the compressed can is freed to drop through the slots 84 and 22
into a suitable receptacle.
Of course, the trough 86 may be provided with any suitable form of
hopper (not shown) at its upper end for automatically properly
positioning cans for reception into the trough 86. Further, it may
be seen from FIG. 4 that as the pressure plate is shifted to the
right the free upwardly curving ends of the springs 62, 64 and 66
are flexed into flat horizontal positions with the free terminal
ends of the springs 62, 64 and 66 underlying the pressure plate
48.
The can compressor 10 includes a switch assembly referred to in
general by the reference numeral 100 and the switch assembly 100
may be serially disposed in any suitable circuitry (not shown)
electrically connecting the gear head motor 24 to a suitable source
of electrical potential. The switch assembly 100 is supported from
the web 18 by means of suitable fasteners 102.
The spacing between the end wall 78 and the pressure plate 48 is to
be precisely adjusted according to the thickness of a particular
type of cans or containers to be compressed by the compressor 10.
In this manner, as the pressure plate 48 is moved to the right as
viewed in FIG. 4 of the drawings the container being compressed may
be fully compressed in order to expel any liquids remaining
therein. While in most cases it may not be absolutely necessary to
expel all liquids from cans or containers as they are being
compressed, in some instances it has been found that aluminum beer
cans containing small quantities of beer therein and being
reprocessed can sometimes explode. Accordingly, the spacing between
the pressure plate 48 and the end wall 78 when the pressure plate
48 is in its extreme right hand position such as that illustrated
in FIG. 4 of the drawings may be adjusted to insure that
substantially all liquid remaining in cans being compressed will be
expelled therefrom.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles
of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes
will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation
shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the
invention as claimed.
* * * * *