PORTABLE CAN CRUSHING AND PICKUP DEVICE

Abstract

A combination can crushing and retrieving device having a circular or tubular housing containing a plunger and having a rectangular opening in its side wall. The housing has a knife-edged slightly concave indent on the bottom of the housing opposite the rectangular opening, which indent generally conforms to the arch section of the necked down portion of a beverage can. When the concave indent is placed on the lip of a can laying on its side (preferably on drinking end) and forced down the can will “snap” upright, through the rectangular opening and into the housing. The can is then retained in the housing around the necked down portion by a foam/rubber lining located at the lower inside end of the housing. Then the weighted plunger is forced down onto the can, crushing the can and expelling any fluids remaining inside the can through the drinking opening. The crushing stroke can be repeated until the can is maximally compressed. After crushing the can, it is picked up by raising the device. By placing the end of the device holding the can into a larger receptacle the can may then be ejected from the device by pressing an ejector rod.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order for the invention to more clearly understood the following drawings are presented.

FIG. 1 is a sketch of the device.

FIG. 2 is an isometric sketch of the device.

FIG. 3 is an exploded sketch of the device showing the individual parts comprising the device.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C is side view, front view, rear view sketchs of the device made in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 is a view of the device positioned on the necked down portion of an aluminum drinking can.

FIG. 6 is view of the device standing or snapping up a can into the device.

FIG. 7 is a view of a can in the device ready for the crushing operation.

FIG. 8 is a view of a crushed can in the device.

FIG. 9 is a view of a crushed can held in the device after raising the device.

FIG. 10 is a view of a crushed can held in the device where the device is positioned to eject the can into a receptacle.

FIG. 11 is a view of a crushed can being ejected from the device.

FIG. 12 is a listing of individual parts that can be purchased at a Hardware store if the invention is to be made of common PVC pipe and fittings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings and figures, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

Referring now to figures of the drawings, the improved stand-up device for retrieving cans from a flat surface, crushing such can, and thereafter dumping the can into a receptacle, or the like, is depicted in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an isometric sketch of the device. FIG. 3 is an exploded sketch of the device showing the individual parts comprising the device. The individual parts comprising the device are listed in FIG. 12, and they can be purchased, if the device is assembled of common PVC pipe and fittings, at a local hardware store. In a more general sense these parts are: (1) Retention Material to hold a can in Housing (2), Housing Reducer (3), Reducer (4) (used when constructing the device from standard PVC fittings), Plunger Handle Housing (5), Plunger Handle Housing Cap (6), Male Threaded Connector from Ramrod to Ramrod Handle Assembly (7), Ramrod (8), Male Threaded Connector from Ramrod to Weight (9), Weight (10), Can Ejector Plunger Rod Plug (11), Can Ejector Plunger Rod (12), Female Threaded Connector from Handle Assembly to Ramrod (13), Handle (15), Coupling (14), from Can Ejector Plunger Rod (12) to Can Ejector Rod Extension (17), Handle Cap (16), Can Ejector Plunger Rod Extension Cap (18). Items 1 through 6 depict the Shell, Items 7 through 10 depict the Weight & Ramrod, Items 11 through 18 depict the Can Ejector and Ramrod Handle. The Weight and Ramrod slide within the shell and the Can Ejector slides within the Ramrod with the Handle Assembly being connected to the Ramrod. FIG. 4 is comprised of standard views of objects, FIG. 4A is a side view of the device, FIG. 4B is a front view of the device, FIG. 4C is a rear view of the device. FIGS. 5 through 11 show the sequence of operation of the device. FIG. 5 is a depiction of the slight concave indent (19) on the lower portion of the shell (2) being placed on the necked down portion of a aluminum can laying on its' side. FIG. 6 depicts the aluminum can being snapped into an upright position by applying downward pressure on the device. FIG. 7 depicts the aluminum can (20) secure in the lower portion of the shell (2) after being snapped upright; the weight (10) is positioned over the can. FIG. 8 depicts the aluminum can (20) crushed by a downward stroke of the weight (10) attached to the ramrod (8). FIG. 9 shows the lower portion of the device, shell (2), raised to a horizontal position, holding the crushed aluminum can (20). FIG. 10 shows the lower portion of the device, shell (2), positioned at a slight downward angle, being held in place by the retention material (1), just prior to ejecting the crushed aluminum can (20) into a receptacle. FIG. 9 shows the crushed aluminum can (20) being ejected from the device by the ejector rod (17).

While there have been described above the principles of this invention in connection with the specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention. Further, there are possible variations of the handle configuration such as shovel handle grip, pistol grip, also the addition of mechanical (e.g. spring loading) or electrical (e.g. magnetic field induction) power to provide an assist to the plunger compaction, and such modifications would be readily appreciated as being able to operationally be installed as parts of the invention by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

1. A method of maximally crushing and picking up used beverage cans laying on the ground, the method comprising the steps of: snapping a can laying on the ground to an inverted upright position in the housing of a can crushing and pickup device having an opening in the housing side wall large enough for a can to pass through;retaining the can in the housing by foam, rubber or a semi-rigid collapsible material band;crushing the can using a slide hammer in the device thereby expelling any interior debris;holding the crushed can between the slide hammer and the band while the device is raised;inserting the device with the crushed can retained therein into a collection receptacle; andexpelling the can from the device via an ejector rod in the device that forces the crushed can through the band.

2. The method according to claim 1 having the additional step of removing additional debris by the band while can is expelled from the device.

3. The method according to claim 1 having the additional step of snapping cans laying on the ground to an inverted upright position in the housing so that containments in and on the cans will drain onto the ground away from the operator of the device utilized in said method.

4. The method according to claim 3 having the additional step of the cans being crushed expelling containments, whereby the operator of the device is protected by the housing from any containments remaining in the can.

5. The method according to claim 1 having the additional step wherein the rectangular opening in the lower side wall of the device is away from the operator, thus protecting the operator from the crushing stroke of the slide hammer.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the crushing of the can using a slide hammer uses a crushing stroke that stops short of the ground, thus protecting the operator from the crushing stroke of the slide hammer.

7. A method of picking up used beverage cans using a crushing and pickup device, the method comprising the steps of: removing the slide hammer portion of the device from the device;snapping a used can laying on the ground to an inverted upright position into the housing;retains the can being held in the housing by a band fabricated from a foam, rubber, or other semi-rigid collapsible material;picking up the can by lifting the device so that the can rests against the back of the housing and is prevented from sliding out of the housing by the band; anddepositing the can into a collection receptacle by rotating the device 180 degrees so that the can falls from the housing through the rectangular opening in the housing and falls into the receptacle.