Abstract:
A portable electric can crusher is disclosed that crushes cans, at the “point of collection”. The can crusher crushes cans into a crushed relationship wherein the upper and lower circular end faces are generally unaltered and aligned in a co-planar position, the crushed pattern accomplished by the result of placing the can in a perpendicular position adjacent a ram plate and an elongated rectangular crushing plate which is used for creasing a center portion of the can followed by moving the ram plate against the can into contact with a rigid vertical wall. The crushing motions of the crusher are achieved through dual cam and slot means cooperatively drivably connected to a force transfer block which imparts a predetermined relation translation motion of the plates in response to rotation of the transfer block. A high powered rechargeable battery provides the force necessary to crush cans faster and more productively.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of aluminum and other metal cans has greatly increased within the last forty years worldwide, particularly for canned foods and juices, milk, soft drinks, and beer. The employment of thinner aluminum and other metals in the manufacture of these cans has met with considerable success and the employment of aluminum has enabled every manufacturer of cans to provide an easy opening tab at one end thereof which may be easily manipulated to form an opening in the can and making it easier to crush and recycle. Also, for shipping purposes, all cans are now required to be much lighter than the older cans to keep shipping costs down. The employment of aluminum and other metals in the manufacture of cans has increased the cost of manufacture due to the increasing cost of these materials over time as well. Therefore, recycling of empty cans is an established element of commerce which not only enables more efficient allocation of these natural resources, but it also benefits the environment by removing cans from beaches, campsites, and the highways and byways by providing free enterprise an incentive to recycle because of the inherent industrial value of these raw materials worldwide. 
     Many prior art devices exist that crush empty cans “in doors”, such as in restaurants, bars and in homes. None however have yet been improved to capitalize on new technologies such as lighter and stronger materials, and light and powerful lithium ion batteries to crush cans in the “out doors”, or in trucks, cars, planes, trains, etc. Truckers, campers and hikers simply pack trash bags, or use campsite or other trash facilities to dispose of their cans. Nor has any invention in the prior art dealt with the productivity problem of transporting bulky “non-crushed cans” to sites where the cans are crushed in bulk. Historically, the focus has been on crushing the cans in the most efficient way possible in terms of cost and manpower so that can remnants take up less space in a garbage bag or a box until the cans are disposed of permanently, generally in a landfill. However, in recent years widespread concern about the environment has led to the enactment of popularly called “bottle bills” which require manufacturers of soft drinks and beer to charge a deposit on cans as well as other beverage containers such as bottles, so as to encourage the purchasers to return the empty containers to the store rather than discard these containers at the expense of the environment. The “trash problem” is especially bad in fast growing places around the globe like Southeast Asia, where the trash from their beaches reach the North Pacific coast of the United States and elsewhere. Parallel to this method of encouraging recycling of cans, recycling centers have become part of every day life in almost every community where metal cans are used in commerce. A need exists for a light weight apparatus and method by which all metal cans can be crushed quickly at the “point of collection”, anywhere, to enhance the productivity and incentive for private handling, storage and transport of metal containers. 
     Return deposits and cash paid per pound for recycled aluminum and other metals at worldwide recycling centers encourage the world&#39;s population in general to avoid littering and to make an effort to deposit these materials into the trash which eventually winds up in solid waste disposal systems including landfills. Both the recycle and “return deposit” methods assist in the preservation of natural resources by encouraging manufacturers of beverage containers to reuse containers or to recycle these materials. Beverage containers, especially aluminum beverage containers, are frequently discarded in public places, which are “out doors”. Higher productivity in the ease of transport and storage of such materials would provide further incentive to encourage governments, individuals and private enterprise to collect cans from public places, campsites and landfills, including the streets, highways and parks. 
     The so-called “bottle bills” have caused a number of storage and transportation problems. For example, empty cans take up an unreasonable amount of space in handling and shipping. The expanded space requirements of storage and handling of these cans creates inconveniences and substantial overhead expenses which in many cases nullify the recycle value. Unlike bottles which may be sterilized and refilled, empty cans must eventually be crushed and their component materials recycled. It is desirable, since cans are safer, more compact, lighter and easier to store when crushed, to further encourage the use of cans by providing improved devices and methods for “out door” uses which can fold and crush these empty cans at the “point of collection” so that their volume density takes up a fraction of their previous occupied space before transport. Merely crushing the cans, however, in a conventional fashion simply will not suffice. Many states have no statutory deposit requirements, and yet the bottlers use essentially the same designs on their cans across state lines. To avoid fraud, therefore, the cans must be identifiable as deposit cans. Furthermore, the trademark on the side of the can must be identifiable so that the can will be returned to the proper supplier. Once cans have been crushed by various prior art crushing devices which flatten the cans in a plane through the longitudinal axis, the written material on the sides of the cans are unreadable. In other aspects the faces, i.e., the circular end face of the can, generally contain the deposit information on the upper face. Most can crushing operations squeeze the two end faces of the can toward each other. This is just as unsatisfactory for purposes of the “bottle bill” concept because, after the operation is complete, the cylindrical wall is entirely obscured, and identification of the source is impossible. 
     Other prior art devices have provided crushed cans while preserving the relevant printed material. In these crushers, the can is creased at the center of the cylindrical wall either prior to or during the crushing operation. However, in most of the embodiments disclosed, two separate manual operations are required, the first to crease the can and the second to complete the fold of the can. In other embodiments the creasing element is never fully retracted during the crushing operation and thus the printed matter on the end faces of the can is partly obstructed. 
     Several references exist which describe apparatus for laterally crushing cans as opposed to crushing in an end to end matter. In this regard U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,941, issued to Bynumw Moller and U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,618, issued to Warren R. Heiser et al. present apparatus and methodology for crushing cans by first laterally compressing the central portion of the can to inwardly tilt the can&#39;s opposite ends, and then further flattening the can by further tilting the can ends until they lie in generally the same plane and parallel to the flattened can body. In this regard the can crushing sequence of the Moller reference provides a center crushing element which is pushed through a slot in a stationary plate to laterally flatten the center portion of the can against a movable plate. The crushing element is then withdrawn and the movable plate is moved to flatten the can against the stationary plate. The flattened can is then dropped through a slot thus removing the can from the apparatus. A similar crushing sequence is presented in the Heiser et al. reference where a plunger is moved forward through a slot in a movable plate to crush a central portion of a can. The plunger is then withdrawn and the movable plate is moved to complete the lateral crushing of the can which is then dropped through an opening. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,685, issued to Turner in June 1992 solved many of the problems inherent in the prior art and satisfied the need at that time for an improved can crushing apparatus for use “in doors” (i.e. in the home, commercial establishments, and the like). Turner was fully automated and possessed “safety” features, while providing a can crusher wherein the moving plates defined unilateral motion. Turner was special because it avoided moving the plates in opposite directions, thus contributing to a more efficient process requiring less power than its predecessors. As a result, Turner was capable of being downsized for safe general use “in doors”. However, Turner was slow in operation and too big and heavy to carry around for general use “out doors”. 
     A need now exists for an improved, more efficient, can crushing apparatus to further incentivize recycling for use at the “point of collection”, whether it is “out doors” in nature, or in a truck, car, plane or boat; or even “in doors” such as in the home and in commercial establishments. In short, a portable electric can crusher is needed, and to be effective, it must be light enough to carry around by hand or within a back pack, and powerful enough to crush any can, anywhere. Such a need can be served by an apparatus which is fully automated for crushing cans along with possessing safety features like Turner, and which also provides a light but powerful crushing capability to get more cans recycled per unit time. In another aspect an apparatus is needed which can provide a can crushing capability for high volume use, anywhere, even at a landfill. Thus, one of the many objects of the invention is to provide a portable electric can crusher which may be of such simple and light construction that it is easy to carry so as to be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation, and so that the enhanced productivity of such an improved device will be a further incentive to recycle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A portable electric can crusher is presented that quickly crushes and stores any can, anywhere Like Turner of the prior art, the improved can crusher crushes cans into a crushed relationship wherein the upper and lower circular end faces are generally unaltered and aligned in a co-planar position, the crushed pattern accomplished by the result of placing the can in a perpendicular position adjacent a ram plate and an elongated rectangular crushing plate which is used for creasing a center portion of the can followed by moving the ram plate against the can into contact with a rigid vertical wall. The crushing motions of the crusher are achieved through dual cam and slot means cooperatively drivably connected to a force transfer block which imparts a predetermined relation translation motion of the plates in response to rotation of the transfer block. A high powered, but light, rechargeable battery provides the force necessary to crush cans faster and thus more productively at the “point of collection”, so that more cans can be collected and crushed per unit of time. Because lithium ion batteries are much lighter, longer lasting, and more powerful per unit volume than their lead and nickel counterparts, rechargeable lithium ion batteries are the preferred power source. 
     Unlike Turner of the prior art, the improved can crusher has a handle formed on the top of the housing for carrying the device by hand, and a support enclosure such as a storage bin or back pack attached to the bottom of the housing for temporarily storing the crushed cans prior to unloading. The heaviest part of the prior art, namely the T shaped structure of Turner, has been replaced with a vertical wall which now can be directly attached to the motor gear box assembly. As a consequence, a single guide may be used, rather than the two used in Turner, made possible by the shortened and lighter construction occasioned by replacing the heavier T shaped structure. The gearbox assembly is generally rectangular and can now be made part of a “virtual wall” casting or mold of the vertical wall, or attached to it with nuts and bolts, thus making the vertical wall as rigid, but much lighter and having a shorter length, and thus quicker crushing action. This alteration not only serves to shorten the entire length of the device, but since the entire horizontal portion of the “T” support structure of the prior art Turner device has now been eliminated, the weight of the device is reduced roughly by half, making it lighter for carrying long distances by humans, without losing strength and durability. 
     The many objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the invention and its various embodiments are reviewed in accompaniment with the attached drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like components throughout. The previously described embodiments of the present invention have many advantages. Although the present invention will be described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, other alternative embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiments, nor the alternative embodiments, contained herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the portable electric can crusher according to the invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is a partially cutaway perspective view of a possible embodiment of the portable electric can crusher according to the invention. Movement of the relative elements including the dual drive plate system of the apparatus is shown by arrows. 
         FIG. 2A  is a top view of selected elements of the can crusher with the dual drive plate system and associated drive cam means in a relaxed position or starting position with the drive shaft rotation illustrated by arrows. 
         FIG. 2B  is a top view of the dual plate drive system and associated drive cam means with the apparatus positioned about twenty-five percent through the crushing cycle. 
         FIG. 2C  is a top view of the dual plate drive system and associated drive cam means with the drive shaft rotation illustrated by arrows, rotating in a clockwise continuous fashion positioning the apparatus in a total crushing position with the continuous mode of the apparatus passing through the crushing cycle with the dual plate drive system moving away from the crushed position. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the unit according to the invention with a can in place for crushing and with the pivotal gate and switch means respective motions indicated by arrows similar to those of  FIG. 1B . 
         FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6  are schematics of the can crushing positions of the apparatus with respective dual plate movement cycles.  FIG. 4  presents the elongated rectangular crushing plate extended out into the can&#39;s central portion as indicated by arrows.  FIG. 5  illustrates the ram plate moving the pre-creased can toward a vertical front wall for crushing while the crushing plate is being withdrawn as indicated by arrows.  FIG. 6  further illustrates the crushing plate moving through the crush cycle for maximum crush position between the two plates. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates the return of the crush chamber elements of the apparatus to a relaxed position while indicating the pathway of drop or removal of the crushed can from the apparatus. 
         FIG. 8  presents a plane view of the can after being crushed by the apparatus according to the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a simplistic schematic of the can crusher mounted on a receiving container such as a back pack for receiving and storing the crushed cans. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a portable electric can crusher  10  ( FIGS. 1A-B  and  FIG. 9 ) that can be used anywhere.  FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the portable electric can crusher according to the invention, with a housing  12 , a handle  13 , a support enclosure  19  having a height from its bottom to its top of at least the same height as a crushed can, and a lid or removable cap  72 , depending on the embodiment. A partially cutaway perspective view of one embodiment of the invention is presented in  FIG. 1B  which shows the can crusher  10  along with housing  12 . The basic structural support of the can crusher  10  is the vertical wall support structure  14 . The vertical wall  14  is fixed and stationary by virtue of its direct attachment to the gear box assembly or “gear box”  36  and is used as an anvil type crushing wall. Its front wall  16  has a rectangular slot  18  therethrough which accommodates entry and withdrawal of the crushing plate  26  into and from the crushing chamber  23 . A ram plate  22  is drawn against the front wall  16  after the crushing plate  26  has been withdrawn. The vertical wall  14  provides structural mounting support for the various components of the dual plate, cam means and drive means. Slotted horizontal support arms  24  in cooperation with fixed guide pins  25  support the ram plate  22  and provide directed motion means of the ram plate  22  through the actions of an elongated rectangular horizontal drive plate  56  which is in structural communication with the ram plate  22  through the slotted support arms  24 . 
     When a can is placed into the crushing chamber  23  the weight of the can rests on the U-shaped platform  28  activating the U-shaped platform pivot  32  which in turn moves the U-shaped platform switch means  34  into an activation mode for activating the crushing cycle of the apparatus. A gear box  36  provides drive means  40  through clockwise rotation of a vertical shaft to a crushing plate drive portion  44  through a drive force transfer block  48 . The drive means  40  is driven by an electrical motor  38  drivably attached to gear box  36  and which is activated by the U-shaped platform switch means  34  and powered by the rechargeable battery  39  having recharging female end  100  and on/off switch  101  which are both attached to the outside of housing  12 , or can be attached to support enclosure  19  depending on the embodiment. The drive force transfer block  48  is driven in clockwise rotation as indicated by the clockwise rotation arrows  42  on the drive means  40 , the drive force transfer block  48  being mounted on the drive means  40 . The drive force transfer block drive end  50  provides a cam motion drive to the drive slot  46  of the crushing plate drive portion  44 . The drive force transfer block  48  has a first cam drive means  52  mounted on the transfer block drive end  50  and a second drive means  54  eccentrically mounted on the first cam drive means  52 . The second drive means  54  functions in cooperation with a cam drive slot  46  in the horizontal drive plate  44 ; thus providing part of a dual plate drive system and associated drive cam means. As the ram plate  22  is driven to maximum crush contact with the can, the drive means  52  and drive slot  58  cooperate to slow the ram plate  22  forward crushing motion with motor output remaining at maximum power, thus providing greater torque. Using a newer and more powerful lithium ion battery  39  as a power source maximizes both the crushing power at the end portion of the crush stroke and the speed of each crushing cycle over a shorter distance due to the direct attachment of the gearbox assembly  36  and electric motor  38  to the vertical support structure  14 . The second drive means  54  functions in cooperation with the drive slot  46  in the plate  44 ; thus providing the remaining cam slot drive for the dual plate drive system. The crushing plate drive portion  44  uses a rear crushing plate travel guide slot  60 , and the crushing plate  26  uses rectangular slot  18  to maintain the respective portions of the crushing plate  26  in alignment during motion. The guide rod and support means  62  further supports the apparatus in relationship to the vertical wall  14 . In addition, the guide and support rod  62  provides housing support through member  68 . A parallel and superimposed drive plate guide slot  65  in the elongated rectangular horizontal ram plate drive plate  56  is provided which also utilizes the guide and support rod  62 . A ram plate drive support contacting spacer  66  through which support guide rod  62  extends provides crushing and ram plate support through the vertical wall  14 . Additional vertical housing support members  70  provide housing  12  support to the vertical wall  14 , the housing support members  70  being in communication with the top portions of the vertical front wall  16 . 
     One embodiment is provided with a feed can chute  71  having a lid  72 . The lid  72  has a pivot means  74  and a lid arm means  76  which, upon the opening of lid  72 , activates an electric circuit switch means  78  which places the apparatus according to this embodiment of the invention in an operational mode; and upon introduction of a can into the crushing chamber  23  resulting in the activation of the U-shaped platform switch means  34 , automatically starts the can crushing cycle. Alternatively, lid  72  may be a simple removable cap without any pivot, arm or circuit switch means depending upon the particular embodiment. 
     The housing  12  and rechargeable battery  39  are further supported, for example, by can crusher  10  support legs  80  which may be connected to the top of the support enclosure  19 , and additional motor and gear box support legs (not shown) that may receive additional support from support enclosure  19 . The pivotally mounted U-shaped platform and associated switch means  34  in cooperation with a possible lid  72  switch means  78  provide an portable electric can crusher with built-in safety features wherein a dual plate drive system in association with drive cam means provide the functional steps of creasing and then crushing any can into the configuration as shown in  FIG. 8  with the cylindrical ends of a crushed can are in planar alignment. 
     The portable electric can crusher  10  of an embodiment of the present invention is utilized to laterally crush any can to a flattened, or semi-flattened configuration, for recycling purposes. The can crusher  10  may be carried by hand or by back pack. The can crusher  10  includes a vertical wall  14  having a front wall  16  with an elongated rectangular slot  18  formed therethrough. The ram plate  22  is carried toward the parallel front wall  16  by slotted support arms  24  connected at their rear ends to a drive plate  56  which is driven by the cooperation of a cam and slot means by a drive force transfer block  48  as indicated by motion arrows in  FIG. 1B . The elongated rectangular crushing plate  26  is carried on the support structure  14  for forward and rearward movement relative thereto, as indicated by the arrows in  FIG. 1B  and is moveable forwardly and rearwardly through the elongated rectangular slot  18 . 
     The portable electric can crusher  10  also includes a generally U-shaped platform  28  which is pivotally secured to a lower end of the vertical wall  14  and defines a can drop space  30  therewith. To drive the ram plate  22  and the crushing plate  26  forwardly and rearwardly in a sequence subsequently described, the can crusher  10  is provided with an electrical motor  38  connected to the gear box  36 . The gear box  36  is drivenly connected to a cam means operatively received in cam slots  58  and  46  through the dual plate system and the drive force transfer block  48 . 
     The sequence of operation of the can crusher  10  is illustrated through  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B,  2 C and  FIGS. 3 through 7 . With the can crusher  10  in its ready to use position,  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 3 , a can is dropped into place between the front wall  16  and ram plate  22 , which defines the crushing chamber  23 . The positioning of the can is such that the bottom end of the can comes to rest upon the U-shaped platform  28  with minimum applied force or the weight of the can pivoting the U-shaped platform  28  in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the down arrow adjacent the U-shaped platform  28  in  FIG. 1B , thereby closing switch means  34  and energizing the motor  38  to rotate the cam and slot means drive force transfer block  48 . Initial rotation of the drive block  48  drives the crushing plate  26  forwardly through the rectangular slot  18  and the front wall  16  to thereby cause the end of the crushing plate to engage a central portion of the can and crush it against the momentarily stationary ram plate  22  as depicted in  FIG. 4  and in  FIG. 2B  (can not shown). 
     Continuous rotation of the cooperative cam and slot means as driven by the drive force transfer block  48  thereby imparting a predetermined relational translation motion to the plates simultaneously moves the crushing plate  26  and the ram plate  22  in a unilateral direction to bring the partially creased or bent-over can ends into contact with the front wall  16 . Continued movement toward the front wall  16  of the crushing plate  26  and the ram plate  22  withdraws the crusher plate  26  through the rectangular slot  18  in the front wall  16  and causes the ram plate  22  to laterally crush the can to its substantially flattened orientation in which the can body is laterally substantially flattened and the can ends have been rotated about 90% relative to their normal orientation. Finally, continued rotation of the cam and slot means drives the ram plate  22  toward its starting orientation, thereby releasing the laterally substantially flattened can previously held between the ram plate  22  and the front wall  16 , thus permitting the can to fall through the can drop space  30  of the U-shaped platform  28  into a support enclosure  19  or back pack  FIG. 9 . 
       FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C provide a top view of the dual plate, associated cam and slot means, as well as the drive member means in respective positions during the crushing cycle. In  FIG. 2A  the apparatus is at rest position.  FIG. 2B  shows the apparatus at an approximate 25% cycle position as can be seen by the movement of crushing plate drive portion  44  and the drive portion  44  cam drive slot  46  as well as the movement between  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  of the drive force transfer block  48 ; which in  FIG. 2B  is extended to its maximum length toward the can crushing chamber. The cam means in  FIG. 2B  have also traveled from one end of the cam drive slot  58  in plate  56  to a mid-portion of the slot  58  as shown in  FIG. 2B . The cam drive means is positioned in both slot means in the opposite end portions of the slot means in  FIG. 2C  during the maximum crush cycle from its original position shown in  FIG. 2A . In addition,  FIGS. 2A-2C  further depict the dual plate respective motions from rest, to 25% cycle, and then to 50% cycle just before the return to the rest cycle. 
     In  FIGS. 3-7 , various cutaway side views are shown focusing primarily on the can crushing chamber  23 . In  FIG. 3  a side view of the can crushing chamber  23  is shown with a can being placed in position for crushing and the respective motion of the can, through manual force or its weight action on U-shaped platform  28 , U-shaped platform pivot  32  and switch means  34 .  FIG. 3  shows the respective dual plate cam slot means in the at rest position just before activation by the actions of switch means  34 .  FIG. 4  shows the apparatus during one portion of the cycle where the crushing plate  26  is extending into the can to approximate maximum extended position. In  FIG. 5  the crushing plate  26  is in a withdrawing mode as indicated by the arrow, while the ram plate  22  is being moved toward the front wall  16  thus forcing the partially crushed can  84  with its cylindrical end portions tipped by about 90% toward the vertical for final crushing.  FIG. 6  shows the ram plate  22  in the maximum crushing position as indicated by the arrow where the ram plate  22  has moved to its closest proximity to the front wall  16 . The can as shown in  FIG. 6  has been crushed to its minimum dimension by the apparatus. In  FIG. 7  the apparatus has moved toward the end of the full cycle wherein the ram plate  22  is moving to its at rest position as indicated by the arrow, the U-shaped platform  28  is returning to its at rest position thus through pivot arm means is moving toward a switch means disconnect while the maximum crushed can is falling through the can drop space  30 . The crushed can configuration is illustrated in  FIG. 8  while in  FIG. 9  a simplistic schematic of the can crusher mounted on a back pack  99  for the crushed cans as shown with a can  82  in position to be received by the can crusher through open lid  72  and with a crushed can  86  being released into the back pack  99  having straps  11  for carrying. 
     The apparatus according to at least one embodiment of the present invention incorporates a number of safety features to help avoid injury to the operator. In one embodiment, the apparatus could use a low horsepower motor that does not have enough force and power to seriously hurt a person&#39;s hand in the apparatus as shown. The apparatus may take between 5 and 10 seconds to cycle, and less or more, depending upon the application by varying the power of the battery and/or the electric motor. In a particularly “safe” embodiment, if an individual managed to place a portion of his hand into the apparatus and activate the cycle, the individual has a reasonable amount of time to remove the hand from the apparatus before the crushing stroke. The embodiment of the invention as shown in  FIG. 1B  does not allow the apparatus to operate with the lid open. In addition, for home use, the can crusher could have an elongated rectangular crushing plate  26  of a thickness of about 1/16″ made from example, polypropylene which is rigid enough to fold the side of the aluminum can but limber enough not to seriously injure a person&#39;s fingers. In addition, the apparatus could also incorporate a relay which would reverse the motor direction at approximately 10% over the force necessary to fold a can. The unit would then open back up and shut off until the foreign object that was restricting the unit motion is cleared and the reset button depressed. The final gap of the can crusher according to the invention closes up to about ⅜″ which is about the same as a human finger thus avoiding serious injury to anyone&#39;s finger inadvertently placed into the crusher chamber, now matter how powerful the battery or electric motor for that embodiment. 
     Environmental needs as well as raw material recycle economics have placed a substantial demand for collecting cans. Unfortunately a twenty gallon volume of uncompressed cans, i.e., a large trash bag filled with cans, weighs only about four to five pounds. The recycle economics pay for these cans on a “per pound” basis. Thus, the recycler, collector, or any user would benefit substantially from the use of a can crusher such as provided in the invention wherein the same twenty gallon volume would weigh from about thirty to forty pounds not only presenting a temporary storage and transport mode for these cans but also providing the recycler with a pre-crushed volume of higher value resulting from the increased crushing frequency at the point of collection. By collapsing first the side walls and then the ends of cans, rather than collapsing the two simultaneously, provides for much greater uniformity for automated handling after delivery to the end recycler. But more importantly, the power or strength requirements by the apparatus according to the invention are increased because of the availability of high power batteries available today. 
     The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and the scope of this invention being limited solely by the appended claims.