Patent ID: 7461592

Claim:
Can crushing apparatus for crushing a can from a predetermined configuration having a side profile to a reduced configuration, comprising: a housing including a back section for mounting to structural wall and a cover section complementally shaped to receive the back section therein; a crush chamber on the back section for receiving the can and including a bottom wall formed with a discharge opening having horizontal cross section smaller than the side profile of the can and configured to pass the can in the reduced configuration; a piston is rigidly mounted to a front wall of the cover section, the piston including a driving end and a working end aligned with the chamber and reciprocable from a retracted position to a crushing position projecting into the chamber to, upon shifting to the crushing position, contact a can in the chamber to crush it to the reduced configuration to fit through the discharge opening; and a punch pad extending over a front surface of the front wall of the cover section, the punch pad to be struck directly by a user to drive the piston from the retracted position to the crushing position.