Patent ID: 7536948

Claim:
A can crushing device for flattening a can along a cylindrical axis of the can, the can crushing device comprising: a) a crushing assembly, a feed hopper assembly and a crush chamber assembly; b) the crush chamber assembly including a crushing chamber and a can platform adapted to support the can in the crushing chamber as the can is being crushed; c) the feed hopper assembly communicating with the can platform in order to convey the can to be crushed thereto; d) the crushing assembly communicating with the can platform and the crushing chamber in order to flatten the can along a cylindrical axis of the can, the crushing assembly including a crankshaft assembly and a plunger assembly; e) a ram of the plunger assembly is configured to slide over the can platform; f) the ram being extendible into the crushing chamber to flatten the can against a compound side crush panel of the crushing chamber; g) the ram including a denting rod extendible therefrom; h) the rod being adapted to make a dent in a side of the can; i) the ram and the rod cooperating to flatten the can along the cylindrical axis, thereby providing for a top and a bottom of the can to be on a game side of the can as crushed; j) the crushed can being adaptable to form a bale for transport; k) a left finger pivotally mounted in a first finger cavity located on one side of the ram and a right finger pivotally mounted in a second finger cavity located on the other side of the ram, the fingers cooperating with the ram and the rod to contact and flatten the can along the cylindrical axis l) the crankcase assembly connecting to the plunger assembly in order to direct the plunger assembly into and out of the crush chamber assembly; m) a means to sense a presence of the can serving to activate the plunger assembly; n) the crankcase assembly being connected to a gear box; o) the gear box being powered by an electric motor to activate the plunger assembly; p) the feed hopper assembly including a motion switch to activate the electric motor through electric circuit; q) the crank case assembly including a base cover, a case base, a left case wall, a right case wall, front case wall and a rear case wall; r) the base cover being spaced from the case base, by the left case wall and the right case wall; s) the right case wall and the left case wall separating the front case wall and the rear case wall; t) the front case wall communicating with the plunger assembly; u) the front case wall including a left bracket spacer and a right bracket spacer; v) the left bracket spacer having left bracket mounted thereon; w) the right bracket spacer having right bracket mounted thereon; x) a travel passage through which the plunger assembly reciprocally passes being situation between the left bracket and the right bracket, the travel passage is formed in the front case wall; y) a stop being secured to the rear case wall and oppositely disposed from travel passage; and z) the stop having a shock absorber to absorb a recoil of the plunger assembly.