GB2245208A

GB2245208A - An apparatus for collapsing containers

Info

Publication number: GB2245208A
Application number: GB9112839A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Anthony Patrick Coyne
Original assignee: CLOUD 10 Ltd
Current assignee: CLOUD 10 Ltd
Priority date: 1990-06-15
Filing date: 1991-06-14
Publication date: 1992-01-02
Also published as: GB9112839D0; GB9013443D0

Abstract

An apparatus for collapsing containers for disposal or recycling comprises a housing (1) with an aperture (2) for receiving a container e.g. an aluminium drinks can. The aperture (2) is closed by a door (3) which is hinged at (4) to the housing (1) to open outwardly of the housing (1). Attached to the base of the door (3) is a removable base plate (5) to support the container. An empty can is placed on the base plate (5) and the door closed positioning the container between an upper plate (6) and a lower plate (7) which are driven by a motor (8) via gearing (not shown) and two screw-threaded rods (9). The base plate (5) carrying the container is supported on springs (10) which are compressed so that the base plate (5) engages the lower plate (7) to take the load when the container is compressed. The screw-threaded rods may be replaced by a rack and pinion mechanism. Means may be provided to deform the can walls before the can is compressed. In a modification, in use, a can is placed on a base plate located in the housing. <IMAGE>

Description

AN APPARATUS FOR COLLAPSING CONTAINERS This invention relates to an apparatus for collapsing containers for disposal or recycling and more particularly to a motor driven apparatus for collapsing used drink cans.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for collapsing containers comprising a housing for two end plates which engage the ends of a container, at least one of the end plates is movable towards the other by drive means, wherein the housing has an aperture which is closed by a door opening outwardly on the aperture, the door, having means to receive the container such that on closing the door, the ends of the container are positioned between the end plates within the housing.

Preferably, the means for receiving the container is a base plate mounted on a support formed integral with or attached to the door.

Conveniently, the base plate is removable from the door for cleaning.

In a preferred construction, material indicating means are provided to distinguish one container material from another. This means may take the form of a magnetic device which can distinguish eg. aluminium or plastics material from steel.

The drive means to the two plates may include disabling means which would be actuated if the force required to collapse the container is greater than a predetermined pressure, whereupon the drive means is reversed to position the drive plate in its initial position.

The disabling means would conveniently initiate release of the door closing mechanism to enable the incorrect container e.g. a heavy steel can or a full drinks can to be removed from the apparatus.

In one preferred construction of the apparatus, sensing means are provided to indicate the progress of the collapsing of the container. The sensing means may be a mechanical device or an L E D (Light Emitting Diode).

The housing door is preferably made of a transparent or translucent material.

Embodiments of the improved apparatus, according to the invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved apparatus for collapsing containers; Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along the line II-II of Figure 1 with the door in its open position; Figure 3 is an exploded detail assembly of the base plate and door support in cooperation with an end plate; Figure 4 is a front view of the assembly shown in Figure 3, with the door in the open position; Figure 5 is a similar view of the assembly of Figure 4 with the door in the closed position; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional detail of the supporting spring; Figure 7 is a front elevation of a modified apparatus according to the invention; Figure 8 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 7;; Figure 9 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figures 7 and 8 showing the electric motor and associated gear drive; The improved apparatus for collapsing containers comprises a housing 1 with an aperture 2 for receiving 'a container e.g. an aluminium drinks can, to be collapsed for disposal or recycling. The aperture 2 is closed by a door 3 which is hinged at 4 to the housing 1 to open outwardly of the housing 1.

Located at the base of the door 3 is a receiving means to support the container in the form of a removable base plate 5 attached to the door 3. The empty beverage can is placed on the base plate 5 and the door is closed, positioning the container between an upper plate 6 and a lower plate 7 located within the housing 1 and driven by a motor 8 via gearing (not shown) and two screw-threaded rods 9. The base plate 5 carrying the container is supported on springs 10 which are compressed so that the base plate 5 engages the lower plate 7 to take the load when the container is compressed.

Beverage cans made of steel, aluminium or plastics material can be crushed by the apparatus. However certain steel containers for human or animal food are made of a strong material which cannot be crushed by the force of the motor, and may damage the apparatus.

To prevent these strong steel or other rigid containers such as full drinks cans from jamming the apparatus a disabling means is provided to stop the downward motion of the upper plate 7 and operate a mechanism to put the motor 8 into reverse when the predetermined compressing force is exceeded. A suitable material indicating means may be a magnet 11 which attracts the steel container and operates a mechanism to interrupt the motor 8. The magnet 11 would not be attracted to, for example, an aluminium drinks can or a plastics container and the drive from the motor 8 would not be interrupted. The operation of the magnetic material indicating means would reverse the drive from the motor 8 and position the upper drive plate 6 to its initial position and release the door closing mechanism to allow for removal of the unsuitable steel can.

A sensing means is provided to indicate the progress of the collapsing of a container placed in the apparatus.

This may take the form of a mechanical device such as a pointer attached to the upper drive plate 6 which pointer projects through a slot in the housing wall and points to numbers or other indicia on the housing so that its position can be viewed from the outside of the apparatus housing.

Another form of sensing means may take the form of a strip of LED's (Light Emitting Diodes) 12 which are electronically connected to the upper drive plate 6 and lights-up the LED's as it descends to compress the container.

The base plate 5 on which the container is supported is mounted on springs 10 located in support 13 having an aperture 14, attached to the door 3 so that when the door is closed the support 13 is positioned approximately one inch or more above the floor of the housing and over the lower plate 7. As the upper drive plate 6 descends it pushes the container on the base plate 5, which engages the lower plate 7 before the compressing action to crush the container starts, as the pressure is applied to the lower plate, no force is transmitted to the door hinge 4. On completion of the crushing action the drive motor 8 is reversed, the base plate 5 rises to be clear of the housing floor.An alternative construction would be to shape the underside of the base so that it clears the housing floor on opening and closing of the door, but rests on the lower plate 7 when the door is closed prior to commencing the compressing operation.

The base plate 5 may be removed from the door of the apparatus to permit it to be cleaned as may be required if residue of drink in the container leaks from the container when it is being compressed and crushed.

The modified apparatus comprises a base plate 1' on which are rotatably mounted two screw-threaded rods 2'.

The rods are engaged in screw-threaded holes in an upper compression plate 3' which is movable towards and away from the base plate 1'. The base plate has mounted thereon an electric motor 4' which can be driven in the forward or reverse directions.

The drive from the motor rotates a small gear wheel 5' which engages a set of three gear wheels 6' which in turn drive a gear wheel 7' to each rod 2'.

The base 1' has a raised circular area 8' which serves to locate one end of an empty can placed in the apparatus, while the upper compression plate 3' has a similar raised circular area 9' which locates the other end of the can.

The apparatus and drive from the motor are located in an outer housing (not shown). At the front of the housing the apparatus is provided with two projections which engage the side wall of a can when placed in the apparatus and deform it inwardly to assist in the collapsing of the can. These may take the form of cams which rotate with the screw-threaded rods 2'.

In operation the door is opened and a can is placed in the apparatus. The side projections engage the midportion of the wall of the can folding it inwards, the door is then closed. On actuation of the motor 4' it drives the gear wheel 5' in a clockwise direction, as shown by the arrows which in turn rotates the screwthreaded rods in an anti-clockwise direction via the train of gear wheels 6' and 7' so that the upper plate 3' is driven by the motor towards the base 1', the areas 8' and 9' of the plates engaging the ends of the can respectively.

The upper compression plate 3' moves towards the base plate 1' to compress the can to a smaller size. On reaching a preset position the motor is automatically reversed moving the compression plate 3' in the opposite direction until it reaches its uppermost position. The doors are opened and the compressed can is removed from the apparatus for easy disposal or recycling.

Various modifications may be made to the invention, for example, instead of screw-threaded rods 2' they may be replaced by e.g. a rack and pinion or other mechanical drive means. Although two screw-threaded rods have been described and illustrated these can be greater or lesser in number with a corresponding drive from the motor.

The apparatus has been described for collapsing a metal can for soft drinks or alcoholic beverages, but it will be apparent that it can also be used to collapse containers of other materials such as plastics material or waxed cardboard containers as used for example as milk cartons.

Although two ways of collapsing the wall of the container before compressing it have been described, another way is to grip the ends of the container and twist it to weaken the side wall before compressing it.

Various modifications may be made to the apparatus of the present invention, for example, although the apparatus door has been illustrated and described as being hinged at its side edge to the housing, it may instead be hinged by its other side or its upper or lower edge.

The support for the spring loaded base plate may be formed integrally with the door or be removably attached to the door.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An an apparatus for collapsing containers comprising a housing for two end plates which engage the ends of a container, at least one of the end plates is movable towards the other by drive means, wherein the housing has an aperture which is closed by a door opening outwardly on the aperture, the door, having means to receive the container such that on closing the door, the ends of the container are positioned between the end plates within the housing.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the means for receiving the container is a base plate mounted on a support formed integral with or attached to the door.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the base plate is removable from the door for cleaning.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein material indicating means are provided to distinguish one container material from another.

5. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the material indicating means is a magnetic device.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the drive means to the two plates includes disabling means which is actuated if the force required to collapse the container is greater than a predetermined pressure.

7. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the drive means is reversible to position the drive plate in its initial position.

8. An apparatus as claimed in Claims 6 or 7, wherein the disabling means initiates release of the door closing mechanism to enable the incorrect container to be removed from the apparatus.

9. An apparatus, as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein sensing means are provided to indicate the progress of the collapsing of the container.

10. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the sensing means is a mechanical device.

11. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the sensing means is an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

12. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing door is made of a transparent material.

13. An apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 11, wherein the housing door is made of a translucent material.

14. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one end plate is movably connected to the other by at least two driven members.

15. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the driven members are rotatable screw-threaded rods driven by a forward and reversible electric motor.

16. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the drive from the reversible electric motor to the screwthreaded rods is via a gear train.

17. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 16, wherein two side projections are provided at the entrance to the housing to engage and deform the side wall of the container placed in the apparatus.

18. An apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 16, wherein the ends of the container are gripped and the container is twisted to weaken the side wall before compressing it.

19. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the end plates have raised circular projections to locate the ends of a. container placed in the apparatus.

20. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the driven members are rack and pinions.

21. An apparatus for collapsing a container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 6 or Figures 7 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.