Apparatus for sorting packagings such as cans based on the material thereof

A device for sorting packagings of a certain type of material from packagings of other types of materials, said apparatus comprising supporting means for transporting the packagings one by one to a compression station, first and second pressing members at said station arranged to move relative to each other to compress packagings transported by the supporting means, means for regulating the relative movement of the pressing members and for regulating the transfer of the packagings when relative movement of the pressing members has ceased, such that the pressing members, in the case of compressive forces of a magnitude within a predetermined range of compressive force required for packagings of the type of material in question, allow movement of the pressing members towards each other to be completed, whereby the packagings assume a correspondingly maximum size before transfer to a collecting device for packagings of the type of material in question and, in the case of compressive forces of a magnitude outside said range prevent said packagings from being transferred to said collecting device, said supporting means being movable relative to the pressing members and comprising a loading member for placing the packagings in position for compression between the pressing members.