Collector for empty used recyclable beverage cans

A collector for use in recycling metal beverage cans, comprising:

• a. a vertically oriented cylindrical enclosure closed at its top and having an interior area;
• b. an opening into the enclosure for inserting metal beverage cans, including non-ferrous cans and magnetically permeable cans, and trash and lightweight trash;
• c. a conveyor in the enclosure for receiving cans and trash inserted through the opening, the conveyor associated with a magnet to form a magnetized end of the conveyor for holding only magnetically permeable cans onto the conveyor;
• d. a vacuum conduit in the enclosure for sucking up trash from the conveyor;
• e. a high velocity air duct with an opening therein to receive cans after they have passed by the vacuum conduit;
• f. a can crusher in the enclosure;
• g. a can counter comprising a wire coil around the high velocity air duct for producing an electrical signal for each can which passes through the counter;
• h. a pressurized air conduit for pneumatically transporting cans from the high velocity air duct to the can crusher;
• and
• i. an air flow control valve in the pressurized air conduit to accelerate the flow of air in the transporter.

A collector for recyclable metal beverage cans, comprising;

• a. a cylindrical enclosure having an interior area, the cylindrical enclosure including a floor;
• b. an opening into the interior area of the enclosure for inserting beverage cans, including non-ferrous cans and magnetically permeable cans, and trash and lightweight trash;
• c. conveying means in the interior area of the enclosure, the conveying means comprising an endless belt with a first end of the conveying means located below the opening to receive inserted cans, a part of said conveying means associated with a magnet to form a magnetized end of the conveyor for holding only magnetically permeable cans onto the belt and depositing magnetically permeable cans onto the floor of the cylindrical enclosure;
• d. a can crusher in the interior area of the enclosure;
• e. a pneumatic transporter in the interior area of the enclosure for transporting non-ferrous cans from the conveying means to the crusher, the transporter comprising a high velocity air conduit sized to carry non-ferrous cans and trash, the transporter located just beyond the magnetized end of the conveying means;
• f. a vacuum conduit above the conveyor and between the first end and the magnetized end of the conveyor for sucking up lightweight trash from the belt;
• g. means in the interior area of said enclosure for receiving and storing crushed cans from the crusher;
• h. a separator housing coupled to the vacuum conduit to receive light trash from the vacuum conduit;
• and
• i. a hinged, free swinging door on the separator and an adjustable stop between the door and the separator for adjusting the vacuum in the separator.

A collector for recyclable metal beverage cans comprising;

• a. a cylindrical enclosure having an interior area, the cylindrical enclosure including a floor;
• b. an opening into the interior area of the enclosure for inserting beverage cans, including non-ferrous cans and magnetically permeable cans, and trash and lightweight trash;
• c. conveying means in the interior area of the enclosure, the conveying means comprising an endless belt with a first end of the conveying means located below the opening to receive inserted cans, a part of said conveying means associated with a magnet to form a magnetized end of the conveyor for holding only magnetically permeable cans onto the belt and depositing magnetically permeable cans onto the floor of the cylindrical enclosure, wherein the magnet comprises a plurality of disc-shaped magnet elements rotatably carried on a shaft, each of the plurality of magnet elements aligned in polarity opposite to each adjacent magnet element;
• d. a can crusher in the interior area of the enclosure;
• a pneumatic transporter in the interior area of the enclosure for transporting non-ferrous cans from the conveying means to the crusher, the transporter comprising a high velocity air conduit sized to carry non-ferrous cans and trash, the transporter located just beyond the magnetized end of the conveying means;
• f. a vacuum conduit above the conveyor and between the first end and the magnetized end of the conveyor for sucking up lightweight trash from the belt;
• and
• g. means in the interior area of said enclosure for receiving and storing crushed cans from the crusher.

A collector for use in recycling metal beverage cans, comprising:

• a. a vertically oriented cylindrical enclosure closed at its top and having an interior area;
• b. an opening into the enclosure for inserting metal beverage cans, including non-ferrous cans and magnetically permeable cans, and trash and lightweight trash;
• c. a conveyor in the enclosure for receiving cans and trash inserted through the opening;
• d. a vacuum conduit in the enclosure for sucking up trash from the conveyor;
• e. a high velocity air duct with an opening therein to receive cans after they have passed by the vacuum conduit;
• f. a can crusher in the enclosure;
• g. a can counter comprising a wire coil around the high velocity air duct for producing an electrical signal for each can which passes through the counter;
• h. a pressurized air conduit for pneumatically transporting cans from the high velocity air duct to the can crusher;
• i. a separator housing coupled to the vacuum conduit to receive light trash from the conduit;
• and
• j. a hinged, free swinging door on the separator and an adjustable stop between the door and the separator for adjusting the vacuum in the separator.

A collector for use in recycling metal beverage cans, comprising:

• a. a vertically oriented cylindrical enclosure closed at its top and having an interior area;
• b. an opening into the enclosure for inserting metal beverage cans, including non-ferrous cans and magnetically permeable cans, and trash and lightweight trash;
• c. a conveyor in the enclosure for receiving cans and trash inserted through the opening, a part of said conveyor associated with a magnet to form a magnetized end of the conveyor for holding only magnetically permeable cans onto the conveyor, wherein the magnet comprises a plurality of disc-shaped magnet elements rotatably carried on a shaft, each of the plurality of magnet elements aligned in polarity opposite to each adjacent magnet element;
• d. a vacuum conduit in the enclosure for sucking up trash from the conveyor;
• e. a high velocity air duct with an opening therein to receive cans after they have passed by the vacuum conduit;
• f. a can crusher in the enclosure;
• g. a can counter comprising a wire coil around the high velocity air duct for producing an electrical signal for each can which passes through the counter;
• and
• h. a pressurized air conduit for pneumatically transporting cans from the high velocity air duct to the can crusher.