Can recycling apparatus
OwnerDoug Wenglarinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for recycling cans includes a housing adapted for displaying promotional advertising, a deposit slot for receiving the cans and a discharge system for providing immediate payment for the recyclable cans. The system incorporates a rotating drum for receiving the cans and advancing the cans into a conduit where they are then transported to a crusher for compression and storage. A magnet associated with the drum maintains ferrous cans on the drum until they have passed the conduit opening for separating ferrous cans from non-ferrous, recyclable cans.
Claims11
An apparatus for receiving cans, separating recyclable cans from non-recyclable cans, and crushing and storing the recyclable cans, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a housing having a deposit port for receiving the cans;
- b. a rotatable drum inside the housing and adapted for receiving the cans;
- c. a conduit having a first opening in association with the drum and adapted for receiving recyclable cans as they drop off the rotating drum and a second opening remote from the first opening;
- d. a magnet associated with a specific zone of the drum for assuring that non-recyclable, ferrous cans do not drop off of the drum and into the conduit;
- e. a can crusher in communication with the second opening of the conduit and adapted for receiving recyclable cans exiting from the second opening for crushing and discharging the recyclable cans;
- f. a storage chamber in the housing for storing the separated, crushed recyclable cans;
- and
- g. an exhaust blower in the housing for drawing air through the first opening and out of the second opening of the conduit and through the crusher for drawing the recyclable cans received from the drum through the conduit and crusher and into the storage chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.