Aluminum can recycling and coupon dispenser apparatus

• US 5,624,018 A
• Filed: 11/28/1995
• Issued: 04/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schuff Steel Company (DBM Global Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Schuff Steel Company (DBM Global Inc.)
• Inventors: Schuff, David A., Burnett, Roy C., Goetz, Joseph R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARTUSKA, FRANCIS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/563,612
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 194/208, 194/209, 194/212, 194/213, 100/902
• US Class Current: 194/209
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 9/321 for consolidating empty containers, e.g. cans
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0609 by fluid containers, e.g. bottles, cups, gas containers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 100/902 Can crushers

Abstract

Aluminum can recycling and coupon dispenser apparatus includes a housing having a front door and a can receiving slot on the front of the door. Cans fall onto a conveyor belt which transmits or transports the cans to a conduit through which aluminum cans fall to a crusher. Ferrous cans remain on the conveyor held by magnetic elements and are pushed off the conveyor and are discarded. After being crushed for recycling, the cans are transported upwardly by a moving air stream to the upper portion of the housing and the cans fall rearwardly and downwardly to a storage bin where they remain until the bin is transported out of the apparatus. The storage bin may be removed intact and replaced by another storage bin. All of the active elements are secured to the door. The door is pivoted to remove the storage bin containing the crushed cans. Information is displayed while the can crushing is being accomplished and coupons are dispensed in response to user input on a keypad. The user input is in turn responsive to the displayed information.

Claims

1. Aluminum can recycling apparatus, comprising, in combination:

a housing;

a door pivotally secured to the housing;

conveyor means secured to the door for transporting cans;

first blower means secured to the door for blowing cans to be crushed off the conveyor;

crusher means secured to the door for receiving and crushing the cans blown off the conveyor;

a storage bin within the housing for storing the crushed cans; and

means for controlling the conveyor means, the first blower means, and the crusher means in response to the introduction of a can to be crushed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes a receiver cylinder secured to the door and disposed above the crusher for receiving a can to be crushed from the conveyor means and through which the can falls to the crusher means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 which further includes a conduit secured to the door and disposed below the crusher and extending to the storage bin through which the crushed can moves.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 which further includes second blower means for blowing the crushed cans in the conduit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the storage bin comprises a wheeled bin movable into and out of the housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 which further includes second blower means in the second conduit for blowing the crushed cans to the storage bin.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the conveyor means includes

an endless belt on which the cans drop for moving the cans,

magnetic means disposed adjacent to the endless belt and adjacent to the receiver cylinder for holding steel cans onto the belt to prevent the steel cans from being blown from the endless belt into the receiver cylinder,

a tab on the endless belt for moving the steel cans away from the magnetic means and off the endless belt to be discarded, and

a motor for moving the endless belt.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 which further includes a plate adjacent to the endless belt to prevent the cans from falling off the endless belt.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the plate is disposed at an acute angle to the door.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the endless belt includes a top portion on which the cans move, and the top portion defines a plane which is generally perpendicular to the plate.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes

a chute secured to the door for receiving cans to be crushed;

means for sensing cans to be crushed;

means for holding steel cans on the endless belt; and

coin dispenser means secured to the door for dispensing coins in response to the cans to be crushed.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes display means for displaying advertising information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 which further incudes keypad means for providing input in response to the advertising information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 which further includes a coupon dispenser means for dispensing coupons in response to the input on the keypad means.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes a monitor secured to the door for providing desired information.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 which further includes a message display for providing desired messages.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the housing includes a floor and the bin for receiving and storing crushed cans is movable on the floor.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 which further includes tracks on the floor for guiding the storage bin as the storage bin moves on the floor.

19. Aluminum can recycling and coupon dispenser apparatus comprising in combination:

a housing;

a door pivotally secured to the housing;

an opening in the door through which cans are fed for recycling;

conveyor means secured to the door for receiving the cans for recycling;

crusher means secured to the door for receiving cans from the conveyor means and for crushing the cans for recycling; and

control means for actuating the conveyor means and the crusher means in response to a can moving from the opening to the conveyor means.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 which further includes a chute disposed at the opening and through which the can falls to the conveyor means.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 which further includes means for sensing a can falling through the chute and connected to the control means for actuating the conveyor means and the crusher means.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 in which the crusher means includes a rotating crusher cylinder and a rotor disposed within the crusher cylinder.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 in which the crusher means further includes a motor for rotating the crusher cylinder and the rotor for crushing cans.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 which further includes display means for displaying advertising.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 which further includes coupon dispensing means for dispensing coupons related to the displayed advertising.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which the coupon dispensing means includes a keypad for entering information in response to the displayed advertising and a coupon dispenser for dispensing coupons in response to the information entered into the keypad.