Can crusher

Claim 2

A manually operated can crusher device or the like comprising two pairs of pivotally engaged lever arms, and two hinge fulcrums individually engaging corresponding individual arms of the two pairs of arms to secure them together in criss-cross relation and form a central pressure chamber from portions of said lever arms which are movable to a superimposed substantially flat position to crush any article in said chamber.

Claim 3

A crusher device as in claim 1 where said lever arms are all of the same shape and size and each includes a widened end section at a chamber forming end thereof and a lever portion protruding from said end section.

Claim 4

A crusher device as in claim 2 where each said lever arm is a plastic molded article and has longitudinally extending laterally spaced ribs for interleaved end engagement with the ribs of another of the lever arms.

Claim 5

A crusher device as in claim 3 where said ribs have hinge fulcrum engaging slots formed in ends of said ribs at an offset portion of said widened end section and a hinge pintle at the ends of the other ribs of the remaining portion of said end section for facilitating assembly of the pairs of said lever arms, the hinge fulcrums being positioned intermediate the ends of said lever arms.

Claim 6

A crusher or compactor apparatus for cans or other articles and comprising: two pairs of lever arms pivotally engaged at the ends thereof, each lever arm having a pressure transmitting end section, and means pivotally engaging corresponding axially inner ends of said end sections of the individual lever arms of both of said pairs of lever arms to secure them together to form a 4-sided compression enclosure from said lever end sections, which enclosure is flattened when the lever arms are moved together and which is opened when the lever arms are moved apart.

Claim 7

A crusher or compactor apparatus for cans or other articles and comprising: two pairs of lever arms pivotally engaged at the ends thereof, each lever arm having a pressure transmitting end section, and means pivotally engaging corresponding axially inner ends of said end sections of the individual lever arms of both of said pairs of lever arms to secure them together to form a 4-sided compression enclosure from said lever end sections, which enclosure is flattened when the lever arms are moved together and which is opened when the lever arms are moved apart.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 5 where all of said lever arms are of identical construction.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 1 where each lever arm has a pressure applying end section, and said pressure transmitting end section is about twice the width of said pressure applying end section and has an offset portion, and includes a flat pressure transmitting inner surface.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 7 where each lever arm includes a plurality of axially directed, parallel, laterally spaced webs extending the length of said pressure transmitting end section, said lever arms of each pair of lever arms being secured together by fulcrum shafts individually secured to and extending across said lever arms only at the portions of said pressure transmitting end sections aligned with said pressure applying end sections, said webs in the offset portions of said pressure transmitting end sections being slotted on edges of end portions thereof to engage the fulcrum shaft of an associated lever arm for pivotal compressive pressure transmitting engagement therebetween.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 1 where the lever arms are movable from an open inoperative position to a closed pressure position, four of said lever arms are pivotally engaged with each other by four fulcrum means for applying compression pressure to any article within said compression enclosure when said lever arms are moved to a collapsed criss-cross position.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 8 where each said lever arm is flat and has a frame plate formed with said webs thereon, and each of said pressure transmitting enD sections has said webs protruding therefrom at an angle offset from the longitudinal axis of such lever arm to facilitate securing pairs of said lever arms together and positioning said lever arms substantially parallel when the apparatus is flattened for article crushing action.