[DeTomaso] Beer Can Crushers Etc - Not Pantera Related - But cool though

[Edward A. Nauman]

I actually built another one similar to what you describe using a Dayton
gear motor connected to a piston-cylinder crushing arrangement.  It had a
sheet metal funnel that transitioned into an l shaped tube that dropped the
can into the crusher.  The funnel took a while to perfect in order to keep
the can from getting stuck.  It was a party hit also.  You couldn't dump a
load of cans in it.  But the mouth was 24" in diameter so you could throw
your empty from across the room.  There was an optical sensor that actuated
the motor and an electronic scoreboard on the wall to record your attempt.
The motor was energized through a latching relay arrangement that was timed
to the crankshaft through a cam actuated microswitch.  That way the motor
would only go around one time per can.  The "cam" was just a hose clamp on
the crank mainshaft.  All I had to do was rotate the clamp until the inertia
would carry the crank around to the starting point and stop.

 

      Cheers,

 

            Fast Eddie

 

 

>Fast Eddie!

 

>Watched your u-tube video of the can crusher. Impressive!!!!  Best one that
I have seen on the web!  That is one stuffed garage/shop!!!

 

>You do realize that you are only one diverter valve and a few lines of code
away from an in house vacuum cleaning system.....right? Would probably make
the wife happy! :))

 

>I was thinking more along the caveman route...old school stationary 1
cylinder motor...pop pop pop......pop....type thing connected to a
piston/crusher affair, but with an automatic feed hopper of >sorts.  Seems
the hopper part, to get the cans to feed properly is the most challenging
from what I have seen. Just dump your collection can into the hopper and
walk away....sort of....   I just like the sound of the old stationary
engines! (Tough to find these days!)>

 

>Eliminate the need to touch each can individually and you have a sys>tem!
Your solution is just plain too damned elegant!!!!

 

>Can it detect if some asswipe puts in a glass bottle? You said that you had
optical sensors....

 

>Ciao!

>Steve

 

 

Edward A. Nauman\

C.E.O.

Smart Litez Inc

 

Palmdale, CA. 93551

(661) 305-7636