Can Crusher

[t3t4]

Greetings,

I need some ideas here, I guess I have welders block or something like that. I want/need a can crusher that will crush everything you see below with about 30 lbs max input pressure. I'll explain:









I have too many ideas of my own and I'm struggling to focus, but I need this crusher to be hand operated and somewhat aesthetically pleasing to look upon since it will be living in my kitchen. I already have an aluminum can crusher and I love it's simplicity, but I also want to crush steel cans which this thing cannot do below:









So I need some power, some real crushing force and I'm not using plastic for this task. Believe it or not I've already ripped this thing (above) out of the wall and that's when I added the 2x4, it's tougher than it looks but nowhere near tough enough for what I'd like to do with it. I will build something stud tied but small and compact so that anyone could use it, but I want to crush steel cans too, and that's been my problem thus far. The idea is a one size fits all can crusher, but more importantly, it crushes all with minimal effort so that even a child could use it! So far I've been stuck thinking in a loop, I have a lever based idea but it involves torque and then torque multiplication. I 'm looking for something simple like a nut cracker, 2 levers that crush, smash, and done, but I also need about 1000 lbs of force to crush some of those steel cans.

Here's my thought process:



















This is where I'm thinking in loops/circles, I want/need this kind of force or pressure (above) but I do not want the mass or the lack of appearance. The most simplistic way I can think of to do this job is with a "compound nut cracker" for lack of a better term. I did the math as such below:









I can achieve 1000 lbs of pressure with a 20" handle using a 1" fulcrum and 66 lbs of human force. That's not too bad except for the stress factors. So I'm lookin for ideas, whatcha got?

Thanks in advance,

t3t4

[Gwaltnak]

What about something like this?

You could even use a shorter power stroke with a ratcheting function for more leverage/power

[everlastsupport]

I've got nothing, maybe I will google, but I know I will have to have one. Harbor Freight sells one like the above, will not handle a steel can though..

[Rambozo]

For a simple lever type unit your math also needs to take into account the angle of the lever over the travel range you want. Unless you have a ratchet type system or something else to reset the stroke length, your 1" fulcrum will not give you very much travel. Once you get to serious power, the time it takes to operate will go up to make it unpractical for lots of cycles. You can't buck physics, you have to supply all the power, so a hydraulic or screw system will give plenty of advantage, but it will be pretty slow. How about thinking more of something wall mounted, but foot operated? Then you can apply quite a bit of force and you won't need to multiply it quite as much.

[t3t4]

Thanks for the suggestions, I've been working hard on this project for quite some time now and it's really shaping up to be one of the most difficult projects yet. The options are limitless and that makes it very difficult to design. And too, I'm probably being excessively fussy whereby making things more complicated than they need to be. If I was building something to live in a garage it would be so easy, air would do the deed:









I really like the crusher that I already have but it's limited to aluminum only. I've had such a hard time coming up with a workable solution that is aesthetically pleasing and I keep coming back to this compound nut cracker idea. But it too has problems. Auto eject will be an issue and so will the varying pressures over total mechanical travel, but it doesn't get any more simplistic then a nut cracker and it can definitely provide at least the initial crushing forces I'm trying to achieve. So I've been scouring the web and wouldn't ya know, somebody already makes pretty much what I'm thinking. Check this out:









Apparently this thing can do steel cans and that works for me! It's no more hideous looking than my current can crusher and I can build this to be wall mounted and waist high while still being foot operated. The auto eject would be an issue but not the end of my world. I could crush every can I have with this, so this is what I'm leaning towards. What are your thoughts?

Thanks guys,

t3t4

[Gwaltnak]

I think you should wear a more manly pair of shoes... But other than that, looks good!

[everlastsupport]

Father, all the cans are crushed and I am off to the ballet.

Does the one shoe have a grounding strap? I imagine the open end of the can goes toward the hinge joint for people under 200 lbs hahaha..

Sometimes fast and simple ain't everything. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=VelCfJK77Cc

[t3t4]

I think you should wear a more manly pair of shoes... But other than that, looks good!

What, you don't like my shoes? They're designer ya know.....:-)

Now picture this crusher in the vertical position and wall/stud mounted about waist high with a long lever extending down towards the floor. The long lever will operate a cam or eccentric wheel that closes the nut cracker simply by stepping on it or pushing it with your foot. That's where I'm thinking when I say a "compounded nut cracker". It's force multiplied and simple, and too with the thing mounted vertical like the letter "V", once you step off the foot plate it should auto eject.

Picture this being foot operated below:









That's about what I'm thinkin though and compounding the levers should make this thing very easy to operate. A 7 yr old child should have no problem crushing a soup can.

t3t4

[t3t4]

Father, all the cans are crushed and I am off to the ballet.

Does the one shoe have a grounding strap? I imagine the open end of the can goes toward the hinge joint for people under 200 lbs hahaha..

Sometimes fast and simple ain't everything. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=VelCfJK77Cc

That's an awesome can crusher in the vid, I love all the moving parts! But I'm trying to make something smaller that is human powered with minimal effort and a lot more simplistic. When I'm done, a child will be able to crush steel cans and everything in between. I'm still working on the math, but I've chosen a design and so far I could sneeze on the handle to crush a can (metaphorically speaking). This is gonna be fun to build!

[t3t4]

Quick update on the can crusher:

I'm having issues with my hosting site right about now, so this will look different and be a bit more cumbersome for you guys/gals, but you still see what I see. This is how the can crusher begins....




I plasma cut enough to build 2 can crushers. I did so because I'm confident that I will screw up at least one of them, so I have material in excess to compensate.

I'll keep ya's posted.

t3t4