Device for flattening cans

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR FLATTENING CANS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE BASE ADAPTED TO REST UPON A HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING SURFACE, A FIXED JAW MOUNTED IN UPSTANDING RELATION AT ONE END OF THE BASE, A MOVABLE JAW, PIVOT MEANS CARRIED ON THE BASE FOR MOUNTING SAID MOVABLE JAW FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIXED JAW, SAID PIVOT MEANS BEING POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT SAID FIXED JAW SO THAT AS THE SURFACES OF THE FIXED AND MOVABLE JAWS GENERALLY FACE EACH OTHER AND SUBSTANTIALLY ABUT ALONG THEIR ENTIRE SURFACES WHEN THE JAWS ARE CLOSED, THE JAWS FORMING AN UPWARDLY V-SHAPED OPENING FOR RECEIVING A CAN WHEN THE JAWS ARE OPENED, THE SURFACES OF THE JAWS HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED PARALLEL TOOTH-LIKE RIDGES FORMED THEREON AND PARALLEL TO THE AXIS DEFINED BY THE PIVOT MEANS, SAID RIDGES SERVING AS A CAN GRIPPING MEANS FOR PREVENTING SLIPPAGE OF THE CAN OUT OF THE JAWS AS THEY ARE CLOSED, A GENERALLY VERTICAL FULCRUM POST SECURED TO AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE BASE, A RIGID LEVER, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID LEVER ON SAID FULCRUM POST FOR MOVEMENT IN A PLANE INTERSECTING THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST NAMED PIVOT MEANS AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES THERETO, SAID LEVER HAVING AN INNER END EXTENDING TOWARDS SAID MOVABLE JAW, AND AN OUTER END EXTENDING AWAY FROM THE MOVABLE JAW AND ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY A HAND OR FOOT FOR DOWNWARD OPERATING MOVEMENT, AND A SINGLE ROLLER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID INNER END OF THE LEVER AND ENGAGING THE MOVABLE JAW WHEREBY AS THE OUTER END OF THE LEVER IS MOVED DOWNWARDLY, THE INNER END OF THE LEVER WITH THE ROLLER THEREON MOVES UPWARDLY IN AN ARC WHICH APPROACHES THE FIXED JAW AND ROLLS ALONG THE MOVABLE JAW TO PUSH THE MOVABLE JAW TOWARD THE FIXED JAW.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR FLATTENING CANS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE BASE ADAPTED TO REST UPON A HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING SURFACE, A FIXED JAW MOUNTED IN UPSTANDING RELATION AT ONE END OF THE BASE, A MOVABLE JAW, PIVOT MEANS CARRIED ON THE BASE FOR MOUNTING SAID MOVABLE JAW FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIXED JAW, SAID PIVOT MEANS BEING POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT SAID FIXED JAW SO THAT AS THE SURFACES OF THE FIXED AND MOVABLE JAWS GENERALLY FACE EACH OTHER AND SUBSTANTIALLY ABUT ALONG THEIR ENTIRE SURFACES WHEN THE JAWS ARE CLOSED, THE JAWS FORMING AN UPWARDLY V-SHAPED OPENING FOR RECEIVING A CAN WHEN THE JAWS ARE OPENED, THE SURFACES OF THE JAWS HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED PARALLEL TOOTH-LIKE RIDGES FORMED THEREON AND PARALLEL TO THE AXIS DEFINED BY THE PIVOT MEANS, SAID RIDGES SERVING AS A CAN GRIPPING MEANS FOR PREVENTING SLIPPAGE OF THE CAN OUT OF THE JAWS AS THEY ARE CLOSED, A GENERALLY VERTICAL FULCRUM POST SECURED TO AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE BASE, A RIGID LEVER, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID LEVER ON SAID FULCRUM POST FOR MOVEMENT IN A PLANE INTERSECTING THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST NAMED PIVOT MEANS AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES THERETO, SAID LEVER HAVING AN INNER END EXTENDING TOWARDS SAID MOVABLE JAW, AND AN OUTER END EXTENDING AWAY FROM THE MOVABLE JAW AND ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY A HAND OR FOOT FOR DOWNWARD OPERATING MOVEMENT, AND A SINGLE ROLLER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID INNER END OF THE LEVER AND ENGAGING THE MOVABLE JAW WHEREBY AS THE OUTER END OF THE LEVER IS MOVED DOWNWARDLY, THE INNER END OF THE LEVER WITH THE ROLLER THEREON MOVES UPWARDLY IN AN ARC WHICH APPROACHES THE FIXED JAW AND ROLLS ALONG THE MOVABLE JAW TO PUSH THE MOVABLE JAW TOWARD THE FIXED JAW.