Can crusher

Claim 1

In a device for crushing cylindrical cans, the combination of, a supporting bracket, means for anchoring said bracket rigidly to an upright member, a generally horizontal shelf rigid with said bracket and projecting outwardly therefrom, said shelf being adapted to support a can in a crushing position in which the can is disposed on its side on the shelf with the open end of the can facing away from said upright member and with the closed end of the can facing toward said member, an elongated lever overlying said shelf and pivotally connected to said bracket at a point located above the shelf, said lever being swingable upwardly away from said shelf to a raised position and downwardly toward said shelf to a lowered position, and a generally flat plate anchored rigidly to said lever and located beneath the latter, said plate being disposed in substantially horizontal overlying relation with said shelf when said lever is in said lowered position and having an inner edge spaced outwardly from the inner end of said shelf whereby the closed end portion of a can placed on said shelf in said crushing position is engaged and folded outwardly over the body of the can by said edge and the body of the can is smashed downwardly by said plate as said lever is swung downwardly from said raised position to said lowered position.