Empty can crusher

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
An apparatus for crushing and sorting empty cans, comprising: a main body frame; a pressing device, said pressing device including a vertically extending back pressure plate, a vertically extending pressing plate horizontally spaced from and confronting said back pressure plate, and means, including a hydraulic cylinder, for linearly moving said pressing plate horizontally toward and away from said back pressure plate between a first position horizontally spaced from said back pressure plate a distance greater than the diameter of the empty can to be crushed and a second position horizontally spaced from said back pressure plate a distance substantially less than the diameter of the empty can to be crushed; an empty can supporting bar pivotally mounted to said frame at said back pressure plate for vertically supporting the empty can between said back pressure plate and said pressing plate during movement of said pressing plate toward said back pressure plate; a magnet embedded in said pressing plate for holding a magnetically attractive crushed empty can to said pressure plate when said pressing plate is moved away from said back pressure plate; means for separating the magnetically attractive crushed empty can from said pressing plate after said pressure plate has moved away from said back pressure plate to a third position whereby the magnetically attractive crushed empty can falls downward under the influence of gravity; an empty chute for delivering an empty can to a position between said back pressure plate and said pressing plate when said pressing plate is in said first position; and a forked sorting chute located in said main body frame below said pressing device defining a first path below said first position and a second path below said third position, said forked sorting chute respectively directing magnetically non-attractive and magnetically attractive crushed empty cans falling from said pressing plate to separate locations along first and second paths