Machine for shredding hydroponic mats

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR SHREDDING HYDROPONIC MATS COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING OPPOSITE END PLATES, SAID HOUSING HAVING A FIRST LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING OPENING FORMED THEREIN, SAID HOUSING HAVING A SECOND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING OPENING FORMED THEREIN SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID FIRST OPENING, A CHUTE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND OPENING FOR FEEDING HYDROPONIC MATS TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING, A ROTOR IN SAID HOUSING; SAID ROTOR COMPRISING A SHAFT JOURNALED FOR ROTATION IN SAID END PLATES, A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY SPACED CUTTERS ON SAID SHAFT, EACH CUTTER COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE SEGMENT OF A RIGID ANNULAR DISC SECURED AT ITS INNER PERIMETER TO SAID SHAFT AND LYING IN A PLANE NORMAL TO SAID AXIS, A PARTCYLINDRICAL AXIALLY EXTENDING CUTTING BLADE JOINED ALONG ONE LATERAL EDGE THEREOF TO THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL FACE OF THE PERIMETER OF THE SEGMENT, THE OPPOSITE LATERAL EDGE OF SAID BLADE EXTENDING ANGULARLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SEGMENT ADJACENT TO SAID LEADING EDGE TO THE AFT EDGE OF SAID BLADE, THE CURVATURE OF SAID BLADE BEING THE SAME AS THE OUTER PERIMETER OF SAID SEGMENT; A SHEAR PLATE MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING TO EXTEND RADIALLY INWARDLY TOWARD AND JUST SHORT OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTOR, SAID SHEAR PLATE EXTENDING AXIALLY OF SAID HOUSING.