Syringe destructing device

Claim 1

A syringe destructing device comprising: breaking means for fracturing a syringe into a plurality of discrete pieces to prevent re-use thereof; means for supplying an unbroken syringe to said breaking means; and receiving means for receiving said discrete pieces from said breaking means; said breaking means including a pair of counter- rotating rolls, each of which carries tooth means about the exterior surface thereof, said rolls being driven at equal speeds and in opposite rotational directions; each of said tooth means including a first portion extending radially of said roll and a second portion extending angularly in the direction of roll rotation from the inner end of a first portion to the outer end of the next adjacent first portion; the juncture of a second portion with the outer end of a first portion forming a sharp edge; said rolls being cylindrical in configuration and mounted for rotation about spaced parallel fixed axes and said axes being spaced apart by a distance sufficient so that a sharp edge on one roll contacts a sharp edge on the opposite roll to form a nip in a plane passing through both axes; said rolls containing a sufficient number of teeth so that a syringe passes through said breaking means and passes progressively through said nip, it will be broken into a plurality of discrete pieces.