Shredder

Claim 2

A shredding apparatus having a housing and power-driven shredding mechanism within the housing, said housing having an inlet opening therein for feeding material to be shredded therethrough to the shredding mechanism, the combination of a chute having one end portion pivotally connected to the housing to permit the swinging of the chute in a generally vertical plane, said one end portion being alignable with said inlet opening to provide communication between said chute and said housing, said chute havig a free end portion positionable, upon downward swinging of the chute, to a location adjacent a ground surface to receive material to be shredded upon raking, sweeping or moving the said material from the ground surfacE onto said chute, said free end portion being positionable, upon upward swinging of the chute, to an elevated location above the level of said inlet opening to facilitate the sliding movement of said material on said free end portion down the chute and into said inlet opening to the shredding mechanism, and a hopper carried by said housing in fixed position above the level of said first end portion of the chute and located to discharge material to be shredded placed in the hopper downwardly onto said chute for sliding down the chute toward said inlet opening when the chute is swung to elevate said free end portion, whereby material to be shredded can be fed into the said inlet opening by said chute from said free end portion and from said hopper.

Claim 3

The combination claimed in claim 1 and in which said housing includes an open-ended guiding extension in alignment with said inlet opening, one end of the extension communicating with said inlet opening and the other end of the extension being spaced outwardly therefrom, and in which said one end portion of said chute is pivotally connected to said extension at a distance from said inlet opening, said chute and extension having manually operating cooperable fastening means for holding said chute selectively in elevated position.

Claim 4

The combination claimed in claim 1 and in which said housing includes auxiliary feeding means at a radial distance from said inlet opening for feeding material directly therethrough to the shredding mechanism in said housing and not through said inlet opening, said auxiliary feeding means having a guiding wall structure leading to a port into said housing, and a pivotally movable closure carried by said guiding wall structure at the entrance to said guiding wall structure for selectively opening and closing said auxiliary feeding means.

Claim 5

The combination claimed in claim 2 and in which said apparatus includes axially aligned wheels for facilitating movement of the apparatus to desired locations about a ground surface, and including supporting leg means operatively connected to said housing at a distance from said wheels for providing support for the apparatus and stability about the axis of said wheels upon the supporting leg means engaging the ground surface.

Claim 6

The combination claimed in claim 2 and in which said hopper is mounted on said extension to over-hang said chute and located to discharge material to be shredded placed in the hopper onto said chute in any position of said chute.

Claim 7

The combination of a power-driven shredding mechanism revolvable in a generally vertical plane about the generally horizontally disposed axis of the mechanism, a housing for said mechanism, said housing having an inlet opening adjacent the axis of said mechanism for providing access to the interior of the housing generally centrally of the mechanism, said housing having a discharge port adjacent the radially outer wall thereof to provide for tangential movement from the housing of shredded material thrown radially outward by the shredding mechanism, said housing having a discharge wall structure at said discharge port for guiding the flow of shredded material thrown through said discharge port, said housing having an open-ended extension at said inlet opening and aligned therewith, and a chute pivotally connected to said extension and aligned therewith, said chute upon being pivotally swung downwardly being positioned to receive thereon material to be shredded and said chute upon being pivotally swung upwardly being positioned to permit material thereon to flow under the force of gravity through said extension into said inlet opening for shredding by said shredding mechanism.

Claim 8

The combination of a power-driven shredding mechanism revolvable in a generally vertical plane about the generally horizontally disposed axis of the mechanism, a housing for said mechanism, said housing having an inlet opening adjacent the axis of said mechanism for providing access to the interior of the housing generally centrally of the mechanism, said housing having a discharge port adjacent the radially outer wall thereof to provide for tangential movement from the housing of shredded material thrown radially outward by the shredding mechanism, said housing having a discharge wall structure at said discharge port for guiding the flow of shredded material thrown through said discharge port, said housing having an open-ended extension at said inlet opening and aligned therewith, and a chute pivotally connected to said extension and aligned therewith, said chute upon being pivotally swung downwardly being positioned to receive thereon material to be shredded and said chute upon being pivotally swung upwardly being positioned to permit material thereon to flow under the force of gravity through said extension into said inlet opening for shredding by said shredding mechanism.

Claim 9

The combination claimed in claim 6 and including a hopper carried by said extension and over-hanging said chute to discharge material to be shredded from the hopper onto said chute and hence into the said inlet opening.

Claim 10

The combination claimed in claim 7 and including auxiliary feeding means in an end wall of the hOusing at a radial distance from said inlet opening for feeding material therethrough to the shredding mechanism within the housing, and movable closure means for selectively closing said auxiliary feeding means.

Claim 11

Apparatus for shredding material such as twigs, leaves, grass and other vegetation, comprising in combination a housing of generally cylindrical shape having its axis disposed generally horizontally, said housing having an inlet opening in an end wall thereof, a plurality of fingers carried by said housing adjacent the outer cylindrical wall thereof and extending inwardly of the housing, a power-driven shaft extending into the housing and disposed axially thereof for rotation therein, a multi-bladed impeller mounted on said shaft and rotative therewith, said impeller being disposed to act on material fed into the housing through said inlet opening and to throw the same centrifugally in said housing, a plurality of flails pivotally carried by said impeller adjacent the outer ends of the blades thereof and positioned to pass between said fingers as the flails are swung radially outward upon rotation of said impeller, said housing having a discharge port through which material is discharged in a tangential direction by the said impeller rotating in said housing, the material being thrown centrifugally outward by the impeller being shredded by the flails cooperating with said fingers, said plurality of fingers being positioned at a location about the circumference of said cylindrical housing adjacent said discharge port athwart the tangential path of material being thrown toward said discharge port to intercept and act upon said material being thrown in said tangential direction by said impeller.

Claim 12

Apparatus for shredding material such as twigs, leaves, grass and other vegetation, comprising in combination a housing of generally cylindrical shape having its axis disposed generally horizontally, said housing having an inlet opening in an end wall thereof, a plurality of fingers carried by said housing adjacent the outer cylindrical wall thereof and extending inwardly of the housing, a power-driven shaft extending into the housing and disposed axially thereof for rotation therein, a multi-bladed impeller mounted on said shaft and rotative therewith, said impeller being disposed to act on material fed into the housing through said inlet opening and to throw the same centrifugally in said housing, a plurality of flails pivotally carried by said impeller adjacent the outer ends of the blades thereof and positioned to pass between said fingers as the flails are swung radially outward upon rotation of said impeller, said housing having a discharge port through which material is discharged in a tangential direction by the said impeller rotating in said housing, the material being thrown centrifugally outward by the impeller being shredded by the flails cooperating with said fingers, said plurality of fingers being positioned at a location about the circumference of said cylindrical housing adjacent said discharge port athwart the tangential path of material being thrown toward said discharge port to intercept and act upon said material being thrown in said tangential direction by said impeller.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 and including a knife blade mounted on and carried by said shaft to rotate therewith, said knife blade extending radially of said shaft on opposed sides thereof, the said knife blade being positioned within the housing adjacent the said inlet opening to meet and cut material fed into the housing through the inlet opening prior to the material meeting said impeller.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 and including a wear plate carried by the housing and defining said inlet opening through which material is fed, the edges of said inlet opening in the wear plate cooperating with said knife blade in the shearing of material inserted into said inlet opening.

Claim 15

Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 and in which said opening is shaped to direct substantially all of the material fed therethrough into the blade substantially into the portion of said knife blade then extending only on one side of said axis.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 and in which each of said fingers has two arm portions extending at an angle to each other, one of said arm portions being disposed adjacent the said outer cylindrical wall of the housing and secured to the housing to extend the other arm portion inwardly of the housing into cooperative relationship with said flails, said fingers being demountable from the housing and reversible to dispose said other arm portion adjacent the outer cylindrical wall of the housing and secured to the housing to extend said one arm portion inwardly of the housing in cooperative relationship with the said flails, whereby said fingers may be reversed to accommodate for wear thereof.

Claim 17

The combination of a power-driven shredding mechanism rotatable on a generally horizontal plane, a housing for the shredding mechanism, said housing having an inlet opening for the feeding of material to be shredded centrally of the shredding mechanism, said housing having a discharge port positioned to permit material shredded by the shredding mechanism and thrown centrifugally in the housing to be thrown tangentially out of said housing, said shredding mechanism including a knife for cutting material fed into the housing, an impeller for throwing the material centrifugally in the housing, and cooperating flails and fingers caRried by the impeller and housing, respectively, for shredding material thrown centrifugally by the impeller and meeting said flails and fingers, said fingers being located in the housing adjacent said discharge port athwart the tangential path of said material being thrown toward said discharge port to intercept and act upon said material moving tangentially toward the said discharge port.

Claim 18

The combination of a power-driven shredding mechanism rotatable on a generally horizontal plane, a housing for the shredding mechanism, said housing having an inlet opening for the feeding of material to be shredded centrally of the shredding mechanism, said housing having a discharge port positioned to permit material shredded by the shredding mechanism and thrown centrifugally in the housing to be thrown tangentially out of said housing, said shredding mechanism including a knife for cutting material fed into the housing, an impeller for throwing the material centrifugally in the housing, and cooperating flails and fingers caRried by the impeller and housing, respectively, for shredding material thrown centrifugally by the impeller and meeting said flails and fingers, said fingers being located in the housing adjacent said discharge port athwart the tangential path of said material being thrown toward said discharge port to intercept and act upon said material moving tangentially toward the said discharge port.

Claim 19

The combination claimed in claim 14 and including a chute pivotally connected to the housing and aligned with said inlet opening to feed material on the chute into said inlet opening, said chute being pivotally swingable to lower its free end toward the ground surface to receive material thereon from the ground surface, and swingable to raise its free end to permit material on the chute to flow under force of gravity into said inlet opening.

Claim 20

The combination claimed in claim 15, and including a hopper carried by the housing and over-hanging said chute to discharge material from the hopper onto said chute from where the material may flow under force of gravity into the said inlet opening upon the free end of the chute being in raised position.

Claim 21

The combination claimed in claim 16 and including cooperating securing means carried by the chute and housing for selectively securing the chute to swing to raised position and for permitting the chute to swing to lowered position.