Safety guard arrangement for shredder-bagger

Claim 2

In a shredding and bagging machine for yard usage, the combination comprising a frame having a bottom wall, circular side wall and top wall defining a shredding chamber, transport means for supporting the frame in horizontal position slightly upraised above the ground, an engine mounted on the top wall and having a drive shaft which extends into the chamber, a blade mounted on the shaft having tip portions extending to the region of the side wall, a plurality of stationary breaker members at spaced positions on the side wall and having notches formed therein for registering with the tip portions of the blade, means including a discharge conduit penetrating the side wall for forcible discharge of the shredded material, the top wall having a receptacle for feeding material into the chamber, a houSing arranged above the receptacle and providing a front opening, a ramp of flaring construction having side walls defining a wide outer end and a relatively narrow throat registering with the front opening, the ramp being horizontally hinged in the region of the throat for pivoted swinging movement between a lowered position in which the ramp extends at an angle downwardly into ground engagement and an upraised position in which the ramp is angled upwardly to form a hopper, releaseable means for holding the ramp is upraised position, a pivotally mounted guard member extending across the throat of the ramp, means for swinging the guard member to an out-of-the-way position, clear of the throat, when the ramp is lowered, and means actuated by raising of the ramp for causing the guard member to move into throat-obstructing position to prevent ejection of missiles through the receptacle from the blade.

Claim 3

In a shredding and bagging machine for yard usage, the combination comprising a frame having a bottom wall, circular side wall and top wall defining a shredding chamber, transport means for supporting the frame in a horizontal position slightly upraised above the ground, an engine mounted on the top wall having a drive shaft which extends into the chamber, a blade mounted on the shaft having tip portions extending to the region of the side wall, a plurality of stationary breaker members at spaced positions on the side wall and having notches formed therein for registering with the tip portions of the blade, means including a discharge conduit penetrating the side wall for forcible discharge of the shredded material, the top wall having a receptacle for feeding material into the chamber, a housing arranged above the receptacle and providing a front opening, a ramp of flaring construction having side walls defining a wide outer end and a relatively narrow throat registering with the front opening, the ramp being hinged in the region of the throat for swinging movement between a lowered position in which the ramp extends at an angle downwardly onto the ground and an upraised position in which the ramp is angled upwardly to form a hopper, releaseable means for holding the ramp in upraised position, a pendulously mounted guard member extending across the throat of the ramp, means for manually latching the guard member into an upwardly swung position clear of the throat when the ramp is in its lowered position, and means coupled to the ramp and actuated incident to swinging the ramp upwardly for releasing the latching means so that the guard member is free to swing pendulously into its throat obstructing position.

Claim 4

In a shredding and bagging machine for yard usage, the combination comprising a frame having a bottom wall, circular side wall and top wall defining a shredding chamber, transport means for supporting the frame in a horizontal position slightly upraised above the ground, an engine mounted on the top wall having a drive shaft which extends into the chamber, a blade mounted on the shaft having tip portions extending to the region of the side wall, a plurality of stationary breaker members at spaced positions on the side wall and having notches formed therein for registering with the tip portions of the blade, means including a discharge conduit penetrating the side wall for forcible discharge of the shredded material, the top wall having a receptacle for feeding material into the chamber, a housing arranged above the receptacle and providing a front opening, a ramp of flaring construction having side walls defining a wide outer end and a relatively narrow throat registering with the front opening, the ramp being hinged in the region of the throat for swinging movement between a lowered position in which the ramp extends at an angle downwardly onto the ground and an upraised position in which the ramp is angled upwardly to form a hopper, releaseable means for holding the ramp in upraised position, a pendulously mounted guard member extending across the throat of the ramp, means for manually latching the guard member into an upwardly swung position clear of the throat when the ramp is in its lowered position, and means coupled to the ramp and actuated incident to swinging the ramp upwardly for releasing the latching means so that the guard member is free to swing pendulously into its throat obstructing position.

Claim 5

In a shredding and bagging machine for yard usage, the combination comprising a frame having a bottom wall, circular side wall and top wall defining a shredding chamber, transport means for supporting the frame in a horizontal position slightly upraised above the ground, an engine mounted on the top wall and having a drive shaft which extends into the chamber, a blade mounted on the shaft having tip portions extending to the region of the side wall, a plurality of stationary breaker members at spaced positions on the side wall and having notches formed therein for registering with the tip portions of the blade, means including a discharge conduit penetrating the side wall for forcible discharge of the shredded material, the top wall having a receptacle for feeding material into the chamber, a housing arranged above the receptacle and providing a front opening, a ramp of flaring cross section having side walls defining a wide outer end and a relatively narrow throat registering with the front opening, the ramp being hinged in the region of the throat for swinging movement between a lowered position in which the ramp extends at an angle downwardly into ground engagement and an upraised position in which the ramp is angled upwardly to form a hopper, the housing having a lid, the lid being hinged thereto in the path of movement of the ramp so that the lid occupies a horizontaL position when the ramp is in ground engagement but is swung upwardly when the ramp is raised, releaseable means for holding the ramp in its upraised position, a guard member pendulously hinged to the lid and dimensioned to span the throat of the ramp to guard against ejection of missiles from the blade when the ramp is in upraised position, means for latching the guard member into an upwardly swung, out-of-the-way position when the ramp is in its lowered position to permit free passage of material swept up the ramp and into the receptacle, and means responsive to the raising of the lid as the ramp is returned to its upraised position for releasing the latch so that the guard member is automatically restored to its pendulous guarding position.

Claim 6

In a shredding and bagging machine for yard usage, the combination comprising a frame having a bottom wall, circular side wall and top wall defining a shredding chamber, transport means for supporting the frame in a horizontal position slightly upraised above the ground, an engine mounted on the top wall and having a drive shaft which extends into the chamber, a blade mounted on the shaft having tip portions extending to the region of the side wall, a plurality of stationary breaker members at spaced positions on the side wall and having notches formed therein for registering with the tip portions of the blade, means including a discharge conduit penetrating the side wall for forcible discharge of the shredded material, the top wall having a receptacle for feeding material into the chamber, a housing arranged above the receptacle and providing a front opening, a ramp of flaring cross section having side walls defining a wide outer end and a relatively narrow throat registering with the front opening, the ramp being hinged in the region of the throat for swinging movement between a lowered position in which the ramp extends at an angle downwardly into ground engagement and an upraised position in which the ramp is angled upwardly to form a hopper, the housing having a lid, the lid being hinged thereto in the path of movement of the ramp so that the lid occupies a horizontaL position when the ramp is in ground engagement but is swung upwardly when the ramp is raised, releaseable means for holding the ramp in its upraised position, a guard member pendulously hinged to the lid and dimensioned to span the throat of the ramp to guard against ejection of missiles from the blade when the ramp is in upraised position, means for latching the guard member into an upwardly swung, out-of-the-way position when the ramp is in its lowered position to permit free passage of material swept up the ramp and into the receptacle, and means responsive to the raising of the lid as the ramp is returned to its upraised position for releasing the latch so that the guard member is automatically restored to its pendulous guarding position.

Claim 7

The combination as claimed in claim 3 in which the guard member is supported on a shaft and in which the latch is in the form of an arm secured to one end of the shaft, the arm cooperating with a stationary keeper behind which the arm is manually latched when the ramp and lid are in lowered position, with the arm being dimensioned to slip clear of the keeper to release the latch when the ramp and lid are upraised.

Claim 8

The combination as claimed in claim 3 in which the latch is in the form of an arm secured to the guard member and extending parallel to one of the side walls of the housing and in which a keeper is provided on such side wall for holding the arm, and hence the guard, upraised when the lid is in its lowered position, the arm being dimensioned to pull clear of the keeper as the lid is upraised thereby to free the guard to move to its pendulous obstructing position.

Claim 9

In a shredding and bagging machine for yard usage, the combination comprising a frame having a bottom wall, circular side wall and top wall defining a shredding chamber, transport means for supporting the frame in horizontal position slightly upraised above the ground, an engine mounted on the top wall and having a drive shaft which extends into the chamber, a blade mounted on the shaft having tip portions extending to the region of the side wall, a plurality of stationary breaker members at spaced positions on the side wall and having notches formed therein for registering with the tip portions of the blade, means including a discharge conduit penetrating the side wall for forcible discharge of the shredded material, the top wall having a receptacle for feeding material to the chamber, a housing arranged above the receptacle and having a hinged lid, the forward edge of which defines a front opening, a ramp of flaring construction having side walls defining a wide outer end and a relatively narrow throat registering with the front opening of the housing, the ramp being horizontally hinged in the region of the throat for swinging movement between a lowered position in which the ramp extends at an angle downwardly into ground engagement and an upraised position in which the ramp and lid are angled upwardly to form a hopper, releaseable means for holding the ramp in upraised position, a guard member horizontally hinged to the lid adjacent the front edge thereof and dimensioned to span the throat when the ramp and lid are upraised, means coupled to the guard member for swinging the guard member upwardly into an out-of-the-way position when the ramp and lid are lowered to permit free sweeping of material up the ramp and into the receptacle, and means responsive to relative movement of the lid occurring when the ramp is again swung upwardly into upraised position for restoring the guard to obstructing position.

Claim 10

In a shredding and bagging machine for yard usage, the combination comprising a frame having a bottom wall, circular side wall and top wall defining a shredding chamber, transport means for supporting the frame in horizontal position slightly upraised above the ground, an engine mounted on the top wall and having a drive shaft which extends into the chamber, a blade mounted on the shaft having tip portions extending to the region of the side wall, a plurality of stationary breaker members at spaced positions on the side wall and having notches formed therein for registering with the tip portions of the blade, means including a discharge conduit penetrating the side wall for forcible discharge of the shredded material, the top wall having a receptacle for feeding material to the chamber, a housing arranged above the receptacle and having a hinged lid, the forward edge of which defines a front opening, a ramp of flaring construction having side walls defining a wide outer end and a relatively narrow throat registering with the front opening of the housing, the ramp being horizontally hinged in the region of the throat for swinging movement between a lowered position in which the ramp extends at an angle downwardly into ground engagement and an upraised position in which the ramp and lid are angled upwardly to form a hopper, releaseable means for holding the ramp in upraised position, a guard member horizontally hinged to the lid adjacent the front edge thereof and dimensioned to span the throat when the ramp and lid are upraised, means coupled to the guard member for swinging the guard member upwardly into an out-of-the-way position when the ramp and lid are lowered to permit free sweeping of material up the ramp and into the receptacle, and means responsive to relative movement of the lid occurring when the ramp is again swung upwardly into upraised position for restoring the guard to obstructing position.

Claim 11

The combination as claimed in claim 3 in which the lid has side flanges and a presented flange overlying the throat of the ramp, the presented flange being notched out at the ends for registered reception of the upper edges of the respective ramp side walls.

Claim 12

The combination as claimed in claim 6 in which the means for swinging the guard member includes an arm on the guard and a stationarily pivoted link pinned to the end of the arm for Rocking the arm incident to upward and downward swinging of the lid as the ramp is raised and lowered.

Claim 13

The combination as claimed in claim 6 in which the guard member is formed of a resilient sheet of rubber-like material vertically slit to permit deflection of individual portions thereof, the material being of such weight and stiffness with respect to the length of the individual portions that the portions droop along a curved path when the guard is in its upraised position thereby to guide material on the ramp along a curved path into the hopper.

Claim 14

The combination as claimed in claim 6 in which means are provided for limiting the upward swing of the lid to a shallow angle so that the lid within its range of movement occupies a shielding position above the receptacle to preclude upward ejection of missiles from the housing via the receptacle.

Claim 15

The combination as claimed in claim 6 in which the ramp hinge axis is elevated substantially above the receptacle and in which a vertically extending member encloses the space between the hinge axis and the receptacle to block any missiles ejected via the receptacle at a shallow angle when the guard member is upraised, with any missiles ejected at a more vertical angle striking the upraised guard for harmless rebound in the downward direction.