Leaf shredder with improved material feeding and discharging apparatus

Claim 2

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, a rotary feeder mechanism located adjacent to said inlet for mechanically feeding material from said chute through said inlet, the axis of said rotary knives and the axis of said rotary feeder mechanism being disposed at an angle to each other and said feeder mechanism being located tangentially in relation to said rotary knives, power means for driving said rotary knives and said rotary feeder, said shredding compartment having a discharge outlet, and a discharge unit removably mounted in operative relation to said outlet, said discharge unit having means for attaching a receptacle thereto for receiving material discharged from said outlet, said discharge unit having a material inlet opening to said receptacle and an air outlet opening from the receptacle.

Claim 3

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, a rotary feeder mechanism located adjacent to said inlet for mechanically feeding material from said chute through said inlet, power means for driving said rotary knives and said rotary feeder, said shredding compartment having a discharge outlet, a discharge unit removably mounted in operative relation to said outlet, said discharge unit having means for attaching a receptacle thereto for receiving material discharged from said outlet, said discharge unit having a material inlet opening to said receptacle and an air outlet opening from the receptacle, said power means for driving the rotary knives and rotary feeder mechanism including a vertical drive shaft for the knives extending through the shredding compartment and a drive pulley mounted on the shaft below said compartment, said feeder mechanism including a feeder housing enclosing the mechanism and a horizontal drive shaft extending through the feeder housing with a driven pulley mounted on the horizontal drive shaft outwardly of the feeder housing, a drive belt operatively connecting said drive pulley and said driven pulley, and a pair of spacEd idlers engaged by said belt to change the plane of operation of the belt and thereby provide a right angle drive.

Claim 4

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, a rotary feeder mechanism located adjacent to said inlet for mechanically feeding material from said chute through said inlet, power means for driving said rotary knives and said rotary feeder, said shredding compartment having a discharge outlet, a discharge unit removably mounted in operative relation to said outlet, said discharge unit having means for attaching a receptacle thereto for receiving material discharged from said outlet, said discharge unit having a material inlet opening to said receptacle and an air outlet opening from the receptacle, said power means for driving the rotary knives and rotary feeder mechanism including a vertical drive shaft for the knives extending through the shredding compartment and a drive pulley mounted on the shaft below said compartment, said feeder mechanism including a feeder housing enclosing the mechanism and a horizontal drive shaft extending through the feeder housing with a driven pulley mounted on the horizontal drive shaft outwardly of the feeder housing, a drive belt operatively connecting said drive pulley and said driven pulley, and a pair of spacEd idlers engaged by said belt to change the plane of operation of the belt and thereby provide a right angle drive.

Claim 5

A shredding machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rotary feeder mechanism is mounted in a feeder housing and includes a drive shaft supported in the housing, and a plurality of radially disposed feeder elements mounted on the drive shaft.

Claim 6

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, power means for driving said rotary knives, said shredding compartment having a discharge outlet, and a discharge housing mounted in operative relation to said outlet, said discharge housing having means for attaching a receptacle thereto for receiving material discharged from said outlet, said discharge housing having a material inlet opening to said receptacle and an air outlet opening from the receptacle, a dividing wall in the housing separating said openings, one side of the housing being open to atmosphere, and a perforate screen covering the side open to atmosphere.

Claim 7

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, power means for driving said rotary knives, said shredding compartment having a discharge outlet, and a discharge housing mounted in operative relation to said outlet, said discharge housing having means for attaching a receptacle thereto for receiving material discharged from said outlet, said discharge housing having a material inlet opening to said receptacle and an air outlet opening from the receptacle, a dividing wall in the housing separating said openings, one side of the housing being open to atmosphere, and a perforate screen covering the side open to atmosphere.

Claim 8

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, a rotary feeder mechanism located adjacent to said inlet mechanically feeding material from said chute through said inlet, power means for driving said rotary knives and said rotary feeder mechanism, said rotary feeder mechanism including a friction roller belt driven from said power means, and an idler roller swingingly mounted relative to the friction roller and disposed on an axis offset inwardly of the machine from the friction roller.

Claim 9

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, a rotary feeder mechanism located adjacent to said inlet mechanically feeding material from said chute through said inlet, power means for driving said rotary knives and said rotary feeder mechanism, said rotary feeder mechanism including a friction roller belt driven from said power means, and an idler roller swingingly mounted relative to the friction roller and disposed on an axis offset inwardly of the machine from the friction roller.

Claim 10

A shredding machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein said friction roller has a nonmetallic surface of rubber or the like, and said idler roller has a plurality of surface projections at spaced intervals thereon.

Claim 11

A shredding machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein the idler roller is driven by the operation of the friction roller.

Claim 12

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, a rotary feeder mechanism located adjacent to said inlet mechanically feeding material from said chute through said inlet, the axis of said rotary knives and the axis of said rotary feeder mechanism being disposed at an angle to each other and said feeder mechanism being located tangentially in relation to said rotary knives, power means for driving said rotary knives and said rotary feeder mechanism, said rotary feeder mechanism including a housing mounted adjacent to said compartment defining the shredding space, a pulley driven shaft in the housing rotated by means of a belt driven from said power means, and a plurality of radially disposed blades mounted on said shaft and rotating therewith to feed material through said housing to the shredding space, said housing having a sloping floor wiped by said blades as they rotate to feed the material thereon into the shredding space.

Claim 13

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, a rotary feeder mechanism located adjacent to said inlet mechanically feeding material from said chute through said inlet, the axis of said rotary knives and the axis of said rotary feeder mechanism being disposed at an angle to each other and said feeder mechanism being located tangentially in relation to said rotary knives, power means for driving said rotary knives and said rotary feeder mechanism, said rotary feeder mechanism including a housing mounted adjacent to said compartment defining the shredding space, a pulley driven shaft in the housing rotated by means of a belt driven from said power means, and a plurality of radially disposed blades mounted on said shaft and rotating therewith to feed material through said housing to the shredding space, said housing having a sloping floor wiped by said blades as they rotate to feed the material thereon into the shredding space.

Claim 14

A shredding machine having a housing including a shredding space, said shredding space including a discharge outlet having a discharge opening and an air inlet opening, a bagging attachment comprising a frame structure, means for removably attaching a bag on the frame structure, said frame structure being removably mounted on said discharge outlet, said frame structure having an opening therethrough in communication with said discharge opening for passage of shredded materials into said bag, and an opening through the frame structure for escape of air entering from said air inlet opening, said opening for escape of air comprising a plurality of openings in the plane of said frame structure, each having a louver dIsposed at an angle to said plane directing escaping air across surfaces of the frame structure and the louvers whereby to avoid clogging of the openings by shredded materials carried in the escaping air.

Claim 15

A shredding machine having a housing including a shredding space, said shredding space including a discharge outlet having a discharge opening and an air inlet opening, a bagging attachment comprising a frame structure, means for removably attaching a bag on the frame structure, said frame structure being removably mounted on said discharge outlet, said frame structure having an opening therethrough in communication with said discharge opening for passage of shredded materials into said bag, and an opening through the frame structure for escape of air entering from said air inlet opening, said opening for escape of air comprising a plurality of openings in the plane of said frame structure, each having a louver dIsposed at an angle to said plane directing escaping air across surfaces of the frame structure and the louvers whereby to avoid clogging of the openings by shredded materials carried in the escaping air.

Claim 16

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, a rotary feeder mechanism located adjacent to said inlet mechanically feeding material from said chute through said inlet, power means for driving said rotary knives and said rotary feeder mechanism, said rotary feeder mechanism including an upper roller in said inlet, and a lower roller located adjacent to a side wall of said shredding space defining one side of said inlet, the axis of the upper roller being located above and inwardly of the axis of the lower roller and the upper roller overlying at least a portion of said shredding space.

Claim 17

A shredding machine having a housing including a compartment defining a shredding space having an inlet, a material loading chute discharging material to said inlet, one or more rotary knives in the shredding compartment, a rotary feeder mechanism located adjacent to said inlet mechanically feeding material from said chute through said inlet, power means for driving said rotary knives and said rotary feeder mechanism, said rotary feeder mechanism including an upper roller in said inlet, and a lower roller located adjacent to a side wall of said shredding space defining one side of said inlet, the axis of the upper roller being located above and inwardly of the axis of the lower roller and the upper roller overlying at least a portion of said shredding space.

Claim 18

A shredding machine as set forth in claim 10 wherein said lower roller is driven from said power means and the upper roller is driven by the lower roller.