Machine for shredding leaves and garden debris

Claim 1

A device for shredding garden debris which comprises in combination: a housing frame having intake, exhaust and collecting means for said debris, a main shaft journalled for rotation in said housing frame, means comprising a motor for driving said main shaft to rotate about its principal axis, a first rotor fixed for rotation by said main shaft and having a plurality of cutting blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, a second rotor axially aligned ahead of said first rotor and having a plurality of cutting blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, said rotors being constructed and arranged to provide between them a substantial axial flow of air and debris from said intake to said exhaust means, the trailing edges of the blades of said second rotor being slightly spaced apart in an axial direction in cutting relation from the leading edges of the blades of said first rotor, gear reducing means connected to said main shaft and coupled to drive said second rotor at a rotational rate which is substantially less than the rotational rate of said first rotor.

Claim 2

A device for shredding garden debris which comprises in combination: a housing frame having intake, exhaust and collecting means for said debris, a main shaft journalled for rotation in said housing frame, means comprising a motor for driving said main shaft to rotate about its principal axis, a first rotor fixed for rotation by said main shaft and having a plurality of cutting blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, a second rotor axially aligned ahead of said first rotor and having a plurality of cutting blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, said rotors being constructed and arranged to provide between them a substantial axial flow of air and debris from said intake to said exhaust means, the trailing edges of the blades of said second rotor being slightly spaced apart in an axial direction in cutting relation from the leading edges of the blades of said first rotor, gear reducing means connected to said main shaft and coupled to drive said second rotor at a rotational rate which is substantially less than the rotational rate of said first rotor.

Claim 7

A device for shredding garden debris which comprises in combination: a housing frame having intake and collecting means for said debris, a main shaft journalled for rotation in said housing frame, means comprises a motor for driving said main shaft to rotate about its principal axis, a first rotor fixed for rotation by said main shaft and having a plurality of blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, a second rotor axially aligned ahead of said first rotor and having a plurality of blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, the trailing edges of the blades of said second rotor being slightly spaced apart in an axial direction from the leading edges of the blades of said first rotor, gear reducing means connected to said main shaft and coupled to drive said second rotor at a rotational rate which is substantially less than the rotational rate of said first rotor, a hub comprising a plurality of radially extended stationary blades coaxial with said rotors and disposed in fixed relation to said housing frame in a position between said intake means and said second rotor, said stationary blades having their trailing edges transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft and slightly spaced apart from the leading edges of the blades of said second rotor, and a screen coaxial with said rotors and disposed in fixed relation to said housing frame in a position between said collecting means and said first rotor, said screen comprising a plurality of openings each comprising a fixed blade having a leading edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, the leading edges of said screen blades slightly spaced apart from the trailing edges of the blades of said first rotor.

Claim 8

A device for shredding garden debris which comprises in combination: a housing frame having intake and collecting means for said debris, a main shaft journalled for rotation in said housing frame, means comprises a motor for driving said main shaft to rotate about its principal axis, a first rotor fixed for rotation by said main shaft and having a plurality of blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, a second rotor axially aligned ahead of said first rotor and having a plurality of blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, the trailing edges of the blades of said second rotor being slightly spaced apart in an axial direction from the leading edges of the blades of said first rotor, gear reducing means connected to said main shaft and coupled to drive said second rotor at a rotational rate which is substantially less than the rotational rate of said first rotor, a hub comprising a plurality of radially extended stationary blades coaxial with said rotors and disposed in fixed relation to said housing frame in a position between said intake means and said second rotor, said stationary blades having their trailing edges transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft and slightly spaced apart from the leading edges of the blades of said second rotor, and a screen coaxial with said rotors and disposed in fixed relation to said housing frame in a position between said collecting means and said first rotor, said screen comprising a plurality of openings each comprising a fixed blade having a leading edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, the leading edges of said screen blades slightly spaced apart from the trailing edges of the blades of said first rotor.

Claim 10

A device for shredding garden debris which comprises in combination: a housing frame having intake and collecting means for said debris, a main shaft journalled for rotation in said housing frame, means comprising a motor for driving said main shaft to rotate about its principal axis, a first rotor fixed for rotation by said main shaft and having a plurality of blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, a second rotor axially aligned ahead of said first rotor and having a plurality of blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft. the trailing edges of the blades of said second rotor being slightly spaced apart in an axial direction from the leading edges of the blades of said first rotor, gear reducing means connected to said main shaft and coupled to drive said second rotor at a rotational rate which is substantially less than the rotational rate of said first rotor, wherein said gear reducing means comprises an auxiliary shaft journalled for rotation on said main shaft, a ring gear having N teeth around its inner periphery and having a collar fastened to said auxiliary shaft, a pinion gear having less than N teeth around its external periphery of substanially smaller outer diameter than the internal diameter of said ring gear and disposed to move in meshed tooth relationship around the teeth of said ring gear, planocentric means coupled to said pinion gear to prevent said pinion gear from rotating about its own axis as it traverses said ring gear, wherein said planocentric means comprises a spider having two pairs of radially disposed arms extended in rectangular relation from a central hub, each of which arms is longitudinally slotted, a fixed pair of lateral projections diametrically spaced apart connected to said pinion, said lateral projections being keyed for vertical motion in one pair of slots of said spider, a second pair of spaced-apart lateral projections fixed to said housing frame being keyed for horizontal motion in the other pair of slots of said spider permitting said spider to move to and fro in a horizontal direction, whereby when said pinion moves around the teeth of said ring gear, said first pair of projections move vertically in said first pair of slots, and said spider moves laterally relative to said second pair of projections.

Claim 11

A device for shredding garden debris which comprises in combination: a housing frame having intake and collecting means for said debris, a main shaft journalled for rotation in said housing frame, means comprising a motor for driving said main shaft to rotate about its principal axis, a first rotor fixed for rotation by said main shaft and having a plurality of blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft, a second rotor axially aligned ahead of said first rotor and having a plurality of blades each shaped to include a leading edge and a trailing edge transversely disposed to the principal axis of said main shaft. the trailing edges of the blades of said second rotor being slightly spaced apart in an axial direction from the leading edges of the blades of said first rotor, gear reducing means connected to said main shaft and coupled to drive said second rotor at a rotational rate which is substantially less than the rotational rate of said first rotor, wherein said gear reducing means comprises an auxiliary shaft journalled for rotation on said main shaft, a ring gear having N teeth around its inner periphery and having a collar fastened to said auxiliary shaft, a pinion gear having less than N teeth around its external periphery of substanially smaller outer diameter than the internal diameter of said ring gear and disposed to move in meshed tooth relationship around the teeth of said ring gear, planocentric means coupled to said pinion gear to prevent said pinion gear from rotating about its own axis as it traverses said ring gear, wherein said planocentric means comprises a spider having two pairs of radially disposed arms extended in rectangular relation from a central hub, each of which arms is longitudinally slotted, a fixed pair of lateral projections diametrically spaced apart connected to said pinion, said lateral projections being keyed for vertical motion in one pair of slots of said spider, a second pair of spaced-apart lateral projections fixed to said housing frame being keyed for horizontal motion in the other pair of slots of said spider permitting said spider to move to and fro in a horizontal direction, whereby when said pinion moves around the teeth of said ring gear, said first pair of projections move vertically in said first pair of slots, and said spider moves laterally relative to said second pair of projections.