US5230475A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Conveyor system for shredder
Assignee: Banner Welder Inc
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Filing: 1992-12-10
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Granted: 1993-07-27
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Expires: 2012-12-10
Abstract
Abstract A conveyor system for a shredder, e.g. a shredder useful for comminuting yard and garden waste, includes a hopper for receiving the material to be shredded and a rotating hammer mill for shredding the debris into small pieces. Material is moved from the bin to the hammer mill using a lower conveyor and an inclined upper conveyor, which together form a nip in the vicinity of the inlet to the hammer mill section. In the present invention, clogs and interruption of shredding are prevented by automatic or selective reversal of the direction of movement of one of the conveyors for a predetermined amount of time. In the most preferred form of the invention, the lower conveyor is reversed in direction to cause the upper portion of a pile of debris to be moved toward the nip by the upper conveyor, while clogged material therebelow is moved away from the nip for a predetermined amount of time.
Inventors
- 👤 Jeffrey E. Gerner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 07:19
CPC Classifications
B; B02; B02C; B02C13/00; B02C13/26; B02C13/30; B02C13/286; B02C18/00; B02C18/06; B02C18/16; B02C18/22; B02C18/2225; B02C18/2241; B02C18/24; B02C2013/28618; B02C2013/28636; B02C2018/164
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A shredder comprising: a shredding section; a hopper adjacent the shredding section for receiving material to be shredded, the floor of the hopper being an endless conveyor; a drive system for the floor conveyor arranged to move a load carried thereon to the shredding section; a second endless conveyor being inclined with respect to the floor conveyor at an acute angle and spaced apart therefrom to form an infeed nip to the shredding section; a drive system for the second conveyor arranged to assist in moving a load toward the nip; and means for selectively reversing the direction of movement of one of said floor conveyor or second conveyor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
A shredder comprising: a shredding section; a hopper adjacent the shredding section for receiving material to be shredded, the floor of the hopper being an endless conveyor; a drive system for the floor conveyor arranged to move a load carried thereon to the shredding section; a second endless conveyor being inclined with respect to the floor conveyor at an acute angle and spaced apart therefrom to form an infeed nip to the shredding section; a drive system for the second conveyor arranged to assist in moving a load toward the nip; and means for selectively reversing the direction of movement of one of said floor conveyor or second conveyor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The shredder of claim 1, wherein the reversing means is coupled to the floor conveyor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The shredder of claim 1, wherein the reversing means is coupled to the second conveyor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The shredder of claim 1, wherein the second conveyor is elongate and has a first end nearer the shredding section and a second end pivotably coupled to the shredder to facilitate movement of the first end away from the floor conveyor when a sufficiently large amount of material to be shredded passes through the infeed nip.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The shredder of claim 1, further comprising a means for sensing when the first end of the second conveyor moves beyond a predetermined distance from the floor conveyor, wherein upon movement beyond the predetermined distance, the sensing means communicates with the reversing means which then reverses the direction of movement of one of the conveyors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The shredder of claim 5, wherein the sensing means comprises a cam affixed to the second conveyor for interaction with a switch assembly when the second conveyor's first end moves beyond the predetermined distance.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The shredder of claim 1, wherein the second conveyor is elongate and has a first end nearer the shredding section and means are provided for adjusting the space between the first end and the floor conveyor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The shredder of claim 7, wherein the adjusting means includes at least one hydraulic cylinder coupled to the second conveyor, the second end of the conveyor being pivotally coupled to the shredder.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The shredder of claim 1, further comprising a timer coupled to the reversing means for causing the reversing of movement to occur for a predetermined period of time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The shredder of claim 1, wherein the reversing means is coupled to a manually operable switch for causing the direction of conveyor movement to reverse when the switch is operated.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
140 words
A method of preventing clogging of a shredder which includes a shredding section and a hopper located adjacent thereto, the shredder also including a pair of endless conveyors arranged to move material from the hopper to the shredding section, the first conveyor being located along the floor of the hopper and the second conveyor being an elongate conveyor arranged at an acute angle of incline with respect to the first conveyor, a nip being formed between the floor conveyor and a first end of the second conveyor, the method including the steps of: loading material into the hopper; driving both conveyors in a direction to cause the material to move toward the nip; and selectively causing one of the conveyors to reverse direction while the other conveyor continues to move in the direction required to move material toward the nip.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
140 words
A method of preventing clogging of a shredder which includes a shredding section and a hopper located adjacent thereto, the shredder also including a pair of endless conveyors arranged to move material from the hopper to the shredding section, the first conveyor being located along the floor of the hopper and the second conveyor being an elongate conveyor arranged at an acute angle of incline with respect to the first conveyor, a nip being formed between the floor conveyor and a first end of the second conveyor, the method including the steps of: loading material into the hopper; driving both conveyors in a direction to cause the material to move toward the nip; and selectively causing one of the conveyors to reverse direction while the other conveyor continues to move in the direction required to move material toward the nip.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the conveyor which is caused to move in the reverse direction is the first conveyor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the conveyor which is caused to move in the reverse direction is the second conveyor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the size of the nip between the first and second conveyors changes in response to the quantity of material passing through the nip.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the step of selectively causing one of the conveyors to reverse directions is carried out automatically when the nip increases in size beyond a predetermined distance.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 15, wherein the step of selectively causing one of the conveyors to reverse directions is carried out for a predetermined period of time after the nip returns to a normal operating range.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
143 words
A mobile yard and garden waste shredder comprising: a frame mounted on wheels; a hopper on the frame adapted to receive the waste to be shredded and including an endless conveyor on its floor; a drive system for moving the floor conveyor to transport waste to a first end of the hopper; a rotatable hammer mill located at the first end; means for rotating the hammer mill to shred waste conveyed thereto; a second conveyor mounted to the frame and inclined at an acute angle with respect to the floor conveyor, a first end of the second conveyor being generally adjacent the hammer mill and being spaced apart from the floor conveyor; a drive system for moving the second conveyor to assist in moving waste toward the hammer mill; and means for selectively reversing the direction of movement of one of the conveyors.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
143 words
A mobile yard and garden waste shredder comprising: a frame mounted on wheels; a hopper on the frame adapted to receive the waste to be shredded and including an endless conveyor on its floor; a drive system for moving the floor conveyor to transport waste to a first end of the hopper; a rotatable hammer mill located at the first end; means for rotating the hammer mill to shred waste conveyed thereto; a second conveyor mounted to the frame and inclined at an acute angle with respect to the floor conveyor, a first end of the second conveyor being generally adjacent the hammer mill and being spaced apart from the floor conveyor; a drive system for moving the second conveyor to assist in moving waste toward the hammer mill; and means for selectively reversing the direction of movement of one of the conveyors.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
48 words
The mobile yard and garden waste shredder of claim 17, wherein the drive system for moving the floor conveyor and the drive system for moving the second conveyor comprise a first hydraulic motor and a second hydraulic motor respectively, each motor being driven by hydraulic fluid flowing therethrough.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
The mobile yard and garden waste shredder of claim 18, wherein the reversing means comprises a main shuttle valve cooperating with a reversing valve to reverse the flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic motor.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The mobile yard and garden waste shredder of claim 19, wherein the reversing means comprises a cam cooperating with a limit switch.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
The mobile yard and garden waste shredder of claim 19, wherein the reversing means comprises a pressure switch.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
134 words
A shredder comprising: a shredding section including a rotatable hammer mill mounted on a shaft; a hopper adjacent the shredding section for receiving material to be shredded, the floor of the hopper being an endless conveyor; a drive system for the floor conveyor arranged to move a load carried thereon to the shredding section; a second endless conveyor being inclined with respect to the floor conveyor at an acute angle and spaced apart therefrom to form an infeed nip to the shredding section; a drive system for the second conveyor arranged to assist in moving a load toward the nip; means for sensing the rotational speed of the hammer mill; and means for stopping at least one of the conveyors when the rotational speed of the hammer mill drops below a predetermined set speed.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
134 words
A shredder comprising: a shredding section including a rotatable hammer mill mounted on a shaft; a hopper adjacent the shredding section for receiving material to be shredded, the floor of the hopper being an endless conveyor; a drive system for the floor conveyor arranged to move a load carried thereon to the shredding section; a second endless conveyor being inclined with respect to the floor conveyor at an acute angle and spaced apart therefrom to form an infeed nip to the shredding section; a drive system for the second conveyor arranged to assist in moving a load toward the nip; means for sensing the rotational speed of the hammer mill; and means for stopping at least one of the conveyors when the rotational speed of the hammer mill drops below a predetermined set speed.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
40 words
The shredder of claim 22, wherein the sensing means comprises a pin extending from an end of the shaft and a magnetic speed sensor mounted in proximity to the end of the shaft to count each passing of the pin.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-07-26 | 1997-01-25 | 1997-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-07-26 | 2001-01-25 | 2001-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-07-26 | 2005-01-25 | 2005-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |