GB2176173A

GB2176173A - Feeding paper to a shredding machine

Info

Publication number: GB2176173A
Application number: GB08514574A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Rogers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-06-10
Filing date: 1985-06-10
Publication date: 1986-12-17
Also published as: GB8514574D0

Abstract

Paper for shredding is stored in a tray (4) and fed sheet by sheet therefrom by first roller means (14) to second roller means (30,32) which is rotated at a faster revolutionary speed than the first roller means (14) whereby the paper is propelled from the second roller means (30,32) at a faster speed than it is fed thereto. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Paper feeding apparatus for feeding paper to a shredding machine This invention relates to paper feeding apparatus for feeding paper to a threading machine.

Shredding machines are well known and are widely used in offices and factories. Paper to be shredded is usually fed by hand and this is time consuming and boring. There is a need for efficient paper feeding apparatus that is able to feed the paper to the shredding machine. There are however a number of problems that the paper feeding apparatus has to overcome. For example, the paper to be shredded has usually been handled several times and therefore it is often turned up at the corners or crinkled. Furthermore, the paper is often in different sizes and/or of varying textures. Sheets of paper may require to be shredded together with envelopes and will be apparent that the size, texture and thickness of the paper and the envelopes will be different.If the paper feeding apparatus operates on a suction feeder principle for sucking up the paper, the apparatus can often malfunction due to the suction feeder being unable to cope with the mentioned various types of paper that may all be present in a single bundle of papers to be shredded.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide paper feeding apparatus which can efficiently feed paper to a shredding machine and which can operate with various types of paper.

Accordingly, this invention provides paper feeding apparatus for feeding paper to a shredding machine, which apparatus comprises a tray on which the paper to be fed is stored, first roller means for engaging paper on the tray and removing it sheet by sheet, and second roller means for propelling paper sent to it by the first roller means to the shredding machine, the second roller means being rotated at a faster revolutionary speed than the first roller means whereby the paper is propelled from the second roller means at a faster speed than it is fed to the second roller means.

Preferably, the first roller means is gravity biased into contact with the paper on the tray.

The first roller means may be mounted on a pivotable bar which is counter balanced by a counter weight.

Preferably, the first roller means has a cammed periphery which is effective to cause the roller means to jump on the paper on the tray and against the action of the counter weight as the cammed periphery contacts the paper, the first roller means thus operating with a jumping action which is effective to cause a delay between the feeding of sheets from the paper on the tray to the second roller means, whereby the second roller means receives individual sheets of paper at descrete intervals.

Usually, the first roller means will be a pair of rollers.

The second roller means may comprise at least one pair of pinch operating rollers. Usually, there will be two pairs of pinch operating rollers.

The apparatus of the invention preferably includes a ramp which is positioned between the first and the second roller means and over which paper travels in use of the apparatus, the ramp helping to facilitate the separation of the paper into individual sheets.

The first and second roller means may be driven from a common power source. The common power source will usually be an electric motor.

The common power source may drive the first and the second roller means through a belt and pulley system.

The belt and pulley system may comprise a first endless belt for the first roller means and a second endless beltforthe second roller means.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view of paper feeding apparatus from the back and one side; Figure 2 is a view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 from the back and the other side; Figure 3 is a view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 from above and sightly to one side; Figure 4 is a view from the front of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 shows part of a belt and pulley system employed in the apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 4; and Figure 6 shows another part of the belt and pulley system used in the apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 4.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown paper feeding apparatus 2 for feeding paper to a shredding machine (not shown). The apparatus 2 comprises a tray 4 which is inclined as shown and which has a base part 6 and a pair of side walls 8, 10. A stack 12 of paper is shown on the base part 6 of the tray 4.

The apparatus 2 comprises first roller means in the form of a pair of rollers 14 (see Figures 3 and 4) for engaging paper in the stack 12 and removing it sheet by sheet. The paper passes under a front guard 16 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The rollers 14 are mounted on a central spindle 20 which has a head 22 at one end. The spindle 20 is pivotally mounted and it can move through an arc defined by a slot 24 formed in an end wall 26 of the apparatus 2. The spindle 20 and therefore the rollers 14 are gravity biased by a counterweight 28 shown in Figure 1 into an operative position in which the rollers 14 engage the top sheet of paper on thetray4.

The apparatus 2 further comprises second roller means in the form of two pairs of pinch rollers 30,32.

The pinch rollers 30,32 are mounted on spindles 36 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The top rollers in each set of pinch rollers 30,32 are driven as will be described hereinbelow.

The rollers 14 are such that they have a cammed periphery so that the cam causes the rollers 14to jump and thus to operate with a jumping action which is effective to cause a delay between the feeding of sheets from the paper in the stack 12 on the tray 4 to the pinch rollers 30, 32.

The rollers 14 and the top rollers in the two sets of pinch rollers 30,32 are driven by a single power source in the form of an electric motor 38. The electric motor 38 drives a cog 40 which in turn drives a first endless belt 42. The first endless belt 42 has teeth on its inside and these teeth grip against the otherwise smooth face of a roller disc 44, see Figure 5.

The first endless belt 42 also passes over a pulley 46 which drives the top rollers of the two pairs of pinch rollers 30,32.

The roller disc 44 is provided on its rear face 48 with a secondary integrally formed pulley 50 which has a groove in it which receives a second endless belt 52 as shown in Figure 6. The second endless belt 52 operates almost at 90 to the first endless belt 42 and is effective to drive the spindle 20.

The entire belt and pulley arrangement comprising the cog 40, the first and second endless belts 42, 52, the roller disc 44 and the pulleys 46, 50 is effective to drive the rollers 14 at a much slower speed than the pinch rollers 30,32. By way of example, the rollers 14 may be rotated at fifty revolutions per minute whilst the pinch rollers 30,32 may be rotated at one thousand revolutions per minute. The effect of this is that the paper is propelled from the pinch rollers 30,32 at a faster speed than the paper is fed to the pinch rollers 30,32.

The paper thus gets fed sheet by sheet to the shredding machine, usually with a space between each sheet, so that the shredding machine does not get jammed.

In the feeding of the paper from the rollers 14to the pinch rollers 30, 32, the paper passes up an inclined ramp 54 and this ramp 54 is positioned between the rollers 14 and the pinch rollers 30,32.

The ramp 54 helps to facilitate the separation of the paper into individual sheets.

The apparatus 2 is able to operate in a simple and efficient manner and it can deal with paper that may be turned over at the edges, crinkled or otherwise in a poor state. The paper can be in sheet form or in the form of envelopes and different sizes, thicknesses and qualities of paper may be all present in the same stack 12 and the apparatus 2 will still operate satisfactorily.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the overall shape of the apparatus 2 may be different from that shown. If desired, a pair of fingers may extend from the rear of the apparatus 2 above the two pairs of pinch rollers 30, 32. These fingers can extend partially or com pletelyto the shredding machine. They are effective to stop the paper emerging from the pinch rollers 30,32from flying too high in the air.

The present invention also extends to the combination of paper feeding apparatus and a shredding machine.

Claims

1. Paper feeding apparatus for feeding paper to a shredding machine, which apparatus comprises a tray on which the paper to be fed is stored, first roller means for engaging paper on the tray and removing it sheet by sheet, and second roller means for propel ling paper sent to it by the first roller means to the shredding machine, the second roller means being rotated at a faster revolutionary speed than the first roller means whereby the paper is propelled from the second roller means at a faster speed than it is fed to the second roller means.

2. Paper feeding apparatus according to claim 1 in which the first roller means is gravity biased into contact with the paper on the tray.

3. Paper feeding apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the first roller means is mounted on a pivotable bar which is counter balanced by a counter weight.

4. Paper feeding apparatus according to claim 3 in which the first roller means has a cammed periphery which is effective to cause the roller means to jump on the paper on the tray and against the action of the counter weight as the cammed periphery contacts the paper, the first roller means thus operating with a jumping action which is effective to cause a delay between the feeding of sheets from the paper on the tray to the second roller means, whereby the second roller means receives individual sheets of paper at discrete intervals.

5. Paper feeding apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first roller means is a pair of rollers.

6. Paper feeding apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the second roller means comprise at least one pair of pinch operating rollers.

7. Paper feeding apparatus according to claim 6 in which there are two pairs of pinch operating rollers.

8. Paper feeding apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a ramp which is positioned between the first and the second roller means and over which paper travels in use of the apparatus, the ramp helping to facilitate the separation of the paper into individual sheets.

9. Paper feeding apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first and the second rollers means are driven from a common power source.

10. Paper feeding apparatus according to claim 9 in which the common power source is an electric motor.

11. Paper feeding apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10 in which the common power source drives the first and the second roller means through a belt and pulley system.

12. Paper feeding apparatus according to claim 11 in which the belt and pulley system comprises a first endless belt for the first roller means and a second endless beltforthe second roller means.

13. Paper feeding apparatus for feeding paper to a shredding machine, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.