US1943752A

US1943752A - Shredding apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1943752A
Authority: US
Inventors: Francis M Wick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-06-12
Filing date: 1933-06-12
Publication date: 1934-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1951-01-16

Description

Jan. 16, F M w cK S HREDDING APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fly 1 Jan. 16, 1934. w c 1,943,752

SHREDDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12 1 953 r I 29 71 70 74 n. I 7 7/ 1 {W 16' 1; 25- 21 76 H Ill 25 Y I 19 M l K 22 25 M W za fl lml 21 1a 17 15 16' mp 15' 26 7; 7 I I M 71 72 y I 3'0 29 7] 29 16/ 49 i7 Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UETED STATES 9 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for shredding sheet material, and more particularly to apparatus for shearing a pack of sheets of paper and the like into relatively long shreds or strips.

Prior constructions for shredding paper stock and the like have included a plurality of spaced cutting disks mounted on a rotary shaft, or a pluraiity of spaced intermeshing cutting disks mounted on parallel rotary shafts, the shaft or shafts being disposed at right angles to the direction of feed of the sheet pack, so that the paper is cut or torn longitudinally into strips.

With this type of construction, excessive power is required to force the plurality of cutting disks simultaneously through the pack of sheets, so that the pack must be kept relatively thin and the capacity of the apparatus is relatively small.

In shredding paper for commercial use, it is desirable to produce various widths of shreds or 29 strips to suit different purposes, and it is very difficult and impracticable to adapt such prior constructions for cutting different widths of strips, because the spacing of all of the cutting disks on the shaft must be adjusted accordingly.

Moreover, such prior constructions are heavy and cumbersome, as well as expensive to manufacture.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for shredding paper and the like which requires a minimum of power for operation.

Another object is to provide an improved shredding apparatus having increased capacity.

A further object is to provide an improved shredding apparatus which may be easily adapted for producing various widths of strips of paper.

A still further object is to provide an improved shredding apparatus having means for shearing a pack of sheets transversely, with respect to its 49 direction of feed, into strips having a length equal to the full width of the pack.

And finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for shredding paper and the like embodying the foregoing advantages, which apparatus is simple and light in construction, and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects are attained by the improvements comprising the present invention, which are described in detail in the following specification, and which are distinctly set forth in the appended claims.

In general terms the present invention comprises shredding apparatus includin a housing, means in the housing for shearing a pack of sheets into strips each having a length equal to the width of the pack, said shearing means including a cutter bar mounted in the housing, a rotatable knife mounting shaft journalled in the housing parallel with said cutter bar, a plurality of circumferentially and angularly arranged knives mounted on the knife mounting shaft and cooperatively associated with the cutter bar for shearing strips from the pack, a deflecting plate mounted adjacent to each knife and spaced radially inward therefrom for deflecting the paper strips radially outward, upper and lower feed rolls parallel with the cutter bar and adapted for feeding a pack of sheets onto the cutter bar at right angles thereto, means for rotating the knife mounting shaft, and gearing means operatively connecting said shaft to the feed rolls for driving the feed rolls at equal speeds.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof.

Figure 1 is a plan sectional View of the improved shredding apparatus, as on line 11, Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 33, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3, showing the arrangement of the knives and deflecting means.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the drawings.

The improved shredding apparatus is indicated generally at 10 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and preferably includes a base or supporting frame indicated at 11, and an enclosure frame or housing 12 carried on the base 11 and having the top wall 12a and the side walls 12b and 120.

A knife mounting shaft 13 is journalled in the side walls 12b and file of the housing 12, as by means of suitable bearings indicated at 14 in Fig. 1. The shaft 13 is preferably disposed horizontally and transversely of the shredding apparatus 10. 7

Means for mounting a series of circumferentially arranged knives upon the knife mounting shaft 13 preferably includes a pair of spiders or end heads indicated generally at 15 and 15'. The

spiders

15 and 15 are spaced inwardly of the side walls 122) and 120, respectively, of the housing 12, and include respectively, arms or spokes 16 and 16' provided with radial projections 1'7 and 17 and forward or arcuately extending arms or

flanges

18 and 18.

The outer surfaces of the

arms

18 and 18 are preferably concaved as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and knife holding

blocks

19 and 19 are positioned on the outer surfaces of the arms 18, the inner surfaces of the blocks 19 being convexed to conparts form with the concaved outer surfaces of the arms 18.

Preferably, the arms 18 and 18' are each provided with elongated slots as indicated at 20 through which are located knife clamping bolts 21, and the knife clamping bolts 21 also extend through the

blocks

19 and 19 and through knives 22 which are supported on the

blocks

19 and 19.

The clamping bolts 21 are preferably attached to the knives 22 by means of heads 23. in such a way that there can be no relative movement between the knives and the clamping bolts.

Means for arcuately adjusting the knives 22 and for preventing any backward movement of the knives relative to the spiders 15 and 15', preferably includes bolts 25, each of which is screwed through one of the projections 17 or 1'? and abuts against the knife holding

blocks

19 and 19 respectively. A lock nut 26 is provided on each bolt 25 abutting the

adjacent projection

17 or 17 to maintain the bolts 25 in proper position.

A cutter bar indicated at 27 is located transversely in the housing 12 parallel to the knife mounting shaft 13, being mounted at its ends in side walls 121) and 120. The cutter bar 27 prefer-- ably has a shearing bar 28- secured thereon which is positioned closely to the path of the rotary knives 22, for cooperating therewith to shear into strips paper passing over the cutter bar.

As aforesaid, the knives 22 are circumferentially disposed and arranged with respect to the knife mounting shaft 13. The knife supporting spider 15' is arcuately spaced on the shaft 13 from the spider 15, so that when the shaft is rotated in the direction of the arrow in Fig. i, the spider 15 leads the spider 15.

Since each knife 22 is arcuate in shape and is secured to each pair of knife blocks 19 and 19' respectively, of the spiders l5 and 15', the knives 22 are circumferentially and angularly disposed and arranged about the shaft 13 as an axis, and the cutting edge 29 of each knife has a leading portion and a trailing portion relative to its rotation.

Means for feeding paper onto the cutter bar at right angles to the cutter bar and to the knife mounting shaft, preferably includes a lower feed roll 30 keyed to a shaft 31 which is journalled in the side walls 121) and 120 of housing 12 adjacent to the cutter bar and parallel therewith. An upper feed roll 32 is keyed to a shaft 33 which is journalled in the side walls of housing 12 par allel with shaft 31 and directly above the same. Preferably, the upper feed roll 32 is longitudinally slotted or corrugated as indicated at 34 for the purpose of gripping paper passing between the rolls.

Means for journalling the upper feed roll shaft 33 in the housing 12 for permitting resilient upward movement of the upper feed roll 32, may include arcuate slots 35 (Fig. 2) in the side walls of the housing through which the shaft 33 ex tends. An arm 37 is preferably connected to each end of the shaft 33 and extends downwardly therefrom, and a tension spring indicated at 32 may be connected at one end to the lower portion of each arm 3'? and at its other end to portion of the frame (not shown).

Means for conveying paper to be shredded into the feed rolls may include an articulated conveyer belt 40 which passes around a driving wheel or sprocket ll located adjacent to the lower feed roll 30. The driving wheel 41 is fixed upon a shaft 42 which is preferably journalled in the side walls of the housing 12, as shown.

Means for driving the knife mounting shaft 13 may include a pulley e4 fixed on one end thereof and having a belt 45 thereon which is connected to a motor or other source of power (not shown).

Preferably, a fly wheel 46 is mounted on the other end of the shaft 13. Means for operatively connecting the shaft to the

feed rolls

30 and 32 for d1 ring the feed rolls, preferably comprises the gearing indicated generally at 4? in Fig. 1,

The gearing 4.7 may clude a pinion 48 fixed on the shaft 13 and mesni g with a gear &9 which is rotatable on the lower feed roll shaft 31. The gear 49 is secured to or integral with a pinion 50, also rotatable on the shaft 31, and the pinion 5O meshes with a gear 51 rotatable on an idler shaft 52. The gear 51 is secured to or integral with a pinion 53 rotatable on shaft 52, which pinion 53 meshes with a gear as fixed on the lower feed roll shaft 31 for driving the lower fees roll 30.

Means for driving the conveyer as at speed equal to the speed of the shaft 31 may include an idler gear 55 journalled on an er .iaft 56 and meshing with the gear 54. A gear 5'7 having the same number of teeth gear 5 secur on the conveyer shaft and meshes with the idler gear 55, so that the shaft 42 i driven in the same direction and at the same speed as the shaft 31.

Means for driving the upper feed roll at a speed equal to the speed of the lower fee-d roll preferably includes a gear fixed on the end of the shaft 31 opposite to the end mounting the gear 54.

The gear 58 preferably mes. es with an idler gear 59 which is rotatably mounted upon an idler shaft 60 on the housing 12, and the idler gear 59 meshes with a gear 61 having the same nur oer of teeth as the gear 58. The gear 61 in turn .1 eshes with a gear 62, having an equal number of teeth, and fixedly mounted on the upper feed roll shaft off the lower feed roll shaft limited upward movement of the shaft may include the lever 6 1 which is journalled at one end on the shaft 33 and rotatably mounts the gear 61 at its other end as by the stub shaf t 65. A second lever arm 66 is pivotally connected at one end to the stub shaft and at the other end to the idler shaft 60.

The slots in which the upper feed roll shaft 33 is journalled permit upward movement of the upper feed roll against the action of ring 38, in order to take care of different thicknesses of paper stock being fed through the rolls. W hen the upper feed roll shaft 33 moves upwardly in the slots, the stub shaft 65 mo'es angularly downward toward the lower feed roll shaft 31, with the lever arms 64 and 56 pivoting about the stub shaft 65 and the idler shaft 69, respectively, so that the

gears

58, 59, 61 and 62 are maintained in driving enga ement.

If it is desired to adapt the app; ratus for shredding different widths of paper trips, all that necessary is to substitute for he gear 49 2.1L driving pinion 18, a gear and pinion having the relative number of teeth required for driving the knife mounting shaft 13 and feed rolls at the desired relative speeds.

Means for outwardly d flecting paper strips or shreads successively as t are sheared from paper passing over the cutter bar, by cooperation of the shearing bar 28 and rotating knives 22, preferably includes deflecting plates or webs '70 which are positioned one adjacent the cutting edge 29 of each knife 22. Each deflecting plate is spaced radially inward from the adjacent knife edge, as best shown in Fig. 4 and extends substantially circumferentially from a position on the underside of the adjacent knife behind the cutting edge to a position in front of the cutting edge and spaced behind the next forward ad acent knife.

In oth r words, the rear edge 71 of each deflecting plate '70 substantially engages the underside of the adjacent knife 22 at a position spaced to the rear of the cutting edge 29 thereof, and the forward edge 72 of each deflecting web is positioned in front of the cutting edge 29 and behind the next forward knife.

Preferably, each web or plate '70 is mounted on the bolts 25 of the next forward knife supports 16 and 16' by means of angular ears 74 projecting from the forward edge '72 of the deflecting web and provided with apertures for fitting over the adjacent bolts 25. Nuts '75 are provided for clamping the deflecting plates or webs '70 to the bolts 25.

In the operation of the improved shredding apparatus, pack or piles 78 of paper sheets are successively positioned preferably in slightly overlapping relation as shown in Fig. 8, on the conveyer 40 and fed into the feed rolls 30 and 32.

Since the feed rolls are driven at equal speeds, the paper sheets are held together as they are fed through the rolls and do not become separated.

The resilient movable mounting of the upper feed roll 32 compensates for varying thicknesses of sheet packs so as to constantly feed the packs through the rolls without injuring the sheets thereof or separating the same, or requiring added driving power.

As the packs '78 are fed onto and over the cutter bar 27 at right angles to the rotating knives 22, the knives shear paper strips 79 from the pack each having a length equal to the full width of the pack. Since the knives are angularly arranged with respect to the cutter bar, the operation is a shearing one, each knife passing through the pack successively from its leading edge portion to its trailing edge portion, so that a minimum amount of power is required.

As the rapidly rotating knives shear the strips transversely from the sheet packs '78, the deflectors successively deflect the. strips outwardly as they are sheared, to prevent recutting of the same and/or winding or entangling of the strips around the various parts of the apparatus, and the strips are discharged from the apparatus by means of the discharge chute 80.

While I have shown the deflecting plates as extending a substantial distance in'front of the adjacent cutting edges of the knives, this distance may be varied considerably without affecting the successful operation of the apparatus. Also, I have found that the presence of the deflecting plates is most essential at the trailing portion of the adjacent cutting edges of the knives, so that a portion of the deflecting plates adjacent the leading edge of the knife might be omitted without seriously affecting the satisfactory operation of the machine.

Moreover, while the rear edge of each deflecting plate '71 substantially abuts t e underside of the adjacent knife at a position behind its cutting edge, the circumferential distance between the cutting edge of the knife and the rear edge 71 of the plate may be varied proportionately to the thickness of the paper stock out. That is, if the sheet packs 78 are relatively thin the rear edges 71 of the plates may be positioned relatively close to the adjacent cutting edges of the knives, and if the packs 78 are relatively thick, the rear edges 71 of the deflecting plates may be moved further be hind the adjacent cutting edges.

The improved apparatus is simple and light in construction, and in xpensive to manufacture. Also, due to the fact that only one knife through the pack at a time, the knives may be rotated at a high speed, resultin in a relatively large capacity output.

Zne construction and arrangement of the do fleeting means may be modified to a considerable extent without from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

shaft and each having a cutting edge, a cutting bar cooperatively associated with said knives for shearing into strips paper passing over the art ter bar, upper and lower rolls adapted for feeding a pack of paper sheets onto the cutter bar at right angles to the knife mounting shaft, a substantially circumferentially disposed de fleeting plate positioned adjac nt to and radially inward from the cutting edge of each knife for deflecting the paper strips substan tially radially outward, means for driving the rotatable shaft, and means operatively connecting the rotatable shaft and the feed rolls.

2. Apparatus for shredding paper and the like including, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of aircumferentialiy arranged knives mounted on the shaft and each having a cutting edge, a cutter bar cooperatively associated with said knives for shearing into strips paper passing over the cutter bar, upper and lower feed rolls adapted for feeding a pack. of paper sheets over the cutter bar at right angles to the knife mounting shaft, a deflecting plate positioned adjacent to and spaced radially inward from the cutting edge of each knife, each deflecting plate extending behind the adjacent cutting edge a distance proportionate to the thickness of the pack of paper sheets, means for driving the rotatable shaft, and means operatively connected to the rotatable shaft for driving the feed rolls.

3. Apparatus for shredding paper and the li including, a housing, a lower feed roll journailed in the housing, an upper feed roll parallel therewith, means on the housing journalling the upper feed roll for resilient upward movement in the housing, a cutter bar mounted on the a knife mounting shaft journalled in the frame parallel to the feed rolls, a plurality of cir cumferentially arranged knives mounted on the knife mounting shaft for cooperating with said cutter bar to shear into strips paper passing through th feed rolls, means for driving the knife mount rig shaft, and gearing means operatlvely connecting said knife mounting shaft 1 to the feed rolls for driving the feed rolls at equal speeds.

4. Apparatus for shredding paper and the like including, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of circuinferentially disposed knives mounted on. the

entially disposed deflecting web positioned adjacent to and spaced radially inward from the cutting edge of each knife for deflecting the paper strips outwardly.

5. Apparatus for shredding paper and the like including, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of circumferentially arranged knives mounted on the rotatable shaft and each having a cutting edge, a cutter bar cooperatively associated with said knives for shearing into strips paper passing over the cutter bar, and a deflecting web for each knife extending substantially circumferentially from a position behind and under the cutting edge thereof to a position in front of said cutting edge and spaced behind the next forward adjacent knife.

6. Apparatus for shredding paper and the like including a rotatable shaft, a plurality of knives mounted on the shaft and each having a cutting edge, said knives being arranged circumferentially and angularly about the shaft :5 an axis, whereby each cutting edge has a leading portion and a trailing portion with respect to the rotation thereof, a cutter bar cooperatively associated with said knives for shearing into strips paper passing over the cutter bar, and a deflecting web positioned adjacent the trailing portion of each cutting edge and spaced radially inward therefrom.

7. In shredding apparatus including a plurality of circumferentially arranged rotatable knives each having a cutting edge, a deflector plate op eratively mounted under each cutting edge, and the rear edge of each deflector plate substantially abutting the underside of the adjacent knife behind its cutting edge.

8. Apparatus for shredding paper and the like including, a rotatab e shaft, a plurality of knives mounted on the shaft and each having a cutting edge, said knives being circumferentially and angularly disposed about the shaft as an axis, a cutter bar cooperatively associated with said knives for shearing into strips paper passing over the cutter bar, and deflecting means adjacent to and spaced radially inward from the cutting edge of each knife.

9. Apparatus for shredding paper and the like including, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of knives mounted on the shaft and each having a cutting edge, said knives being circumferentially and angularly disposed about the shaft as an axis, a cutter bar cooperatively associated with said knives for shearing into strips paper passing over the cutter bar, and a substantially circumferentially disposed deflecting web adjacent to and spaced radially from the cutting edge of each knife.

FRANCIS M. WICK.