Apparatus For Shredding And Baling Paper

Abstract

A paper shredder and baler comprises a pair of rotary shredding members at the bottom of a hopper, and a rotor having resilient flaps in the hopper that both feed paper to the rotors and protect the operator. The shredded paper falls by gravity into an inclined baling compartment where a hydraulic jack forces a plate along a downwardly inclined path to compress the shredded paper. Safety controls prevent the shredder and the press from operating simultaneously, and prevent the press from operating until the baling compartment is closed.

Description

The present invention relates to destroying paper and the like by shredding the same and then compressing it to a condition in which it can easily be baled.

Numerous machines are already known for destroying papers and documents and the like, comprising a casing, power-driven knives for cutting and destroying the material, and a receptacle to receive the cut material. However, if the volume of the paper to be destroyed is large, then the volume of the destroyed paper will also be large and its disposal poses a problem.

It has already been proposed to convey the destroyed paper to a baler, and such a baler has been arranged side by side with the machine for destroying the paper. However, the labor required for the conveyance of the destroyed paper to the baler, and the space occpuied by the various units, make this arrangement impractical.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for destroying paper and for reducing the destroyed paper to a desirably small volume.

Another object of the present ivnention is the provision of an apparatus for destroying the compressing paper, in which maximum safety for the operator is ensured.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for destroying and compressing paper, which will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, operate, maintain and repair, and rugged and durable in use.

Briefly, these objects are achieved by providing apparatus that is characterized by a hopper for receiving the paper to be destroyed, the hopper having a rotatable paper feeder therein with flexible paddles thereon which feed the paper toward rotary cutting knives and at the same time protect the operator from contact with those knives. The cut paper falls into a receptacle in which a reciprocable plate of a press is slidable and in which the paper is compressed to a bale which is then removed through a wall of the receptacle. Electrical controls for the apparatus are provided for the protection of the operator, such that the cutting and pressing operations cannot be simultaneously conducted, and such that the pressing operation cannot be conducted until the baling compartment is closed.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view taken in the vertical plan of the line II--II of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary electric circuit diagram of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIG. 1, there is shown apparatus according to the present invention comprising a casing 1 which in its upper part has a hopper 4 at the bottom of which are rotary cylinders in the form of rotary knives 3a and 3b such as are disclosed in French Patent No. 1,226,633, rotated in known fashion by a motor 2. Motor 2 also drives a feed rotor 5 that presses paper in the hopper against the knives 3a and 3b, the rotor 5 being in the form of a square shaft having paddles of rubber or other flexible material secured to each side thereof. These flexible paddles also serve the purpose of preventing the operator's hands from coming into contact with the knives.

Below the knives, an inclined plate ensures the gravity feed of the cut paper to a receptacle 6 through an opening 7 that can be selectively closed by a door 8. The receptacle 6 is inclined, and its upper end is disposed within casing 1 and may be secured to the inner side walls thereof by means of screws and nuts (not shown) or by other means of support. The lower end of receptacle 6 may rest directly on the ground or on rollers as shown.

The upper end wall of receptacle 6, which appears at the upper right of receptacle 6 in FIG. 2, is comprised by a press plate 9 which is secured to the piston rod 10 of a cylinder and piston assembly that comprises a jack 11 that is supported on a bracket 12 that is secured only to receptacle 6. A pump 22 carried by casing 1 is interconnected by detachable flexible conduits with opposite ends of the cylinder of jack 11. The jack 11 and receptacle 6 are thus readily separable as a unit from casing 1 by disconnecting the flexible connections of pump 22 and by disconnecting the other connections referred to above.

The upper side of receptacle 6 is closed by a door 13 which is swingably interconected with receptacle 6 by means of hinges 14, 15 and which has a handle 16 for raising and lowering it. At the side of door 13 opposite hinges 14, 15, the door extends down over a portion of the side of receptacle 6, for easier access to the baled paper therein. Receptacle 6 can thus be opened along its top and part of one side, by opening the door 13. A conventional lock 17 is provided for preventing inadvertent opening of the door.

The operation of the device can be easily followed by reference to the fragmentary circuit diagram of FIG. 3. The drive motor for the rotor 5 and the knives 3a and 3b is shown at 2, and the push-button switches 18, 19 for starting and stopping the motor are also shown. The switch 20 for actuating the motor that drives pump 22 is also shown, as well as the switches 21 and 24 for operating solenoid valves that selectively direct hydraulic fluid to one end or the other of the cylinder of jack 11, thereby to advance or retract plate 9.

The machine is turned on by turning the lock 23 on the control panel by means of a key, whereupon switch 20 can be actuated whereby pump 22 is driven. The motor 2 can be actuated by closing the switch 18. Paper is fed to hoppper 4 and is shredded by the knives. The shredded paper falls into the receptacle 6 as explained above; and when there is sufficient paper therein, the door 8 can be closed which releases the switch 25 to stop the motor 2 and hence to stop the knives. Switch 21 can then be actuated to advance plate 9 in receptacle 6 to compress the shredded paper; and if desired, the door 8 or 13 can actuate a control (not shown) to advance the plate 9 when door 8 is closed, this control deactivating the press when door 8 or 13 is open. Door 13 is closed and lock 17 is manipulated to hold door 13 closed during operation of the press.

In any event, the plate 9 compresses the shredded paper in receptacle 6 to a bale which can then be tied if desired, and plate 9 can then be retracted by operation of switch 24.

Door 13 can then be opened and the bale removed. To repeat the cycle, door 8 is opened and motor 2 can then be actuated through switch 18, and further paper can be shredded and baled.

Door 13 can also be provided with a window 26 extending lengthwise thereof, for viewing the interior of receptacle 6 when door 13 is closed.

From a consideration of the foregoing disclosure, it will be evident that all of the initially recited objects of the present invention have been achieved. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, as those skilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus for shredding and compressing paper, comprising a hopper for paper to be shredded, knives at the bottom of the hopper for shredding the paper, means for feeding paper to said knives, said feeding means comprising a rotor having flexible paddles thereon that directly overlie said knives and that protect the operator from contact with the knives, a receptacle below the paper shredding means for collecting the shredded paper from said knives, and means for compressing the shredded paper in said receptacle.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and a pair of rotating members on which said knives are mounted, said knives being disposed above said receptacle for gravity feed of shredded paper from said knives to said receptacle.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, said receptacle being elongated and having one end disposed in a casing that houses said shredding means, the other end of said receptacle extending out of said casing.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, said receptacle being inclined downwardly from said one end to said other end of the receptacle.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said compressing means comprising a wall of said receptacle mounted for sliding movement in said receptacle, and fluid-pressure means for moving said wall relative to said receptacle for compressing shredded paper in said receptacle.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said receptacle being elongated and having one end disposed within a casing that houses said shredding means, the other end of said receptacle extending out of said casing, said compressing means comprising a plate which constitutes one end wall of said receptacle and a hydraulic jack for reciprocating said plate in said receptacle, means mounting said jack solely on said receptacle, a pump for said jack carried by said casing, and detachable means interconnecting said pump and jack.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and means preventing operation of the compressing means during operation of said shredding means, and means preventing operation of said shredding means during operation of said compressing means.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and a protective casing about said knives, said casing having a slot through which said rotor feeds said paper to be shredded, the blades of said rotor closing said slot.