Shredder with paper separation and advancement mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229914-B2
Application number	US-201916533867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally related to an apparatus having cutter elements for destroying articles such as paper sheets and a mechanism for separating at least a sheet from a stack in a tray. The separation mechanism can be activated by rotation of the cutter elements. In one embodiment, the separation mechanism is provided in the form of a helical mechanism configured for insertion into the stack and to receive separated sheets from the stack in between its space(s) as it is rotated. The separated sheets can fall via gravity into the shredder mechanism. Optionally, a paper feed mechanism can feed separated paper to the cutter elements. The tray can include an edge to assist in directing separated paper towards the cutter elements. One or more staple picking support mechanisms can also be provided to assist in separating sheets from a stapled set of pages.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A shredder comprising:
a housing;
a shredder mechanism in the housing and including a motor and cutter elements, the motor for rotating the cutter elements in an interleaving relationship for shredding articles fed therein, the cutter elements being mounted on a pair of parallel mounting shafts and configured for rotation about parallel axes;
the housing having a source for holding a stack of articles to be fed into the cutter elements;
a stack separation mechanism positioned adjacent to the source and comprising a rotatable body configured for rotation relative to the stack, the rotatable body configured such that rotation thereof in an advancing direction causes insertion of at least part of the rotatable body into at least part of the stack to separate at least an edge of at least one article therefrom and advance the at least one separated article towards the cutter elements, the rotatable body being rotatable about a rotational axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axes of the cutter elements;
a drive system constructed to drive the stack separation mechanism by rotating the rotatable body thereof in the advancing direction for said separating and advancing of the at least one separated article from the stack and towards the cutter elements, and
a rotating advancement mechanism between the stack and the shredder mechanism for continuing to advance the at least one separated article into the cutter elements.

2. The shredder according to claim 1 , wherein the stack separation mechanism is configured to separate at least a bottom sheet from the stack.

3. The shredder according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating advancement mechanism comprises rollers configured to grasp an edge of the at least one separated article therebetween, the rollers being mounted on parallel roller shafts.

4. The shredder according to claim 3 , wherein the parallel roller shafts are substantially parallel to the parallel mounting shafts of the cutter elements.

5. The shredder according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating advancement mechanism comprises a guide structure that extends from the rotatable body, the guide structure including a guide edge being configured to rotate with the rotatable body and guide and bend the at least one separate article towards the cutter elements.

6. The shredder according to claim 5 , wherein a space is provided between a top portion of the rotatable body and the guide edge.

7. The shredder according to claim 1 , wherein the stack separation mechanism comprises at least one helical mechanism as the rotatable body configured for rotation about the rotational axis and comprising at least one space configured for receipt of at least one separated article from the stack.

8. The shredder according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one helical mechanism comprises a shaft configured for rotation about the rotational axis and at least one radially extending structure comprising turns positioned concentrically around and extending perpendicularly from the shaft with the at least one space therebetween, the at least one radially extending structure configured to extend into the stack.

9. The shredder according to claim 7 , wherein the helical mechanism comprises a blade attached thereto that is configured to extend into the stack to separate at least one article therefrom.

10. The shredder according to claim 9 , wherein the blade is fixed in position relative to the helical mechanism and projects from the helical mechanism in relation to its rotational axis, so as to rotate with the helical mechanism.

11. The shredder according to claim 1 , wherein the source for holding the stack of articles is a tray or a bed.

12. The shredder according to claim 1 , wherein the stack lays substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotatable body.

13. The shredder according to claim 1 , further comprising a staple picking support mechanism adjacent the stack separation mechanism, the staple picking support mechanism configured for stripping the at least one separated article from a set that are stapled together in the stack as the at least one separated article is advanced to the cutter elements.

14. A method for advancing at least one article from a stack and into cutter elements of a shredder for shredding, the shredder having a shredder mechanism and including a motor and cutter elements, the motor for rotating the cutter elements in an interleaving relationship for shredding articles fed therein, the cutter elements being mounted on a pair of parallel mounting shafts and configured for rotation about parallel axes; the housing having a source for holding a stack of articles to be fed into the cutter elements; a stack separation mechanism positioned adjacent to the source and comprising a rotatable body configured for rotation relative to the stack, the rotatable body configured such that rotation thereof in an advancing direction causes insertion of at least part of the rotatable body into at least part of the stack to separate at least an edge of at least one article therefrom and advance the at least one separated article towards the cutter elements, the rotatable body being rotatable about a rotational axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axes of the cutter elements; a rotating advancement mechanism between the stack and the shredder mechanism for continuing to advance the at least one separated article into the cutter elements, and a drive system constructed to drive the stack separation mechanism by rotating the rotatable body thereof in the advancing direction for said separating and advancing of the at least one separated article from the stack and towards the cutter elements; the method comprising:
rotating the cutter elements in the interleaving relationship;
driving the drive system to rotate the stack separation mechanism in the advancing direction such that it rotates relative to the stack and causes insertion of at least part of the rotatable body into at least part of the stack to separate at least an edge of at least one article therefrom and advance the at least one separated article towards the cutter elements; and
rotating the rotating advancement mechanism to continue advancing the at least one separated article into the cutter elements.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the rotating advancement mechanism comprises rollers configured to grasp an edge of the at least one separated article therebetween, the rollers being mounted on parallel roller shafts, and wherein the rotating of the rotating advancement mechanism comprising rotating the rollers on the parallel roller shafts.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the rotating advancement mechanism comprises a guide structure that extends from the rotatable body, the guide structure including a guide edge being configured to rotate with the rotatable body and guide and bend the at least one separate article towards the cutter elements, and wherein the rotating of the rotating advancement mechanism comprises rotating the guide structure with the rotatable body to guide and bend the at least one separated article.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the stack separation mechanism comprises at least one helical mechanism as the rotatable body configured for rotation about the rotational axis and comprising at least one space configured for receipt of at least one separated article from the stack, and wherein the driving the drive system comprises rotating the at least one helical mechanism.

18. The method according to claim 17

Assignees

• Fellowes Inc

Inventors

• Carson Steven
• Matlin Tai Hoon K
• Applegate Shawn Michael
• Gruber Dennis William
• Surati Dipan Pravin

Classifications

• B02C18/0007 Primary

  specially adapted for disintegrating documents · CPC title

• B02C18/2266

  of revolving drum type · CPC title

• B02C18/06

  with rotating knives · CPC title

• B02C18/2258

  of screw type · CPC title

• B02C18/2225

  Feed means · CPC title