Wood collection and reducing machine

• US 7,513,449 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2002
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barko Specialty Equipment LLC
• Original Assignee: Earl R. Smith, Thomas R. Gross
• Inventors: Smith, Earl R., Gross, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SELF, SHELLEY M
• Application Number:
  US10/237,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20030071151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,404 Days
• Field of Search: 241/92, 241/93, 241/101.75, 241/261.1, 241/277, 241/278.1, 241/293, 144/373, 144/235, 144/174, 144/172, 144/162.1, 144/278.1, 144/293, 193/2.R, 193 4- 6, 193/10
• US Class Current: 241/261.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/067 by comminuting the tree stumps
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 3/002 for comminuting plant waste comminuting by cutting implements in general B02C18/00
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/144 with axially elongated knives
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/145 with knives spaced axially and circumferentially on the periphery of a cylindrical rotor unit
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/186 Axially elongated knives
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 21/026 self-propelled
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 2201/066 for garden waste
• CPC Class Codes: B27L 11/002 Transporting devices for wood or chips

Abstract

A shredder for reducing material which includes a conical cutting drum rotatably positioned within a housing and having an imperforate outer surface so as to carry shredded material radially with and externally of the drum; at least one cutting implement disposed about the outer surface of the cutting drum; an anvil disposed adjacent to the cutting drum; a bellyband wrapping around and conforming to the drum; and a transition interconnecting the bellyband with a discharge port and having a cross sectional configuration that inversely mirrors the cross sectional configuration of the bellyband.

Claims

1. A shredder comprising:

a housing;

at least one hourglass shaped cutting drum having two bulbs, the cutting drum rotatably supported in the housing and having an imperforate outer surface whereby to keep reduced material externally of the drum;

at least one cutting implement supported by each bulb of the cutting drum;

a bellyband at least partially wrapping and conforming to the shape of the cutting drum; and

a transition in communication with the bellyband, wherein the transition includes walls that form a substantially pentangular cavity.

2. The shredder of claim 1, wherein the drum shredder further includes an anvil shaped and positioned adjacent to the cutting drum, the anvil having an edge spaced a substantially uniform distance along the length of each cutting implement during drum rotation.

3. The shredder of claim 1, wherein the drum shredder further includes an anvil with a curved edge along its entire length.

4. The shredder of claim 2, wherein the anvil has a concave edge and the at least one cutting implement has a substantially straight edge, the anvil curved and spaced from the cutting drum to provide the substantially uniform distance along the length of each cutting implement during drum rotation.

5. The shredder of claim 1, wherein the transition has an entrance with an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion having a greater height than the outer portion.

6. The shredder of claim 1, wherein the transition has a cavity with an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion having a greater volume than the outer portion.

7. The shredder of claim 1, wherein the transition has a cross section transverse to the general travel of reduced material with a smaller cavity section or height on an outside portion of the transition and a larger cavity section or height in a center portion of the transition to allow material released into the center of the transition to be accelerated.

8. The shredder of claim 1, wherein the transition provides a cavity with a nonuniform, cross-section.

9. The shredder of claim 1, wherein the transition has an entrance with a shape that substantially inversely mirrors the shape of the bellyband.

12. The shredder of claim 1, wherein the transition includes a set of sidewalls, a front wall and a rear wall that cooperate to provide a cavity with a void that extends past a plane normal to the sidewalls.

13. The shredder of claim 1, wherein each cutting implement has a pocket for carrying reduced material associated with it, each pocket being disposed in the surface of the cutting drum.

10. A shredder comprising:

a housing;

at least one hourglass shaped cutting drum having two bulbs, the cutting drum rotatably supported in the housing and having an imperforate outer surface whereby to keep reduced material externally of the drum;

at least one cutting implement supported by each bulb of the cutting drum;

a bellyband at least partially wrapping and conforming to the shape of the cutting drum; and

a transition in communication with the bellyband, wherein the transition has an angular front wall and a rear wall and the rear wall is substantially v-shaped or inverted v-shaped.

11. The shredder of claim 10, wherein the front wall extends from the bellyband and is substantially v-shaped or inverted v-shaped.