Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for and method of shredding a product

US6536691B2 · kind B2 · utility

33Cited by
45References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 23, 2001
Grant dateMar 25, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 23, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/49815
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

An apparatus for shredding a product includes a housing having an interior space bounded by a generally cylindrical sidewall that can include one or more contoured segments. The housing further includes a cutting implement, preferably also contoured, following the contoured segment, with an opening in the sidewall between the contoured segment and the cutting implement that follows it. Preferably, the contours of the cutting implement are different from the contours of the segment that the cutting implement follows. The apparatus further includes a feed hopper through which a product to be shred is fed to the interior space of the housing, an impeller, including at least one impeller paddle, mounted for rotation within the housing about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, and a driving mechanism coupled to the impeller for rotating the impeller. The product is slid along the inner periphery of the housing by the impeller, at such a speed that centrifugal force keeps the outer face of the product pressed against the inner periphery. As the product passes by a cutting implement, a plurality of shreds are cut from the outer face of the product and discharged from the housing.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.