Patent ID: 8061634
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: B02C

Abstract:
1. A shredder head comprising: a shredder head housing defining a slot adapted to receive material to be shredded; a motor disposed within the shredder head housing; an indicator display disposed on the shredder head and configured to provide an indication of the thickness of material being inserted into the slot; a plurality of shredder blades disposed within the shredder head housing, driven by the motor and adapted to shred material inserted into the slot; a sensor comprising a thickness gauge and a control mechanism, the thickness gauge comprising at least one protuberance disposed in the shredder head housing and adapted to extend into the slot such that material inserted into the slot that contacts the at least one protuberance causes displacement of the thickness gauge in an amount generally proportional to the thickness of the material, the thickness gauge of the sensor pivots about an axis generally parallel to the slot, and comprises a switching element which is proximate to a plurality of switches and which activates a grouping of the plurality of switches, the grouping including at least one of the plurality of switches and increasing in number as the thickness of the material increases; the control mechanism is disposed within the shredder head housing, detects the amount of displacement of the thickness gauge, and causes the thickness to be indicated by the indicator display according to the amount of displacement of the thickness gauge, the control mechanism comprises the plurality of switches, at least one of the plurality of switches is adapted to be individually activatable, and the plurality of switches are positioned such that displacement of the thickness gauge is adapted to cause at least one of the plurality of switches to be activated.