Patent ID: 8020794

Claim:
A method of detecting the thickness of material inserted into a shredder head and adjusting the power of the shredder head, comprising: providing a shredder head housing defining a slot adapted to receive material to be shredded; providing a plurality of switches disposed in the shredder head housing, at least one of the plurality of switches being adapted to be independently activated; providing a thickness gauge comprising a plurality of protuberances located on a common rod and configured to extend into the slot at spaced intervals, the common rod being located outside of the slot and further comprising a switching element, the switching element located entirely within the shredder housing, the plurality of protuberances being adapted to extend into the slot such that material inserted into the slot and contacting at least one of the plurality of protuberances causing rotation of the common rod and thereby causing rotation of the switching element, detecting a thickness of material inserted into the slot depending on the activation of at least one of the plurality of switches by the switching element of the thickness gauge; selecting the power of the shredder head depending on the thickness of the material as indicated by the activation of at least one of the plurality of switches.