Patent ID: 8662429

Claim:
A shredder for shredding articles, the shredder comprising: a shredder mechanism comprising: (a) a first cutter arrangement constructed and arranged provide a first stage of shredding to shred the articles; and (b) a second cutter arrangement constructed and arranged to provide a second stage of shredding to shred the articles received from the first cutter arrangement, the second cutter arrangement comprising: a rotary cutter element constructed and arranged to be rotatable to shred the articles into shredded particles; a filter having openings to enable the shredded particles below a predetermined size to pass therethrough; an outlet constructed and arranged to allow shredded particles to exit therefrom; and a vacuum constructed and arranged to provide air flow for entraining and moving the articles and/or particles through the outlet, wherein the vacuum comprises a rotatable impeller constructed and arranged to provide air flow through at least the second cutter arrangement for entraining and moving the articles and/or particles through the second cutter arrangement and further into and through the vacuum itself, and wherein the rotatable impeller of the vacuum is configured to further shred the articles and/or particles before impelling the articles and/or particles out through the outlet.