Patent ID: 7014133

Claim:
A mechanical delaying device in a paper shredder, the paper shredder comprising a base, an upper lid removably disposed on the base, the upper lid having a feeder passage defined therein, first and second rotatable blade assemblies contained within the base, the blade assemblies defining a paper-shredding passage there-between, the paper-shredding passage being generally in alignment with the feeder passage; a motor disposed in the base and operably coupled to the blade assemblies, the mechanical delaying device comprising: a helical cam connected with and rotatable with one of said blade assemblies and having an outer end, said cam having an axially extending helical cam arrangement extending to an outer end of the cam; a spindle disposed above said blade assemblies, the spindle having first and second ends; a paper sensing lever extending radially from said spindle between said paper-shredding passage and said feeder passage, said lever arranged to rotate the spindle when engaged by paper fed to the feeder passage; an arm rotatable with and extending radially from the first end of said spindle, the arm having an end proximate to said helical cam; a shaft extending transversely from the end of said arm, the shaft lying generally alongside said helical cam; a cam follower slidably disposed along said shaft, the cam follower being movable between a first position adjacent to said arm and a second position remote from said arm; and a compression spring disposed on said shaft, the compression spring biasing said cam follower toward said first position; wherein said arm is movable between a first position in which said cam follower at least partially overlies the outer end of said helical cam, a second position in which said cam follower is entirely disengaged from and laterally located relative to said helical cam, and a third position in which said cam follower is engaged with said helical cam for axial movement therealong upon rotation of the cam until the follower reaches the cam outer end, whereupon the follower and cam are displaced to the first position; and wherein said motor is activated when said arm is in either of said second and third positions, and said motor is deactivated when said arm is in said first position.