Rotating infeed chute for a brush chipper

A material reduction machine comprising:

• a front end;
• a rear end opposite the front end;
• a processing portion disposed between the front end and the rear end, the processing portion having a cutting mechanism;
• and
• an infeed chute opening toward the rear end to receive material to be reduced, the infeed chute having a plurality of guide walls configured to guide the material toward the processing portion along a feed axis,
• wherein the infeed chute is configured to rotate relative to the processing portion between an operational configuration and a transport configuration,
• wherein, when viewed along the feed axis, the material reduction machine defines an operational width when the infeed chute is in the operational configuration and a transport width when the infeed chute is in the transport configuration, and wherein the transport width is less than the operational width;
• further comprising a controller configured to control the cutting mechanism and a sensor configured to determine if the infeed chute is in the operational configuration, wherein the controller is configured to prevent operation of the cutting mechanism when the infeed chute is not in the operational configuration.

A material reduction machine configured to reduce a material, the material reduction machine comprising:

• a front end;
• a rear end spaced longitudinally from the front end;
• an infeed chute disposed adjacent the rear end, the infeed chute having a feed table and a plurality of guide walls, the feed table and the plurality of guide walls forming a funnel that narrows from a distal end to a proximal end of the infeed chute, wherein the infeed chute as viewed longitudinally has a first outer dimension and a second outer dimension, the first outer dimension is larger than the second outer dimension;
• a main portion including a processing portion with a rotatable cutting mechanism driven by a prime mover, the main portion having an inlet side coupled to the proximal end of the infeed chute to define a joint through which the material can pass from the infeed chute toward the rotatable cutting mechanism along a feed axis;
• and
• a rotation bearing situated longitudinally at the joint and encircling the joint to support rotation of an entirety of the infeed chute about a longitudinal axis of at least 90 degrees between an operational configuration in which the feed table is below the feed axis and a transport configuration in which the feed table is laterally alongside the feed axis,
• wherein the first outer dimension of the infeed chute extends in a horizontal direction in the operational configuration of the infeed chute, and the first outer dimension of the infeed chute extends in a vertical direction in the transport configuration of the infeed chute,
• wherein, when viewed longitudinally, an overall width of the material reduction machine is reduced by the rotation of the infeed chute from the operational configuration to the transport configuration;
• further comprising a controller configured to control the rotatable cutting mechanism and a sensor configured to determine if the infeed chute is in the operational configuration, wherein the controller is configured to prevent operation of the rotatable cutting mechanism when the infeed chute is not in the operational configuration.