Motor-driven shredding apparatus particularly for garden waste

Motor-driven shredding apparatus for comminuting waste material, particularly garden waste, which comprises a cutter housing having a laterally-directed outlet for the discharge of shredded waste material, a cutter support plate mounted within the cutter housing for rotation about a central vertical axis, a frame supporting the cutter housing and carrying a motor for rotatably driving the cutter support plate, respective inlets arranged above the cutter housing and serving to direct light material to be shredded and heavy material to be shredded separately towards the cutter support plate, at least one radial slot in the cutter support plate, a shredding cutter mounted upon the cutter support plate above each radial slot and cooperating therewith on rotation of the cutter support plate to shred waste material and direct the shredded material downwardly through the cutter support plate, a cylindrical charging container for receiving waste material to be shredded located over the cutter housing, the cutter support plate being positioned so as to form the base of the container, at least one shredding blade mounted on the upper side of the cutter support plate for rotation therewith and extending upwardly and in an outwardly-inclined manner relative to the central vertical axis into the charging container, at least one fixed counter-plate located within the container for cooperating with each shredding cutter and also with each shredding blade and positioned so that the path of rotation of each shredding cutter is below and adjacent each fixed counter-plate and so that the path of rotation of each shredding blade is above and adjacent each fixed counter-plate, the inlet for light material to be shredded being located at the top of the container and the inlet for heavy material to be shredded comprising a downwardly-inclined inlet tube passing through the lower wall part of the container to discharge above the cutter support plate and at least one dependent discharge blade on the cutter support plate for directing shredded waste toward the laterally-directed outlet.