System and method of shredding wet chips in a flume

A shredding system for shredding wet chips in a flume, said system comprising:

• a trough having a length, a bottom and spaced side walls for receiving wet chips and fluid into said trough whereby said wet chips travel in said fluid along the length of said trough;
• a shredder assembly including a plurality of spaced rotatable first members and spaced second members, said first and second members being engageable with one another to cooperate in shredding wet chips located in the fluid traveling in said trough;
• and,
• said first and second members being positioned in said trough so as to be at least partially in contact with the fluid and wet chips in said trough during a shredding operation.

The method of shredding wet chips in which the wet chips travel in a fluid disposed in a trough having a longitudinal axis and the wet chips and fluid travel along in said trough along the longitudinal axis;

• and
• a shredder assembly within said trough comprising:
• a rotatable shaft;
• a plurality of spaced sizing members each disposed on said shaft and rotatable with said shaft, and at least a portion of each of said sizing members being located within said trough for contact with wet chips and fluid in said trough;
• a plurality of spaced combs, each comb being mounted to said shaft and positioned adjacent to at least one sizing member, and at least a portion of each comb being disposed in said trough and engageable with at least one said sizing member to cooperate in a shredding action;
• a shredder drive;
• a connection assembly for connecting said shredder drive to said shaft;
• the method comprising the steps of:
• passing wet chips and fluid into said trough whereby said fluid and wet chips pass through said trough along the length of said trough;
• actuating said shredder drive to cause said sizing members and combs to cooperate in a shredding action with the wet chips and fluid in said trough to shred wet chips located in the fluid in said trough.

For use with a trough having a bottom and spaced side walls into which wet chips are conveyed in fluid located in said trough, a shredder assembly comprising:

• a plurality of spaced rotatable first members and spaced second members, said first and second members being engageable with one another to cooperate in shredding wet chips traveling in the fluid in said trough;
• and,
• said first and second members being positioned in said trough to be at least partially in contact with wet chips located in the fluid in said trough during a shredding operation;
• and,
• a drive assembly for causing said first and second members to cooperate with one another to shred wet chips while said wet chips are in the fluid in said trough.

The method of shredding wet chips disposed in a fluid in a trough which comprises a bottom and spaced side walls, said trough being adapted to receive and transport the wet chips and fluid, and having a shredder assembly associated with said trough, said assembly comprising:

• a rotatable shaft;
• a plurality of spaced first members each disposed on said shaft and rotatable with said shaft;
• a plurality of spaced second members, at least a portion of each of said first and second members being disposed in said trough for contact with said wet chips and fluid, and said first and second members being engageable with each other to shred wet chips;
• a drive assembly for causing said first and second members to cooperate with one another to shred wet chips;
• said method comprising the steps of:
• passing wet chips and fluid in said trough whereby wet chips and fluid pass through said trough along the length of said trough to the shredder assembly;
• activating said drive assembly to cause said first members to cooperate with said second members to shred wet chips in said fluid while said wet chips are in said trough.