Shredder with side discharge

#I. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to machines for reducing materials, including materials made of wood or other fibrous materials, and more particularly to drum chippers.

#II. Description of the Background

#FIG. 1-4 are perspective views in part showing embodiments of machines for reducing material having a cylindrical cutting drum and a side discharge assembly.

#Disclosed herein are embodiments of a shredder for reducing material that have one or more novel features as presented in the embodiments below which may be combined in total or individually.

#To affect material reduction, the shredder includes a cutting drum. The cutting drum is preferably cylindrical. A cylindrical cutting drum is one that has a cross-section with an outer diameter that is essentially uniform along its length. As shown, the cutting drum has an essentially circular cross-section that is essentially uniform along its length.

#The cutting drum is preferably adapted to radially carry chips on the outside of the drum, and as such, may be essentially imperforate, impervious or impenetrable to reduced material so that chips may not pass radially inwardly through the outer wall or skin of the drum. A cutting drum adapted to radially carry chips on the outside of the drum may be adapted for carrying chips radially in any suitable manner, such as having a drum with a solid surface or imperforate skin, with small holes which are impenetrable by the reduced material, with a continuous outer surface that includes extended blades with a channel disposed beneath the blades, and/or by providing at least one channel in the surface of the drum for carrying chips. Preferably the cutting drum has a substantially uniform, smooth outer surface, other than the cutting implements, associated hardware, and channels.