Abstract: An improved machine for cutting into small pieces the thin wall material of disposable containers includes parallel, rotating cutting shafts having a plurality of cutting wheels thereon. The cutting wheels are separated by annular spacers which provide a rotating comber surface. There is a spacer comber partially encircling each of the annular spacers which has a lower section having a rounded surface. A cutting wheel comber partially encircles each of the cutting wheels and has a lower end with a rounded portion. The spacer combers having the rounded surface and the cutting wheel combers having the rounded portion prevent the collection of the small pieces within the improved machine.

Abstract: A shredding machine is for shredding paper or the like and includes a pair of parallel, spaced-apart shafts which rotate in opposite directions. Each of the shafts includes a plurality of cutting discs mounted thereon for rotation therewith. The cutting discs on one shaft extend between the cutting discs on the other shaft for producing cooperative longitudinal cuts of paper passing therebetween. The cutting discs include a cylindrical outer surface which is interrupted by a plurality of notches. Each of the notches has a trailing transverse surface which intersects the cylindrical outer surface at a transverse cutting edge to form a cutting angle therebetween. The cutting angle is less than forty degrees. The cutting discs on one shaft are oriented with respect to the cutting discs on the other shafts to cause the cutting angle on each of the cutting discs to be aligned with the cylindrical outer surface of the adjacent cutting discs on the outer shaft just prior to overlapping thereof.

Abstract: A machine is capable of cutting into small pieces the thin wall material of a plurality of disposable containers such as plastic bottles or metal cans fed in a first direction one at a time to a cutting section. The cutting section includes a pair of parallel shafts mounted for rotation in opposite directions about the center axes thereof. Each of the shafts rigidly supports a plurality of overlapping cutting wheels for rotation therewith. Each cutting wheel has a plurality of identical cutting teeth thereon having an apex at the maximum diameter and a root at a root diameter of the cutting wheel. Each cutting tooth has a leading surface and a trailing surface which meet at the apex to form a straight edge at the maximum diameter which is parallel with the center axis of the shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus is for crushing at least one of a plurality of metal cans having a predetermined diameter and a predetermined length less than about twice the predetermined diameter. The apparatus includes a pair of cylindrical rollers mounted for rotation in opposite directions about parallel horizontal axes with a predetermined distance therebetween. Each of the rollers has a predetermined roller diameter greater than four times the predetermined diameter of the can. An array of extensions on the cylindrical surface of each of the rollers extends a predetermined height from the cylindrical surface and is separated from adjacent extensions on the cylindrical surface to cause the extensions of the array to cover less than ten percent of the cylindrical surface to allow general alignment of and positioning of the metal cans therebetween.

Abstract: A machine is capable of cutting into pieces disposable containers such as plastic bottles and metal cans. A first cutting section includes a pair of parallel shafts mounted for rotation in opposite directions. Each of the shafts supports a plurality of cutting wheels keyed for rotation therewith. The cutting wheels of one shaft overlap the cutting wheels on the other shaft as each cutting wheel is axially separated from axially adjacent cutting wheels thereon by one of the cutting wheels on the other shaft. A comber is aligned with each cutting wheel to provide a gap between the cutting teeth and the end of the comber. The disposable containers are cut into first pieces between the cutting wheels of one shaft and the cutting wheels of the other shaft. The first pieces from the first cutting section pass to a second cutting section to be cut into smaller, second pieces. The invention also includes the method of cutting the disposable containers in pieces.

Abstract: An improved container feeding device is for a container cutting machine of the type which can cut any one of numerous sizes of plastic bottles and metal cans. The cutting machine has a cutting section including a plurality of cutting wheels mounted for rotation in opposite directions on a pair of parallel cutting shafts. The improvement includes a pair of parallel feeding shafts each of which are above one of the cutting shafts for rotation in the same direction thereof. Each feeding shaft includes three radially extending, evenly spaced paddles fixedly mounted thereon. The feeding shafts rotate at the same speed and are rotationally aligned to cause each paddle on one feeding shaft to generally lie within a common plane with a corresponding paddle on the other feeding shaft as they pass closely by one another. Each of the paddles has a plurality of gripping teeth on the extended end thereof.

Abstract: A machine is capable of cutting into pieces disposable containers such as plastic bottles and metal cans. A first cutting section includes a pair of parallel shafts mounted for rotation in opposite directions. Each of the shafts supports a plurality of cutting wheels keyed for rotation therewith. The cutting wheels of one shaft overlap the cutting wheels on the other shaft as each cutting wheel is axially separated from axially adjacent cutting wheels thereon by one of the cutting wheels on the other shaft. A comber is aligned with each cutting wheel to provide a gap between the cutting teeth and the end of the comber. The disposable containers are cut into first pieces between the cutting wheels of one shaft and the cutting wheels of the other shaft. The first pieces from the first cutting section pass to a second cutting section to be cut into smaller, second pieces.