Abstract: An artist's crayon or chalk is provided with a cover which is made of a sheet of axially oriented polymer, the sheet having one side provided by a plurality of arcuate regions separated by cusps, the regions forming tear tabs. By gripping a tear tab and tearing, the axially oriented polymer will tear in a substantially straight line thus enabling the required amount of cover to be removed from the pastel. The cover may initially be provided in a self-adhesive form adhered to a peel-off backing sheet.

Abstract: In a shredding machine, oppositely rotating cutter shafts (11a, 11b) are driven by an electric motor (E) through an epicyclic gear mechanism (G) comprising a casing (17) with an internal gear formation (52) and a planet carrier (31) carrying planet gears (34) in mesh with the internal gear formation (52), the motor (E) driving a sun gear (35) in mesh with the planet gears (34), the drive to the cutter shafts (11a, 11b) being from the planet carrier (31). Preferably there are two planet carriers (31, 37), the planet gears (33) of the second carrier (37) being driven by a sun gear (32) driven by the first planet carrier (31), the cutter shafts (11a, 11b) being driven from the second planet carrier (37). One of the shafts (11b) is driven directly, and the other (11a) through further gearing (66, 38). The casing (17) is mounted for limited movement under high load, a switch (90) being provided to detect such movement, to stop or reverse the motor (E).

Abstract: A document shredding machine comprises cutting mechanism comprising two shafts, each mounted for rotation about a respective parallel axis, and cutting discs mounted at spaced intervals on each shaft, the two sets of cuttings discs intermeshing and the shafts being rotated in opposite directions so as to provide a downwardly-accessible nip into which documentary material (such as paper) is fed. Engagement between the circumferential edges of adjacent discs subjects the documentary material to a plurality of longitudinal cuts, and the discs are provided with transverse cutting edges by which the material is subjected to a transverse severing.

Abstract: A base unit for a document shredding machine comprising a frame like supporting structure providing an open-fronted stand which provides a horizontal surface on which a shredding machine may be placed. A bin of the base unit comprises a rear portion and a front portion which is wider than the rear portion, and when the bin is located within the supporting structure, side walls of the rear portion lie between support members of the frame structure and between side walls thereof, while the side walls of the front portion project into the open front of the supporting structure, the outer surfaces of said side walls being generally flush with the outer surfaces of the side walls of the supporting structure.