Abstract: A paper shredder includes a housing, cutters positioned in the housing, and a feeder base adapted to support a stack of paper. The feeder base includes a feeder slot. The feeder base further includes a first aperture on one side of the feeder slot, the first aperture providing a first communication pathway between a top surface of the feeder base and a waste area below the feeder base, and a second aperture on a same side of the feeder slot as the first aperture, the second aperture providing a second communication pathway between the top surface of the feeder base and the waste area below the feeder base. The first and second communication pathways are separated from one another.

Abstract: A shredding machine for domestic or office use having a feed passage 3 leading to a cutting mechanism 10, 11 powered by an electric motor, has a thickness measuring device 15 for measuring the thickness of bundles of paper fed through the feed passage and the machine is controlled by a microprocessor which receives signals from the thickness measuring device and prevents the cutting mechanism from being energised if the thickness measured is above a threshold determined by the microprocessor. The microprocessor varies the threshold in accordance with electrical supply voltage, the electric motor temperature and the electric current drawn by the motor during a previous shredding operation, so that the maximum thickness the shredder will accept can be reduced automatically when motor temperature increases or as the effectiveness of the machine deteriorates throughout its working life.