Abstract: A shredder plate assembly for a food waste disposer includes a disk with one or more water slinging devices attached, so that water flowing into the disposer flows over the water slinging device and against the inside of the disposer housing as the disk rotates.

Abstract: Various mechanisms for reducing food waste in a food waste disposer are disclosed. In each of the reduction mechanisms, structures are provided for shearing food waste as it passes through or past a rotating shredder plate of the disposer. In one embodiment, the reduction mechanism has a rotatable plate coupled to a rotational source and positioned for rotation relative to an inner wall of a stationary ring. The plate has a fixed lug attached to the rotatable plate and has a movable lug attached to the rotatable plate. In another embodiment, the reduction mechanism includes a rotatable plate coupled to a rotational source and a stationary plate disposed adjacent the rotatable plate. The stationary plate or impeller defines a plurality of apertures therethrough. At least one first portion of the rotatable plate or impeller shears over at least some of the apertures in the stationary plate to shear the food waste.

Abstract: A shredder assembly for a food waste disposer that includes an impact mechanism for freeing jams. The impact mechanism uses the stored energy in the rotating portion of the disposer's rotating elements to be transmitted from the rotor shaft via an impact member to a part of the rotating shredder assembly. The shredder assembly includes a rotatable shaft and an impact member fixedly attached to the shaft to rotate therewith. A shredder disk is attached to the shaft via a clutch allowing the shredder disk to slip relative to the shaft when the shredder disk jams, wherein the impact member strikes the shredder disk to transfer rotational energy to the jam.

Abstract: The present invention provides a food waste disposer having an upper food conveying section, a motor section, a central grinding section and an inlet portion. The upper food conveying section includes a housing to receive food waste. The motor section includes a motor to impart rotational movement to a motor shaft. The central grinding section is disposed between the food conveying section and the motor section, the food conveying section conveys food waste to the grinding section. The inlet portion has a water injection inlet capable of forming a water baffle in the inlet portion. The water baffle is present when the motor is running. The inlet portion may be integrally formed as part of the housing of the food conveying section or may be a separate unit. The water baffle may extend substantially across the inlet portion in a generally horizontal plane.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided having a means for activating a switch on an interlock protected food waste disposer without blocking the drain opening, and means for blocking the drain opening without activating an interlock protected food waste disposer.

Abstract: Various mechanisms for reducing food waste in a food waste disposer are disclosed. In each of the reduction mechanisms, structures are provided for shearing food waste as it passes through or past a rotating shredder plate of the disposer. In one embodiment, the reduction mechanism has a rotatable plate coupled to a rotational source and positioned for rotation relative to an inner wall of a stationary ring. The plate has a fixed lug attached to the rotatable plate and has a movable lug attached to the rotatable plate. In another embodiment, the reduction mechanism includes a rotatable plate coupled to a rotational source and a stationary plate disposed adjacent the rotatable plate. The stationary plate or impeller defines a plurality of apertures therethough. At least one first portion of the rotatable plate or impeller shears over at least some of the apertures in the stationary plate to shear the food waste.

Abstract: Connector assemblies for attaching a waste line to a waste disposer are disclosed. In one embodiment, the connector assembly includes a male member and a female member. The male member is coupled to the waste disposer and has one or more anchors. The female member is coupled to the waste line. The female member has one or more locking members adapted to lock the female member to the one or more anchors of the male member. In another embodiment, the connector assembly includes a mounting flange, a connector flange, and a locking member. The mounting flange is coupled to the disposer and has a locking portion and an anchor portion. The connector flange is coupled to the waste line and has a first portion. The anchor portion of the mounting flange holds the first portion of the connector flange adjacent the mounting flange. The locking member is attached to the locking portion and holds a second portion of the connector flange adjacent the mounting flange.

Abstract: The present invention provides a food waste disposer having an upper food conveying section, a motor section, a central grinding section and an inlet portion. The upper food conveying section includes a housing to receive food waste. The motor section includes a motor to impart rotational movement to a motor shaft. The central grinding section is disposed between the food conveying section and the motor section, the food conveying section conveys food waste to the grinding section. The inlet portion has a water injection inlet capable of forming a water baffle in the inlet portion. The water baffle is present when the motor is running. The inlet portion may be integrally formed as part of the housing of the food conveying section or may be a separate unit. The water baffle may extend substantially across the inlet portion in a generally horizontal plane.

Abstract: A drive gear is mounted for rotation in a plane parallel with the axis of rotation of the output member of the motor. The gear includes an annular series of beveled gear teeth in meshing engagement with beveled pinion teeth on the end of the motor output member. The drive gear includes a crank pin roller and an annular cam surface eccentric to the axis of rotation of the gear. The roller is received within a rectilinear slot in the plunger assembly thereby defining a scotch-yoke drive for reciprocating the plunger assembly. The plunger assembly includes planar cam follower formations engaged by the annular cam surface to provide an oscillating component of movement to the plunger assembly. The crank pin mounts a disk in eccentric relationship to the drive gear; this disk supports another crank pin and roller.

Abstract: A roller carrying yoke is mounted on the base of the belt sander for pivotal movement about a pivot screw as controlled by the adjusting mechanism which includes a carriage bolt non-rotatably mounted in a slot in the yoke. The slot allows movement of the yoke relative to the bolt. The bolt projects through a hole in the housing and threads into the knob. A spring compressed between the yoke and the housing frictionally loads the knob so it holds adjustment. The yoke moves the roller away from the fixed roller until the roller engages and is limited by a belt. Then the loading spring is stretched to tension the belt. The tension spring force is cancelled out as the lever is actuated to pull the roller back for belt removal. When the cam follower on the yoke engages the cam (operated by the lever) the spring length remains constant and the actuating force is minimal.

Abstract: A roller carrying yoke is mounted on the base of the belt sander for pivotal movement about a pivot screw as controlled by the adjusting mechanism which includes a carriage bolt non-rotatably mounted in a slot in the yoke. The slot allows movement of the yoke relative to the bolt. The bolt projects through a hole in the housing and threads into the knob. A spring compressed between the yoke and the housing frictionally loads the knob so it holds adjustment. The yoke moves the roller away from the fixed roller until the roller engages and is limited by a belt. Then the loading spring is stretched to tension the belt. The tension spring force is cancelled out as the lever is actuated to pull the roller back for belt removal. When the cam follower on the yoke engages the cam (operated by the lever) the spring length remains constant and the actuating force is minimal.