Abstract: An apparatus for disintegrating articles of degradable or non-degradable material, wherein the apparatus has a rotatable knife unit (1) driven by a motor (2), wherein the knife unit blade (51) on rotation of the knife unit in a chamber (4) is designed to move along a chamber wall, and wherein at least a part of the wall has perforations (5). The knife unit (1) is driven by a motor (2) via a mechanical power transmission device (7) which is designed, in the event of a jamming of the knife unit in the chamber or a predetermined working resistance being exceeded, to cause at least partial disconnection of the transmission of power from the device to the knife unit. The power transmission device (7) comprises a flywheel (8) which, in said event of the knife unit jamming or working resistance being exceeded, is at least partly disconnected mechanically from the rotating mass of the knife unit.