SHREDDER WITH PAPER SEPARATION AND ADVANCEMENT MECHANISM

摘要

The present disclosure is generally related to an apparatus having cutter elements for destroying articles such as paper sheets and a mechanism for separating at least a sheet from a stack in a tray. The separation mechanism can be activated by rotation of the cutter elements. In one embodiment, the separation mechanism is provided in the form of a helical mechanism configured for insertion into the stack and to receive separated sheets from the stack in between its space(s) as it is rotated. The separated sheets can fall via gravity into the shredder mechanism. Optionally, a paper feed mechanism can feed separated paper to the cutter elements. The tray can include an edge to assist in directing separated paper towards the cutter elements. One or more staple picking support mechanisms can also be provided to assist in separating sheets from a stapled set of pages.

主权项

1. A shredder comprising:
a housing; a shredder mechanism received in the housing and including a motor and cutter elements, the motor rotating the cutter elements in an interleaving relationship for shredding articles fed therein, the cutter elements configured for rotation about parallel and horizontal axes; a tray for holding a stack of articles to be fed into the cutter elements; a stack separation mechanism positioned adjacent to the tray and comprising a rotatable body configured for rotation about a rotational axis relative to the stack, at least part of the rotatable body being configured for insertion into at least part of the stack to separate at least an edge of at least one article therefrom and for advancing the at least one separated article towards the cutter elements; a drive system constructed to drive the rotatable body for said separating and advancing of the at least one separated article from the stack and towards the cutter elements; and an arm positioned adjacent to a front end of the tray to hold unseparated articles of the stack in the tray such that the at least one separated article is guided into the cutter elements by the stack separation mechanism.