GB2187238A

GB2187238A - A method of lubricating a shredding machine

Info

Publication number: GB2187238A
Application number: GB08600228A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Thomas Lacey
Original assignee: Ofrex Group Holdings PLC
Current assignee: Ofrex Group Holdings PLC
Priority date: 1986-01-07
Filing date: 1986-01-07
Publication date: 1987-09-03
Also published as: GB8600228D0

Abstract

A lubricating means in the form of a sachet (18) containing lubricating oil is used for lubricating the cutting mechanism of a document shredding machine, the cutting mechanism comprising two sets of intermeshing cutter discs mounted on respective parallel shafts and which are driven in opposite directions by a drive motor. The envelope is elongate, and has a thickness significantly less than the thickness of person's finger, and comprises a web (24) to facilitate the feeding of the lubricating means into the nip of the cutting mechanism. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Lubricating means Description of Invention This invention is concerned with improvements relating to lubricating means.

A conventional shredding machine comprises a housing in which is mounted a cutting mechanism comprising two sets of intermeshing cutting discs mounted for rotation in opposite directions. A slot or opening is provided in the top of the housing to enable documentary material to be guided into the nip of the cutting mechanism, which pulls the material through the slot, and subjects the material to a shredding operation and discharges it through an opening in the base of the housing, conveniently into a bin upon which the machine is placed. Such machines are hereinafter referred as being of the kind specified.

Difficulty is encountered in lubricating the cutting mechanism of such shredding machines, and it is one of the various objects of this invention to provide an improved means by which this may be accomplished.

According to this invention there is provided a means suitable for use in the lubrication of the cutting mechanism of a shredding machine of the kind specified, the means being afforded by a sachet containing lubricating oil.

In use the sachet may be fed into the nip of the machine and shredded by the cutting mechanism, releasing the oil contained therein onto the cutting mechanism.

Preferably the sachet comprises, in addition to the enclosed plastic envelope, one or more webs or flaps of material which extent from the envelope, which may be fed into the nip of the machine to facilitate gripping of the sachet and feeding thereof into the cutting mechanism.

The sachet may be elongate, for feeding width-wise into the nip of the cutting mechanism whereby lubricating oil may be deposited onto a substantial width of cutting mechanism, the web or flaps extending from the elongate side of the sachet, and in such a construction desirably a plurality of webs or flaps are provided.

If desired the sachet may be sub-divided into a plurality of envelopes, spaced if desired by an intervening web or webs, to provide a more even and/or economical spread of the deposited oil.

Conceivably a number of sachets each comprising an enclosed plastics envelope and one or more webs or flaps of material may be provided which are interconnected, possibly being stored on a reel, to be torn off in a number of interconnected sachets appropriate to the width of the cutting mechanism.

According to this invention there is also provided a method of lubricating the cutting mechanism of a shredding machine of the kind specified, in which a sachet containing lubricating oil is entered into the nip of the cutting mechanism and shredded thereby, releasing the contained oil on to the cutting mechanism.

Preferably in carrying out the method set out above a sachet is utilised as set out in the preceding paragraphs.

There will now be given a detailed descriptions, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a lubricating means and a method of lubrication, both of which have been selected for the purposes of illustrating this invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional document shredding machine; Figure 2 is an elevational view of the means for lubricating the mechanism of the shredding machine; and Figure 3 is a side elevational view of said lubricating means.

The document shredding machine illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a housing 6 within which a cutting mechanism 7 is mounted, the cutting mechanism comprises two sets of intermeshing cutter discs 8 mounted on respective parallel shafts, and which are driven in opposite directions by a drive motor in directions such that documentary material fed through a slot 12 in a top plate 14 of the machine into the nip N of the cutting mechanism, is drawn into the cutting mechanism to be subjected to a shredding operation by the action of the intermeshing cutter discs.

The lubricating means which is the preferred embodiment of this invention is in the form of a sachet 18 containing lubricating oil. The sachet comprises, in addition to an enclosed envelope 20 containing lubricating oil at 22, a thin flap 24 projecting from one side of the envelope.

The envelope is elongate, and has a thickness (Fig. 3) significantly less than the thickness of a persons finger. In this manner, the sachet may be fed through the nip N of the shredding machine (which conventionally is of such a size as to prevent the insertion of a finger) without difficulty.

Most conveniently the web 24 is afforded by an enclosed envelope similar to the envelope 20, differing therefrom only in that it does not contain lubricating oil.

Thus in the use of the lubricating means which is the preferred embodiment of this invention, the sachet may be fed into the nip of the shredding machine, the web 24 being gripped by the cutting mechanism and the sachet shredded, releasing lubricating oil for deposition on the discs of the cutting mechanism to lubricate them.

Desirably the lubricating means comprises a number of interconnected sachets, one such being show in dotted lines indicated 20a, 24a which may be separated by a web of material not containing lubricating oil, whereby eco nomic deposition generally over the full width of the cutting mechanism may be accomplished. Indeed if desired such interconnected sachets may be continuous allowing a number sachets appropriate to the width of the cutting mechanism to be torn off and fed into the cutting mechanism.

In the preferred embodiment, the sachet is 100 mm in length and 30 mm high, having a maximum thickness in the order of 5 mm.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A means suitable for use in the iubrication of the cutting mechanism of a shredding machine of the kind specified, the means being afforded by a sachet containing lubricating oil.

2. A means according to Claim 1 wherein the sachet comprises an envelope containing lubricating oil and one or more webs or flaps of material which extent from the envelope.

3. A means according to one of Claims 1 and 2 wherein the sachet is elongate.

4. A means according to Claim 3 as appendent to Claim 2 wherein the web or flaps extending from the elongate side of the sachet.

5. A means according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sachet is subdivided into a plurality of envelopes.

6. A means according to Claim 5 wherein the envelopes are spaced by an intervening web or webs.

7. A means according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a number of sachets each comprising an enclosed plastics envelope and one or more webs or flaps of material, the sachets being interconnected.

8. A method of lubricating the cutting mechanism of a shredding machine of the kind specified, in which a sachet containing lubricating oil is entered into the nip of the cutting mechanism and shredded thereby, releasing the contained oil on to the cutting mechanism.

9. A means suitable for use in the lubrication of the cutting mechanism of a shredding machine of the kind specified, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of lubricating the cutting mechanism of the kind specified, when carried out substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. Any novel feature or novel combination of features as herein before described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.