The invention relates to a comminuting machine (8) with a rotor system, in particular a knife ring flaker, in which the feedstock is conveyed pneumatically in the axial direction into the central region of the rotor (10) and is conveyed in the radial direction to the comminuting tools arranged around the rotor (10) in the manner of a ring. In order to uniformly wear the knives extending in the axial direction in such devices, it is proposed to provide in the central region (14) an insert (15) which is rotatably driven by a motor (22) and which has separate chambers (16, 17) with which the feedstock entering said chambers is dispensed at axially and radially to different regions. This insert (15) can, in particular, be designed as a rotor, which has a plurality of chambers which are especially shaped in the cross-section in the manner of a circular sector.

A wood chipper, a flywheel therefor, and a process of making the flywheel. A plurality of plates are laser cut to each have a thickness up to about inch, including laser cutting a plurality of apertures in each of the plates and laser cutting a central opening in each of the plates for receiving a shaft for effecting rotation of the flywheel. The plurality of plates are laminated together by inserting fasteners in corresponding ones of the apertures in the plates. At least one knife is attached to the laminated plates for cutting wood material to form chips of the wood material as the flywheel is rotated.

A log chipping machine includes a frame having a long axis and a rotating chipping mechanism having an axis of rotation that is oblique to the long axis of the frame of the machine. The machine also includes a log advance system that is adapted to advance a log to the chipping mechanism, in a processing direction that is generally parallel to the long axis of the frame. The log advance system includes an upper feed assembly. A control system includes a lifting assembly and a controller assembly. The lifting assembly is adapted to move the upper feed assembly with respect to the frame between an engagement position in which the upper feed assembly contacts the log to advance it towards the chipping mechanism and a raised position in which the upper feed assembly is above and out of contact with the log. The controller assembly is operatively connected to the lifting assembly and adapted to cause the lifting assembly to move the upper feed assembly from the engagement position to the raised position intermittently in order to orient the log axis in a generally parallel relationship with the long axis of the frame as the log is being reduced.

A flywheel and paddle assembly for a chipping or shredding apparatus, including a wood chipper, a brush chipper, and a leaf shredder. The assembly has a flywheel attached coaxially to a drive shaft. The flywheel has at least one aperture extending from the front side to the back side, and carries at least one knife adjacent to the at least one aperture. The knife presents a knife edge on the front side of the flywheel. A paddle is rotatably mounted coaxially to the drive shaft adjacent to the back side of the flywheel. The paddle is configured to rotate on the drive shaft independently of the flywheel. A chipping or shredding apparatus incorporating the aforesaid flywheel and paddle assembly is also disclosed.

A chipper includes a hopper and a chipper unit. The hopper is configured to receive vegetative debris via an inlet end. The chipper unit has an outer casing and an inlet passing therethrough. The inlet of the chipper unit is connected to the outlet end of the hopper to in use receive the vegetative debris within the outer casing. The chipper unit includes a cutter located which is configured to chip vegetative debris. The hopper and the outer casing are configured so that the hopper and outer casing can be moved between a position where the hopper is substantially vertical and a position where the hopper is substantially horizontal.