A method for comminuting kitchen waste and/or food residues includes receiving kitchen waste and/or food residues in a funnel, a base of which is provided with a grinding unit for comminuting the kitchen waste and/or food residues and which is connected by the grinding unit via a product line to a pump for pumping away comminuted kitchen waste and/or food residues, and pumping away the kitchen waste and/or food residues comminuted by the grinding unit. Prior to the pumping-away step, precomminution of the kitchen waste and/or food residues located in the funnel is carried out in the funnel by means of a precomminution unit projecting into the funnel. A correspondingly designed device for implementing the method is also described.

A comminuting machine for comminuting material includes a machine frame, a comminuting rotor rotatably mounted on the machine frame, and a material feed area. The material feed area has a wall section over which the material to be comminuted can be supplied to the comminuting rotor and which is designed to be stationary during a comminuting operation of the comminuting machine and can be pivoted about a rotational axis during a maintenance operation of the comminuting machine. Because the rotational axis is designed to be releasably lockable, a second releasably lockable rotational axis is provided together with the first rotational axis, and the wall section of the material feed area can selectively be pivoted about the first or second rotational axis during the maintenance operation of the comminuting machine.

A device for separating plants and plant byproduct, the device comprising: a housing; a basin located in the housing, the basin configured to hold plant material; at least one rotating arm located in the basin; a shelf located below and adjacent to the basin, the shelf comprising a plurality of shelf holes; a blade configured to cut material extending below the shelf through the shelf holes; a first sieve located below and generally adjacent the shelf, the sieve containing a plurality of holes of a first sieve hole size; and a bottom container located below the sieve.

A document shredder is disclosed including a paper receptacle for receiving a load of paper and a shredding assembly. A metering assembly is interposed between the paper receptacle and the shredding assembly and is configured to separate a portion of the load of paper from the load of paper and permit the portion of the load of paper to move into the shredding assembly. The metering assembly may include a stop plate secured thereto and defining a lifting portion on a perimeter portion thereof. The lifting portion is configured to engage a lower edge of the portion of the load of paper upon rotation of the stop plate and lift the paper over the stop plate. The lifting portion may include a flange, which may be a portion of a cone, formed on a perimeter portion of the wheel and occupying a sector of the perimeter of less than 60 degrees.

A shredder has cutter elements for destroying articles (paper) and a feed mechanism for advancing paper from a stack in a tray into cutters for shredding. The feed mechanism has a feed member provided adjacent to the tray with an elastic arm for engaging and disengaging the stack. The feed member rotates in a feeding direction about an axle, with the elastic arm elastically deforming to apply pressure to feed paper atop the stack to the cutters. The elastic arm can include a protruding tip that is inserted into the stack. The tray includes a curved feed bed to assist in feeding paper into the cutters and deforming the elastic arm. A pivot arm can also move the feed member relative to the tray (e.g., vertically). A disengagement mechanism can hold the feed mechanism in an inoperable feeding position when a drawer or tray is moved into an open position.