Modular shredder and grinder apparatus

1. A modular shredder and grinder apparatus, comprising:

a grinder assembly having a grinder shaft assembly, said grinder assembly having a grinder opening; and

a shredder assembly movable with respect to said grinder opening to allow access to said grinder shaft assembly, wherein scrap material is first fed into said shredder assembly so that shredded scrap material is received through said grinder opening and further cut by said grinder shaft assembly;

said shredder assembly comprising:

a chopper housing positionable over said grinder opening, said chopper housing having a chopper housing opening;

at least one cutter assembly carried by said chopper housing;

a hood assembly positionable over said chopper housing opening, said hood assembly comprising a chute body having a chute opening at one end to receive the scrap material and a chute plate with an opening therethrough at an opposite end of said chute body to allow the scrap material to be received in said chopper housing opening; and

a hood lifting assembly coupled between said chopper housing and said chute body, said hood lifting assembly adapted to move said chute body between a closed position where said chute plate is in contact with said chopper housing and an open position where said chute plate is moved away from said chopper housing and exposes said at least one cutter assembly.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a grinder cabinet having said grinder opening therethrough;

a pair of opposed rails carried on opposed sides of said grinder cabinet; and

said shredder assembly having a plurality of rollers extending therefrom and riding on said pair of opposed rails to move with respect to said grinder opening.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said grinder shaft assembly comprises:

a grinder shaft;

a plurality of supports spaced apart and disposed on said grinder shaft, each said support having at least one blade notch, wherein said blade notches are aligned with each other; and

a blade received in said blade notches.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one cutter assembly comprises:

a cutter shaft, said cutter shaft having a cutter key extending lengthwise for a majority of said cutter shaft; and

a plurality of cutter blades disposed on said cutter shaft and oriented with respect to one another by said cutter key.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a plurality of spacers interleaved with said plurality of cutter blades and disposed on said cutter shaft, wherein each said cutter blade is removable from said cutter shaft for replacement.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein each said cutter blade comprises:

a body having a shaft opening therethrough, said shaft opening having a shaft keyway that is slidably received on said cutter key, said body having at least one insert opening;

a cutter insert received in said insert opening, said cutter insert having a cutting edge, wherein each said cutter blade has an angular orientation of said shaft keyway so that one of said plurality of cutter blades adjacent another of said plurality of cutter blades are non-aligned with each other.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said chopper housing rotatably receives a pair of said cutter assemblies, wherein each said cutter assembly rotates in a direction opposite said other cutter assembly, and wherein a first said cutter assembly is interleaved with a second said cutter assembly such that adjacent said plurality of cutter blades from said first cutter assembly pass between adjacent said plurality of cutter blades from said second cutter assembly during their rotation.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising;

a plurality of wipers inwardly extending from said chopper housing, each said wiper fitting in between said plurality of cutter blades from either said first or second cutter assembly.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one cutter assembly comprises:

a cutter shaft, said cutter shaft having a cutter key extending lengthwise for a majority of said cutter shaft;

a plurality of cutter blades disposed on said cutter shaft and oriented with respect to one another by said cutter key;

a plurality of spacers interleaved with said plurality of cutter blades and disposed on said cutter shaft, wherein each said cutter blade is removable from said cutter shaft for replacement; and

wherein said chopper housing rotatably receives a pair of said cutter assemblies, wherein each said cutter assembly rotates in a direction opposite said other cutter assembly, and wherein a first said cutter assembly is interleaved with a second said cutter assembly such that adjacent said plurality of cutter blades from said first cutter assembly pass between adjacent said plurality of cutter blades from said second cutter assembly during their rotation.

10. A modular shredder and grinder apparatus comprising:

a grinder assembly having a grinder shaft assembly, said grinder assembly having a grinder opening;

a shredder assembly movable with respect to said grinder opening to allow access to said grinder shaft assembly, wherein scrap material is first fed into said shredder assembly so that shredded scrap material is received through said grinder opening and further cut by said grinder shaft assembly;

a grinder cabinet having said grinder opening therethrough;

a pair of opposed rails carried on opposed sides of said grinder cabinet; and

said shredder assembly having a plurality of rollers extending therefrom and riding on said pair of opposed rails to move with respect to said grinder opening;

wherein said shredder assembly further comprises:

a chopper housing positionable over said grinder opening, said chopper housing having a chopper housing opening; and

at least one cutter assembly carried by said chopper housing; and

a hood assembly positionable over said chopper housing opening, said hood assembly comprising a chute body having a chute opening at one end to receive the scrap material and a chute plate with an opening therethrough at an opposite end of said chute body to allow the scrap material to be received in said chopper housing opening, wherein said chute plate is adapted to move with respect to said chopper housing to allow access to said at least one cutter assembly.