Abstract

This invention relates to a fragmenting apparatus (10) and method or fragmenting, particularly for fragmenting tyres (300) and more specifically "off the road" (OTR) tyres, into manageable size pieces for the purposes of recycling used tyres (300) and reducing the used tyre stockpiles around the world currently having hugely detrimental effects on the environment. The fragmenting apparatus (10) includes a rotatable mount onto which a tyre is rotatably securable about a first axis of rotation (16/116) and a cutting wheel (14/114) for cutting and/or fragmenting the tyre (300) being rotatable about a second axis (18/118) of rotation being substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation (16/116) and having an axial dimension (116, 118) substantially the same or greater than the width of the tyre (300). The first and second axes of rotation (16, 18) are movable relative to one another such that the cutting wheel (14/114) and the tyre are movable into and out of cutting contact with one another such that in use and in cutting contact, the tyre (300) is cut and/or fragmented by the cutting wheel (14/114) in a radially inward direction from an outer tread portion of the tyre (300), through its first and second sidewalls (304 A, 304 B) and towards its first and second inner beads (302).

IPC Classes  ?

• B02C 19/20 - Disintegrating by grating