Looking at this old shredder?

[Paraord]

Hey guys,

A pretty good deal came up within a few hour drive of me and wanted to ask the experts, My main purpose if for pipe tobacco. The person selling it says it was for cigars but I wanted to see what you guys thought and if it will work for pipe tobacco. Anyways here's the pictures. What am I looking at and is it worth a drive?

 

[deluxestogie]

That appears to be a 1/4" slice, if those wheels are actually blades. It strikes me as an industrial slicer for some other material. Wood splits? Basket materials? Silage?

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

If you want a second opinion, it's that Bob is right. That's too wide of a cut and meant for something else.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Ditto on the too wide for pipe tobacco but it is pretty cool looking. How much does he want for it?

 

[alPol05]

Can you ask the seller if there are any markings on this contraption? Manufacturer name, patent date, or any other marking that can help identify this machine. I also agree that this contraption looks too heavy for tobacco processing.

Wiktor

 

[Paraord]

Thanks guys, This is why I asked the experts! Was asking $100.

 

[deluxestogie]

From the photos, the only marking I can identify says only, "PATENTED"

Bob

 

[alPol05]

From the photos, the only marking I can identify says only, "PATENTED"

Bob

Yah, I saw that. The date might be on the other side. This contraption looks like it was made during mid 19th to early 20th century. During that time the stamp Patented was followed with a date (s). If we would know the date, we could search patent databases, etc., etc...

WK

 

[MarcL]

This shows how they come together. Unlike any shredding technology I've seen

 

[MarcL]

Looks like 7/16 ths. That's a fat noodle.

 

[deluxestogie]

Looks like 7/16 ths. That's a fat noodle.

Considering the wide cut and the truly massive steel blocks that anchor a substantial crank, hefty gears and 11" of intake, I'm guessing that it was expecting a durable "sheet" of something about 1/8" thick (judging from the roller separation within the valleys). Maybe for leather cutting, like horse reins or latigo lacing, or even split hickory bark, for cane chair seats.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I hate this thing, whatever it is. It has hijacked my attention all day. I keep searching more and more obscure terms, scouring the images, then refining the search. Dammit!

Maybe MarcL is onto something. Really old pasta cutters seemed to be engineered to slice concrete with ease.

Bob

 

[MarcL]

Me to kinda.. I haven't been searching though.. but, thinking what you said about "sheet" yada yada, and, what I'm thinking when you wrote it, that they were not off set and kinda blunt edged, the valleys are round. If you were able to off set it might make a tight wave in tin? I don't think it would cut leather due to the blunt. It would make a fat round pasta. I do like chair lacing. soak some bark, feed it through, it could make some nice round material. kinda like this shtick..

 

[Paraord]

Hahaha glad to entertain. I have a knack for acquiring old tools that are built like tanks. Take my old enterprise #32 grinder hooked to a reduction gear and 1/2 go motor. Or my chop rite 16lb capacity all cast iron sausage press. Son this wasnt out of my wheelhouse. Just wished it woulda worked.

 

[Paraord]

The fella said it was from the 1840's if that helps your search. Whats 10 yeara of patent files between friends?

 

[MarcL]

hehe. with a thread tittle something like what the .. and mechanical, it would get some look see. gotta watch what you post around here.

 

[MarcL]

Speaking of witch, what the... https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cigar-Warm...771855?hash=item41debc884f:g:-NkAAOSw0gFav31E

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

This would be a two person operation. Based on how large the handle is, one person would have to stand at the end to crank it while another person feeds it.
Is it possible that it is not a shredder at all, and that the points where the rollers contact are not meant to cut, but to maintain a distance between the rollers which are spaced as such for cracking corn or barley as they feed through?

 

[deluxestogie]

...what the... https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cigar-Warm...771855?hash=item41debc884f:g:-NkAAOSw0gFav31E

Answer:

Ybor City humidity.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I think it's the predecessor of the powered feed mill. Could be a Letz / John Deer.