AN IMPROVED CHAFF-CUTTING MACHINE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johann Carl Rohrbeck, Chemist, of Bromberg, in
the Kingdom of Prussia, Superintendent of a Railway Locomotive
Department, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CHAFF-CUTTING MACHINE."
Sealed the 1st August 1864, and dated the 18th April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johann Carl Rohrbeck
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th April 1864.
I, JOHANN CARL ROHRBECK, of Bromberg, in the Kingdom of Prussia,
Superintendent of a Railway Locomotive Department, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN. IMPROVED CHAFF-CUTTING MACHINE," to
be as follows:-
My Invention has. relation to an improved machine for cutting chaff, part
or parts of which may be applied to machines of ordinary.construction.
The improvement relates, first, to the cutting knife and the mechanical
attachments thereto; and, secondly, to the feeding apparatus.
First, the chief novelty and peculiarity of the cutting knife is, that it is
suspended between two swinging frames, which admit of the cut being made
across the whole area of the mouth of the trough that contains the material
to be cut. The knife is attached to a beam which is moveable, being suspended

page_text: by two arms or levers. One end of one of these arms is centred on a stationary
pin, while the other arms forms one side of a bell-crank lever, to which is
connected a rod attached to an excentric on the main driving shaft of the
machine. The action is, that as the main shaft revolves, carrying with it the
excentric, the connecting rod between the excentric and the bell-crank lever
is drawn to and fro, and thus causes the knife to traverse with a draw cut
across the mouth of the trough.
a
Second, the feeding apparatus. This portion of my Invention may be
applied to other machines, and is as follows:-It consists of two slide rests.
sliding at the side of the trough on trunnions. These slides are provided at
the inner side of their vertical part with a slot, in which two heckle stays,
which are free to slide, one from above into the trough and the other from
below. To these heckle stays are attached a number of heckle bars or fingers.
Longitudinal slots are cut in the cover and floor or bottom of the trough to
admit of the forward and backward movements of the heckles when acting
upon the material to be cut by the knife. The two sets of heckles are caused
to approach towards and recede from each other by a system of levers in
connection with a main lever worked by an excentric. The forward and
backward motion of the heckles is caused by an excentric, or by an involute
on the main shaft. The action is thus, that presuming the trough to be filled
with the material to be cut, the heckles or fingers are inserted through the
material, and keep it well up to the knife. After the cut has been made
the heckles recede from one another, and are drawn back and clear from the
trough until they are at the end of the back stroke, when by means of the
excentric and levers they approach each other, entering into the material to
be cut, and the heckle frame and heckles are then caused by the revolution of
the involute on the main shaft to move forward, carrying with them the
material to be cut. The knife then again descends, and the action of, the
heckles is repeated. For lubricating the working parts of the machine a
piece of rind of bacon inserted in the pluminer blocks and occasionally
moistened with oil is preferred. The trough in which the material to be cut
is placed is closed with a cover, which presses upon the material in the trough.
This cover is allowed to move up and down, and the pressure on the cover is
regulated by a lever and weight.. This chaff-cutting machine may be driven
by hand or by steam or other motive power if desirable.

page_text: 27
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Johann Carl Rohrbeck in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th October 1864..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHANN
CARL ROHRBECK, of Bromberg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Superintendent of
a Railway Locomotive Department, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Johann Carl Rohrbeck, Her special licence that I,
the said Johann Carl Rohrbeck, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Johann Carl Rohrbeck, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED CHAFF-CUTTING MACHINE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Johann Carl Rohrbeck, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and, ascertain the naturė
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office. within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
.
'
+
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Johann Carl Rohrbeck, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the-
following statement thereof,, that is to say :-
My Invention has relation to an improved machine for cutting chaff, part
or parts of which may be applied to machines of ordinary construction.
The improvement relates, first, to the cutting knife and the mechanical
attachments thereto; and, secondly, to the feeding apparatus.
First, the chief novelty and peculiarity of the cutting knife is, that it is
suspended between two swinging frames which admit of the cut being made
across the whole area of the mouth of the trough that contains the material to
be cut. The knife is attached to a beam which is moveable, being suspended
by two arms or levers; one end of one of these arms is centred on a stationary

page_text: pin, while the other arm forms one side of a bell-crank lever, to which is connected
a rod attached to an excentric on the main driving shaft of the machine. The
action is, that as the main shaft revolves, carrying with it the excentric, the
connecting rod between the excentric and the bell-crank lever is drawn to and
fro, and thus causes the knife to traverse with a "draw" cut across the mouth
of the trough.
Second, the feeding apparatus. This portion of my Invention may be
applied to other machines, and is as follows:-It consists of two slide rests
sliding at the sides of the trough on trunnions. These slides are provided at
the inner side of their vertical part with a slot in which two heckle stays are
free to slide, one from above into the trough and the other from below. To
these heckle stays are attached a number of heckle bars or fingers. Longi-
tudinal slots are cut in the cover and floor or bottom of the trough to admit of
the forward and backward movements of the heckles when acting upon the
material to be cut by the knife. The two sets of heckles are caused to
approach towards and recede from each other by a system of levers in con-
nection with a main lever worked by an excentric. The forward and back;
ward motion of the heckles is caused by an eccentric or by an involute on the
main shaft. The action is thus, that presuming the trough to be filled with
the material to be cut, the heckles or fingers are inserted through the material
and keep it well up to the knife. After the cut has been made the heckles
recede from one another and are drawn back and clear from the trough until
they are at the end of the back stroke, when, by means of the excentric and
levers, they approach each other, entering into the material to be cut,. and the
beckle frame and heckles are then caused, by the revolution of the involute
on the main shaft, to move forward, carrying with them the material to be
cut; the knife then again descends, and the action of the heckles is repeated.
For lubricating the working parts of the machine a piece of rind of bacon
inserted in the plummer blocks, and occasionally moistened with oil, is pre-
ferred. The trough in which the material to be cut is placed is closed with a
cover which presses upon the material in the trough. This cover is allowed
to move up and down, and the pressure on the cover is regulated by a lever
and weight. This chaff-cutting machine may be driven by hand, or by steam,
or other motive power if desirable.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn the method I adopt for
carrying this my Invention into effect.
:Sheet I. represents a front elevation, Sheet II. a plan, and Sheet III.. a
side elevation of so much of the apparatus as is necessary to explain my
Invention. The view from the reverse side is the same, but without the

page_text: connecting rod, the motion of the whole feeding apparatus proceeding only.
from the left side, and the lever is adapted for both sides and is of one piece
only. This machine consists of two principal parts, which can be used sepa-
rately the one from the other, or they may be used conjointly, thus forming a
complete chaff-cutting machine. The first part of my Invention refers to the
knife with its method of working, and the trough, framework, and parts con-
nected with it; the second part refers to the feeding apparatus with its
mechanism for the forward motion.
:
The principal feature of the first part of my Invention is the knife, guided
between two swinging levers, which accomplishes the cut along the whole of
the mouth 'A through the material to be cut, not only in a vertical direction
but at the same time drawing to the side, producing a kind of draw cut, thus
differing from other machines of the same class. The knife beam B is
moveable at the ends of the two levers C, C, on pins slightly tapered so as
to secure a better fit even after long wear. The knife is fastened at the back
of the knife beam by means of screw bolts. To keep the knife always in the
right position after its being fixed two projecting pins or bosses are cast on
the beam E, E, on which the ends of the knife are resting. To lower the
knife in proportion with the wear of the edge, slots are made in the knife
beam, but at the same time it, should be observed that the bolts fixing the
knife should always be as close as possible to its edge; each knife is provided
with two bolt holes, one above the other, the lower hole is to be used for a
new knife, while the upper one is for use when the knife is worn out con-
siderably. An angle is fastened inside the mouth A by screws, the front edge
of which is of hardened steel and ground accurately. The knife is to be
regulated so in its position that while passing the mouth it touches slightly
this tempered edge. For ascertaining the right position of the knife the
adjusting screws r, r, r, r, are loosened a little, and the shafts N, N, pushed
forward a little, more or less, after which the screws are tightened up. The
knife is of the same materal as the common scythe and kept sharp in the same
manner. When sharpening the knife, it is to be kept in its lowest position,
and should this not be convenient enough the pinion F is to be removed and
the knife is to be sharpened while hanging in a vertical position on the pinion
F1. The lever C, C, is connected with the crank K through the pin H and
connecting rod I in such manner that the lever by each revolution has to pass
from L to Z and back, while the lever C has to pass from M to M and back.
The knife beam, and with it the knife, has to follow these two ways, and acts
therefore with a draw cut. The levers before named are ground on their guide
shafts N, N, with one-eighth of an inch; taper, and are moveable. Each

page_text: shaft is carried by two plummer blocks and the two bevel shafts are kept
in their place by the adjusting screws r. The fly wheel shaft N 1 is moveable
in the two bearings O which are fastened by screw bolts to the plate P
and fitted so accurately as to prevent any shifting. In the upper and lower
portions of the bearings is cast a double dovetail-shaped groove which is filled
up with rind of bacon for the purpose of lubrication. To prevent the access of
dirt and dust protecting rims are cast on the outside of the plummer
blocks. I have found this mode of lubricating with rind of bacon, saturated
occasionally with oil, of much greater value than the ordinary methods.
The sides of the trough 9 are bolted to the floor 9 1 and connecting piece 9 2.
The lid or cover of the trough. T is moveable in order to adapt itself to the
varying quantity of material in the trough. This lid is moveable on the bolt U.
The mouth cover is for the purpose of keeping the straw near the mouth
always in a compressed state. The cover is pressed down by the lever W.
and weight X. The foot of the trough is connected with the latter by means
of a cast-iron hinge and bolt. The trough Y is fixed to the frame G by screw
bolts and nuts. The pedestal is made of oak well bolted to the frame and
plate. The machine works from the right to the left as shown by the arrow
and is without any wheelwork directly acting from the hand crank shaft.
The fly wheel Z1 is keyed to the crank shaft. If the machine here described
is to be worked by steam or horse power a pulley is fastened to the crank
shaft. By closer inspection of Sheet I. it will be found that the axis of the
crank shaft is not exactly mathematically in. the right position to the axis of
the lever C, C, and the way of oscillation. This is necessary for equalizing the
different centres of gravity, for which the reason is as follows:-The knife
takes up very little power while it is moving down, not vertical but "drawing,"
but it requires more power while moving upwards, as besides the heavy knife
beam the two levers C and C, C, are to be lifted. Another part of the power
is absorbed in the forward motion of the straw, which causes a very consider-
able amount of friction at the inner side of the trough. These two centres of
gravity, the back movement of the knife and the forward moving of the
straw, almost coincide when the knife has reached its highest position. To
meet these coinciding centres of gravity the greatest power must meet the
greatest weight, consequently the arm of the lever C, C, on pinion H must
form almost a right angle to the crank shaft in the reversed position; it wants
only a very little power, and the angle formed may be more than 90 degrees.
While keeping this position for the crank shaft the machine can be readily
worked by one hand.
i

page_text: apparatus can be applied if desired to other chaff-cutting machines, and
consists of two slide rests A¹, A¹, sliding. at the sides of the trough on the
trunnions B', B. The trunnions have also a recess which is filled up with
rind of bacon.. The slides are provided at the inner side of their vertical part
with a slot in which the two heckle stays D, 'D, slide one from above into the
trough g, and the other from below against the floor g'. The heckle bars E, E,
are made of steel rivetted to the rails F2, F2, and fastened to the heckle stays
by means ofbolts. The side teeth of the heckle are of such a shape as to diminish
the friction by the forward motion. Longitudinal slots are provided in the
floor 91, so that the teeth of the lower heckle may pass through and have room
sufficient for their stroke. The teeth of the lower heckles are at a right angle
to those of the upper hecklés. Bolts G', G', pass through the heckle stays;
at the outsides of which the joint plates H 1, H 1, are fastened at one end,
while the other end is connected by the lever Il' with the upper heckle and for
the lower heckle with the main lever K 1; on the pinion L 1 the upper bent
lever Il is connected by a slotted arm to the upright arm of the main lever K',
and the pin M1 rivetted to but moveable in K1, the two heckles are thus com-
pelled to make the same motion, that is to say, they approach or recede equally
in accordance with the motion of the main lever. The main lever K1. consists
for both sides of the machine; of one piece, that the power. acting in L1 puts
the whole lever with all its connections in motion. The main lever K1 is
centred on the bolt O¹, which reaches quite through the two sides of the
machine and is fastened to the left side. The bearings of the main lever" are
likewise provided with rind of bacon. The main lever is of the same construc-
tion for the right side as shewn in Sheet III. for the left side, but as the motive
power acts only on the left side in L1 the connecting rod C can be dispensed
with for the right side. The bent lever 11 and the joint plates H are equally
necessary for both sides. The motion of the two heckles and main lever is
caused by the eccentric P through the eccentric rod Q and the bent lever R.
The effect of this arrangement is that the two heckles are receding from each
other while the main lever with its end L1 passes from m to ml, and while the
lever end L1 passes from m 1 to m, the heckles approach each other and take
hold of the material to be cut. This forward motion results from a cam or
involute S in one piece with the eccentric, and acts in such a manner that
when the knife has arrived at its position ready for the cut, the lever T1 for
the forward motion takes hold at both sides of the bolt U1, which is moveable
between the two necks of the slide A1, and the forward motion will take place
according to the shape and right position of the involute, the lever A being
united with the connecting link V 1 by means of a cross joint plate, which

page_text: likewise is united through the side end with the involute. The involute has a
recess at the side in which moves a roller P 1 with hardened circumference.
The handle and screw spindle X 1 is for the purpose of regulating tlie length of
the chaff, which is accomplished by lengthening or shortening the arm of the
connecting link lever. By this arrangement of apparatus the friction is
considerably less than when a pair of rollers is used to draw the straw, and it is
also possible to cut any kind of material suitable for. chaff. It is further of no
consequence how the material is put into the trough, namely, with its stubble
end or ear end first, as choking up is quite. impossible. This machine may be
driven by hand or by any suitable motive power.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the cutting knife, and the mechanical attachments thereto, arranged
and acting in the manner herein-before described and represented in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Second, I claim the feeding apparatus arranged and working in the manner
herein-before described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johann Carl Rohrbeck, have hereunto
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
(L.8.) JOHANN CARL ROHRBECK.