Improved Machinery for Preparing Roots for Sheep and Cattle Food.
Year: 1893

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Date of Application, 6th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 10th Mar.,
1894
PROVIDIUNAL DI MUITIVA
Improved Machinery for Preparing Roots for Sheep and
Cattle Food.
I, EDMUND ERNEST BENTALL of Heybridge, near Maldon in the County of
Essex, Agricultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of machines for pulping,
cutting, and slicing roots, in which discs furnished with cutting blades are used for
preparing the food for cattle and sheep. It is frequently found that the roots,
particularly mangold wurzel, have a tendency to stick or clog in the hopper,
instead of falling within range of the revolving cutters designed to pulp or sever
them..
Now the object of the present invention is to remedy this inconvenience, and to
ensure that the roots, as supplied to the hopper, shall pass down to the rotating
cutting disc, and be reduced to pulp, or pieces, as may be desired. To this end,
mount upon that part of the disc cutter shaft which passes through the hopper,
a series of pointed cutters, which are preferably carried by a cone-shaped holder.
These pointed cutters are designed to perform a double duty, namely, to remove
any obstructions which may serve to prevent the roots from gradually descending,
and to act as propellers for pressing forward the roots towards the discharge
opening in the hopper, in front of which the cutting disc is mounted. The cutting
disc will be of the usual construction, supplemented by radially arranged blades
affixed to the inner face of the solid centre of the disc, or to the plates carrying the
knives, such blades being so shaped as to slice the roots which come in contact
with the solid portion of the disc, and thereby to ensure their falling within range of
the ordinary revolving cutters.
It will now be understood, that as the cutting disc is rotated, the cutters attached
to the disc shaft will revolve, and acting upon the roots supplied to the hopper, will
effectually disengage them from one another, if jammed in the hopper, and facilitate
their passage to the cutting disc.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machinery for Preparing Roots for Sheep and
Cattle Food.
I EDMUND ERNEST BENTALL of Heybridge near Maldon in the County of
Essex, Agricultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of machines for pulping,
cutting, and slicing roots, in which discs furnished with cutting blades are used for
preparing the food for cattle and sheep.
It is frequently found that the roots, particularly mangold wurzel, have a tendency
to stick or clog in the hopper, instead of falling within range of the revolving.
cutters designed to pulp or sever them.

page_text: "
Now, the object of the present invention is to remedy this inconvenience, and to
ensure that the roots, as supplied to the hopper, shall pass down regularly to the
rotating disc, and be reduced to pulp or pieces, as may be desired.
To this end, I mount upon that part of the disc cutter shaft which passes through
the hopper, a cutter or cutters, which, in revolving, will pare away the roots in
contact therewith, and ensure the steady descent of the same during the working of
the machine.
The revolving cutters receive their motion from the cutter shaft, and may serve
to perform a double duty, viz. :-(1) to remove any obstructions which may serve
to prevent the roots from gradually descending, and (2) to act as propellers for
pressing forward the roots towards the discharge opening in the hopper, in front of
which the cutting disc is mounted. The cutting disc is of the usual construction,
but supplemented by radially arranged blades or cutting projections affixed to the
inner face of the solid centre of the disc, or cast therewith, such blades or cutting
projections being so shaped as to strike the roots which come in contact with the
solid central portion of the disc, and thereby to ensure the roots falling within
range of the ordinary revolving cutters.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention as applied to disc
root cutters, the means for preventing the clogging of the machine through the
lodgement of the roots, being somewhat varied, to meet the various requirements of
the trade.
Fig. 1 shows, in cross section, a turnip cutter constructed according to my
invention, the same being taken transversely of the cutter shaft, and showing the
inner face of the disc cutter.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken in the line 1, 2 of Fig. 1.
In these figures, A is the cutter disc, composed of plates of cast iron secured to
a ring cast with a boss and arms. This disc is keyed to a driving shaft B, which
has its bearings in the frame C.
DD are gouge shaped cutters fitted in place in the usual manner.
Cast with the plates of the disc A, at the central portion thereof, are radial
ribs a a, formed with a cutting edge, which serve, as the disc rotates, to move
down the roots pressed forward against the disc, and ensure their coming into
speedy contact with the revolving cutters D.
E is a conical sleeve, keyed to the driving shaft B, within the hopper F, through
which the driving shaft passes. The smaller diameter of this coned sleeve is set
adjacent to the disc. Cast with this conical sleeve, is a rib or projection e, of equal
depth throughout its length, and shaped to a cutting edge.
The cutter e may be modified, as will he hereafter explained, both in form and
character, so long as it rotaius the qualities requisite for preventing the lodgement
and keeping in movement the roots supplied to the hopper.
Figs. 3 show, in side and end view, the cone E with its agitating cutter e, cast
in one with the cutter disc A. In this example a radial cutter a of the disc joins
with the cutter e of the cone E.
Figs. 4 show the form which I prefer my invention to take, as experience has
proved its efficiency for acting upon various kinds of roots.
In this arrangement, the longitudinal cutter e of Figs. 2 and 3, is replaced by four
sets of pointed cutters e, which act, like the longitudinal cutter, to disturb and
propel the roots.
This action may also be effected by mounting the pointed cutters on an endless
band or chain, as shown in the sectional view Fig. 5. This arrangement will be
found most beneficial when roots, or cabbages large enough to span over the space
in the hopper immediately above the spindle, are required to be prepared for cattle
food. In this arrangement, the band e passes over a pulley e keyed on the driving
axle B, and over a pulley mounted in the side of the framing.
Figs. 6 show the longitudinal cutter e attached directly to the driving shaft B,
or without the intervention of a coned sleeve.

page_text: In this case, the effect of a cone is obtained by setting the cutting edge at an
incline to the shaft, by increasing the depth of the cutter towards the rear.
To render the agitating action transmitted to the descending roots the more
efficient, I sometimes propose to drive the cutting agitator e in the opposite direction
to that in which the driving shaft rotates.
One arrangement of this contrivance is shown at Figs. 7 and 8, Fig. 7 being a
partial sectional view of the root cutter, taken in a line parallel with the driving
shaft, and Fig. 8 a transverse section of the same. The conical sleeve E, in this
example, is mounted loosely on the driving shaft B, and is formed or fitted, as
above described, with a longitudinal cutter e.
This loose conical sleeve carries at its rear end (outside the hopper) a ring of
internal teeth e, which gears into an intermediate pinion & mounted on a stud pin,
gear
with a spur pinion keyed on the shaft B.
and in
By the rotation, therefore, of the shaft B, rotary motion is imparted to the
cone E in an opposite direction to that in which the cutter disc A rotates, and
causes its agitating cutter e to act efficiently upon the roots in the hopper.
In Fig. 9, a modification of the loose conical sleeve is shewn it being cast with
four cutters e corresponding to the four sets of pointed cutters of Figs. 4; the
driving of the loose cone in this case is effected in the same way as that described
with reference to Figs. 7 and 8, that is, in the opposite direction to that of the
cutter disc.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that as the cutter disc is
rotated, the agitating cutters e carried by the driving shaft B, will revolve, and
acting upon the roots supplied to the hopper, will pare away and effectually
disengage them from one another, if jammed in the hopper, and facilitate their
passage to the cutter disc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The means above described for facilitating the presentation of the descending.
roots, in disc preparing machines, to the revolving cutters carried by the disc, as
and for the purpose above set forth.
Dated this 20th day of Tom1004
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.