Improvements in Diso Machines for Preparing Roots for Sheep and Cattle Food.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Feb., 1895-Accepted, 30th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Diso Machines 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 on the disc root cutter for which I
obtained Letters Patent bearing date May 6th 1893, No. 9103.
In the Specification of that Patent, I described means for preventing the choking
of the hopper by clearing away the roots, which, by making a lodgement on the
disc cutter shaft, would obstruct the downward flow of the roots.
As an improvement upon this invention, I now propose to cast the skeleton
wheel which carries the plates bearing the cutters, with saw teeth projections on its
periphery, which cutting projections may extend down the depth of the rim of the
wheel.
The action of these cutters will be to render the machine practically unchokable
in the upper part of the hopper.
In order to adapt my improved machine to the pulping of roots, or to the cutting
up of roots in slices and finger pieces suitable for cattle, sheep, & lambs, I provide
sets of segment plates to fit upon the skeleton wheel, such plates having applied
thereto cutters suitable for the special work for which they are designed.
The plates, which are connected to the skeleton wheel by nuts and bolts, are
made easy of attachment and detachment, so that the farmer can readily convert
his machine to a pulper, to a shredder, or a root slicer, at pleasure.
To facilitate this attachment and detachment of the cutter plates I hinge the
hopper, or that portion of it which lies above the axle of the disc cutter, to the
framing of the machine, or to the lower or fixed portion of the hopper, in such
manner that it may be turned aside, and leave free access to oue quarter of the
disc cutter.
In order to enable the ratchet tooth cutters on the periphery of the skeleton
wheel to act on the roots, I crank or rebate the face of the hopper, so as to provide
a clear space for the roots to fall onto the upper part of the wheel rim, the rotation
of which will cause the ratchet tooth cutters to pare away the roots in contact
therewith, and remove all tendency to choking in the upper part of the hopper.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1894.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Disc Machines 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 a novel arrangement of mechanism for reducing roots
to a state fit for feeding cattle and sheep.

page_text: My improvements in this class of machinery are designed, first, to remedy the
choking to which root slicers and pulpers have heretofore been subject; and
secondly, to. provide facilities for reducing the roots either to pulp, to chips, to
slices, or to finger pieces, as desired, by the one machine.
In carrying out these objects, I propose to introduce some improvements on the
disc root cutter for which I obtained Letters Patent bearing date May 6th 1893,
No. 9103..
In the Specification of that Patent, I described means for preventing the choking
of the hopper by clearing away the roots, which, by making a lodgement on the
disc cutter shaft, would obstruct the downward flow of the roots.
As an improvement upon this invention, I now propose to cast the skeleton
wheel which carries the plates bearing the cutters, with ratchet teeth cutters on its
periphery, which cutters may extend down the depth of the rim of the wheel.
In order to adapt my improved machine to the pulping of roots, or to the cutting
up of roots in slices and finger pieces, suitable for cattle, sheep, and lambs, I provide
sets of segment plates to fit upon the skeleton wheel, such plates having applied
thereto cutters suitable for the special work for which they are designed.
The plates, which are connected to the skeleton wheel by nuts and bolts, are
made easy of attachment and detachment, so that the farmer can readily convert
his machine to a pulper, to a shredder, or a root slicer, at pleasure.
To facilitate this attachment and detachment of the cutter plates, I hinge that
portion of the hopper which lies above the axle of the disc cutter, to the lower or
fixed portion of the hopper, in such manner that it may be turned aside, and leave
free access to one quarter of the disc cutter.
In order to enable the ratchet tooth cutters on the periphery of the skeleton
wheel to act upon the roots, I rebate the hopper, so as to provide a clear space for
the roots to fall onto the upper part of the wheel rim.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved machine fitted with gouge shaped cutters
for reducing the roots to chips.
Fig. 2 is a back elevation of the machine, partly in section.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section, taken in the line 1. 2 of Figs. 1 and 2, or parallel to
the cutter shaft.
Fig. 4 is a partial side or face view of the cutter wheel, with one segment cutter
plate in place; and
Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the same, the cutter plate being fitted with a
slicing blade.
Each machine, it will be understood, is provided with a series of cutter plates,
carrying different forms of cutters, to suit varying kinds of work, and they are so
fitted to the wheel which carries them, as to allow of their being readily changed
by the attendant.
For reducing the roots to shreds or pulp, I employ chisel edged and pointed
cutters, such as those shown respectively at Figs. 6 and 7, mounting them on
segment plates cast with a line of holes, as shown in the face and sectional views
Figs. 8 and 9, for the cutting edges of the knives to project through, and reach the
roots in the hopper.
Fig. 10 is a partial face view of the cutter wheel fitted with knives for reducing
the roots to finger pieces suitable for sheep; and
Figs. 11 are sectional views showing the mode of fixing the cutters in the
cutter plate.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A is the framing of the machine, B is the cutter
shaft suitably mounted thereon, and carrying at its forward extremity a skeleton
cutter wheel C.
To the inner face of this wheel, four segment plates DD are affixed by screws
and nuts dd, and fitted to the plates are gouge shaped cutters E E.
FF is the hopper for receiving the roots which are to be reduced by the action
of the cutters.

page_text: This hopper is divided horizontally at a line a little above the axle B, the lower
portion F being fixed to the framing, and the upper part F hinged to the lower
part at f.
The shape of this hopper is somewhat peculiar in plan view, for the purpose to
be presently described.
The skeleton cutter wheel C is cast with peripherical cutters cc, shaped like
ratchet teeth, which cutters extend over the inner face of the wheel rim, for the
purpose of ensuring a clearance in the upper part of the hopper, for the steady
descent of the roots.
The plates D are also cast with cutters as shown at d' d', which further assist in
ensuring a proper clearance at different levels in the hopper, the one being above
and the other below the steel cutters E.
In combination with the peripherical cutters c of the cutter wheel and the short
radial cutters of the cutter plates, I employ a screw conveyer G, keyed to the
cutter shaft B, and formed preferably with a V edge, the rotation of which, when.
the cutter wheel is in motion, will, by its combined action with the cutters c and d',
remove all tendency for the roots to clog in the hopper, and ensure their flowing
steadily towards the revolving steel cutters E, by which the roots will be reduced
either to chips, to pulp, to slices, or to finger pieces, according to the character of
cutter plates fitted, for the time being, to the machine.
To provide for the action of the cutters c, the hopper F is rebated or recessed
immediately above the cutter wheel, as best shown at f' in Figs. 1 and 2. This
allows of the roots falling upon the rim of the cutter wheel, and of being pared
away, as the wheel is rotated, to bring the steel cutters É into action on the
descending roots.
By the rotation of the cutter shaft B, the cutters E will sever the roots, and
discharge the shreds, chips, or pieces, through the openings in the skeleton wheel,.
onto the ground, or onto any suitable receptacle.
Supposing it is desired to alter the machine as fitted in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and
convert it into a slicer, for example, it will only be necessary to throw back, the
hopper F to the dotted position of Fig. 2, when ready access will be afforded to.
the attendant, to remove the attaching bolts d from the segment plates. The
attendant can then readily detach those plates, and replace them by segment plates,.
such as that shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and return the hopper to its vertical position,.
when the machine will be again ready for use.
The segment plate, Figs. 4 and 5, is cast with a radial slot, over which the knife.
blade E lies, it being secured to a raised bed or thickened portion of the plate,.
parallel to the opening, by means of screws.
The segment plates for receiving the shredding or pulping knives, Figs. 6 and 7,.
are cast with a radial line of holes (see Figs. 8 and 9), through which project the
cutting edges of the knife E.
This knife is set on the incline, and for this purpose the segment plate is cast
with bevilled projections on its back, to receive the knife. Slots are formed at the
back of the knife, to receive binding screws e, which will hold the knife firmly in
place, and yet admit of its adjustment upon the plate.
The cutters used for reducing the roots to finger pieces, and illustrated at
Figs. 10 and 11, are somewhat peculiar in their construction and arrangement.
Fig. 10 shews two segment plates attached to the cutter wheel, one plate being
furnished with steel cutters E E and E*, and the other being a plain plate.
These steel cutters are secured in place by inserting them in the mould in which
the plate is to be cast, and relying on the molten metal to close upon them.
The cutters E are made of steel blades bent at a right angle, and each presenting
a vertical and a horizontal cutting edge to the roots. The cutter E*, which is the
last that comes into action, is a simple flat blade with one cutting edge. The steel
cutters, as shown at Fig. 10, are nine in number, and they are so arranged as to
operate upon the roots in succession in a certain order.
Their position on the plate may be determined by describing nine concentric arcs

page_text: equidistant from each other, and placing the cutter 1 on the outermost arc, ant
near the left hand edge of the plate. The cutter 2 being on the second arc, stands
a little in rear of cutter 1; the cutter 3 on the third arc, in rear of the cutter 2;
and so on, to the cutter 6, which is on the sixth arc, and set in rear of cutter 5.
This constitutes the first group of cutters. The second group, nearer the boss of
the cutter wheel, consists of two cutters, numbered respectively 7 and 8, and
situated respectively on the two arcs nearest the boss of the wheel. These cutters
come successively into operation after the roots have been acted upon by a portion
of the first series of cutters, and the final cut is made by the cutter 9 (*) situate
near the lower edge of the plate.
It will be understood that all the cutters from 1 to 8 cut two sides of a finger
piece, and that the completion of the cutting of the unfinished finger piece is
completed by the next succeeding cutter. The duty of the cutter 9 is simply to
divide the squared piece of root that is presented to it. In casting the segment
cutter plates, the metal is caused to support the cutters by forming a hollow
backing behind them, which backing takes the form of a hood d (see the sectional
views Figs. 11), and leaves an opening for the escape of the severed pieces. In
order to strengthen the cutter plate, ridges d³ are made, on the face thereof, running
from one hooded projection to the other. To provide a proper delivery for the
pieces severed by the cutter E*, the adjoining segment plate is cast with a hollow
raised edge (in line with the cutter), to complete the hood, which forms the backing
for that cutter plate.
It will be understood that the cutter wheel C is provided with two cutter plates
and two plain plates, like those represented at Fig. 10; thus provision is made for
allowing room for the root to drop after a slice has been removed, before the next
slice is commenced to be cut.
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 :-
1. In root preparing machines fitted with a vertically revolving wheel for carrying
the cutter plates, the meaus above described for preventing the choking of the
hopper, and ensuring a steady flow of the roots to the revolving cutters, such means
consisting in peripherical cutters ou the rim of the cutter wheel and radial cutters
on the segmental cutter plates, in combination with a screw conveyor fixed on the
cutter shaft.
2. In root preparing machines of the class indicated in Claim 1, forming the
hopper with a rebate or recess which will admit of the roots falling upon the
peripherical cutters of the cutter wheel, as and for the purpose above described.
3. The hinged hopper for providing access to the cutter plates, for the purpose
of changing the same at pleasure.
Dated this 24th day of January 1895.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.