IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING HAY, STRAW, AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bright, of the Old Foundry, Carmarthen, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING HAY, STRAW,
AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 17th June 1862, and dated the 27th December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bright at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
December 1861.
I, THOMAS BRIGHT, of the Old Foundry, Carmarthen, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING HAY,
STRAW, AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists, firstly, in supporting the top or rising
part of the mouth-piece of chaff-cutting and other machines of the like nature,
with radius bars which guide it in its upward and downward motion and which
also form the bearing for the axis of the top feed roller. The object of this
part of my Invention is to form an expanding mouth-piece to keep a uniform
pressure on the hay, straw, or other vegetable substances, to be cut according
to the depth of the feed.
My Invention consists, secondly, in passing a spindle across the mouth-piece
of the machine on which is placed a small toothed pinion that works into an
internal toothed wheel fixed on the axis of the bottom feed roller, by which
means the spindle and bottom roller are made to revolve towards the mouth,

page_text: on the cross spindle, near the other end is a toothed pinion working into a
toothed wheel to give motion to the top feed rolling. The cross spindle being
worked in the usual way with a spur wheel on the end.
My Invention also consists in making the bottom of the feed trough for
chaff-cutting and other machines of the like nature, of an endless hair-cloth
or other suitable material to revolve on two rollers fixed in the feed trough to
take the hay, straw, or other vegetable substance to be cut into the feed rollers
of the machine. Motion is given to the hair-cloth or other suitable material,
by fixing a pulley on the axis of the front roller in the feed trough, the pulley
being worked by a strap passing over it, and over the ring of the internal
toothed wheel on the axis of the bottom roller.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Bright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BRIGHT, of Old Foundry, Carmarthen, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Bright, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Bright,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Bright, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
CUTTING HAY, STRAW, AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Bright, my executors or administra-
tors, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature 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 Thomas Bright, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement*
thereof, that is to say:-
The nature of my Invention consists, firstly, in supporting the top or rising
part of the mouth-piece of chaff-cutting, and other machines of the like nature,
with radius bars which guide it in its upward and downward motion, and which
also form the bearing for the axis of the top feed roller. The object of this
part of my Invention is to form an expanding mouth-piece, to keep a uniform
pressure on the hay, straw, or other vegetable substances to be cut according
to the depth of the feed.
My Invention consists, secondly, in passing a spindle across the mouth-piece
of the machine, on which is placed a small toothed pinion that works into an
internal toothed wheel fixed on the axis of the bottom feed roller, by which
means the spindle and bottom roller are made to revolve towards the mouth,
on the cross spindle near the other end is a toothed pinion working into a
toothed wheel to give motion to the top feed roller. The cross spindle being
worked in the usual way with a spur wheel on the end.
My Invention also consists in making the bottom of the feed trough for
chaff-cutting and other machines of the like nature of an endless hair-cloth or
other suitable material to revolve on two rollers fixed in the feed trough to
take the hay, straw, or other vegetable substance to be cut into the feed rollers
of the machine. Motion is given to the hair-cloth or other suitable material,
by fixing a pulley on the axis of the front roller in the feed trough the pulley
being worked by a strap passing over it and over the ring of the internal
toothed wheel on the axis of the bottom roller.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and carried into
effect, reference is given to the Drawing, and the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of chaff-cutting machine, to which my improve-
ments are applied. Figure 2 is a plan. Figure 3 a transverse sectional
elevation. Figure 4 an elevation of radius bars, guiding mouth-piece, and
compound lever for weight. Figure 5, plan of compound lever..a is the frame,
made of wood or iron; b, fly wheel shaft; c, fly wheel; d, knives; e, bottom feed
roller; f, top feed roller; g, rising mouthpiece made with a roller or flat; h, cross
spindle worked in the usual way, with toothed pinion i on the end working
into internal toothed wheel j, on the axle of the bottom roller e, causing it to
revolve to the mouth; j', bevil wheel and stop motion for working feed rollers
from shaft 6 as is now customary;, feed trough with two rollers to receive
cloth bottom'; j, pulley on axle of roller j³, to be worked by a strap passing over
internal wheel j, to give motion to the endless cloth bottom in feed trough;

page_text: k, spindle working top feed roller; 1, toothed wheel and pinion for working top
feed roller; m, compound levers for weight n, which increases the pressure on the
top feed roller as the feed thickens and the mouth-piece rises; o, connecting
link from top roller fto compound lever m, as shown in Figure 4; p, radius rod
for supporting top or rising part of mouth-piece with its fulcrum at p¹ and con-
necting to the axle of the top roller at fand the mouth-piece at g, which causes
the mouth to expand as the top roller rises, keeping the hay, straw, and other
vegetable substances to be cut, uniformly compressed at all thickness of the feed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
details set forth, as the same may be considerably modified. I would also
remark that although I have shown and described my various improvements
in machines for cutting hay, straw, and other vegetable substances as combined,
they may each be used independently of the others, and I declare that I
claim,―
First, the supporting the top or rising part of the mouth-piece of such
machines for cutting hay, straw, or other vegetable substance that the mouth
expands as the top roller rises.
Secondly, the passing a spindle across the mouth, and working the bottom
feed roller with an internal toothed wheel and pinion.
Thirdly, the working the cloth bottom in feed trough by a strap from the
internal toothed wheel on bottom feed roller.
Fourthly, the compound lever for increasing the pressure on the top feed
roller as the feed thickens.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bright, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
THOMAS BRIGHT. L.S.)