Year: 1899

page_text: JAMES HENRY WICKENS, Poulterer, Dane Hill, Uckfield, Sussex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A funnel shaped reservoir-to contain food-fixed to iron plate with valve at base
The reservoir connected to a perpendicular placed cylinder. The cylinder has a
nozzle at top for the food to pass through, being pressed through by a piston pro-
pelled by a simple lever arrangement, the whole to be fitted to a light frame
with wheel in front.
Dated this 90th dow of V
1000
I, JAMES HENRY WICKENS, of Dane Hill, Uckfield, in the County of Sussex,
Poulterer, 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 an improved poultry cramming machine, and is
designed with the object of providing apparatus for " cramming" poultry, which
apparatus possesses many advantages over the devices of this kind at present in
use, particularly as regards the simplicity of construction, cheapness of manu-
facture, durability, and effectiveness in use.
The invention consists essentially in a hopper communicating with a food
chamber in which is slidingly disposed a piston carrying at one end a plunger
for forcing the food out of the chamber aforesaid, through the spout or outlet
to the tube which conveys the food under pressure to the turkey or other fowl.
Means are provided whereby when a supply of food has been delivered into the
food chamber through the hopper, the opening through which the said hopper
communicates with the food chamber, is closed automatically, such closure being
effected when the piston is brought into use for forcing the food through the
proper outlet.
In order that this my said invention may be more readily understood and car-
ried into practical effect, reference is hereby made to the accompanying sheet of
illustrative drawings wherein :
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus complete.

page_text: Fig. 2 a similar view of the seat casing for the hopper.
Fig. 3 is an elevational view of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 a similar view of the food chamber, of which Fig. 5 is a section.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the food chamber.
Figs. 7 and 8 elevational and sectional views respectively of the valve which
controls the opening between the hopper and the food chamber.
Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views of the spout or outlet, while
Fig. 11 is an elevational view of the piston-rod and plunger.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate corres-
ponding parts throughout the various figures, a represents a metal or other
hopper, which is preferably of conical shape as shewn, the open end of such hopper
fitting snugly into a seat casing b within which is transversely disposed a bar 61
having a central opening 63 in which slides a vertical rod c¹ connected at its
lower end to a cup-shaped valve c, the said rod c¹ being guided in the opening b³
aforesaid.
The lower end of the seat casing b is flanged as at 63 which flange fits within the
raised rim d¹ on the upper part of the food chamber d the opening in the lower
end of such seat casing coinciding with the mouth of such food-chamber. The
seat casing b is rivetted, bolted or otherwise fixed to the upper part of the food
chamber d. e represents the spout of the food chamber such spout being flanged
at its lower end e in order to fit within a raised rim d³ on the top of the food
chamber the opening in the said lower end of the spout coinciding with the
opening in the food chamber. Any suitable means may be employed for fixing
the spout e into the socket of the food chamber.
represents the piston rod which is disposed lengthwise in the food chamber
and carries at its upper end the plunger. The said plunger comprises an india-
rubber or other yielding collar g which is held upon the upper end of the piston
rod between two flanged rims h. Portions f¹ of the upper end of the piston f
are screw-threaded, on which threaded portions work nuts i, a washer being inter-
posed between the upper flanged ring h and the upper nut 2. The lower rim of the
valve is flanged at ², which flange normally abuts against the shoulder b
formed in the annular recess 65 in the lower edge of the said casing b. In
operation the spout of the apparatus is connected, by means of a flexible tube (not
shewn) with the bill of the bird to be fed. The food is then filled into the hopper
through the upper enlarged end thereof, the weight of which food causes the
valve c to fall from its seat and thereby free the opening into the food-chamber d.
When the said food-chamber is full the food is then forced into the bird's crop by
forcing the piston rod f carrying the plunger upward, which has the effect of lift-
ing the valve c upon its seat again and closing the opening in the lower end of
the seat casing, thereby preventing the food being forced into the hopper, while at
the same time the only exit for such food is by the proper channel i.e. the spout e.
In the event of the rubber collar g of the plunger becoming loose in the food
chamber, the nuts are tightened which has the effect of causing the flanged
rings h to compress the rubber collar between them and thereby bulge same out,
in or other words, enlarge its circumference, to the requisite degree.
The lower end of the food chamber d may be closed by a suitable cap or be of
open form whichever is found desirable or convenient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The improved poultry cramming machine consisting in a hopper having its
lower end fitted into a seat casing in which is disposed a transverse bar having
a central opening in which slides a vertical rod carrying at its lower end a cup-
shaped valve with a flanged rim which seats itself against the shoulder of a circular
recess in the seat casing, said seat casing being fitted upon a circular food-cham- 5

page_text: Der whose upper opening communicates with the lower open end of the seat casing
said food chamber having an upwardly projecting spout and a piston rod carrying
a plunger slidingly disposed within such food chamber, substantially as described
and illustrated.
2. In poultry cramming apparatus, the combination of a conical hopper having
its lower end fitted with a seat casing in which is disposed a transverse bar having
a central opening through which works a rod carrying a cup shaped valve which
seats against a shouldered recess in said seat casing; of a tubular food chamber
provided with a delivery spout, and a piston rod slidingly disposed within said
food chamber, said piston rod carrying at its upper end a plunger consisting of a
yielding collar held upon the upper end of the piston rod by two flanged rings,
portions of said piston rod being screw-threaded, on which work nuts which are
capable of moving the said flanged rings nearer to or farther from one another,
to expand or diminish respectively the circumference of said yielding collar, all
arranged, combined, constructed and operating, substantially as and for the pur-
pose described, and as illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 4th day of October 1800
G. W. HOWARD,
Of the Firm of Hughes, Son & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., For the Applicant.