An Improved Root-cutting Machine.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th May, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 189!
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Root-cutting Machine.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Hiram Staples, Lyman Covell, and Henry
Edwin Heagle, all of Whitehall, Michigan, U.S.A. Inventors) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for cutting roots for the purpose of feeding
to stock or cattle; and it has for its object to construct a machine of this class
which shall be simple, durable, and efficient, and by means of which the roots by
a single operation may be cut into long narrow strips which may be fed to cattle
without danger of choking.
The invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination
of parts, which will be hereinafter described.
A horizontal supporting-frame is provided, which is mounted upon legs, with
which it may be connected by means of inclined braces. Upon the upper side of
the side pieces of the frame are secured guide-cleats, the inner sides of which have
ways or bearings for the longitudinally-reciprocating cutter-frame, the sides of
which latter are provided with laterally-extending cleats to work in said ways.
The cutter-frame is composed of side pieces, the under sides of which are
connected at their front and rear ends by bottom plates which are constructed
preferably of sheet metal. The upper sides of the side pieces are connected
intermediately between the bottom plates by a knife or cutting plate, the front and
rear edges of which are sharpened for the purpose of cutting the roots, as will be
hereinafter described. The sides of the cutter-frame are connected centrally below
the cutter by means of a transverse brace, in which are mounted a series of
longitudinal bolts, projecting in front and in rear of the transverse brace, and
provided at both ends with adjusting-nuts.
Two series of vertical cutters are arranged in front and in rear of the transverse
partition-brace. The cutters of each series are spaced by blocks, the outer ends of
which are bevelled, and they are secured by means of transverse bolts extending
through the said blocks and cutters, and the heads and nuts at the ends of which
are accommodated in recesses in the inner sides of the cutter-frame.
At the inner ends of the cutters and spacing-blocks are mounted bearing-plates,
having openings through which the ends of the bolt extend into the inner ends of
the spacing-block. It will be seen that by operating the adjusting-nuts the cutters
and spacing-blocks may be forced in an outward direction toward the edges of the
knife or cutter. The said spacing-blocks and cutters are securely attached to the
said cutter by means of bolts or screws having flat heads which work in countersunk
longitudinal slots in the said cutter.
One end of the cutter-frame is provided with outwardly-extending arms having
spindles, which are connected by a pitman with cranks formed upon a shaft, which
is mounted in suitable bearings at one end of the frame. The shaft is provided
with a crank wheel or drum, by means of which it may be operated, thereby
communicating a longitudinally-reciprocating motion to the cutter-frame.
A hopper is mounted upon the supporting-frame or upon the guide-cleats secured
upon the upper side of the latter. The said hopper is provided with a central
partition, and at its sides are arms having longitudinal slots in which the ends of
the transverse abutting or cutting blocks are longitudinally adjustable. The ends
of the arms have set screws mounted therein adapted to bear against the ends of
the blocks, which may thereby be forced in an inward direction. Said "cutting-
blocks," as they are termed, are extended downwardly to the upper sides or

page_text: surfaces of the plates of the reciprocating cutter-frame, and the inner sides of the
said cutting-blocks serve to receive the impact of the knife edges when in operation
a reciprocating motion is imparted to the cutter-frame. It is therefore necessary
that these cutting-blocks, as well as the knives or cutters, should be adjustable to
agree with the throw of the cranks or the movement of the cutter. It will be
understood from the foregoing that not only the vertical cutters but also the bearing-
blocks are capable of longitudinal adjustment, thus enabling wear upon either the
knives or the bearing blocks to be compensated for. The cutting-blocks may also
be conveniently removed and replaced by new ones when necessary.
The operation of this invention and its advantages will be readily understood
from the foregoing description. The roots which are to be cut are placed in the
compartments of the hopper and a reciprocating movement is imparted to the
cutter-frame, thereby causing the contents of the compartments of the hopper to
drop alternately upon the plates forming the bottom of the two ends of the cutter-
frame. When the latter is moved in either direction, the contents of the coni-
partments of the hopper will be engaged by the sharp edges of the horizontal and
vertical knives or cutters, and thus be cut into long narrow strips of suitable
dimensions, which are deflected downwardly by the bevelled ends of the spacing-
blocks between the vertical cutters and caused to drop through a tube or spout
secured to the under side of the frame.
It will be understood that the knives or cutters may be readily detached for the
purpose of sharpening the same; also, that all the parts of the machine are very
conveniently accessible for the purpose of repairing the same or replacing parts
thereof in case of necessity.
The machine herein described is, as will be understood, double acting and adapted
to cut the roots by the movement of the cutter-frame in either direction but we
reserve the right to make a machine embodying the principles of construction
herein described, but adapted to cut only in one direction.
Dated this 9th day of August 1890.
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Root-cutting Machine.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Hiram Staples, Lyman Covell, and Henry
Edwin Heagle, all of Whitehall, Michigan, U.S.A. Inventors,) 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 machines for cutting roots for the purpose of feeding
to stock or cattle; and it has for its object to construct a machine of this class
which shall be simple, durable, and efficient, and by means of which the roots by a
single operation may be cut into long narrow strips which may be fed to cattle
without danger of choking.
The invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and com-
bination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed
out in the claims.
In the drawings hereto annexed,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved root-cutting machine.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line in Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view showing the cutter frame in an inverted
position.
Liza numarals of notomanua in
1:1

page_text: 1 designates a horizontal supporting-frame, which is mounted upon legs 22, with
which it may be connected by means of inclined braces 3 3. Upon the upper side
of the side pieces of the frame are secured the guide-cleats 4 4, the inner sides of
which have ways or bearings 5 for the longitudinally-reciprocating cutter-frame 6, the
sides of which latter are provided with laterally extending cleats 7 to work in
said ways.
The cutter-frame is composed of the side pieces 6 6, the under sides of which are
connected at their front and rear ends by the bottom plates 8 8, which are con-
structed preferably of sheet metal. The upper sides of the side pieces 66 are
connected intermediately between the bottom plates 88 by the knife or cutting
plate 9, the front and rear edges of which 10 10 are sharpened for the purpose of
cutting the roots, as will be hereinafter described. The sides of the cutter-frame
are connected centrally below the cutter 9 by means of a transverse brace 11, in
which are mounted a series of longitudinal bolts 12, projecting in front and in rear
of the transverse brace 11, and provided at both ends with adjusting-nuts 13.
14 14 designate two series of vertical cutters, arranged in front and in rear of the
transverse partition-brace 11. The cutters 14 of each series are spaced by
blocks 15, the outer ends of which are bevelled, as shown at 16, and they are
secured by means of transverse bolts 17, extending through the said blocks and
cutters, and the heads and nuts at the ends of which are accommodated in recesses 18
in the inner sides of the cutter-frame.
or
29 designates a hopper, which is mounted upon the supporting-frame 1
upon the guide-cleats 4, secured upon the upper side of the latter. The said
hopper is provided with a central partition 30, and at its sides are arms 31,
having longitudinal slots 32, in which the ends of the transverse abutting or
cutting-blocks 33 are longitudinally adjustable. The ends of the arms 31 have
set-screws 34 mounted therein and adapted to hear against the ends of the
blocks 33, which may thereby be forced in an inward direction. Said cutting-
blocks," as term them, are extended downwardly to the upper sides or surfaces
of the plates 8 of the reciprocating cutter-frame, as will be clearly seen in
Fig. 2 of the drawings, and the inner sides of said cutting-blocks serve
receive the impact of the knife-edges when in operation a reciprocating motion
is imparted to the cutter-frame. It is therefore necessary that these cutting-
blocks, as well as the knives or cutters, should be adjustable to agree with the
throw of the cranks or the movement of the cutter. It will be seen from the
foregoing that not only the vertical cutters 14, but also the bearing-blocks 33
are capable of longitudinal adjustment, thus enabling wear upon either the knives
or the bearing-blocks to be compensated for. The cutting-blocks 33 may also
be conveniently removed and replaced by new ones when necessary.
to
The operation of my invention and its advantages will be readily understood from
the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed.
The roots which are to be cut are placed in the compartments of the hopper and a
reciprocating movement is imparted to the cutter-frame, thereby causing the
contents of the compartments of the hopper to drop alternately upon the plates 8,
forming the bottom of the two ends of the cutter-frame. When the latter is
moved in either direction, the contents of the compartments of the hopper will
be engaged by the sharp edges of the horizontal and vertical knives or cutters,
and thus be cut into long narrow strips of suitable dimensions, which are
deflected downwardly by the bevelled ends of the spacing-blocks between the
vertical cutters and caused to drop through a tube or spout secured to the under
side of the frame.
It will be understood that the knives or cutters may be readily detached for the
purpose of sharpening the same; also, that all the parts of the machine are very
conveniently accessible for the purpose of repairing the same or replacing parts
thereof in case of necessity.
The machine herein shown and described is, as will be seen, double-acting and
adapted to cut the roots by the movement of the cutter-frame in either direction;

page_text: but we reserve the right to make a machine embodying the principles of construction
herein described, but adapted to cut only in one direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a root-cutter, the longitudinally-reciprocating cutter-frame having a hori-
zontal knife secured upon its upper side and provided with bottom plates secured to
the under sides of its side pieces, in combination with the transverse brace-bar, the
bolts or screw-threaded rods mounted longitudinally in the latter and having the
adjusting-nuts, the longitudinally-adjustable vertical knives and spacing-blocks
mounted upon the under side of the horizontal knife and the bearing-plates,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with the horizontal knife having longitudinal countersunk-
slots, of the vertical knives and bevel-ended spacing-blocks, the transverse con-
necting-bolts, the screw or bolts for securing said vertical knives and spacing-blocks
to the under side of the horizontal knife, the mechanism for adjusting said knives
and spacing-blocks longitudinally, substantially as set forth.
3. In a root-cutter, the longitudinally reciprocating cutter-frame comprising the
side pieces and the bottom plates, in combination with the horizontal knife secured
upon the upper side of the cutter-frame, the transverse brace having longitudinal
bolts and adjusting-nuts, the vertical knives and spacing-blocks, the transverse bolts
connecting the latter and extending into recesses in the sides of the cutter-frame,
screws or bolts for attaching said vertical knives and spacing-blocks to the under
side of the horizontal knife, and the bearing-plate, all arranged and operating
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a root-cutter, the combination of the longitudinally-reciprocating cutter and
the vertical longitudinally-adjustable knives and spacing-blocks with the hopper
having the adjustable cutting-blocks to receive the impact of the knives or cutters,
the discharge-spout, and suitable operating mechanism, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of the supporting-frame, the guide-cleats mounted upon the
latter and having longitudinal ways or bearings in their sides, the longitudinally-
reciprocating cutter-frame mounted in said ways or bearings and having the
horizontal and vertical knives and cutters, and the hopper having the longitudinally-
adjustable cutting-blocks, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a root-cutting machine, the combination of the supporting-frame, the hopper
having longitudinally adjustable cutting-blocks, the discharge-spout, the longi-
tudinally reciprocating cutter-frame having the stationary horizontal knife and the
longitudinally-adjustable vertical knives and spacing-blocks, and the bottom plates
secured to the underside of the cutter-frame, all arranged and operating substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 8th day of May 1890.
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.