Year: 1888

page_text: igure 1, represents a front elevation of the invention,
Figure 2 a side elevation,
Figure 3 a similar view with the driving gear removed, and
Figure 4 a detail view of a pawl and ratchet mechanism for actuating the feed
rolls.
Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents the feed box of the machine
mounted in a suitable frame, said box being provided at its front end with a shear
plate B, and secured to the frame adjacent to this plate is a knife guard C.
Journaled in suitable bearings so as to operate within the box A are feed rolls D D'
of the ordinary construction and adjustment.
Fast on the journals a a' of the feed rolls D D¹ at the drive side of the machine
are ratchet wheels E E' and loose on these journals are arms F F¹, the latter having
pivotally connected thereto pivoted spring pawls G G that engage said ratchet
wheels.
In Figure 4 is shown a detail view of the pawl and ratchet mechanism and in this
instance a spring b is employed to keep the part G in engagement with the part F.
If found desirable the pawl G¹ may be weighted, as shown at c, Figures 2 and 3.
To the arms F F are pivotally connected the forward ends of links H H¹, that

page_text: have their rear ends similarly connected to the vertical ears d of a rack plate I, the
latter being operatively arranged in guides e suitably secured to the box, A.
The forward end of the rack plate 1 is turned out at right angles to form an ear f
and this ear has a perforation that serves as a guide for a rod J connected with a
crank arm K on the inner end of a short shaft K' operative in a suitable bearing g
secured to an extension of a transverse brace L that is, in turn, fastened to the under-
side of the box A, said short shaft being provided with a bevel pinion M keyed thereto
at its outer end.
The rod J is provided with a collar and between this collar and the ear f of the
rack plate I is arranged a spiral spring N, the tension of the latter being regulated
by a thumb-nut i on the forward end of said rod.
Pivottally connected to the adjacent side of the box A is a dog O that serves to
engage the rack plate I at such times as it may be desirable to stop the feed of the
rolls D D'.
In order to vary the feed of the rolls D D', the crank arm K is provided with a
series of perforations ; and the throw of the rod J is consequently lengthened or
shortened according to its engagement with said perforations.
Meshing with the bevel pinion M is a similar pinion P on the adjacent end of a
crank shaft Q that has its bearings kk respectively secured to the extension of the
cross brace L and a standard I at the front of the frame.
To the crank portion Q¹ of the shaft Q is loosely connected one end of a knife R
that comes across the mouth of the feed box A, the opposite end of this knife being
also loosely connected to a stud m on the lower terminus of a curved lever arm
pivotally secured to a bracket T, the latter being secured to a front standard T¹ of
the supporting frame and projected over to nearly or quite the transverse center of
said box.
The crank shaft Q has keyed thereto a fly wheel U and by a suitable construction and
arrangement of gearing any desired speed may be given said shaft.
In this instance a bevel pinion V is shown fast on the shaft Q and arranged to
mesh with a bevel gear wheel W journaled in a bearing X secured to the extension of
the cross brace L, said wheel being twice the diameter of the intermeshing pinion
and having a crank Y fast on its journal.
If found desirable the speed gear may be omitted and the crank Y applied to the
fly wheel U.
A spring arm Z has one end thereof rigidly secured to the underside of the brace
piece L and its other end brought over upon a transverse bar 7' to which latter are
adjustably connected straps n that hold the upper feed roll D down to its work.
Supposing the knife R to be in the position shown by Figure 1, when the crank
shaft Qis operated this knife will be drawn thereby towards the operator, while at
the same time the lever arm S operates to drive said knife in the same direction
whereby a double power is exerted to produce an easy, sliding and shear cut in a
direction away from said operator.
While the machine is running, that end of the knife R nearest the operator describes
a circle o as shown by dotted lines Figure 1, the other end of said knife travelling on
an arc p of a circle having a larger diameter than the one o and also illustrated by
dotted lines in the same Figure.
The knife R begins to cut at that side of the box nearest the operator and gradually
performs its function as the opposite side of this box is approached, the inclination of
this knife being diminished as the work proceeds, until at the time its edge has entirely
passed the shear plate B said knife will be nearly or quite horizontal.
In Figure 1 there is shown by dotted lines, the knife in various stages of its descent,
and by this illustration it will be noticed that said knife does not come at any one
time on the whole mass that may protrude from the mouth of the feed box.
The pinion M meshing with the pinion P on the crank shaft imparts motion to the
crank arm K and this latter part in turn imparts motion to the rod J that has a loose
bearing in the ear of the rack plate I.
When the dog is clear of the rack plate I, the latter is actuated by the rod J

page_text: and being linked to the arms F F¹ causes the pawl and ratchet mechanism previously
described to partially rotate the feeds rolls D D' when the knife R is on its return,
after the completion of a cut, thereby bringing more material from the box A into
the path of said knife, the length of feed being regulated by the throw of the rod
above described.
When it is desirable to stop the revolution of the feed rolls, the dog O is dropped
and the rack plate I is thereby held stationary, the rod J having its play through the
perforation in the ear of said plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a chaff cutter, the combination of a box mounted in a suitable frame, feed
rolls operatively arranged in the box and having their journals at one end provided
with ratchet wheels, suitable arms loosely arranged on said journals and carrying
pawls to engage the ratchet wheels, a plate loosely connected to the adjacent side of
said box, suitable links uniting the pawls, arms and loose plate, a suitable pinion
having its journal provided with a crank arm, a rod uniting the loose plate with the
crank arm, and a drive shaft having a pinion arranged to mesh with the one above
specified.
2. In a chaff cutter, the combination of a box mounted in a suitable frame, feed
rolls operatively arranged in the box and having their journals at one end provided
with ratchet wheels, suitable arms loosely arranged on said journals and carrying
pawls to engage the ratchet wheels, a loose rack plate operatively connected to the
adjacent side of said box and united by suitable links with the pawl arms, a pivoted
dog arranged to be brought into engagement with the rack plate, a suitable pinion
having its journal provided with a crank arm, a rod having a loose bearing in an ear
of said rack plate and connected with the crank arm, a spring arranged on the rod,
and a drive shaft having a pinion arranged to mesh with the one above specified.
3. In a chaff cutter, the combination of a suitable frame, a box mounted in the
frame, feed rolls arranged in the box, a transverse knife, a crank shaft loosely con-
nected to one end of the knife, a lever arm likewise connected to the other end of said
knife, ratchet wheels fast on the journals at one end of the feed rolls, suitable aruns
loose on said journals and provided with pawls to engage the ratchet wheels, a sliding
plate connected to said box, links uniting the pawl, arms and plate, a crank arm, a
rod uniting the sliding plate and crank arm and a pinion gear connecting said crank
arm and crank shaft.