Improvements in Chaff Cutters
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Chaff Cutters,
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of Hebrew Road, Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Corn
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
T'he
This invention relates to that class of chaff cutters for cutting hay, straw, etc.
for cattle feed, in which an endless band or chain of lattices or lags conveys the
material to be cut, down a trough to the feed rollers of the machine.
delivery roller, or that which delivers the material to the feed rollers has been
hitherto provided with small discs or wheels at each end, formed with about
four curved enlargements on their circumferences, the lattices or lags falling into
the depressions between the respective curved enlargements, and the links of the
chain resting upon the curved enlargements, whereby the necessary friction
or drag is intended to be given to the endless chain of lags or lattices for con-
veying the material to the feed rollers. Now, in practice, the means employed
do not provide an efficient gripping surface for the endless chain of lags, the
curved enlargements of the discs or wheels jerking and sometimes breaking the
lattices and doing other damage, besides interrupting the delivery of the material.
Thus, a considerable waste of time and labour occurs in the attendant endeavour-
ing to help forward the material by hand pressure, so as to gain in the output
of the machine. Moreover, under the new Board of Trade rules, it is required
that some safety feed appliance shall be fitted to chaff cutters to prevent the
attendant geting his hand too near the feed rollers, and these have a further
tendency to obstruct the passage of the feed web or endless chain of lattices.
The object of the present invention is to overcome this defect, and give a
permanent and positive motion to the feed web or endless chain, rendering it
impossible for the chain or lattices to slip.
in carrying out my invention, I bore and tap a small hole preferably in the
centre of each enlargement of the disc or wheel, and fit or screw into the said
hole a pin preferably of wrought iron, so as to form a tooth with each enlarge-
ment of the disc, which engages with a link of the endless chain of lattices,
whereby slipping is rendered impossible. Or, the hole in the enlargement may
be a plain bore, in which a taper pin may be driven, but I prefer the former
method.
In a modification, the discs or wheels of the delivery roller may be formed
or cast with the, said curved enlargements and also with a tooth at the top of
each of such curved enlargements for engaging with the links of the endless
chain or feed web.
Instead of the curved enlargements, the wheels or discs may assume other
shapes or forms about the respective teeth or pins, so long as space is allowed
for the passage or traverse of the lattices interposed between the respective links,
and also that portion of the discs leading up to the respective teeth or pins
assumes such a shape as will prevent the links slipping from the teeth or pins,
but will allow them to leave the teeth at the required times without breakage.
At the bottom of the feed trough, I mount in suitable hanging brackets a

page_text: guide roller, which guides the endless chain of lattices, and assists the same to
leave the teeth or pins fixed to the discs or wheels as described.
Dated this 15th day of February 1899.
RICHMOND & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 12, Standish Street, Burnley.
Improvements in Chaff Cutters.
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of Hebrew Road, Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Corn
Merchant, 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:-
The
This invention relates to that class of chaff cutters, for cutting hay, straw, etc.
for cattle feed, in which an endless band or chain of lattices or lags conveys the
material to be cut, down a trough to the feed rollers of the machine.
delivery roller, or that which delivers the material to the feed rollers has been
hitherto provided with small discs or wheels at each end, formed with about
four curved enlargements on their circumferences, the lattices or lags falling into
the depressions between the respective curved enlargements, and the links of the
chain resting upon the curved enlargements, whereby the necessary friction
or drag is intended to be given to the endless chain of lattices or lags for con-
veying the material to the feed rollers. Now, in practice, the means employed
do not provide an efficient gripping surface for the endless chain of lags, the
curved enlargements of the discs or wheels jerking and sometimes breaking the
lattices and doing other damage, besides interrupting the delivery of the material.
Thus, a considerable waste of time and labour occurs in the attendant endeavour-
ing to help forward the material by hand pressure, so as to gain in the output
of the machine. Moreover, under the new Board of Trade rules, it is required
that some safety feed appliance shall be fitted to chaff cutters to prevent the
attendant geting his hand too near the feed rollers, and these have a further
tendency to obstruct the passage of the feed web or endless chain of lattices.
The object of the present invention is to overcome this defect, and give a
permanent and positive motion to the feed web or endless chain, rendering it
impossible for the chain or lattices to slip.
In carrying out my invention, I bore and tap a small hole preferably in the
centre of each enlargement of the disc or wheel, and fit or screw into the said
hole a pin preferably of wrought iron, so as to form a tooth with each enlarge-
ment of the disc, which engages with a link of the endless chain of lattices,
whereby slipping is rendered impossible. Or, the hole in the enlargement may
plain bore, in which a taper pin may be driven, but I prefer the former
be a
method.
In a modification, the discs or wheels of the delivery roller may be formed
or cast with the said curved enlargements and also with a tooth at the top of
such enlargements for engaging with the links of the endless chain or feed
web.
Instead of the curved enlargements, the wheels or discs may assume other
shapes or forms about the respective teeth or pins, so long as space is allowed
for the passage or traverse of the lattices interposed between the respective links,
and also that a portion of the discs leading up to the respective teeth or pins
assumes such a shape as will prevent the links slipping from the teeth or pins,
but will allow them to leave the teeth at the required times without breakage.

page_text: At the bottom of the feed trough, I mount in suitable hanging brackets a
guide roller, which guides the endless chain of lattices, and assists them to
leave the teeth or pins fixed to the discs or wheels as described.
The accompanying drawing is a detached view of the delivery roller of a
chaff cutter (with my invention applied) and the usual endless web or chain of
lattices for conveying the feed to the feed rollers.
AA are the lattices, B the links of the chain. The side discs C of the delivery
roller are usually formed with four curved enlargements such as D.
In carrying out my present invention, I form a hole in the centre of each
enlargement, which is tapped to receive a screw pin E, whose head is formed like
a tooth. Each of these teeth E engages with a link B of the endless web as
shewn.
To ensure the links B leaving the teeth at the proper time, I provide guide
roller F mounted in standards at the respective sides of the machine, over which
the endless chain of lattices is passed, and which causes the links B to leave the
teeth E of the delivery roller at the proper time.
In a modification, the teeth may be cast integral with the curved enlargements,
and the latter varied somewhat in shape, if desired, so long as the essential
feature of my invention is observed.
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 construction of the delivery rollers of chaff cutters for con-
veying the endless chain of lattices to the feed rollers, consisting in providing
the curved enlargements of such rollers with pins or teeth E, which are fitted into
holes formed in such enlargements, and arranged so as to engage with links B
of the endless chain of lattices, substantially as shewn and described, for the
purpose set forth.
2. The improved construction of the delivery roller of chaff cutters as shewn and
described in combination with the endless chain of lattices and guide roller F,
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
3. The modification consisting of forming or casting the curved enlargements ])
of the delivery roller C with teeth such as E all in one piece, substantially as
described.
Dated thin 1441 danas Namamban 1900