IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAFF CUTTERS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philipp Jacob Kurtz, of Rippberg, near Walldurn,
Baden, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAFF CUTTERS."
Sealed the 18th March 1870, and dated the 21st September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philipp Jacob Kurtz at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st September 1869.
I, PHILIPP JACOB KURTZ, of Rippberg, near Walldurn, Baden, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHAFF CUFFERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in a peculiar arrangement of altering the
different lengths of the cuttings produced by a chaff cutter or by a
similar machine in which a change of speed of a part of it is desirable.
For this purpose I place all the change wheels or friction sleeves on the
plane of one disc in such a way that the working rims are concentric
with each other, while the driving pinion is movable upon a shaft lying
parallel with the above disc in such a manner that according as the said

page_text: pinion is moved closer to or further from the centre of the disc it acts
upon a rim of smaller or greater diameter, and so imparts a greater or
lesser speed, which varies the length of the cuttings as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Philipp Jacob Kurtz in the Great Seal Patent Office
.
on the 21st March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PHILIPP
JACOB KURTZ, of Rippberg, near Walldürn, Baden, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Philipp Jacob Kurtz, Her special licence
that I, the said Philipp Jacob Kurtz, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Philipp Jacob Kurtz, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 CHAFF CUTTERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Philipp Jacob Kurtz, my executors or administrators, 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 Philipp Jacob Kurtz, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, forming a part of this Specification.
My Invention consists in a peculiar arrangement of gearing for
varying the length of the cuttings produced by a chaff cutter or a

page_text: similar machine in which a change of speed is desirable. For this pur-
pose I form all the change wheels on the plane of one disc in such a
manner that the working teeth or surfaces are concentric with each other,
while the driving pinion or sleeve is movable upon a shaft lying parallel
with the aforesaid disc. As the said pinion or sleeve is moved closer to
or farther from the centre of the disc it acts upon a series of teeth or
frictional surfaces of smaller or greater diameter, and so imparts an
increased or diminished speed to the feed rollers, so as to vary the length
of the cuttings as required.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved chaff cutter; Figure 2 is a
top view of a portion of the same; Figure 3 is a front view of the wheel
and cutters; Figure 4 is a front view of the machine with the wheel
removed; Figure 5 is a side view of part of the said machine shewing
the gearing drawn to an enlarged scale; Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, illustrate detached portions of the said machine. Like letters
indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A is the box in which the material to be cut is placed; B is the stand
for supporting the same; C is the wheel; and D are the cutters. These
parts with the rollers E and weighted lever F are the same or nearly
the same as in ordinary chaff cutting machines, and are only shewn in
order that the nature and operation of my improvements may be fully
understood. The disc a is made of suitable diameter, and is fitted to turn
in the stud or pin 6 secured to the side of the machine. The three
series of teeth a¹, a³, a³, serve as change wheels to give the required
variations of speed to the feed rollers E. c is the pinion or sleeve, which
is fitted to slide on the shaft & so that it may be geared into either series
of teeth on the disc a, the shaft being provided with a feather for other
means for causing the pinion to turn with the shaft while leaving it
free to slide endwise thereon. The part c¹ of the pinion gears into the
teeth a³, a³, and the conical part of the said pinion gears into the
series of teeth a'. The intermediate wheels g, h, i, gear into the
pinion a' and transmit the motion from the disc a to the rollers E.
The wheel O is fixed on the end of the shaft d, and the machine is
operated by turning the said wheel in the usual manner. Instead of a
toothed pinion and three series of teeth on the disc I may use frictional
surfaces on the sleeve and disc.

page_text: Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown the best
method with which I am acquainted for carrying the same into practice,
I claim, the disc a with series of teeth or frictional surfaces concentric
with each other and arranged in combination with the sliding pinion or
sleeve c, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philipp Jacob Kurtz, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.