IMPROVEMENTS IN ROOT CUTTING AND PULPING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hornsby, of Grantham, and John Robert Lockton
and Jeremiah Money, both of Spittlegate, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROOT CUTTING AND PULPING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 18th July 1879, and dated the 13th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hornsby, John Robert
Lockton, and Jeremiah Money at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 13th May 1879.
JAMES HORNSBY, of Grantham, and JOHN ROBERT LOCKTON and JEREMIAH
MONEY, both of Spittlegate, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROOT CUTTING AND PULPING MACHINES."
Our Invention applies to the class of root cutting and pulping machinery in
which the cutters are carried upon a disc or wheel mounted on an horizontal axis,
and in which the roots to be operated on lie in a suitable hopper or basket against
the face of the disc. The pieces detached by the cutters, as the disc revolves, pass
through openings behind the cutting edges, and are delivered at the back of the
disc.
In such machines it is usual to arrange the cutters upon the disc in-steps, in such
manner that the cutter nearest the periphory first comes into operation, then the
cutter next to it, and so on, the last cutter to operate being that nearest to the axis.
Or when slicing cutters are employed the action is similar; they are so formed and
arranged that the cut commences near the periphory of the disc and progresses
continually towards the axis.
Now it is found in practice, with this arrangement, that the roots tend to escape
from the cutters, so that the cutters often do not obtain a full bite, consequently
the pieces obtained are irregular in size, and time and labour are wasted.
We remedy this by so arranging the cutters on the disc that the cut is com-
menced simultaneously or nearly so on the outer and inner sides, and progresses in
either direction, so that the cutter which last comes into operation is midway or
intermediate between the two ends of the series of cutters. When slicing cutters
are used they are applied in a similar manner, being so formed and arranged that
Price Gd1

page_text: the cut commences simultaneously or nearly so on either side of the cutting blade,
and the part of the edge which is last to come into operation is that which is
midway or intermediate between the parts which first operate.
Also, according to our Invention, to facilitate the regular descent of the roots in
the hopper or basket we provide projections or studs upon the axis in front of the
disc, which, as the axis rotates, come in contact with the roots in the hopper and
cause movement amongst them. Or a portion of the side of the hopper upon which
the roots rest may be movable and may be agitated by the projections or studs
when the axis rotates. Or, in place of simple projections or studs, a like move-
ment may be obtained by cranks, eccentrics, cams, or like instruments.
Our Invention also relates to a method of constructing the cutting disc or wheel,
which admits of the cutters being rapidly and easily changed, and one sort of cutter
substituted for another. For this purpose the disc is built up of a wheel like
frame, of which the rim is connected with the boss by two radial arms, and of two
plates which fit and fill the openings to complete the disc. Each plate carries a set
of knives upon it; its edges are bevilled, so are the corresponding parts of the
wheel frame, and it drops in a radial direction into its place.
The plates are each formed with a pair of claws at the back, which receive
between them the T head of a short stay. A collar embracing the axis has upon
it a pair of lugs, and the stems of the T headed stays pass through holes in the
lugs and are drawn up tight by nuts screwed upon them. These nuts only require
to be slackened when the plates with the cutters are to be taken out.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Hornsby, John Robert Lockton, and Jeremiah Money in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th November 1879.
JAMES HORNSBY, of Grantham, and JOHN ROBERT LOCKTON and JEREMIAH
MONEY, both of Spittlegate, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROOT CUTTING AND PULPING MACHINES."
Our Invention applies to the class of root cutting and pulping machinery in
which the cutters are carried upon a disc or wheel mounted on an horizontal axis,
and in which the roots to be operated on lie in a suitable hopper or basket against
the face of the disc. The pieces detached by the cutters as the disc revolves pass
through openings behind the cutting edges, and are delivered at the back of the
disc.
In such machines it is usual to arrange the cutters upon the disc in steps, in such
manner that the cutter nearest the periphery first comes into operation, then the
cutter next to it, and so on, the last cutter to operate being that nearest to the
axis. Or, when slicing cutters are employed, the action is similar; they are so
formed and arranged that the cut commences near the periphery of the disc and
progresses continually towards the axis.

page_text: Now it is found in practice with this arrangement that the roots tend to escape
from the cutters, so that the cutters often do not obtain a full bite, consequently
the pieces obtained are irregular in size, and time and labour are wasted.
We remedy this by so arranging the cutters on the disc that the cut is com-
menced simultaneously or nearly so on the outer and inner sides, and progresses in
either direction so that the cutter which last comes into operation is midway or
intermediate between the two ends of the series of cutters. When slicing cutters
are used they are applied in a similar manner, being so formed and arranged that
the cut commences simultaneously or nearly so on either side of the cutting blade,
and the part of the edge which is last to come into operation is that which is
midway or intermediate between the parts which first operate.
Also, according to our Invention, to facilitate the regular descent of the roots in
the hopper or basket we provide projections or studs upon the axis in front of the
disc, which as the axis rotates come in contact with the roots in the hopper and
cause movement amongst them. Or a portion of the side of the hopper upon which
the roots rest may be moveable, and may be agitated by the projections or studs
when the axis rotates. Or, in place of simple projections or studs, a like move-
ment may be obtained by cranks, eccentrics, cams, or like instruments.
Our Invention also relates to a method of constructing the cutting disc or wheel,
which admits of the cutters being rapidly and easily changed, and one sort of
cutter substituted for another. For this purpose the disc is built up of a wheel
like frame, of which the rim is connected with the boss by two radial arms, and of
two plates which fit and fill the openings to complete the disc. Each plate carries
a set of knives upon it; its edges are bevilled, so are the corresponding parts of the
wheel frame, and it drops in a radial direction into its place.
The plates are each formed with a pair of claws at the back, which receive
between them the T head of a short stay. A collar embracing the axis has upon
it a pair of lugs, and the stems of the T headed stays pass through holes in the
lugs and are drawn up tight by nuts screwed upon them. These nuts only require
to be slackened when the plates with the cutters are to be taken out.
In order that our said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a root cutter of the well known
class to which our Invention applies.
a, a,
is the frame supporting the axis b in suitable bearings. The axis is capable
of being turned, usually by means of a crank handle, and on it the disc or wheel c,
indicated in this Figure by dotted lines, is mounted. An open basket & contains
the roots so that they lie against the disc, and as the disc rotates in the direction
indicated by the arrow they are cut by the knives which the disc carries. The
knives, of which two sets are employed, are fixed each set upon a frame or knife
holder which is attached at the back of the disc. The cutting edges of the knives
are L form, and they project through an opening in the disc to the front to a
distance equal to the thickness of the cut it is intended to make. The face
of the disc is so fashioned that at the part at the back of the knives or
following behind their cutting edges is flush or level with the ends of the knives.
In all these respects our root cutter is of ordinary construction; one novel feature
of our machine consists in the arrangement of the knives, as shown at Figure 2,
which is a front view of the disc or wheel c with the knives upon it. As will be
secu, they are so set as to attack the root on two sides and to cut inwards in either
direction towards the centre. Figure 3 shows one of the frames of knives unbolted
and removed from the disc or wheel.
The line of the knives being returned in the shape of a letter V gives more
room for the roots to get close to the disc plate, so that the following set of knives
shall have a full cut.

page_text: Figure 4 shows the slicing cutter which is applied when it is desired to cut the
roots into broad slices. The projections e, e, seen in Figure 2, around the periphery
of the disc or wheel aid in imparting motion to the roots whilst retaining them in
the hopper.
We also, according to our Invention, impart motion to the roots and aid their
descent in the hopper by applying projections, fingers, or studs f, f, upon the axis b,
as is seen in Figure 1, and also Figure 5 shows in plan these projections, fingers, or
studa passing between the bars forming the bottom of the hopper or basket.
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the projections or equivalent instruments may be caused to jog or impart a move-
ment to the bottom bars of the hopper or basket, as is indicated in Figures 6
and 7.
According to another part of our Invention, in order to facilitate the rapid
changing of the cutters we form the cutting disc with an open wheel like frame, as
is seen in Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a front view. g is the rim or periphery,
and h, h, are the two radial arms by which the rim is connected with the central
boss. In the lower part of the Figure, the semicircular plate carrying the frame of
cutters is seen in its place, but in the upper part of the Figure the space to receive
it is vacant. Figure 9 is an edge view of the disc or wheel represented as in
Figure 8, but with the upper part in section. Figure 10 is a front view of a semi-
circular plate with a set of cutters upon it. As will be seen, its edges, where it
meets the radial arms of the wheel frame, are bevilled and drop into corresponding
recesses. Each plate has claws at the back which receive the T head of a stay i
The stays i, as seen in Figure 9, pass to lugs on a collar k, which is passed on to
the axis and rests against the boss of the wheel frame. When the stays are
tightened up by the nuts upon them the plates become firmly held in their places.
Figure 11 is a pulping plate intended to replace the plate, Figure 10.
Figure 12 is a slicing cutter which the plate represented at Figure 10 is capable
of receiving in the place of the frame of angular knives.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we claim,―
First. The construction of a disc root cutter with knives so arranged as to attack
the root simultaneously on opposite sides and to continue the cuts towards each
other until they meet midway, substantially as described.
Second. The construction of a disc root cutting machine with projections, fingers,
or like instruments upon the axis of the cutting disc or wheel agitating the roots
in the hopper or basket, and aiding them in their descent, substantially as
described.
Third. The construction of a disc root cutting machine with an open wheel
frame and plates adapted to the openings, and secured by stays at the back, sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hornsby, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JAMES HORNSBY.
(L.S.)