Improvements in Apparatus for Trashing and Cutting Sugar Cane and such like Crops.
Year: 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Trashing and Cutting Sugar Cane
and such like Crops.
1, THOMAS TOMLINSON of Gray Road West End, Brisbane Queensland Civil
Engineer, 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 :-
In my previous Specification No. 4889 of 1887 I have described apparatus for
trashing and cutting sugar cane and such like crops. My present invention relates to
apparatus of a similar character but constructed and arranged in an improved manner
as I will now describe. The improved apparatus like that described in the previous
Specification above referred to is arranged to operate on sugar cane or such like crops
so as to raise such of the stems as may be bent over or fallen to support the stems to
cut them at the bottom also to trash them (i.e. remove dead leaves) and to cut off
the tops when necessary.
The apparatus for this purpose is drawn or propelled along the ground by horses,
or other power travelling on wheels, by the revolution of some or all of which motion
is imparted to its working parts.
The action of the various parts of the machine, one form of which is shown in the
accompanying drawings, will be best understood by describing these parts and the
operations to be performed by them.
Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus. Figure 2 is a plan. Figure 3 is a front
view shewing the driving wheel partly in section, the other figures shew details
hereinafter referred to.

page_text: 1. RAISING AND SUPPORTING THE STEMS.
To the outside of the driving wheel A. is attached a bevel wheel B gearing with a
pinion C on an upright shaft D which by bevel gearing drives the short horizontal
shaft E, this, when the coupling block F is in gear, drives the shaft G. On this shaft
are keyed the pitch chain pulleys H. H at suitable distances apart, around these
pulleys and also around the pitch chain pulleys I I pass the endless pitch chain J J.
these chains have their joints made as close as possible and the single links are made as
broad as the double links to avoid clogging by the trash also certain links K K which
I shall call " guide links
at suitable equidistant intervals have a stud a (see details
Figures 4 to 8) so placed that on the front or up going side of the chain it is hori-
zontal or nearly so, this stud carries arms b. b. (which I call "folding guides") which
move freely on it. As a consequence of this freedom of motion when such a link is
on the back or down going side of the chains Figure 4 these folding guides are closed
and so pass without obstruction through the stems, and when such a link is on the
front or up going side of the chains Figures 6. 7. and 8. these "folding guides" fall
outwards. The pulleys H H and I I are at such distances apart that these
guides" when open quito or almost touch, forming with the lines of chains (as seen
in Plan Figure 2) a complete net work.
folding
The gearing connecting the driving wheel A. and the shaft G is so proportioned
that the path of the links K on the front of the chains as the machine travels along
the ground is nearly vertical preferably slightly backwards that is to say the horizontal
backward component of the movement of a point on the front of the chain is slightly
greater than the forward movement of the machine.
The pitch chain pulleys I I run freely between plates c. c which are fixed to
shanks Leach plate c with its shank L forming a shoe.
C
In order to keep the pulleys properly spaced and to allow free passage between the
chains the shanks L extend backwards and are fixed to a bar M. behind the cane
cutters this bar being held in sockets N.
Attached to the front of each shoe is the "Pathfinder" O. these make way through
the stems for the shoes without overturning steins which lie directly in their path.
Each pathfinder consists of a short arm d which is pivotted to the shoe at e and has
jointed to it a spring lever h. The upper end of his connected to the shoe by a
spring and its lower end by a light chain j. Thus the pathfinder can rise on
meeting an obstacle, but is caused to return by a flat blade spring f. The point of h
can move backwards extending the spring i¹ it can also bend slightly to either side.
The chain keeps open the path for the shoe and also prevents accumulation of trash
between the spring lever hand the shoe. To each shoe is attached a small wedge k
the point of which entering between the folding guides bb. opens them as they leave
the shoe.
The guides b. b. are closed before they pass to the rear side of the chain by "closing
flanges on the upper pulleys H H. these flanges have on them projecting teeth 11 12
splayed outwards as shown and so placed on the flanges that their points come under
the points of the successive outstretched folding guides as indicated at Figure 1
and as the points of the teeth describe a larger circle than the pivots of the folding
guides the points of the folding guides are made to move faster than their pivot
causing the guides to close.
On passing from the pulleys.each chain descends a shoot P Figures 1 and 4 so that
the closed guides cannot open again till they leave the shoe to ascend. In ascending
along the sloping frame each chain is guided on a shallow groove formed on the
front of Q. The lower end of Q is pivotted to the shoe c and its upper end has a
slot m permitting it to slide up and down as the shoe rises or falls this slot engaging
on a horizontal rod R on the upper frame.
The chains are tightened and kept in the grooves in Q by hinder frames S which
are pivotted to the shoes c at their lower ends but are free to move at their
upper ends. The weight of S aided by a spring such as s¹ keeps the chain tight

page_text: notwithstanding up and down movements of the shoes due to inequalities of the
ground friction rollers s² Figure 4 being mounted on S to bear against the descending
chains.
To remove the trash which may be carried up by the folding guides there is an
arrangement at T Figure 1 which is shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5. a strip n
narrow enough to pass between the closed folding guides is pivoited in each shoot P
and has a blade spring o fixed to it and bearing against a stop p. The guide link has
a narrow rib q between the guides covering the joints of the guides and preventing
ingress of particles of trash or dirt. It also acts as an incline on the narrow strip n
as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4 causing it to remove trash that may have
been shut in between guides when closed. To aid in the cleansing revolving
brushes U Figure 1 are driven by gearing from the shaft G and are themselves
cleansed by means of a comb from which the trash falls on a shoots which is
supported at t. by a rod u and delivers such trash as is brought up by the links behind
the machine.
The action of the machine so far as it has been described above is then as follows :
The machine being drawn forwards along the rows of stems like a steam plough by
a rope applied to the pin E. Figure 2 the pathfinders O are forced among the stems
and are followed by the shoes running along the ground and by the lines of chains
raising such stems as lie over transversely to the rows. The folding guides as they
leave the shoes are opened and insinuating themselves amongst the butts of the stems
ascend nearly vertically raising such stems as lie over in the direction of the rows.
Thus the combined effect of the inclined ascending chains and the folding guides
is as if the stems had grown each in a large mesh of a network which when lifted up
would raise such of the stems as had bent over or fallen.
In order to avoid the necessity for turning the machine at the end of each row
or of duplicating the stem raising and supporting gear this gear is arranged to
traverse round the machine in the following inanner.
The frame V which carries the shaft G. is suspended from the overhanging frame
by the pin X on which it can turn and on which it is clamped when in working
position. The bar M. to which are fixed the legs L of the shoes carries it at its ends
rollers v v. Round the machine runs a circular rod or pipe V forming a rail. For
reversing the machine the clutch F is retracted the bar M. is lifted from the sockets N.
its rollers are placed on the rail Y. the gap of the rail in front of the shoes is
bridged by a piece temporarily introduced and the whole gear is turned round the
pin X into the new position. The rollers are then lifted from the rail the bar M.
is again fixed in the sockets and the shaft G. is clutched.
Besides the one set of chains described another set may be placed behind it to act
in a similar manner.
2. CUTTING THE STEMS AT THE BOTTOM.
The stems raised and supported as described are next cut at the bottom by
apparatus such as is shown by Figures 9. 9 10. 11. 12. Figures 9 and 9ª being side
views. Figure 10 is a plan Figure 11. an end view and Figure 12 is a side view of
the cam box. A knife A is fixed to the bar B' which is joined to two collars C¹ C¹
working freely on the rods D'D' these rods also sliding freely inside the tubular
arms EE which are pivotted on trunnions FF' of the frames G¹ G' of the machine.
Beyond the trunnions F1 F1 the arms E' E' join to form a bearing H' for one of the
guides I Figure 12 of the box J₁ carrying the pawl K' which is hinged to prevent
breakage in the event of the machine going backwards-the bearing L₁ for the other
guide M of the box J is attached to a bar N¹ joining the arms E E. The box J'
is connected to the bar B by a chain 0. As the box J' is forced backward by the
action of the cam P1 on the pawl K¹ it drags with it the bar B' and knife A¹ when the
drop of the cam P¹ presents itself to the pawl K₁ the box J¹ is released and
the collars CC' and with them the bar B' and knife A' are driven forward by the
spiral springs so delivering at the butts of the stems a chopping blow the cam P¹ is

page_text: 4. TOP CUTTING.
The toothed wheel Fu drives also a piniou K¹ on the spindle of which is fixed the
toothed wheel" which drives the pinion M" on the shaft N". On this shaft are
fitted to slide the eccentrics 01 01 one on each side of the middle bearing. The
sheaves of the eccentrics are so arranged that the link P may be quickly engaged
with or disengaged from either; this link carries on its end pivotted at all the blocks b₁1
which is pivotted between the lugs clc fixed to the bar Q to which are attached
the knives R R the frame S in which the bar Qu slides is pivotted at d¹¹d to a
frame T which can slide freely on the bars and can be clamped in any desired
position, these bars run from end to end of the machine being fixed to the standards
carried up from the body of the machine.
When it is necessary to move the top cutting gear on the bars ul ull the frame S"
is turned down on the pivots d d (as shown in Figure 3) at right angles to its
upright position. This allows the frame T carrying the frame Su and the cutting
gear to pass freely between the chains Cn.
The action of this part of the machine is as follows:
When the machine advance from right to left as in Figure 1 the cut canes fall
on the traversing and elevating chains with their butts to the left and tops lying
towards the right-in this attitude they are carried up and across the frame of the
machine the stem topping arrangement is placed at such distance from the left (not
as shown in the drawing which indicates the position suitable for advance to the
right) as will top the longest canes at the proper distance from their butts.

page_text: Two or more men standing on the platforms V y" push from them or pull towards
hem canes shorter than this so that the reciprocating knives may cut them at the
proper joint.
If the growth of the crop be so regular as to allow of the stems being cut off at an
equal height the topping may be done by means of an ordinary mowing knife and
ingers arrangement attached horizontally to the frame V in front of the chains, this
rrangement might have a vertical adjustment to suit varying heights of cane.
Above each of the forks which carry the bearings of the small carrying wheels of
the machine is a worm wheel A with which engages a worm B on the shaft of the
steering wheel Cu the worm wheels are connected by the chains D D so that the
movement of one wheel causes a like movement of the other. Either pair of the worm
and wheels can be put in gear according to the direction in which the machine is
moving.
F Figures 1, 2, 3 is knife fixed so as to cut any canes growing in the row being
operated upon, but which may have so much failen over as to have become locked into
the stools of the adjacent row-it is removeable so as to allow of the bar M being
brought forward to place the rollers on the roller path Y. If required motion might
be conveyed to this knife from the mitre wheel B.
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. The combination of the pathfinders and shoes arranged to penetrate between rows
of stems while yielding to inequalities of the ground substantially as described.
2. In combination with the folding guides pivotted on the inclined pitch chains
the spring arms for clearing the pivots and the revolving brush and comb for clearing
the links and guides substantially as described.
3. In combination with the top frame mounted on trunnions the chain wheels and
their shaft and clutch with the gear connecting it to the driving wheel so as to

page_text: proportion the movement of the chains and folding guides suitably to the advance of
the machine substantially as described.
4. The wedge pins on the shoes for opening the folding guides as they begin to
ascend and the flanges and teeth of the upper chain wheels for closing them for
descent substantially as described.
5. The apparatus for cutting the stems close to the ground with means of
automatically regulating the position of the knife in relation to the ground sub-
stantially as described.
6. Mounting the machine to turn round a central pin on a circular rail for the
purpose of reversing the direction of its movement substantially as described.
7. The construction of the machine herein described and represented by the
accompanying drawings.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants