Improvements in or relating to the Feed Devices of Chaff Cutters.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1894-Accepted, 26th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Feed Devices of Chaff Cutters.
1 JOSEPH WILLIAM LEE of Cambridge Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the feed devices of chaff cutters.
In chaff cutters as at present constructed the material to be cut up is usually fed
to the knife rollers by flat slats of wood or metal connecting two parallel endless
This
feed chains working along the bottom of the box of the chaff cutter.
arrangement however is found to be very inefficient in practice, since the said flat
slats take little or no hold upon the materials, and the feeding action of the device
has consequently to be supplemented by hand feeding, which frequently results in
serious accidents.
According to my invention I substitute for the said flat slats of wood or metal,
" carrier
strips provided each with an upwardly projecting ridge (which I term a
strip") each carrier strip inclining away from its direction of motion. If desired
the said carrier strips may be made A shaped in transverse section. By the
employment of carrier strips as above described the efficiency of the feed will be
greatly increased as a better hold on the material will be obtained and it will
suffice to simply press the material down upon the said carrier strips.
I may still further increase the efficiency of the feed by combining with the
aforesaid carrier strips a grooved or fluted roller mounted above the same, just in
front of the knife rollers, in yielding bearings, suitable springs being provided
which tend to force said grooved roller down upon the material fed beneath it.
The said roller would be driven by suitable gearing at the same speed as the
In order to conduct the
endless chains to which the carrier strips are secured.
material direct between the said roller and the carrier strips I employ an inclined
guide frame the upper portion of which is conveniently supported by the chaff cutter
box whilst the lower part thereof pivots on the axis of said grooved roller and
rises and falls therewith. The said guide frame would preferably be filled in with
wood lined with sheet iron and may be provided at its lower portion with one or
more rollers to lessen the friction on the material as it passes to the knives.
J
5 A 1001
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Fels. Chartered Inst. Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
For the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to
I, JOSEPH WILLIAM LEE, of Cambridge, 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 chaff cutters as at
This invention relates to the feed devices of chaff cutters.
present constructed the material to be cut up is usually fed to the knife rollers by
flat slats of wood or metal connecting two endless parallel feed chains working

page_text: along the bottom of the box of the chaff cutter. This arrangement however is
found to be very inefficient in practice, since the said flat slats take little or no
hold upon the materials, and the feeding action of the device has consequently to
be supplemented by hand feeding, which frequently results in serious accidents."
According to my invention, I substitute for the said flat slats what I term
"carrier strips" each "carrier strip" consisting of a slat of wood or metal adapted
to be secured at each end to the parallel feed chains and provided with an
upwardly projecting ridge, either continuous or interrupted, inclining away from
the direction of motion. The said "carrier strips" may slightly vary in form and
construction as hereinafter described. By the employment of "carrier strips" as
above set forth the efficiency of the feed will be greatly increased as a better hold
on the material will be obtained, and it will suffice to simply press the material
down upon the said "carrier strips" no hand feeding being required.
"
I may still further increase the efficiency of the feed by combining with the
aforesaid carrier strips a grooved or fluted feed roller mounted above the same in
yielding bearings, suitable springs being provided which tend to force the feed
roller down upon the material fed beneath it. The said feed roller would be driven
by suitable gearing at the same speed as the endless feed chains across which the
"carrier strips are secured. In order to direct the material between the feed
roller and the "carrier strips" I employ an inclined guide frame, the upper end of
which is conveniently supported whilst the lower end is connected with the said
feed roller so as to rise and fall therewith. The said guide frame would preferably
be filled in with wood faced with sheet iron, and may, if found necessary, be
provided at its lower part with one or more rollers to lessen the friction on the
material as it passes to the knives.
In the accompanying drawings in which similar letters refer to corresponding
parts in all the figures:
Fig. 1 is a view of a diagrammatic nature shewing in sectional side elevation so
much of a chaff cutter as is necessary to make clear my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the fluted feed roller and guide frame connected therewith.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent in side elevation and transverse section respectively
slightly varying forms of "carrier strips."
Fig. 7 is a transverse section of a modified construction of "carrier strip" wherein
pegs or teeth are substituted for a continuous ridge.
a is the box of the chaff cutter, and 6 is the bottom thereof. e indicates one of a
pair of endless parallel feed chains which pass over the sprocket wheels d at each
end of the box a, and e indicates the "carrier strips" secured across and connecting
the said feed chains. f is a fluted feed roller extending across the box a and
mounted at each end in adjustable spring bearings g so as to be free to yield to
accommodate the material passing beneath it. is the inclined guide frame for
directing the material to be cut up beneath the feed roller f, which is here repre-
sented as composed of two side frames ii of angle iron pivotted at their lower ends
upon the axis f' of the feed roller so as to rise and fall with the latter, and
supporting between them a plate k of wood faced with sheet iron. is a rod which
supports the upper end of the guide frame h, said rod being secured in the sides of
the box a and passing through slots m in the side frames i. nn indicate suitable
spur wheels or gearing situated outside the box a, by means of which the feed
roller may be driven from the sprocket wheel d at equal speed with the endless
feed chains c. oo are the knife rollers, and g' indicates one of a pair of spring
bearings for regulating the pressure thereof.
"
In Figs. 3 and 4 the "carrier strips e are represented as consisting of slats p to
which are secured by bolts q lengths r of angle iron which constitute the upwardly
projecting ridges before referred to. The ends of the slats p are secured to the
feed chains in the usual manner, preferably by passing them through slots formed
in the sides of the links.
In Figs. 5 and 6 the ridges are represented as consisting of strips of wood of
A section, suitably secured, as by glue and screws, to the slats p.

page_text: In Fig. 7, in lieu of a continuous ridge, the slats are represented as provided
with the equivalent of an interrupted ridge in the form of pegs or teeth r³.
It will be readily understood that if desired the slats and their ridges may be
made integral, in lieu of separate as illustrated.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In a chaff cutter, the employment of "carrier strips" constructed as herein-
before described in substitution for the flat slats hitherto used, substantially as
specified.
2. In a chaff cutter, the use in combination with "carrier strips" of the
construction hereinbefore described, of a grooved or fluted feed roller mounted in
yielding bearings, and an inclined guide frame connected at its lower end with the
feed roller so as to rise and fall therewith, substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated.
3. "Carrier strips" for chaff cutters constructed as described with reference to
and illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 22nd day of December A.D. 1894.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.