Improvements in or connected with Machines for Cutting Hay, Straw, and other Materials
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Machines for Cutting Hay,
Straw, and other Materials.
We, ALBERT WILLIAM MILLS, of 23, Glengall Road, Old Kent Road, Mineral
Water Manufacturer and WILLIAM JAMES SHEPHERD, of 14, Caroline Street, Old
Kent Road, Engineer, both in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention chiefly relates to machines of the kind known as chaff-cutters.
Chaff-cutters as heretofore constructed are usually provided with a knife or knives
secured to a wheel in such a manner that, during the rotation of the said wheel, the
said knife or knives will be caused to cut the straw or other materia! as it issues from
a mouth. A chaff-cutter of this construction, however, requires considerable power
to drive it owing to the fact that the knife or knives crush or tear the material rather
than cut it.
The chief object of our invention is to provide for imparting a drawing motion
to the cutter whereby less power will be required than would otherwise be the
case.
According to our invention we employ preferably a straight blade which has
a reciprocating as well as an oscillating or an up and down motion imparted
to it. This motion we prefer to produce by means of cranks.
In some cases the blade is worked by two cranks and serves as a connecting rod
between them to cause them to move in unison, while in other cases one crank only
is employed connected to one end of the blade, the other end working in connection
with a pin or guide.
Both edges of the blade are sharpened so that the knife will cut during both its up
and down stroke.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Machines for Cutting Hay,
Straw, and other Materials.
We, ALBERT WILLIAM MILLS, of 23, Glengall Road, Old Kent Road, Mineral
Water Manufacturer, and WILLIAM JAMES SHEPHERD, of 14, Caroline Street,
Old Kent Road, Engineer, both in the County of London, 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:-
Our invention chiefly relates to machines of the kind known as chaff-cutters.
Chaff-cutters as heretofore constructed are usually provided with a knife or knives
secured to a wheel in such a manner that, during the rotation of the said wheel, the
said knife or knives will be caused to cut the straw or other material as it issues from
the mouth of the machine. A chaff-cutter of this construction, however, requires
considerable power to drive it owing to the fact that the knife or knives crush or tear
the material rather than cut it.
The chief object of our invention is to provide for imparting a drawing motion
to the knife whereby less power will be required than would otherwise be the
case.
According to our invention we employ preferably a straight blade which has

page_text: an up and down motion imparted
to it. This motion we prefer to produce by means of cranks.
The blade is advantageously worked by a crank connected to one end of the blade,
the other end working in connection with a guide, or the blade may be worked by
two cranks.
Both edges of the blade are sharpened so that it will cut during both its up and
down strokes.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe how
it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in
which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of a chaff cutting machine as is
necessary to illustrate our invention where the knife is worked by a crank and a
guide, and
Figure 2 is a similar view shewing the knife worked by two cranks.
a is the bed of the machine b the hopper, c the mouth thereof, d, d the feed rollers
and the main driving shaft, all being of ordinary construction.
represents our knife which consists of a blade g and a bar h to which the blade
is attached by means of screws to keep it rigid.
In Figure 1 the knife is driven from the main shaft e by a crank i attached
to one of its ends while the other end of the knife is provided with a pin j
having a roller k which works in the guide slot in the bracket m attached to
the bed a.
By this arrangement it will be seen that when the crank i is rotated, the knife f
will, in addition to moving up and down across the mouth c of the machine, have a
horizontal or drawing movement imparted to it and by arranging the parts in the
position shewn, the said knife having both edges of the blade sharpened is enabled to
cut in both the up and down strokes.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 2 the knife is operated by two cranks i
and n the crank i being attached to the main shaft e as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figure 1, while the other crank n is driven from the said shaft
by any suitable means. In this instance the knife consists of a triangular frame o
to the inclined side of which the blade 9 is attached the cranks and n being jointed
to the said knife which operates substantially in the same manner as the knife shewn
in Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
(1.) A machine for cutting bay, straw and other materials, the knife of which has
a reciprocating as well as an oscillating or an up and down motion imparted to it.
as and for the purposes set forth.
(2.) In a machine for cutting hay, straw and other materials, the combination of
the knife, crank i and guide slot arranged and operating substantially as herein-
.before described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.
(3.) In a machine for cutting hay, straw and other materials, the combination of the
knife and cranks i and n arranged and operating substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.
(4.) The improved chaff cutting machines hereinbefore described and illustrated
in Figures 1 and 2 respectively of the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 4th day of September 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants..