Improvements in or connected with Root Graters and other Machines of a like nature.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar, 1893-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Root Graters and other
Machines of a like nature.
I, WILLIAM BEARD LAKE, of Rayne, in the County of Essex, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with root graters and
other machines of a like nature.
A common cause of trouble in root graters and like machines is that the roots
fed into the hopper become wedged between the shaft or spindle of the machine,.
or the casing of such shaft or spindle, and the side of the hopper, thus blocking
the machine and rendering it necessary to remove or force through the wedged
roots in order to render the machine again workable, and the object of my present
invention is to obviate the above defect.
For this purpose, I form upon the spindle or shaft of the machine a left-handed
worm or screw conveyer, so that the roots lodging against the shaft or spindle will
be carried forward by the screw conveyer against the 'disc or plate carrying the
graters, cutters or the like and will thus be automatically removed.
Dated this 14th day of June 1892.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Root Graters and other
Machines of a like nature.
I, WILLIAM BEARD LAKE, of Rayne, in the County of Essex, 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:-
My said invention relates to improvements in or connected with root graters, and
other machines of a like nature.
A common cause of trouble in root graters and like machines is that the roots fed
into the hopper become wedged between the shaft or spindle of the machine, or the
casing of such shaft or spindle, and the side of the hopper, thus blocking the
machine and rendering it necessary to remove or force through the wedged roota
in order to render the machine again workable, and the object of my present
invention is to obviate this defect.
For this purpose, I form upon the shaft or spindle of the machine a left-handed
worm or screw conveyer, so that the roots lodging against the shaft or spindle will
be carried forward and downward, by the screw conveyer, against the disc or plate
carrying the graters, cutters or the like and will thus be automatically removed.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully
to describe the same.

page_text: Figure 3. is a vertical transverse section thereof taken on the line 1.-1. of
Figure 1.
In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
a. represents the frame of the machine, b. represents the upper part of the feed
hopper, represents the lower part thereof, and c. represents the shaft or
spindle.
The shaft or spindle e is mounted in suitable bearings c¹ carried by the frame a.
and has fixed upon the front end thereof a crank fitted with a crank handle e³,
whilst upon the rear end of the shaft or spindle c. is fixed a disc fly wheel
provided with any suitable arrangement of cutter teeth and which construction of
machine is well known.
According to the present invention, upon the shaft or spindle c. is formed or
fixed a worm or screw conveyer which may take the form of a continuous blunt
thread, as represented in the drawings, or the thread might be broken or formed in
sections.
A convenient method of applying the screw thread to the shaft or spindle c. is
to form the thread upon a sleeve cupon the shaft c. and fix such sleeve solidly on
the shaft or spindle by means of keys.
The roots are fed into the hopper and are guided or directed by the deflecting
plate d. over the shaft c. towards the lower part 6* of the hopper, and a common
cause of trouble, in root graters and like machines as heretofore constructed, was
that the roots became wedged between the shaft or spindle c. (or that part of the
hopper covering the said spindle) and the side of the hopper in the manner
indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1., thus blocking the machine and rendering
it necessary to remove or force through the wedged roots in order to render the
machine again workable.
By means of the present invention, however, any roots lodging against the shaft
or spindle c. will be carried forward and downward, by the screw conveyer c
against the disc fly wheel or plate c* carrying the graters cutters or the like and
the roots will thus be automatically removed and will fall by gravity into the
lower part of the hopper, where they are cut up as is well understood.
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 :-
In a root grater or like machine, the combination of a shaft or spindle adapted
to be rotated, a disc fly wheel or plate carrying the cutters or the like, a feed
hopper, and a screw conveyer fixed on the shaft or spindle, substantially as herein
shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 14th day of March 1893.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.