Year: 1888

page_text: I, JOSEPH POWELL, of Brancaster, in the county of Norfolk, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to root cutting machines of that class in which the knives or
cutters are fixed on a drum or barrel (Gardner's machine for instance) adapted to revolve
in proximity to an inclined plate down which the roots slide from the hopper towards
the barrel as the cutting proceeds.
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In machines of this class as heretofore constructed each turnip or other root
gradually slides down the inclined plate as piece after piece is cut from it, until it
reaches the narrowest point between the drum and the said inclined plate.
considerable uncut portion then drops below the machine because there is nothing to
hold it against the pressure of the cutters.
The chief object of my invention is to provide means whereby the whole of each
root is cut into portions of the desired size and to this end it comprises the improve-
ments hereinafter described.
.
According to my invention I arrange, below and in proximity to the drum a
concave, preferably perforated, or in the form of a grating, which concave serves to
prevent the uncut portion of a root from escaping from the machine so that it is
carried round with the drum until it comes into contact with the roots in the hopper
which offer sufficient resistance to allow the cutters to act.
As a considerable quantity of earth and dirt pass through the concave into the
receptacle for the uncut roots beneath, I fix sheet iron or other guards which catch
the dirt and conduct it away.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JOSEPH POWELL, of Brancaster, in the County of Norfolk, 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 invention relates to improvements in root cutting machines of that class in
which the knives or cutters are fixed on a drum or barrel (Gardner's machine for
instance) adapted to revolve in proximity to a plate against which the roots bear as
the cutting proceeds.
In machines of this class as heretofore constructed, each turnip or other root
gradually drops as piece after piece is cut from it until it reaches the narrowest
point between the drum and the said plate. A considerable uncut portion then drops
below the machine because there is nothing to hold it against the pressure of the
cutters.
The chief object of my invention is to provide means whereby the whole of each
root is cut into portions of the desired size and to this end it comprises the improve-
ments hereinafter described.
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According to my invention I arrange below and in proximity to the drum a
concave preferably perforated, or in the form of a grating, which concave serves
to prevent the uncut portion of a root from escaping from the machine so that it is
carried round with the drum until it comes into contact with the roots in the hopper
which offer sufficient resistance to allow the cutters to act.
As a considerable quantity of earth and dirt pass through the concave into the
receptacle for the uncut roots beneath I fix sheet iron or other guards which catch
the dirt and conduct it away.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a root cutter having my improvement applied
thereto, and
Figure 2 is a view of the "concave" detached.
a is the cutting cylinder or barrel of the well known Gardner type, and 6 the
frame upon which the said cylinder is supported.
c is the plate against which the roots are supported during the cutting operation,
the said plate being preferably in the form of a grating and forming one side of a
box c' enclosing the barrel and into which the roots to be cut are placed.
d is a hopper at the top of the said box.
e is the concave, which, according to my invention, I provide for preventing an
uncut piece of root from dropping out of the machine. This concave is placed
beneath the cylinder, as shown in figure 1, and in such close proximity thereto that
the uncut pieces of root which pass out of the box c do not fall out of contact with the
knives, but are carried round until they come into contact with the roots in the hopper.

page_text: The said concave may be made of metal plate either plain or perforated; in practice
however I prefer to make it in the form of a grating so that no accumulation of dirt
can take place. The said concave is also in some cases formed integral with the
plate c.
fis a shoot placed beneath the said concave to catch the dirt falling through the same,
and conduct it to a suitable place or receptacle, and g is a shield or guard for
directing the cut material into a skip or receptacle beneath the machine.
As shown in figure 2 the portion of the grating e which is over the shoot f is
made finer than the other portion, so that only dirt will fall into the said shoot while
pieces of cut root can fall through the coarse portion into the receptacle below.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) In a root cutting machine of the kind hereinbefore described, the employment
of a concave beneath the barrel, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
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(2.) The combination with a barrel of a root cutter, of a concave having
openings or perforations therein, and a shoot for receiving the dirt passing through
the said openings or perforations, substantially as described.
(3.) The manufacture and use of the improved root cutter hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 26th day of November 1888.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.