IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON STRAW APPLIED TO THRESHING MACHINES OR OTHERWISE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Brown and Charles Neale May, both
of Devizes, in the County of Wilts, Engineers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON STRAW APPLIED TO
THRESHING MACHINES OR OTHERWISE."
Sealed the 10th August 1866, and dated the 13th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brown and
Charles Neale May at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 13th February 1866.
We, WILLIAM BROWN and CHARLES NEALE MAY, both of Devizes,
in the County of Wilts, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON STRAW
APPLIED TO THRESHING MACHINES OR OTHERWISE," to be as follows:-
Our improvements apply to machines for threshing and bruising straw,
so that it is split, crushed, and softened to the same state as when the grain
is trodden out by cattle, and in which form it is available for fodder. To
accomplish this we mount across the front end of an ordinary combined
threshing machine a spindle or shaft on which are disposed a large number
of small circular saws somewhat similar to the arrangement of the common
saw cotton gin. The peripheries of the saws run between the teeth of a
comb or grating which forms the bottom of a kind of hopper in which the
straw is received as it is delivered by the threshing machine, so as to

page_text: prevent the escape of straw uncut and also to clear the straw teeth and
obviate the choking up of the apparatus. We also fix a pair of fluted rollers
between the saws to intercept and further disintegrate and operate on the
material. A guard of hopper-like form also guides the straw to the
rollers. By these means the straw after passing over the straw shaker of
the machine is seized by the saws which run at a high velocity, and is cut
and torn entirely to pieces, after which it passes between the rollers and
is completely softened so as to be available for cattle food. This apparatus
may either be worked in combination with a threshing machine or it may
constitute an independent machine to be used for operating on the straw
separately therefrom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the, said William Brown and Charles. Neale May in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
BROWN and CHARLES NEALE MAY, both of Devizes, in the County of
Wilts, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said William Brown and Charles Neale May, Her
special licence that we, the said William Brown and Charles Neale May,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Brown and Charles Neale May, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON STRAW
APPLIED TO THRESHING MACHINES OR OTHERWISE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said William Brown and Charles Neale May, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal

page_text: Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Brown and Charles Neale
May, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and ip
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement; reference being had
to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):
Our improvement applies to machines for threshing and bruising straw,
so that it is split, crushed, and softened to the same state as when the
grain is trodden out by cattle, and in which form it is available for fodder.
To accomplish this we mount across the front end of an ordinary combined
threshing machine a spindle or shaft on which are disposed a large number
of small circular saws somewhat similar to the arrangement of the common
saw cotton gin. The peripheries of these saws run between the teeth of
a sort of comb or grating which forms the bottom of a kind of hopper in
which the straw is received as it is delivered by the threshing machine, so
as to prevent the escape of straw uncut, and also to clear the saw teeth
and obviate choking up of the apparatus. We also fix a pair of fluted
rollers below the saws to intercept and further disintegrate and operate on
the material. A guard of hopper-like form also guides the straw to the
rollers. By these means the straw after passing over the straw shaker of
the machine is seized by the saws, which run at a high velocity, and is cut
and torn entirely to pieces, after which it passes between the rollers and is
completely softened so as to be available as food for cattle. This appa-
ratus may either be worked in combination with a threshing machine; or it
may constitute an independent machine to be used for operating on the
straw separately therefrom, which may be fed into the saws and comb from
a suitable hopper in which it is placed by hand or otherwise. The straw
thus comminuted instead of being used as food for cattle may be employed
in the manufacture of pulp for paper making or for other purposes.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Nurod
The Drawings annexed represent our improved apparatus for operating
on straw as applied to an ordinary portable threshing machine, but which
may be constructed and actuated as an independent machine as before-
mentioned, and which will be readily understood without further illustra-
tion. Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the apparatus applied to a
threshing machine which is also partially represented in side view;

page_text: Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the threshing machine
and straw cutting and bruising apparatus; while Figure 3 is an end view
of the machine and said apparatus with part of the saws and spindle
removed, in order to show the parts which would otherwise be obscured;
a, a, are two A frames extending from and fixed to the end standards of
the threshing machine, which A frames carry the parts of the straw
comminutor; bearings 6 being provided thereon to carry the shaft cfur-
nished with a number of circular saws d, d, fixed thereon at short intervals
and across the whole breadth of the machine; e, e, are the comb teeth
fixed between plates fand g, the latter g being a fixed stretcher across the
machine, while the other plate is fixed upon it by means of bolts and
nuts; plate g and comb teeth e form a continuation of the slope on
which the straw falls from the straw shaker B. The points of the comb
teeth e enter between each of the circular saws and of course extend
across the breadth of the machine; a large rigger k is fixed on the end of
saw shaft c, by which it is driven at a quick velocity by a strap 7 from a
rigger on the fan shaft of the threshing machine or otherwise. The arrow
indicates the direction of motion of the saws; the surface presented by the
saws and the incline fand h form a hopper-like receptacle for the straw
falling from the shaker B, and which by the motion of the saws is cut up
and carried past or through the comb teeth e. The comminuted straw
falls on an inclined board p, stretched across the breadth of the machine,
and is conducted between a pair of fluted rollers r, s, which revolve at
different velocities, the ones being driven by spur gearing j, j, from the
shaft c at a quick velocity, while the other is actuated by a strap t com-
municating motion from a shaft of the threshing machine to a rigger fixed
on the axis of r and driving it at a slow velocity; these rollers rotate in con-
trary directions, as indicated by the arrows. The axes of these rollers are
carried by bearings u, v, fitted in slot openings in the A frames, the bear-
ings of roller & being stationary, while those of r may be slid towards
and from u, t, and are held up towards u, u, by set screws x, x, by which
the rollers r, s, can be held in more or less close proximity as may be
required in operating on different kinds of straw; y,y, is a boarding carried
round and enclosing the upper part of the apparatus above the frames a to
confine the straw as it falls from the shaker B; and also to protect persons
from contact with the saws; the front of this boarding is removed in
Figure 3. The straw after being severed into short lengths by passing the
saws passes between the fluted rollers r, s, whose frictional contact and
action thoroughly breaks and comminutes the surface and substance of the

page_text: straw, rendering it fit for the purposes aforesaid. The comminuted material
falls into a kind of riddle or sieve y, y, below, which separates the short
straw from the longer pieces; these are carried further on and even over
the end, and it may be desirable to introduce them again to the comminutor
for further reduction. Instead of using a single series of circular saws
revolving between comb teeth, as described and represented in the Draw-
ings, the comb teeth might be dispensed with, and an additional shaft with
a second series of circular saws introduced; the shafts being disposed
parallel, and with the peripheries of the saws overlapping each other a little
(the saws on one shaft being received in the spaces between the saws on
the other shaft); both shafts and series of saws are to be driven, the one at
a higher velocity than the other, and in contrary directions, that is to say,
towards each other, straw dropped above these saws will be cut or severed
and carried through between them and delivered to the ribbed rollers as
before.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention, to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the com-
bination and arrangement of parts constituting apparatus such as herein.
before described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed, applied as and
for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Neale May, for myself and on
behalf of the said William Brown, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
CHA. N. MAY. (L.S.)