IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND PULPING TURNIPS AND OTHER ROOTS, AND FOR CUTTING CHAFF
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Edwin Phillips, of Derby, in the County of Derby,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND
PULPING TURNIPS AND OTHER ROOTS, AND FOR CUTTING CHAFF."
Sealed the 4th May 1880, and dated the 15th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Edwin Phillips at
"
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1879.
JAMES EDWIN PHILLIPS, of Derby, in the County of Derby. IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND PULPING TURNIPS AND OTHER ROOTS, AND FOR
CUTTING CHAFF."
This Invention relates, first, to that class of machine in which right angled bent
knives of L shape are employed, projecting from the face of a revolving disc, which
knives are usually fastened to the disc by screw pins, having their stems projecting
out through to the back of such disc. The shanks or stems of the knives, when thus
arranged, come in the way of the cut pieces passing through the disc.
Now, according to my Invention, I mount the knives upon one or more curved
bars connected to the boss of the disc at one end, and to the periphery of the disc
at the other end; these bars are raised above the level of the face of the disc to the
desired thickness for the roots to be cut, and openings are formed through the disc
behind them. To one edge of this bar or bars I fasten the stems of the L shaped
knives with their L ends directed towards the back of the disc, and parallel with
its axis; while their stems are straight with the face of the disc, and at right angles
with the axis, by this means perfect clearness is given at the back of the disc for
the cut pieces to pass through. To the other edge of the curved bar or bars I fasten
slicing or pulping knives, and by the use of a double ended hopper, and a turn
over plate therein, the roots may be fed to either end of the hopper, and by turning
the disc in one direction finger pieces or strips will be produced, and by
reversing the action of the disc when knives are used slices will be cut off the
whole breadth of the root; or in place of knives I sometimes use rasp plates for
pulping, which change is sometimes desirable for feeding purposes.
The arrangement is also applicable to the barrel principle of root cutters, and
would remove the objection now felt by the knives projecting on the inside of such

page_text: barrel. The bar carrying the knives would in this case be across the barrel. For
pulping I form openings in the revolving disc, in which I bolt rasp plates. The
plates are let in flush with the face of the disc. These plates are by preference made
of cast metal, and have gouge shaped teeth formed upon them with separate
clearance holes through the plate at their base, through which the pulped or
grated roots can pass freely. These teeth are ranged in lines round the disc
eccentrically to the axis, and so that each set of cutters shall cut a fresh track on
the surface of the roots in the hopper. In some cases, when using these cast
rasping plates, I use a reciprocating bar, having teeth upon it, through which the
teeth upon the disc shall pass freely, motion being given to this bar by an eccentric
or cam. I make a compound machine by mounting two discs back to back upon the
same axis, and arrange hoppering on either side of the frame, so that either hopper
or disc may be used as required, and by the use of the double action disc, already
described, on one side, and the single action on the other, a treble action machine
is obtained. I may compose the hoppering of two end plates bolted together
with long bolts, and form a screen to take out the dirt on one side of the hopper by
means of wrought iron rods, having their ends bent round to form eyes and threaded
on to the long bolts with distance pieces or washer tubes between them.
By mounting chaff cutter knives on the same spindle as the root cutter disc I
may combine a root cutting machine with a chaff cutting machine, and cause the
pieces of root and the chaff to mix in falling into the same receptacle, thus
preparing a mixed food ready for immediate use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Edwin Phillips in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
May 1880.
JAMES EDWIN PHILLIPS, of Derby, in the County of Derby.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING AND PULPING TURNIPS AND OTHER ROOTS, AND FOR
CUTTING CHAFF."
This Invention relates, first, to that class of machine in which right angle bent
knives of shape are employed, projecting from the face of a revolving disc, which
knives are usually fastened to the disc by screw pins, having their stems projecting
out through to the back of such disc. The shanks or stems of the knives, when
thus arranged, come in the way of the cut pieces passing through the disc.
Now, according to my Invention, I mount the knives upon one or more curved
bars connected to the boss of the disc at one end, and to the periphery of the disc at
the other end; these bars are raised above the level of the face of the disc to the
desired thickness for the roots to be cut, and openings are formed through the disc
behind them. To one edge of this bar or bars I fasten the stems of the L shaped
knives with their ends directed towards the back of the disc, and parallel with
its axis, while their stems are straight with the face of the disc, and at right angles
with the axis; by this means perfect clearness is given at the back of the disc for
the cut pieces to pass through. To the other edge of the curved bar or bars I fasten
slicing or pulping knives, and by the use of a double ended hopper and a turn
over plate therein, the roots may be fed to either end of the hopper, and by turning
the disc in one direction finger pieces or strips will be produced, and by reversing
the action of the disc when knives are used slices will be cut off the whole breadth
of the root; or in place of knives I sometimes use rasp-plates for pulping, which
change is sometimes desirable for feeding purposes. The arrangement is also
applicable to the barrel principle of root cutters, and would remove the objection
The bar carrying
now felt by the knives projecting on the inside of such barrel.
the knives would in this case be across the barrel. For pulping I form openings
in the revolving disc, in which I bolt rasp plates. The plates are let in flush with
the face of the disc. These plates are by proference made of cast metal, and have
gouge shaped teeth formed upon them, with separate clearance holes through the
plate at their base, through which the pulp or grated roots can pass freely. These
teeth are ranged in lines round the disc eccentrically to the axis, and so that each
set of cutters shall cut a fresh track on the surface of the roots in the hopper. In
some cases when using these cast rasping plates, I use a reciprocating bar, having
teeth upon it, through which the teeth upon the disc shall pass freely, motion
cam. I make
being given to this bar by an eccentric or
a compound
machine by mounting two discs back to back upon the same axis, and arrange
hoppering on either side of the frame, so that either hopper or disc may be used as
required, and by the use of the double action disc, already described, on one side,
and the single action on the other, a treble action machine is obtained. I may
compose the hoppering of two end plates bolted together with long bolts, and form
a screen to take out the dirt on one side of the hopper by means of wrought iron
rode, having their ends bent round to form eyes, and threaded on to the long
bolts with distance pieces or washer tubes between them.
By mounting chaff cutter knives on the same spindle as the root cutter disc I
may combine a root cutting machine with a chaff cutting machine, and cause the
pieces of root and the chaff to mix in falling into the same receptacle, thus
preparing a mixed food ready for immediate use. And in order that my Invention
may be more fully understood, and readily carried into effect, I will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying Drawings:-Fig. 1 is a

page_text: plan, and Figure 2 a part section through X, Y, of Figure 1, of the curved bar or
bars in combination with a revolving disc, as described with reference to the first
part of my Invention. A is the curved bar. In the before named Figures I have
shewn this curved bar A fitted with both slicing knives and angle knives for
cutting finger pieces off the turnips or other roots that have been thrown into the
hopper by the attendant. This curved bar or bars A is secured at the inner end to
the boss of the disc B by bolts a, and at the outer end to the face of the disc B,
near its periphery by one or more bolts b. C are the slicing knives; they are
secured to the one side of the curved bar A, and angle knives C¹ for cutting finger
pieces are mounted on the other side of the said curved bar A, which is a suitable
distance from the face of the disc B, and on which the thickness of the cut roots
entirely depends.
D is the shaft on which the disc B is mounted, and secured by a key or other con-
venient manner. When the machine is turned to the right (for example) slices will be
cut, but when it is turned to the left finger pieces will be cut, the slices passing out
through the opening in the disc at c, and the finger pieces passing out at the other
side of the curved bar and opening at d. It is not necessary that in all cases the
curved arm or arms should be provided with two classes of cutters, as if a single
action machine only be required, then only one set of knives are required on the
one side of the curved bar.
This arrangement of securing the knives to a curved bar, which bar is screwed or
bolted to the disc, has many important advantages over machines of other
construction, inasmuch as it is more simple and consequently easier to manufacture;
and another point of superiority is that the arms together with the knife or knives
can be removed at will for the purpose of renewing or for sharpening the knives,
should it be deemed necessary.
At Figure 3 I have shewn a front view, and at Figure 4 a cross section of a
complete machine for cutting and pulping roots constructed according to my
Invention. e, e, is the framing of the machine, by preference of wood, and carries
in suitable bearings the shaft D, to which is secured the disc B, and at the other
end I mount a fly wheel E. In Figure 3 F is a central vertical partition, having a
turn over plate or grating p jointed above it, and the roots to be sliced are brought
down on one side of this partition, and when finger pieces are required the roots
for producing their form are by the turn over plate p brought down on the other
side of this partition F.
Figures 5 and 6 shew respectively a plan and section of the pulping or rasp
plates G, which are provided with teeth or cutters f; g are openings for the passage
of the pulped roots. The disc B may be provided with openings to receive any
convenient number of these plates, which it will be seen are in one piece, and may
be of cast iron or malleable iron annealed, and may be removed at will. These rasps
or pulping plates G have a flange 1, Figure 6, which abuts against the back of
the disc B and the plates G are secured and held in place by countersunk headed
bolts m and n, the heads of which are flush with the face of the disc.
Figure 7 is an end view of a machine constructed according to my Invention,
shewing two discs B and B¹, mounted on the one shaft D. One of these discs,
say B, may have a double set of knives, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and B' & set
of pulping or rasp plates, as shewn with reference to Figures 5 and 6, thus making
a triple action machine.
The hoppering arrangement is shewn at Figures 3, 4, and 7. I thread the curved
rods on to a rod i at the top and at the bottom on to a rod i', the ends of the
curved rod h having eyes for this purpose, and the said rods, are kept at a certain
pitch or equal distance apart by intermediate washers or distance tubes k. The
rods h are preferably of wrought iron, but they may be of any suitable metal, and
they may have the distance pieces cast on them, but I prefer the arrangement
described and shewn particularly on account of the extreme lightness.
Figure 8 is an end view of a root cutter and chaff cutter combined according to
my Invention; the disc B of the root cutter and the chaff cutter wheel H being
E

page_text: mounted on the same shaft D. The object of this is that the roots and the chaff
may mix well together, and that the moisture from the cut roots shall be absorbed
by the chaff.
To prevent the cut chaff from being thrown about, and consequently not mixing
with the roots, I cover both the disc B and wheel H with a cover K.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in machinery for cutting and pulping turnips and other roots, and for
cutting chaff,
First. The employment of a curved bar or bars provided with slicing, or cutting,
or pulping plate or plates, or knives, in combination with the disc or barrel of a
turnip or other root cutter, which may, when two sets of knives or plates are used,
and when turned in one direction, produce from the roots to be cut slices, and when
turned in the other direction finger or such like pieces, so as to be either double or
single acting, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. In root pulpers the employment of removable pulping or rasp plates cast
in one piece, and secured to the disc in the manner and for the purposes sub-
stantially as set forth.
Third. Mounting two discs on one shaft, the one disc being provided preferably
with a double set of cutters, and the other disc with pulping plates, all constructed
and acting substantially in manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. Mounting the disc of a root cutter and a chaff cutting wheel on one and
the same shaft, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. The arrangement of hoppering for turnips and other root cutters, all
substantially as described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edwin Phillips, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty
J. E. PHILLIPS. (L.S.)