IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CHAFF AND OTHER VEGETABLE MATTERS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO CUTTING OR MOWING SHORT OR LAWN GRASS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Bailey, of Leicester, Machinist, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CHAFF
AND OTHER VEGETABLE MATTERS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO CUTTING OR MOWING SHORT OR LAWN GRASS."
Sealed the 21st January 1868, and dated the 30th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Bailey at 'the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
July 1862.
I, BENJAMIN BAILEY, of Leicester, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
CHAFF AND OTHER VEGETABLE MATTERS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO CUTTING OR MOWING SHORT OR LAWN GRASS," to be as follows:
The improvements relate to arranging and supporting the cutters in appa-
ratus commonly called chaff-cutting machines. I employ a pair of cutting
blades, supported by ribs or arms from a central axis in front of the mouth of
the trough supporting the matters to be cut, and in such manner that all parts
of the cutters are concentric or nearly so to such axis, whilst the cutting edges
are inclined diagonally thereto, but in opposite directions one to the other, so
that when caused to revolve one cutting edge will begin its cut at one end
thereof and finish at the opposite, and supposing this to be from right to left,
the other cutter will begin at the left, and progressively cut to the right.
These diagonal cutters act with a fixed cutter, forming part of the feed mouth.

page_text: The cutters are adjustable, and the parts between them are open to admit of
the free passage of the matter cut. This arrangement of cutters is also
applicable to lawn-mowing machines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Bailey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
80th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
BAILEY, of Leicester, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign
did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Benjamin Bailey, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin Bailey, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Bailey, my 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 MEANS
03 APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CHAFF AND OTHER VEGETABLE MATTERS, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO CUTTING OR MOWING SHORT OR LAWN
GRASS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, 'the said Benjamin Bailey,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Patent Office within six calendar months next' and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, tho said Benjamin Bailey, do hereby declaró
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements relate to arranging and supporting the cutters in appa-
ratus commonly called chaff-cutting machines. I employ a pair of cutting
blades supported by ribs or arms from a central axis in front of the mouth of
the trough supporting the matters to be cut, and in such manner that all parts

page_text: of the cutters are concentric or nearly so to such axis, whilst the cutting edges:
are inclined diagonally thereto, but. in opposite directions one to the other, so
that when caused to revolve one cutting edge will begin its cut at one end;
thereof, and finish at the opposite, and supposing this to be from right to left,
the other cutter will begin at the left, and progressively cut to the right.
These diagonal cutters act with a fixed cutter, forming part of the feed mouth..
The cutters are adjustable, and the parts between them are open to admit of:
the free passage of the matter cut. This arrangement of cutters is also?
applicable to lawn-mowing machines.
But that the Invention may be better understood, I will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe means which I have found to
answer well in carrying the same into effect.
:
: 3
"Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section, Figure 2 a plan, and Figures 3 and 4
side and front views, partly in section, of apparatus with my improvements!
applied to it. In each of the views the same letters are used to indicate:
corresponding parts wherever they occur.
.:
a, a, is the main framing; b, the main driving axis or shaft, upon which is
applied the fly wheel 6' and the winch handle 6. This axle or shaft 6 is
supported by the bearings a', a', and it carries the cutter blades c, c, by those
blades being affixed to ribs c', c', from the axle b; d is the feed trough,
in which is placed the straw or other vegetable matter to be cut; and e, e, are
the feed rollers for feeding the straw through the mouth e', e, to the cutters
C, C. These feed rollers have applied to one end of their axes the stud wheels
ff, the teeth f' of which work in the teeth of the vertical wheel g. And when
working at one speed these rollers e, e, are driven from the main axle 6 by
means of the screw thread h on that axle 6 taking into the studs or teeth i of
the wheel on the axle j, upon which is also affixed the toothed wheel j³, the
teeth of which take into the studs or teeth of the wheelf on the lower feed
roller e. This axle j does not communicate motion to the feed roller e, except
when the parts of the clutch & are together, as is well understood; and this
connection is effected by the lever handle 7. In order to effect a slower speed
to the feed rollers e, e, when required, I also apply to the axle ba thread m,
which works in the teeth of the wheel n, on the axle n', upon which is affixed
the pinion o, the teeth of which take into the teeth of a wheel p on the axis of
the lower feed roller e. The parts of the axle n' operate only when clutched
by the clutch box 7, operated by the lever handle ». By these means
variations in the lengths cut may be effected.
Figures 5 and 6 show separately by side and end views a series of revolving
knives adapted according to my improvements to be used with a stationary

page_text: knife or blade in what are called lawn-mowing machines. And it will be seen.
that these knives s, s, like those already referred to, are concentric with the
axis t, on which they are fixed, and they are applied so as alternately to
incline in opposite directions, so as to effect, their respective cuts in opposite
directions, as from right to left, and then left to right, and then right to left.
back again, and so on. u, u, are plates set just within the cutting edges of
the blades s, s', to assist in clearing those edges of the cut grass. These plates
are adjustable by set screws v, v.
Having thus described the nature of the said improvements, and means.
which I have found to answer in carrying the same into effect, I would have
it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown and
described, as these may be varied; but what I do claim is, applying cutting
blades to apparatus for cutting chaff and other vegetable matters and short or
lawn grass, so that, the same may be concentric with the axes to which they
are affixed, and that their cutting edges may alternately incline across their
axes in opposite directions, substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Bailey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal; this Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
DENTAMIN DAILEY