Machinery for Cutting Straw, Clover, and Hay, for Grinding, and for Sawing Wood, and Apparatus for ascertaining the Power employed in Working Machines.
Year: 1849

page_text: Machinery for Cutting Straw, Clover, and Hay, for
Grinding, and for Sawing Wood, and Apparatus
for ascertaining the Power employed in Working
Machines.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, GEORGE
COTTAM and EDWARD COTTAM, of Winsley. Street, Oxford Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of July,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said George Cottam and Edward Cottam, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said
George Cottam and Edward Cottam, our exors, admors, and assigns, and such
others as we, the said George Cottam and Edward Cottam, our exors, aditiors,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING STRAW, CLOVER, AND HAY, FOR GRINDING, FOR SAWING WOOD, AND FOR
APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING THE POWER EMPLOYED IN WORKING MACHINES;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said George
Cottam and Edward Cottam, or one of us, should cause a particular description
of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under

page_text: the hand and seal of one of us, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
George Cottam and Edward Cottam, do hereby declare that the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists,-First, of improvements in machinery for cutting
straw, clover, and hay:
Secondly, our Invention consists of improvements in machinery for grinding:
Thirdly, our Invention consists of improvements in machinery for sawing
wood:
And fourthly, our Invention consists of improvements in apparatus for
ascertaining the power employed in working machinery.
The first part of our Invention consists partly of improvements in the means
of giving motion to the feed rollers of chaff-cutting machinery, so that they
may be more readily adjusted to cut long or short lengths, according as the
matters cut are intended for manure or food; and the improvements consist
of causing the feed rollers to receive motion from a wheel of comparatively
large diameter put in motion periodically, not continuously.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING marked No. 1.
On the
Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2 a side elevation, and Figure 3 a front eleva-
tion. At the end of the fly wheel shaft is a crank A, which works the beam C
by means of the connecting rod B. The fulcrum of the beam is at the opposite
end, where it vibrates on the pin D, which is fastened in the framing, Figure 3.
Figure 2 shews the method by which the feeding rollers are driven.
end of the spindle of the upper feed roller is a small cog wheel E. This is
turned by the larger wheel F, on the axis of which is a ratchet wheel G. This
is made to revolve by means of a ratchet and link worked by the lever H.
This lever is moved up and down by the rod I attached at the lower end to the
beam C. The length of the straw to be cut is regulated by the screw and nut
at K. The lever H rests on the nut K, so that the position to which the nut
is screwed determines the fall of the lever, and of course the lift of the ratchet
to the space through which the rollers are turned. At the opposite end of the
axis of the rollers are placed cog wheels which work in one another, so that

page_text: the bottom feed roller is turned by the top one.
L is a presser worked by the
beam C to press the straw tight at the time of its being cut. The fly wheel
is placed on the shaft at some distance from the knife, in order to allow
clearance for the great length of straw.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING marked No. 2.
This shews further alterations and improvements in a chaff or litter cutting
machine. Figures 1 and 2 are the plan and elevation of an alternate motion
giving a draw cut. This is obtained by means of two excentrics A and B,
fastened on the fly-wheel shaft at right angles to one another. The excentric A
works in a frame C, to which the knife is attached. At the other end of the
frame C is a slot working on a pin D, fixed in a lug on the frame. The
excentric B works in the frame E, which is fixed on the frame C. The ver-
tical motion of the knife is given by the excentric A, and the horizontal
motion by the excentric B, the pin D acting as a fulcrum. In front of the
mouthpiece at the bottom is placed the lip E¹, which gives a bearing for the
straw outside the knife, thereby doing away with the necessity of having
the knife working tight against the face of the mouthpiece.
Figures 3 and 4 shew a plan for lengthening and shortening the feeding
crank so as to cut different lengths of straw. Instead of the crank at the end
of the fly-wheel shaft, there is placed the circular plate E. Near the circum-
ference of this plate is fixed a pin B, on which the link C works. At the
other end of the link C is a bolt D which works in the slot a, b. The con-
necting rod E', which works the beam, is attached to the link C by a pin F,
so placed that the distance from B to F is the same as that from B to the
centre of the shaft. . The throw depends on the position in which the bolt D
is screwed in the slot a, b. When D is brought up to 6 the centre F will
coincide with the centre of the shaft, and there will be no motion in the rod,
and the farther.D is carried towards a the greater will be the throw of the
connecting rod, and, consequently, the length of the straw cut.
We will now describe the second part of our Invention, which has for its
object the application of apparatus for feeding mills with regulated or
measured quantities, so as to ensure certainty and uniformity of feed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS No. 3.
Below this hopper, but separated
at the bottom of the chamber C
The corn is first put into the hopper A.
from it by the slide B, is the chamber C;
is a cup with a channel at the bottom of it passing to the stones. A
shaft E passes through the chamber C, resting on bearings outside. On it

page_text: is fastened the plate F, having at the circumference the small cups b, b..
At the end of the shaft E is placed the rigger H, which is driven by a
rope passing round the corresponding rigger I on the main shaft. When
the mill is at work the plate F revolves,. it being fixed on the shaft E,
which is driven by the rope passing round the pullies H and I. As the
cups pass along the bottom they become filled with corn, which, as they
pass over the top, are emptied into the cup D, and thence to the stones.
The quantity of corn which is admitted into the chamber C is regulated
by the slide B, and the quantity conveyed to the stones in a given time
depends on the size of the cups b, b, and on the velocity of the plate F,
which is regulated by the relative velocity of the pullies H and I; and as these
may be varied to any extent, the quantity of corn conveyed to the stones in a
given time may be varied to any extent that may be wished. This part of
our Invention is shown as applied to two mills, one where the upper stone
only moves, and the other wherein both of the stones revolve.
We will now describe the third part of our Invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING No. 4.
Figure 1 is the back elevation of the machinery with a portion of the framing
removed so as to shew the working parts; Figures 2 and 3 are the side eleva-
tions, also with portions of the framing removed; Figure 4 is a plan. The saw
is fastened to the wrought-iron frame A by means of the set screws B, B'.
This frame A is fastened by screws to the guide frame, the holes for the
screws in A being slotted, in order to allow for springing. This frame is
guided vertically at the upper and lower ends by the brass brackets C, C,
working on guides D, D, which are rivetted in the frame. On the bottom of
the frame A are forged two lugs, to which is attached the connecting rod F,
which is driven by the beam G, resting on the bearings H, H. This beam G
is worked by the connecting rod and cranked shaft K and L.
outside the framing, are the pullies M by which it is driven.
room under the frame, the connecting rod F may be driven directly from a
cranked shaft placed underneath. The frame N and brackets O, O, are for
keeping the frame in which the saw works stiff, and to prevent it from yielding
to the pressure applied to the saw.
On this shaft,
If there is
We will now describe the fourth part of our Invention, which has for its
object apparatus for measuring the power exerted on to machines turned or
worked by hand. It is fixed on the shaft of the machine, either by means of
the bracket shewn in Figures 1 and 3, or in any other convenient method.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING No. 5.
There is a circular spring A, Figure 2, fitted in the boss B on the plate C,
and resting against the stop a. The other end of the spring is fastened at 6
to the lever D, through which the power is applied. This lever works freely
on its axis at E. A small link c attaches this lever to the pencil and pointer
d, so that the power applied to the handle F is shewn on the index e by the
distance through which the pointer d is pulled. The wheel G works freely
in the bracket f, and is kept stationary while the rest revolves by the weight
H. The small wheel K, by revolving round the stationary wheel G, is turned
on its own axis g. On this axis is cut the screw h, Figure 1, which works in
the worm k, Figure 2. This worm is fastened on the axis of the roller L,
which is thereby caused to revolve when the machine is turned.
A paper is
coiled round the other roller M, and fastened at the end to the roller L. Then,
as the pencil d presses against the paper, and is moved backward and forward
by the link c, a curve is traced upon the paper which indicates the power
exerted on the handle. This instrument I call a manumeter.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would have it understood that we do
not confine ourselves to the details as herein described, so long as the peculiar
character of any part of our Invention be retained. But what we claim is,-
First, the mode of giving motion to the feed rollers of chaff-cutting machines,
so as to cut at will long or short lengths of straw, clover, or hay:
And we also claim the mode of giving motion to a cutter for obtaining a
draw cut, and the means of regulating the length cut:
Secondly, we claim the mode of feeding millstones, by employing a rotatory
carrier with cups or measures:
Thirdly, we claim the mode of mounting a saw in a separate frame, as
herein described:
And fourthly, we claim the mode of combining parts into an apparatus for
measuring the power required to work machines put in motion by hand or
other power.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Cottam, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty.
EDWARD (L.S.) COTTAM.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of January, in the
year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid Edward Cottam came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty.