IMPROVEMENTS IN TURNIP TOPPING AND TAILING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brigham, of the Town and County of Berwick-on-
Tweed, North Britain, Agricultural Implement Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TURNIP TOPPING AND TAILING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brigham at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th February 1877.
JOHN BRIGHAM, of the Town and County of Berwick-on-Tweed, North Britain,
Agricultural Implement Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TURNIP TOPPING AND TAILING
MACHINES."
This Invention consists in new or improved constructions of cutters and mechanism
connected therewith for cutting off the tops or leaves of turnips in turnip topping
and tailing machines, the other parts of which may all be similar to those in present
use, such as the main frame with its two side and rear carrying wheels loose on or
coupled by clutches to their axle, and running in the two furrows outside the two
raised drills of turnips to be dressed; also the two cutter socks attached by sockets
and adjustable stems and holdfasts to the rear part of the frame for cutting off the
tails and roots, and raising or throwing the turnips in both drills to the surface ready
for lifting as well as the front bow or drawing beam with its fore guiding. wheel
running in the centre furrow, with its swivelling lever or other equivalent con-
trolling gear, either with or without a hand lever or other mechanism for instan-
taneously raising and lowering the rear of the frame with its cutters on the carrying
axle and wheels in relation to the surface of the ground.
The nature and novelty of the Invention or new or improved turnip topping or
cutting mechanism consists under one modification or arrangement in having a
rising and falling transverse bar with two or more curved up pointed finger guards
secured to it below, and projecting forward at some inches apart above the two
drills of turnips so as to glide over them and embrace the turnip tops between the
fingers with a reciprocating cutter bar working in guides close down to the bar,
with one or more sharp angled or A shaped knives or cutters worked between and
across the fingers (such as those used in ordinary reaping and mowing machines) so
[Price 6d1

page_text: as to cut the tops off close down to the turnips in both drills, the finger and cutter
bars being jointed in the middle to rise and fall at each end in guides in the frame,
and which may consist of vertical guide bars working up through guides in a trans-
verse part of the frame with spiral or other carrying-up springs and adjusting nuts,
all ranged a little in front or rear of the main axle or shaft of the side wheels, a
bevel wheel on either of which, when the shaft revolves, may drive a small pinion
and vertical crank shaft, which again by a connecting rod would actuate or
reciprocate the said cutter bar; or it might be a transverse reciprocating saw in
like guides and position.
By another modification or arrangement the finger bar may be carried on the
base or lower side of a rigid open triangular frame on spring adjusting hanging links,
one at each side, so as to rise and fall over the two drills irregularly, as explained,
according to the size or height of the turnips, and guided and steadied by curved or
segmental wings at the ends of this frame in vertical slotted or curved guides over
or inside the main frame, which in this case carries a band saw running under two
collar guide pulleys revolving on studs at its lower ends outside the fingers and
above their carrying bar, so as to cut the tops or leaves as they enter these, the saw
passing up the one side over a driving pulley carried on a spindle revolving in a
tightening bush, with overhung driving band pulley on one end, and a regulating
spring and pinching screw at the top or apex of the triangular frame, the endless
saw returning down the other side of the frame to its first lower guide pulley, close
to the finger bar, which carries slotted guides for the lower straight part of the saw
to traverse steadily in while cutting. The driving pinion shaft in this case might
revolve in bearings in the end of the upper transverse bow frame, carrying the rising
and falling saw frame, so that a cross band or strap from a pulley on it or other
counter shaft, passed over a band pulley on the spindle of the upper driving pulley
of the band saw, drives it at a high speed by the traversing motion and traction of
the side wheels.
By these improvements the tops of the turnips are more effectively and uniformly
cut close down to the body of the turnips than by the arrangements of cutting
mechanism heretofore, in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Brigham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th August
1877.
JOHN BRIGHAM, of the Town and County of Berwick-on-Tweed, North Britain,
Agricultural Implement Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TURNIP TOPPING AND TAILING
MACHINES."
My said Invention consists in certain new or improved constructions of cutters
and mechanism connected therewith for cutting off the tops or leaves of turnips, in
turnip topping and tailing machines, the other parts of which may all be similar to
those in present use, such as the main frame with its two side and rear carrying
wheels loose on or coupled by clutches to their axle, and running in the two furrows
outside the two raised drills of turnips to be cut or dressed, as also the two cutter
socks attached by sockets and adjustable stems and holdfasts to the rear part of the
frame for cutting off the tails or roots, and raising or throwing the turnips of both
drills on to the surface of the central furrow ready for lifting, as well as the front
bow or drawing beam with its fore guiding wheel running in the centre furrow
with its swivelling lever or other equivalent guiding or controlling gear, and either
with or without a hand lever or other equivalent mechanism for instantaneously
raising and lowering the rear of the frame with its cutters on the carrying axle and
wheels in relation to the surface of the ground.
And in order that the nature and novelty of my said Invention may be properly

page_text: understood, and mode of perforining or putting the same into effect or practice, I
shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings which
I have hereunto appended for that purpose, the same reference letters and numerals
indicating the same or equivalent parts in the corresponding relative Figures where
shown.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are respectively side and back end elevations and a plan of a
new or improved construction of turnip topping and tailing machine with a band
saw turnip topping cutter A, all in accordance with and illustrative of one modifi-
cation or general arrangement of my said Invention; and Figures 4 and 5 are
respectively a front end elevation and a plan of a second or different general con-
struction or arrangement of a new or improved turnip topping and tailing machine
with an arrangement of reaping machine cutters and finger bar for the topping
cutters, all constructed in accordance with and illustrative of another modification
or arrangement of my said Invention.
'
Referring to the modification or arrangement of my Invention or improvements,
shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the main frame 1 of the machine is of an open rect-
angular construction of malleable iron secured in front at 1' to the cast iron central
drawing beam 2, carrying the swivelling forked spindle 3 of the fore guiding wheel 4,
running in the central furrow Z, and fitted with the ordinary drawing hook 31 in
front for the coupling of the ordinary horse drawing tackle, the main back part of
the frame 1 being carried by the journal brackets 5 of the main shaft 6 of the two
main driving and carrying wheels 7, mounted loose on its extreme ends and running
in the two outer furrows Z', and coupled to the driving shaft 6 by the ordinary
ratchet couplings and spring pawl 71. The machine is guided by the hand lever 8
secured on the top of the swivelling spindle 3 of the guide wheel 4, and rests on the
setting and retaining notched bracket 81, secured to the one corner of the vertical
bow frame 111, secured to and projecting up from the main frame 1, and which carries
and guides the loose hanging oscillating frame B, carrying the band saw A and its
driving and guide pulleys A, A", for cutting the tops off the turnips.
The improvements under this arrangement of the turnip topping machine consist
in attaching the transverse bar D to the bottom of the vertical rising and falling
transverse frame B, with two or more curved up pointed finger guards D¹ secured
to the bar D below, and projecting forward at some inches apart above the two
drills of turnips so as to glide over them and embrace the turnip tops 2¹ between
the fingers D¹, having the band saw A working close above them, as will be herein-
after described. The open rigid frame B is carried by the two spring adjusting
hanging links b, one at each side, passing up through the bow carrying frame 1¹¹
with the elastic springs b¹ above, so that the whole frame B and finger bar D rises
and falls over and across the two drills z, z, according to the irregular size or height
of the turnips as the finger D¹ glide over them. The frame B is guided and
steadied vertically by the curved or segmental wings B₁ at its upper ends between
the antifriction rollers B secured to the inner face of the vertical frame 111, but
it might be in vertical, slotted, or curved guides over or inside the main frame,
The band saw A is carried round and under the two small collar guide pulleys A¹¹,
revolving on studs A², secured to and projecting forward from the lower ends of
the frame B, quite beyond the fingers D₁ and above their carrying bar D, so as to
cut the tops or leaves as they enter these fingers, the saw being steadied in guides d
secured to the upper side of the bar D, inside the fingers D₁, passes up from the
outside of the two guide pulleys over the collar driving band saw pulley A¹, secured
on the front overhanging end of the short spindle a, revolving in the tightening
bush a¹, carried on the tension regulating spring a" and pinching screw all within
the standard all, projecting up from the centre of the frame B, as shown more
particularly in the detached back view, Figure 2 A, corresponding to Figure 2, at
the apex of the triangle formed by the endless band saw A, passing over these
pulleys A¹, A", A", all carried on the open frame B and finger bar D, which carries
the slotted guides d for the lower straight part of the saw between the two
pulleys A" to traverse steadily in while cutting the tops off close down to the.

page_text: turnips z, all as seen particularly in Figures 1 and 2. The spindle a of the driving
pulley A¹ is actuated through the angled shaft a², coupled to it above by the
universal joint coupling a³, and below by a similar coupling a to its short actuating
pinion shaft a³, carried in the bush bearing bracket a, projecting up from the back
end of the frame 1, and having its pinion c actuated by the spur wheel c¹ gearing
into it, and keyed on the overhanging end of the horizontal shaft c¹¹ carried in the
journal bearing bracket cl, below the frame 1 and shafts a³, a², and actuated by
the bevel pinion c² gearing into the wheel 3 keyed on the driving shaft 6, all so as
to drive the band saw A. at a high speed from this shaft 6 when it is coupled to
its running traction wheels 7 by its ratchet and spring pawl couplings 71; but it
is to be understood that the band saw A, so arranged and used for cutting off the
tops or leaves of turnips in turnip topping and tailing machines might be driven
from the main shaft 6 by other arrangements of transmitting mechanism, as by an
open or cross band or strap from a pulley on it, or other countershaft passed over
a band pulley on the spindle a of the upper driving pulley A¹ of the band saw A
from a pulley or any intermediate or counter speed increasing shaft driven by
wheel gearing from the shaft 6 or one of the driving wheels 7. The tails or roots
of the turnips are cut by the nearly horizontal curved blades or cutters 9 formed
on the lower forward end of the stems 9¹, secured by pinching screws and gripping
blocks 10 to the rear sides of the frame 1, near the back end, and projecting towards
each other so as to cut off the roots after the tops have been cut off, and with the
assistance of the guards or gatherers 11, screwed to the lower part of the stems 91
of the cutters 9, deliver the dressed turnips into the centre furrow behind the
machine ready for lifting and carting away.
Referring to the arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5, the construction of the
main frame carrying and driving wheels, and front guiding wheel and lever, and
root cutting knives and gatherers, are all substantially the same as those described
and shown in the former figures; but instead of the arrangement for band saw for
cutting off the leaves or tops of the turnips a reciprocating cutter bar C is used,
carried and guided in the finger bar D in a similar manner to those used in ordinary
reaping machines, with one or more sharp angled or A shaped knives or cutters C¹
worked between and across the curved up fingers D₁ over both drills, so as to cut
the tops off close down to the turnips in both drills; the finger bar D in this case
is carried by spring rods b at its ends, working up through guides 111 in the
stationary bow frame 11 with the carrying adjusting spring b above, so as to rise
and fall to suit the height of the turnips, and arranged preferably some distance
in front of the main axle or shaft 6 of the side wheels 7. The cutter bar C is
actuated by a vertical reciprocating rod E jointed near its oscillating centre E¹
below, and working up through a guide El in the centre of the bow frame 111
reciprocated transversely by the connecting rod F jointed near the middle of the
rod E at its inner free end, and to the crank disc F of the short horizontal shaft G
carried in the journal bearing bracket G¹, bolted to one side of the frame 1 and
driven by a pinion g on its inner end, gearing into the bevel wheel g' on the counter
or intermediate speed increasing shaft H, carried by the curved journal bearing
bracket Hand driven through the spur pinion and wheels g₁, g³, the former keyed
on the shaft H, and the latter on the main shaft 6, so as to actuate the cutter bar C
at a high speed with the cutters C₁ crossing the spaces through between the
fingers D¹ so as to cut off the tops or leaves close to the turnips as the fingers glide
over them by the forward motion of the machine and traction wheels 7, sub-
stantially as is done by the former modification herin described; but it is to be
understood that other arrangements of gearing may be used for actuating the
cutter bar and cutters C, C₁, as by a bevel wheel on either of the side wheels 7 or
their shaft 6, which when the wheels or shaft revolve would drive a small pinion
and vertical or other crank or disc shaft, as G, which might actuate the connecting
rod F so as to actuate or reciprocate the said cutter bar, substantially as described.
It is also to be understood that a transverse reciprocating saw might be used
actuated substantially as the cutter bar and cutters C, C₁, for cutting the tops off

page_text: the turnips by the said forward traverse of the machine. By these improvements
the tops of the turnips are more effectively and uniformly cut close down to the
body of the turnips than by the arrangements of cutting mechanism heretofore in
use in turnip topping and tailing machines.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herin described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herin-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First. The general arrangement and construction of turnip topping and tailing
machines with running band saws or transverse reciprocating saws or cutters
carried in rising and falling adjusting frames, all substantially as and for the
purpose herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings
or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The arrangement and use of band saws for cutting off the tops or leaves
of turnips in turnip topping and tailing machines, substantially as herin described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings or any mere modification
thereof.
Third. The arrangement and use of a transverse reciprocating saw or angled or
serrated cutter bar (similar to that used in reaping machines) for cutting off the
tops of turnips in turnip topping and tailing machines, substantially as herin-
before described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Brigham, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN BRIGHAM. (L.S.)