IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE CHAFF ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ROBERT MAYNARD of 33 Southampton Buildings, Holborn, London,
Agricultural Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE CHAFF ENGINES" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the saving of manual labor by using self acting
machinery to divide and place to the feed rollers of a power chaff engine the
produce to be cut to chaff thereby dispensing with the man that is usually
employed to do this work.
The chaff engine is provided with feed box and fitted with feed rollers that
carry the feed forward to the knives which, are mounted in a wheel carried on a
spindle It is also furnished with a platform whereon the hay and straw is placed
for putting into the feed box all in the ordinary manner.
To carry out my improvements I fit such machine with three or any other
convenient number of tines or arms or their equivalents These are worked
backwards and forwards by cam blocks or pulleys (forming cam levers) and in
tbeir forward motion divide and take up a certain quantity of hay or straw and
deposit it in the feed box after which they recede.
I also fit the machine with three or any other convenient number of forks or
their equivalents which form pressers to place the feed in position These forks
are fastened to a horizontal bar from which two or more connecting rods are
carried down to the before mentioned cam levers by the action of which latter the
forks are operated in a downward direction at the same time that they are carried
forward by means of two or more links connected at one end to the frame of the
machine and at the other to the forks or their equivalents so as to allow of a
forward movement being imparted thereto.
By means of this combined downward and forward motion of such forks they
press down and place the feed in a convenient and proper position to be cut.
After such forks have been depressed they are again raised to their normal
position by means of a balance rod having a weight attached to its outer extremity
Such balance rod is attached to a bracket fastened to the frame of the machine to
the upper end of which bracket the rod is pivotted.
When the forks have thus again been raised the tines again advance with a
further portion of feed and deposit it on the platform after which they again
recede and allow the forks or their equivalents to desceud and press and place the
feed to the cutters in the manner above described.

page_text: COMPLETE
DIEVITICATIA
I ROBERT MAYNARD of Whittlesford Works Whittlesford near Cambridge
Agricultural Implement Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE CHAFF ENGINES and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This Invention has for its object to economise labour and prevent risk by fitting
a portable chaff engine with automatic dividing and delivering mechanism to
divide and place to the feed rollers thereof the produce to be cut to chaff whereby
I dispense with the manual labour hitherts requisite and so obviate the risk of
accident.
.
Fig of the accompanying drawings shews a side elevation-Fig 2 an end
elevation and Fig 3 a plan of such improved mechanism of which the following is
a description Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
figures I fit a portable chaff engine with a crank shaft (a) mounted on
bearings (b) rivetted or otherwise fastened to the body of the engine-A drum (c)
or its equivalent is mounted upon the outer end of such crank shaft and is driven
by a belt from the chaff cutter passing over the main spindle (l) or in any other
convenient manner Two movable arms (d) are jointed to the crank (a)-These
arms carry a cross bar (e) furnished with tines (f) or their equivalents which form
a rake or comb To this rake or comb a combined to and fro rising and falling
motion is imparted by the crank shaft as it revolves by means of friction
rollers (g) mounted upon the side of the feed box (h) in such a position that when
the crank descends the arms (d) come in contact with the friction rollers and are
by them elevated obliquely (as shewn in dotted lines in Fig 2) thus lifting up the
rake or comb and carrying it forward over the straw or other feed to be cut-As
the crank again rises in the course of its revolution the arms descend and the rake
or comb drops into and takes hold of a portion of such feed which it draws forward
and deposits in the feed box.
The action of the crank (a) working in grooves (m) also raises and depresses
arms (n) screwed or otherwise fastened or jointed to brackets (7) fitted to the
bearings (b) and carrying cross bars (o) Such arms and cross bars together form
a presser that presses the feed on to an endless chain or platform (2) working over
rollers (5) and carries it forward to the feed rollers (%) from whence it is passed on
to the cutting plate against which the revolving knives cut-(p) is a check strap
one end whereof is attached to the rake or comb while the other is fastened to an
upright (g) so as to prevent the rake or comb "lumping" or falling heavily on the
platform when the machine is at work This check strap arrangement is in
duplicate:
Imake the endless chain or platform (i) considerably longer than heretofore and
of a curvilinear or cradle form by doing which an increased impetus is given to the
forward travel of the feed thus ensuring its regular delivery to the feed rollers
without blocking

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed-I declare that what
I claim is
1. Fitting a portable chaff engine with automatic dividing and delivering
nechanism consisting of crank shaft (a) mounted on bearings (b) and working in
grooves (m)-drum (c) or its equivalent-movable arms (d)- -cross bar (e) tines (f)
or their equivalents friction rollers (g)-cradle platform (i) arms (n) cross bars (o)
and brackets (r) all constructed combined arranged and fitted substantially in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore specified.
2. The improved cradle platform as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated this 29th day of April 1885.
ELT & Co.,
33, Southampton Buildings,
Holborn, London,
Agents for the Applicant.