INPROVEMENTS IN CHARR-CUTTING MACHINES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Smith, of the firm of Smith and Ashby, of
Stamford, in the County of Lincoln, Agricultural Implement Maker, for
the Invention of "INPROVEMENTS IN CHARR-CUTTING MACHINES."
Sealed the 23rd September 1857, and dated the 1st April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st April 1857.
I, HENRY SMITH, of the firm of Smith and Ashby, of Stamford, in the
County of Lincoln, Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAFP-CUTTING MACHINES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the adaptation to chaff cutters of certain improve-
ments which will prevent their becoming choked and injured by an excess of
feed, and will also facilitate the delivery of the straw to the cutting blades. To
prevent the choking of chaff cutters, it is usual to employ a rising presser, which,
when the feed is in excess of the ordinary delivery, will rise and permit of a
larger discharge. It has, however, been found that the feed will accumulate
under the presser or mouthpiece, and cause the breakage or disarrangement
of the machine. To avoid this, I propose instead of forming the presser
in one piece to make its upper part move independently on a hinge like a door
or hinged cover, and thus relieve the presser or mouthpiece from the strain

page_text: due to an accumulation of straw in advance of the feed rollers. At the hinder
end of this door I cast projecting pieces or ears, against the under side of
which I apply a spring,
spring, the upward pressure of which will give the hinged
cover a tendency to remain in its normal position, but will allow it to rise
when an excess of feed causes an accumulation in the mouthpiece. Near the
edge of the hinged cover I mount a roller, which will reduce the friction on
the passing straw and facilitate its discharge.
In order to prevent the lateral movement of the straw in the mouthpiece,
which movement is caused by the side pressure of the blades of the cutting
wheel, I propose to mount discs or circular cutters on the leading roller, which
is mounted in the lower part of the mouthpiece. These discs or cutters being
set at suitable distances apart, will serve to resist the side pressure of the blades
of the cutting wheel, and improve the delivery of the straw. I may find it
desirable to apply circular cutters to the feed rollers which carry forward the
straw, without or in conjunction with the spikes or teeth with which these
rollers are now fitted, for the purpose not merely of assisting the feed, but of
severing any straws that may lie across the line of progress, and so improving
the quality of the chaff produced by the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
SMITH, of the firm of Smith and Ashby, of Stamford, in the County of
Lincoln, Agricultural Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Smith, Ier special licence that I, tho said Henry Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Smith, 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 CHAFF-CUTTING
MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Smith,

page_text: by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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, the said Henry Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the adaptation to chaff-cutting machines of certain
improvements which will prevent their becoming choked and injured by the
accumulation of an excess of feed, and will also facilitate the delivery of the
straw to the cutting blades on the fly wheel. To prevent the choking of chaff
cutters, it is usual to employ a rising presser, which, when the feed is in excess
of the ordinary delivery, will rise and permit of a large discharge. It has,
however, been found that the feed will continue to accumulate in the mouth-
piece under the rising presser, and thereby cause the breakage or disarrange-
ment of the machine. To avoid this, I propose instead of forming the presser
in one piece, as heretofore, to construct it as shewn in the accompanying
Drawing, wherein Figure 1 shew in separate views the rising presser detached
from the machine; Figure 2 is a plan view; and Figure 3, a longitudinal
section of so much of a chaff cutter with my improvements applied thereto as
will serve to explain the nature of my Invention. a, a, is the presser, mounted
as usual in the mouthpiece of the machine; b, b, is a moveable piece, mounted
on an axle c, which passes through the sides of the presser and mouthpiece.
This moveable piece 6 forms a hinged cover, which when subjected to pressure
from below rocks on its axle, and opening outwards relieves the presser a from
the strain due to an accumulation of straw in advance of the feed rollers. At
the binder end of this cover I cast projecting pieces or ears d, against the
under side of which I apply a spring e, which extends across the presser a, and
is bolted thereto. The upward pressure of this spring will give the hinged
cover a tendency to remain in its normal position, but will allow it to rise.
when an excess of feed causes an accumulation of straw in the mouthpiece.
In order to prevent the depression of the hinder end of the presser when the
cover is forced open, I fix pins a, a, in the sides of the mouthpiece,
between which I insert the horns a', a', cast on the hinder end of the presser a.
Near the edge of the hinged cover b I may find it convenient to mount a
roller, the tendency of which will be to reduce the friction on the passing

page_text: straw and facilitate its discharge. In practice, however, I do not find this
essential.
To prevent the lateral movement of the straw in the mouthpiece, which
movement is caused by the side pressure of the blades of the cutting wheel, I
mount on the leading roller f discs or circular cutters g. This roller I place
in the lower part of the mouthpiece, and give rotary motion thereto by means
of a suitable arrangement of gearing, as indicated in the Drawing. The discs
or cutters g arc set at suitable distances apart on the roller f, as shewn by dots
at Figure 2, and by dividing the feed longitudinally they will serve to resist
the side pressure of the blades of the cutting wheel, and improve the delivery
of the straw. I may find it desirable to apply circular cutters to the feed
rollers h, h, which carry forward the straw, without or in conjunction with the
spikes or teeth with which these rollers are now fitted, for the purpose not
merely of assisting the feed, but of severing any straws that may lie across
the line of progress, and so improving the quality of the chaff produced by the
machine.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
Chaff-cutting Machines," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that I under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the means herein described of obtaining an additional discharge from
the mouthpiece of the accumulating material supplied thereto in excess of the
amount which the machine is calculated to operate upon.
And, secondly, I claim the employment in chaff-cutting machines of
rotating discs or cutters for facilitating the delivery of the straw to the cutting
blades.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Smith, have hereunto set my
and and seal, the 29th day of September, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-seven.
Witness,
WILLIAM JONES,
of Stamford.
HENRY SMITII. (L.S.)