Improvements in Chaff, Hay, and Straw Cutters.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th July, 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chaff, Hay, and Straw Cutters.
A communication from abroad by HIGHLAND H. KENDRICK, of Fulton, Oswego
County, State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer.
I, JOHN WHITTIER THROOP of No. 15 Seething Lane London in the County of
Middlesex Milling Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates generally to chaff, hay, and straw cutters, and especially to
the following features of construction
1. A novel safety operating to relieve the working parts from excess of strain and
breakage incident thereto from the momentum of the fly wheel, when a knife
encounters an obstacle in the materials such as a stick, stone or nail, and effecting an
easing down of the momentum force to a safe point.
2. A shear plate provided with a corrugated lower face or shear edge, to prevent the
sidewise movement of the material away from the cut of a shearing knife.
3. A novel swing frame suspended from the outer end of the arbor of the upper
feed roller and is adapted to adjust the tension upon the belt which drives the
feed rollers.
4. A novel mechanism to permit the rocking of the feed rollers and keep them in
gear upon the back side of the machine.
5. A novel torsion spring mechanism under the lower feed roller permitting either
end to be depressed independent of the other or the whole roller to be depressed
evenly or unevenly.
My invention consists in these several novel features, and also in the other novel
features of construction and novel combination of elements which are hereinafter
described.
It is constructed as follows-
The front and back sides of the body of the machine are mounted upon a frame
with sill, and legs to support the machine, in any ordinary form of construction.
In these sides I mount a transverso shaft which between the sides carries knives or
shearing cutters adjustable and removably connected to and held by arms projecting
from a hub mounted upon the shaft, all in the usual manner.
Upon that part of this shaft extending outwards beyond the front side I first mount
a sprocket wheel which is provided with recesses on its outer face.
Outside of this I place the fly wheel which is provided with an elongated hub on
its inner side and a journal box is fitted around this hub consisting of two parts
secured together adjustably by bolts.
Each of these box sections is provided with a curved flange of proper size to fit
into the recesses in the sprocket wheel, forming a form of a clutch connection between
the box and the sprocket wheel.
The inner circumferential face of each box section is recessed for substantially the
whole width and length of its inner face, and in this recess I place a leather packing
which bears against the hub when the box sections are in position thereon, embracing
the hub and holding it by frictional contact therewith, the strength of the grip being
regulated by the bolts in the box sections.
The sprocket wheel is secured to the shaft, but the fly wheel is not directly, but is
indirectly through the hub, the box and the sprocket, the result of which is that when
the knives encounter an obstacle, such as a stick, and are suddenly checked or stopped,
the momentum of the fly wheel temporarily breaks the grip of the box upon the hub,
and the wheel hub slips in the box, until the strain upon the working parts is reduced
to a safe point, especially as to the knives and shear bar, and in fact the whole machine

page_text: stops until the obstacle is removed, and the machine is again started up, when the
frictional grip of the box upon the wheel hub has re-asserted itself and the fly
wheel, box and sprocket, and shaft again rotate together as though all one piece.
This constitutes my safety.
My shear bar consists of a body having a concave face extending from near the
top down to the secondary curve which constitutes the shearing face, the downward
legs provided with a transverse bolt hole, an arm projecting from the back near the
top of the body, a transverse groove across the back above the body, a flange con-
stituting one side of the groove and a transverse bolt-hole.
Bolts passed through the sides and the aforesaid bolt holes secure the shear bar in
place.
The lower edge of the shear face which is the shearing edge, is provided with
corrugations which may extend part way across the bottom of the body, or clear
across and meet the material as it leaves the feed rollers; in either case the cor-
rugations hold the material from sliding or being crowded over to the right when
the cut of the shearing knife begins at the left.
The upper feed roller is mounted upon a shaft (1) journaled in the front and back
side of the machine, and the lower feed roller, ribbed in any ordinary manner, is
mounted upon a shaft (2) which is journaled in boxes set into vertical slots in the
front and back sides, such boxes being adapted to slide up and down when the
one roller is pressed away from the other, and as this construction is not novel, I will
not describe it in detail.
From the projecting end of shaft (1) I suspend a swinging frame consisting of a
body provided with an eye at the upper end to fit loosely upon this shaft or journal
box; also, with a longitudinal slot and a transverse gradient slot in its lower end.
In the longitudinal slot I journal an arbor (3) which carries a sprocket wheel and a
pinion which meshes with a gear and rotates the upper feed roll.
A belt connects the sprocket wheel on arbór 3 to the first mentioned sprocket
having recesses in is outer face and drives the feed roller, and when I wish to
tighten, or loosen this belt, I loosen a set screw in the transverse quadrant slot
and swing the frame sidewise and secure it in proper position. The bolt carrying
this set screw is mounted in the front side of the machine.
Instead of the above mentioned sprockets I can use spur gears by inserting an idler
and can swing the frame over far enough to bring the spur gears into proper mesh,
and then these gears will drive the feed rollers without a belt.
Upon the end of the arbor 1 projecting beyond the backside of the machine I first
slip on a connecting rod or strap provided with bosses fitting on this arbor and
another strap on an arbor (4) both bosses being loose on their arbors.
Next outside of this strap, on arbor 1 I place a collar, and outside of this collar I
secure spur gear, and outside of this gear I place the boss of another strap provided
also with another boss fitting on the arbor 4.
Upon this latter arbor, outside of the strap on arbor 4 I mount a sprocket wheel,
either securely or loose and outside thereof and inside of the strap on arbor 4 1
place a spur gear which may also be loose upon the arbor; and the straps and their
bosses being loose upon the arbors 1 and 4 they constitute a flexible connection
between the arbors, so that the gear rotating the upper feed roll can rise or fall
independent of the arbor 1 which is stationary.
Upon the outer end of the arbor 2 outside of the back side of the machine I
mount securely a sprocket gear in line with spur or sprocket gear on arbor 4, and
connect it by a chain belt with the sprocket on arbor 4.
The arbor 4 is not connected to the back side of the machine and to support it and
its gear in position I use a strut support constructed in two parts to make it adjustable ;
one part consisting of a tubular body, provided with two pairs of curved arms
partially or entirely surrounding the bosses above mentioned, the bases of the arms
being connected by a cross bar.
In the tubular body I cut a slot in which I mount a set screw in any ordinary
manner.

page_text: The other part of this strut consists of a body provided with a stem on one end
fitting within the tubular body of the other part and held there adjustably by the set
screw; and upon the other end it is provided with curved arms which are connected
to a loose collar on the arbor 2 by a set screw.
Those set screws being in the same horizontal plane form the pivot upon which the
lower feed roll can rock vertically when the opposite end is raised or lowered.
This constitutes my feed roll rocking mechanism.
When the lower feed roll is depressed or raised, the spur gear in line with the
sprocket gear on arbor 2 will follow it down or rise with it rolling on the spur gear,
and the rotation of this gear rotates both the gear secured outside collar on arbor 1
and the sprocket on arbor 4 and the belt connection rotates the lower feed roll.
And this is always maintained no matter how much the lower feed roll is depressed.
I will now describe my spring mechanism to sustain the lower feed roll yielding to
the pressure induced by the passage of the material between the feed rolls.
This mechanism consists of a spring steel rod bent so as to create arms each arm
having an eye or its equivalent at the end, said arms being parallel or crossing each
other, but said eyes should be in line.
The spring is secured to the underside of the frame of the machine, the arms being
transverse thereto.
A vertical rod connects the lower box section of the lower feed roller box, to the
spring, and when that roll is depressed a torsion strain is produced upon one or both
of the spring arms, said arms having a joint, as well as an independent action.
I do not propose to limit myself to any precise form of torsion spring, my principle
consisting in the use of two torsional arins connected to a spring body secured to the
frame of the machine, and operating either together or separately, by the depression
of the feed roller evenly or unevenly.
The cover proper of my machine is curved closing the front end of the machine,
and one end of it locks into the groove and flange in the top of the shear bar, and is
otherwise secured to the sides or sills of the machine.
The hood covering the knives is also curved, it is connected to cover by a hinge
joint, and in conjunction with the concave face of the shear bar forms a continuous
curved passage for the cut material over to the discharge.
The spur gears may be covered by a removable hood.
The upper half of the box of the lower feed roller is provided with a vertical stem
fitting upward into the front side of the machine and also on the back side, and by a
set screw I can support this box section at any desired point, and thus hold this lower
feed roller away from the upper one, so that they cannot strike together even when
no material is passing through.
Dated this Twants fourth day of October 1888.
For the Applicant,
W. E. GEDGE,
A cont
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Chaff, Hay, and Straw Cutters.
A communication from abroad by HIGHLAND H. KENDRICK, of Fulton, Oswego
County, State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer.
I, JOHN WHITTIER THROOP of No. 15 Seething Lane London in the County of
Middlesex, Milling Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates generally to Chaff, Hay, and Straw Cutters, and especially to
the following features of construction.
First: A shear plate provided with a serrated lower face or edge to prevent the
sidewise movement of the material away from the cut, of a spiral shearing knife on a
rotary cutter head.

page_text: Second: A swinging frame suspended from the outer end of the shaft or arbor of
the upper feed roll, and employed to adjust the tension upon the belt which connects
with the driving shaft.
Third Mechanism for supporting the feed-rolls to permit the rocking and vertical
movement thereof.
Fourth A torsion spring mechanism under the lower feed roller and connected to
its bearings to permit either end to be depressed independently of the other or the
whole roller to be depressed evenly or unevenly.
My invention consists in the several novel features of construction and operation and
novel combinations of elements hereinafter described. and specifically set forth in the
claims annexed.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe it
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved straw cutter.
Figure 2 is a side elevation looking in the opposite direction, the fly-wheel being
omitted and showing a section on the line 2-2 figure 3.
Figure 3 is a top plan-view a portion of the hood being omitted to exhibit the
rotary cutter head beneath.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 Figure 3 looking in the direction
of the arrows.
Figure 5 is a detail showing an end elevation of the lower roller bearing.
Figure 6 is a detail showing a bottom view of the torsion spring for supporting the
lower roller bearings.
Figure 7 is.a side view of the shear plate or block.
Figure 8 is a bottom view thereof.
Figure 9 is a side view of the swinging frame.
Figure 10 is a top view of the strut.
The frame of the machine is constructed with legs 1, side sills 2, side pieces 3, 4,
table 5, cover 6 and hood 7 hinged to the cover. In suitable bearings in the side
pieces I mount the transverse main or driving shaft 8 which, between said side pieces
and beneath said hood, carries the rotary cutter head 9 having the spiral or
shearing cutters or knives 10 removably connected thereto and cutting upwardly
as it rotates (in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 4) against a shear
plate or block having a body 11, formed with a concave face 12 and provided with
a serrated lower edge 13 and rigidly secured to the side pieces beneath the cover.
The serrated edge may extend partway or wholly across the bottom of the shear
plate or block and extend over the path of the material to keep it from sliding or
being crowded to the right hand when the cuts begin at the left hand as shown
by the dotted line in Figure 7. 14 is the upper plain feed roller mounted on a
shaft 15 journaled in the side-pieces, and 16 is the lower ribbed feed roller mounted
on the shaft 17 which is journaled in boxes set into vertical slots or openings 18
in the side pieces, having fixed upper members 19 and loose lower members 20
adapted to slide up and down when the lower roller moves toward or from the
upper roller.
21 are
The lower members are supported by the following means
vertical rods secured to the lower members, pendent therefrom and sliding therewith,
having nuts 22 adjustable thereon, and by which they are supported on the ends
of the arms 23 of a torsion spring 24 bent substantially as shown and secured to
the under side of the frame. When the lower feed roller is depressed evenly an
uniform torsion strain is produced on both arms and when said roller is unevenly
depressed then an unequal torsion strain is produced upon them. I do not limit
myself to the precise form of torsion spring shown for part of my invention consists
in the provision of torsion arms operated by the depression of the lower feed roller,
whether such depression is uniform on both ends of the roller or not. From the
projecting end of the shaft 15 on one side of the machine I suspend a swinging
frame formed with a body 25 having an eye 26 at the upper end fitting, loosely
upon the shaft, also with a longitudinal slot 27, and also with a segment 28, having
a curved slot 29, at the lower end. In the longitudinal slot I secure an adjustable

page_text: stud or arbor 30 on which is mounted the sprocket-wheel 31 and pinion 32 fast to the
sprocket-wheel. 33 is a gear-wheel secured to the shaft over the pinion with which
the pinion meshes and rotates the shaft carrying the upper feed roller. 34 is a fly-
wheel or driving pulley mounted on the main shaft and 35 is a small sprocket-wheel
5 also mounted on the main shaft, the fly-wheel or driving pulley being fixed, and the
sprocket-wheel being loose, on the shaft and having clutch connection. The sprocket-
wheel 30 and the sprocket-wheel 35 are connected by a sprocket-chain 36. The
swinging frame 25 is adjusted by a set screw 37 working in the side-piece 4 through
the curved slot 29, to tighten or loosen the chain by increasing or decreasing the
distance between the sprocket-wheels. On the projecting end of the shaft of the
upper feed roller at the other side of the machine I mount an inner arm 38, collar 39,
gear-wheel 40, and outer arm 41. The arms 38 and 41 form a hanger for a short
shaft 42 journaled in their outer ends and carrying a gear-wheel 43 and sprocket-
wheel 44 secured together; the gear-wheels 40 and 43 meshing together. On the end
of the shaft of the lower feed roller I secure the sprocket-wheel 45 connected by a
sprocket-chain 46 with the sprocket-wheel 44. As a support for the short shaft I
provide a strut extending from the projecting end of the shaft of the lower feed
roller. This strut is constructed in two parts one part 47 consisting of a tubular
body 48, and cross bar 49 having arms 50 formed with seats 51 for journal-
boxes 52 in which the short shaft is journaled. The other part 53 consists of a
body 54 provided with an adjustable stem 55 fitting in the tubular body and
secured by a set screw 56 in the desired position. At the lower end of the body 54
are arms 57 secured to a collar 58 on the shaft 17 by means of set screws 59 the collar
being held in place by a washer 60 and screw 61. It will be observed that when the
lower feed roll is depressed or raised the strut will follow its movement while the
gearing is kept in mesh.
The shafts rotate in the direction indicated by the curved arrows.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The shear plate consisting of a body 11, concave face 12 and serrated lower
edge 13; substantially as described.
2. The combination, with a rotary cutter head having spiral knives; of a shear plate
having a serrated edge, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a rotary cutter head having spiral knives and upper and
lower feed rollers; of a shear plate having a serrated edge; substantially as
described.
4. The combination, with the main shaft having a sprocket-wheel; of the upper
feed roller having a shaft, the gear wheel secured to the shaft, the swinging frame
suspended from the shaft formed with segment having a curved slot, the set screw
passing through the slot by which the frame is adjusted, the stud secured to the frame,
the sprocket wheel and the gear wheel secured together and mounted upon the stud,
and the chain connecting the sprocket-wheels; substantially as described.
5. The combination, with the upper feed roller, having a shaft, and the lower feed
roller having a shaft; of the gear wheel secured to the shaft of the upper roller, the
arms extending from the shaft of the upper roller, the short shaft journaled in the arms,
the gear wheel and the sprocket-wheel secured to the short shaft, the sprocket-wheel
secured to the shaft of the lower roller, the chain connecting the sprocket-wheels, and
the strut supporting the short shaft on the shaft of the lower roller; substantially as
described.
6. The combination of the upper feed roller having a shaft, the collar, the gear
wheel and the arms on said shaft, the short shaft journaled in the arms, the gear wheel,
the sprocket wheel and the journal boxes on the short shaft, the lower feed roller
having a shaft, the sprocket wheel and the collar on the latter shaft, the chain connecting
the sprocket wheels and the strut supporting the short shaft on the shaft of the lower
roller; substantially as described.

page_text: 7. The strut constructed with the part 47. consisting of a tubular body 48, and the
cross bar 49 having arms 50 formed with seats 51, the part 53 consisting of a body 54
provided with an adjustable stem 55 fitting in the tubular body and formed with
arms 57, the set screw 56, and the set screws 59; substantially as described.
8. The combination with the lower feed roller having a shaft; of the journal boxes
having fixed upper members, and loose lower members, the vertical rods, and the torsion
spring having arms on which the rods are supported, the rods in turn supporting the
oose members; substantially as described.