IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PULPING TURNIPS AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Arthur Biddell, of Ipswich, in the County
of Suffolk, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR PULPING TURNIPS AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 23rd June 1863, and dated the 14th January 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Arthur Biddell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th January 1863.
I, GEORGE ARTHUR BIDDELL, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Mecha-
nical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR PULPING TURNIPS AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a class of machines known as root pulpers, having
teeth or cutters projecting from the surface either of a disc, cone, or cylinder,
which cut or tear the roots into mince, or pulp.
The improvements consist in so arranging the teeth or cutters of the
machine that some of them shall project further from the surface of the disc or
barrel to which they are attached than others, and so fixing them relatively
to each other that those projecting the least shall cut away the portions of the
substances to be operated upon which have been left uncut by the longer teeth
or cutters.

page_text: By this improved arrangement of the teeth or cutters the root or substance
under operation is not allowed to rest idly upon the surface of the disc or
barrel carrying the teeth or cutters, a defect in the action of all this class
of machines as bitherto constructed. The teeth or cutters which project the
furthest from the surface of the disc or barrel are made to pass between fixed
projections by which means the pulp is more evenly formed and no large pieces
of the substance under operation allowed to pass and mix with the pulp.
The teeth or cutters are kept clean and prevented from clogging by means of
a revolving brush or other suitable contrivance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Arthur Biddell in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th July 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ARTHUR BIDDELL, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Mechanical Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Arthur Biddell, Her special licence that I, the said George
Arthur Biddell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said George Arthur Biddell, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR PULPING TURNIPS AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Arthur Biddell,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals 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 George Arthur Biddell, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to a class of machines known as root pulpers having
teeth or cutters projecting from the surface either of a disc, cone, or cylinder
which cut or tear the roots into mince or pulp.
The improvements consist in so arranging the teeth or cutters of the machine
that some of them shall project further from the surface of the disc or barrel
to which they are attached than others, and so fixing them relatively to each
other that those projecting the least shall cut away the portions of the
substances to be operated upon which have been left uncut by the longer teeth
or cutters.
By this improved arrangement of the teeth or cutters the root or substance
under operation is not allowed to rest idly upon the surface of the disc or
barrel carrying the teeth or cutters, a defect in the action of all this class of
machines as hitherto constructed. The teeth or cutters which project the
furthest from the surface of the disc or barrel are made to pass between fixed
projections, by which means the pulp is more evenly formed and no large pieces
of the substance under operation allowed to pass and mix with the pulp. The
teeth or cutters are kept clean and prevented from clogging by means of a
revolving brush or other suitable contrivance.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawings on Sheet 1 represent a machine with the teeth or cutters
arranged according to this improved method upon a cylindrical barrel.
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections through the machine. Figure 8 is a
cross vertical section through the barrel, showing the finger plate and clearing
brush. Figure 4, is a plan of the barrel and finger plate. Figures 5 and
6 represent the long or high cutters, full size, and show how they are fixed
to the barrel by wooden wedges. Figures 7, 8, and 9, represent the short
cutters, full size, and the method of wedging them in their places.
The Drawings on Sheet 2 represent a double-barrelled machine recom-
mended in cases where it is desirable that the vegetable substances to be
pulped should also be somewhat crushed, and where the power to work the
machine is not an object of great importance, and in some cases it will be found
beneficial to make one of the rollers larger than the other, or what gives the same
effect make the wheels which connect the two rollers of unequal diameters, so
that one roller tears and clears the substance operated upon from the other,

page_text: giving a more separated even sample of pulp than when both rollers move at
the same circumferential velocities.
The Drawings on Sheet 3 represent the improved arrangement of teeth or
cutters as applied to a disc surface or face wheel, and in this form the clearing
brush as used in the previously described barrel machines may generally
be dispensed with, the centrifugal action being sufficient (in pulping ordinary
roots) to keep the teeth from choking.
In all the Drawings and Figures the same letters refer to the similar
parts, but it will be only necessary to describe such parts as are new
with such other parts as may be desirable for the full illustration of the
improvements.
a, a, a, a, are the long or highest cutters or teeth made of steel or other
hard metal; b, b, b, b, the short cutters or teeth also of steel or other hard
metal, made wider than the long teeth so as to ensure the removal of all the
substance of the vegetable matter to be operated upon that is left by the long
teeth. These teeth or cutters are firmly attached to the barrels or discs by
wedges of wood in the usual manner as clearly shown full size in Figures
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, Sheet 1.
The long cutters a, a, a, a, pass between the fixed projections of the finger
plate c, c, which is firmly attached to the framing of the machine. The short
cutters b, b, b, b, do not pass between the projections of the finger plate, but
just clear the ends of the projections. d is the clearing brush, the bristles of
which are either of strong foreign grass, whalebone, or other suitable material.
This brush is made to revolve at such a speed by the wheel and pinion e
and f, that its circumferential velocity is somewhat greater than the speed of
the tips of the teeth fixed to the barrels so that it sweeps off from the surface
of the barrel and from the teeth any pulp that might otherwise adhere to them.
When it is not essential that the pulp should be uniformly fine and free from
rib and like pieces, similar to what is known as the produce of " root grating
machines," short teeth 9, as represented in Figures 10 and 11 Sheet 1, can
be used with advantage both as to power and expedition in preference to
those shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9. In such cases there is a hole (h, Figures
10 and 11), through the plate just in front of the tooth to allow of the passage
of the portions of the root cut by such teeth passing freely away to the other
side of the plate. When this plan of construction is adopted the disc plate is
preferable to a barrel, as the gratings that pass through the plate more readily
escape. But where a barrel is used it is then better to have it in the form
of a frustrum of a cone so that the gratings may pass away from the interior
at one end only as is the case in Moody's and other well known machines

page_text: commonly constructed for grating roots or cutting them into thin finger
pieces.
From the Drawings and the description here given the action of the cutters
and the general effect of the machine will be clearly understood. And it will
be seen that some of the teeth are constantly in action the turnip or root
having no tendency to travel idly endways along the barrel which is often the
case in all machines hitherto made with the teeth set so as to form a helix or
screw line round the barrel.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Arthur Biddel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 4th day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
GEORGE ARTHUR BIDDELL. (L.S.)
Witness,
JOHN FOREMAN,
of Ipswich, (Accountant.)