Improvements in Machines for Cutting Hay, Roots, Tobacco, and other Substances.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 24th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888
Improvements in Machines for Cutting Hay, Roots, Tobacco,
and other Substances.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
abroad by Daniel Quertain and Jean Baptiste Masurelle, both of Lobbes, in the
Kingdom of Belgium) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for cutting hay, straw, roots, tobacco, tanner's
bark, and other substances.
Cutting machines as hitherto constructed have generally been adapted to operate
upon only one substance. For example chaff-cutters, root-cutters, tobacco cutters,
and machines for cutting tanner's bark have been constructed so as to serve only for
their respective uses.
The object of this invention is to provide a machine which can be used for cutting
any of the above named or similar substances as required.
The knife of the machine is fixed to a lever actuated from a shaft carrying
a fly wheel through suitable gearing, the said knife working in connection with a
fixed blade.
The material as it is cut drops into a chute provided with a sieve to which motion
is imparted by springs whereby the cut products are freed from objectionable matter
such as dust.
The fly-wheel is located at one side of the machine instead of in the front as is
usually the case and the products are therefore not discharged against the attendant
or person operating the machine.
The feed of the material to the cutter is effected by blades or fingers secured upon
shafts geared together and to a pinion on the driving shaft and arranged transversely
of the feed channel or trough.
The improved machine may be driven by any suitable motive power.
T
1007
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Cutting Hay, Roots, Tobacco,
and other Substances.
I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad
by Daniel Quertain and Jean Baptiste Masurelle, both of Lobbes, in the Kingdom of
Belgium) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to machines for cutting hay, straw, roots, tobacco, tanner's
bark, and other substances.
Cutting machines as hitherto constructed have generally been adapted to operate
upon only one substance. For example chaff-cutters, root-cutters, tobacco-cutters,
and machines for cutting tanner's bark have been constructed so as to serve only
for their respective uses.
The object of this invention is to provide a machine which can be used for cutting
any of the above named or similar substances as required.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood, I will describe how it can
be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine for cutting hay, roots, tobacco, and other
substances constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation.
Figure 3 is a plan; and,
Figure 4 is a vertical section on line A B of figure 2.
Figure 5 is a section drawn to an enlarged scale of one of the feeding fingers
secured to its shaft.
Figure 6 is a horizontal section of a guide hereinafter described.
The apparatus is constructed of a metal plate A in which is formed the mouth or
opening of the cutting machine. The rear standard B on which is fixed, the metal
trough C is united to the plate A by a tie bar D. On the shaft of the fly wheel E,
which is provided with a handle for operating it, is keyed a spur wheel F, gearing
with another wheel G keyed on a cranked shaft to which is attached a connecting
rod H which, by means of levers, communicates to the knife I, fixed by two bolts to
an arm J, an oscillating movement on a pivot K. The knife is, by means of a
pressure screw, kept constantly bearing against a blade L screwed on the end of the
trough C. The wheel F also imparts movement to two other gear wheels M, M¹ on
the shafts of which are fixed, by means of screws, the feeding fingers for drawing
along the material to be cut. On the ends of the shaft of the toothed wheel M¹ are
two tappets N N' which by their rotation in combination with springs O, pressing
upon arms Q, cause the latter to rock in their supports or brackets P. On the said
arms rests the sieve R mounted on two hinges fixed below the mouth or opening of
the plate.

page_text: These tappets in this manner communicate a continuous oscillation to the sieve R
onto which fall the cut materials which, before leaving the sieve, are well shaken so
as to cause the dust to become separated from the said materials which are collected
in a receiver placed at the foot of the apparatus below the sieve.
Two moveable rollers S, S¹ placed in the trough Care suitably arranged to guide
the material to be cut as it advances towards the feeding fingers.
The lever U actuating the arm on which the knife fixed has a regular movement
imparted to it through the medium of a rod V sliding vertically against the plate in
eyes XX. To the arm J is fixed a guide T shown in figure 6. This guide slides
over the curved part of the plate and thus contributes to hold the knife in a vertical
plane during the working of the machine.
By this construction of machine, various kinds of material can be cut by simply
changing, if necessary, the knife which cuts the materials perpendicularly whilst
existing machines of this class cut them obliquely whereby accidents may sometimes
result when the materials are to be used as food for animals.
Moreover, by the employment of the moveable sieve, the cut materials are freed
from dust, and by arranging the fly wheel at the side of the machine the cut material
is prevented from obstructing the work and the person operating the machine is
screened from the cut material as it falls to the ground.
The improved apparatus can be arranged to be operated by hand, as shown in the
drawing, or it can be driven by power.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a machine for cutting hay, roots, tobacco, and other substances, the arrange
ment of moveable knife sliding against the fixed blade, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In a machine for cutting hay, roots, tobacco, and other substances, the arrange-
ment of feeding fingers producing a regular and rapid movement of the materials
placed in the trough of the machine, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In a machine for cutting hay, roots, tobacco, and other substances, the use of a
sieve operating in the manner and for the purpose herein before described.
4. The improved machine for cutting hay, roots, tobacco, and other substances,
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 24th day of August 1888.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.