Improvements in Chaff Cutting Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1897
Camulata Onnnifination I oft 17th Sent 1898-Accepted. 12th Nov., 1898
Improvements in Chaff Cutting Machines.
We, JAMES BRODIE, of Crescent Wharf, Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Manager, and JOSEPH DENTON MIDDLETON, of Gee Cross, Hyde, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows;-
This invention relates to improvements in chaff cutting machines and has for
its object provide means which shall completely prevent the hands or arms
of the attendant feeding the machine from being drawn between the feeding
rollers to the knives.
To this end we employ in the hopper in front of the feeding rollers of the
machine, a hinged or pivoted plate or flap placed under the influence of a spring
(or springs) which has a tendency of depressing the free end of the said plate
or flap which latter reaches close to the teeth of the top feeding roller.
This plate or flap may be hinged or pivoted at one end or at any other point
between its two ends, in the latter case the fulcrum of the said plate or flap is
however made vertically adjustable on the hopper so as to allow of varying the
size of the inlet according to circumstances.
If desirable the portion of the feeding hopper in which the said plate or flap is
employed may be suitably covered and if deemed necessary a roller may be
mounted in front of the said plate or flap to assist the feeding which roller is
suitably geared.
The material to be cut is pushed by the attendant with his hands underneath
the said pivoted or hinged plate or flap which then guides and gradually com-
presses and presents it in proper form to the feeding roller, which work hitherto
has been performed by the hands of the attendant and has been the cause of
frequent accidents.
In some types of chaff cutting machines a device consisting chiefly of a treadle
and lever in connection with a reversing and stop motion has been provided
whereby the feeding rollers can be reversed and stopped by depressing the said
treadle with the foot or by the attendant pushing the said lever forward with his
body.
In order to be able to still use the said device we may couple the said lever to
a rod forming a handle mounted in bearings pivoted to the said hopper in front of
the said hinged or pivoted plate or flap so that should the attendant's hands
become entangled or fast in the material the attendant would push with his body
against the said handle and thus actuate the said lever and reverse or stop the
rotation of the feeding rollers.
1007

page_text: improvements in Chan Cutting Maenines.
We, JAMES BRODIE, of Crescent Wharf, Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Manager, and JOSEPH DENTON MIDDLETON, of Gee Cross, Hyde, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 improvements in chaff cutting machines and has for
its object to provide means which shall completely prevent the hands or arms
of the attendant feeding the machine from being drawn between the feeding
rollers to the knives.
And in order that our invention may be more fully understood we have caused
to be appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures, Fig. being a longitudinal section
and Fig. 2 a side view of two different forms of our improved safety feed guard.
Fig. 3 a side view of a chaff cutter at a reduced scale showing our improved
stopping device which may be used in connection with our improved guard.
In carrying out our invention and referring to Figs. & 2, we employ in the
hopper a in front of the feeding rollers b, b₁ of the machine, a hinged or pivoted
plate or flap c reaching near to the teeth of the top feeding roller b and placed
under the influence of a spring c¹ which is adapted to press the free end of the
said plate or flap c upon the material to be cut in the hopper a.
In the present instance the plate or flap c is hinged or pivoted at its outer end
to a board d or the like forming a cover which extends across and is fulcrumed
opposite to the plate or flap hinge or pivot d¹, at a¹ to the sides of the hopper a
and has its free end placed under the influence of a spring e which draws the
respective cover end together with the plate or flap c downwards.
The plate or flap c and cover d in unison with the springs c¹ & e thus form
a compound pressure device which equalizes the compression of the material in
the hopper.
If deemed necessary, a roller f may be mounted in front of the plate or flap c,
preferably carried by the cover d, which roller serves to assist the feeding and may
be geared up or rotate loosely.
As an equivalent of the spring c¹, a weight may be attached in any convenient
form to the free end of the plate or flap c, for instance as shown in dotted lines
Fig. 1, or same may be in the form of a roller as will be readily understood.
According to another form of our invention the plate or flap e may be hinged
or pivoted at any other point between its two ends, for instance in or about the
middle, as shown in Fig. 2, in which case its fulcrum is made vertically adjust-
able on the hopper or cover d so as to allow of varying the size of the inlet accord-
ing to circumstances, and the roller f is applied to the upper end of the plate
or flap c.
The material to be cut is pushed by the attendant with his hands underneath
the said pivoted or hinged plate or flap which then guides and gradually com-
presses and presents it in proper form to the feeding roller, which work hitherto
has been performed by the hands of the attendant and has been the cause of
frequent accidents.
.
In some types of chaff cutting machines a device consisting chiefly, of a treadle
and lever in connection, with a reversing and stop motion has been provided
whereby the feeding rollers can be reversed and stopped by depressing the said
treadle with the foot or by the attendant pushing the said lever forward with

page_text: 80
Referring to Fig. 3, in order to be able to still use the said device we may
couple the said lever to a rod forming a handle h¹ mounted in bearings i
pivoted to the hopper a in front of the said hinged or pivoted plate or flap c
that should the attendant's hands become entangled or fast in the material, the
attendant would push with his body against the handle h¹ and thus actuate the
lever 9 and reverse or stop the rotation of the feeding rollers b, b¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim, is:-
1st. In chaff cutting machines the use of a plate or flap c forming a guard and
hinged or pivoted to a suitable part of the hopper a in combination with a spring c¹
or its equivalent, adapted to press upon the free or end nearest to the feeding
rollers b, b¹, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. In chaff cutting machines, a safety feed guard, consisting of a plate or
flap c hinged or pivoted to the cover d fulcrumed to the hopper a, in combina-
tion with springs c¹ & e or their equivalents adapted to press the said plate or
fiap upon the material to be cut in the hopper, all substantially as and for the
purpose herein before set forth.
3rd. In a safety feed guard, such as specified in the preceding claims, a roller
employed in front of the back end of the plate or flap c, all substantially as
herein before set forth.
4th. In chaff cutting machines, having a reversing and stop motion, such as
herein before described and a safety feed guard, such as specified in the preceding
claims, a rod or handle adapted to rock over the hopper a in front of the said
safety feed guard and connected by a side rod h or the like to the reversing lever g,
all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dat this yea 1...
1000
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicants.