US1024142A - Beet topping and loading apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

R. H; MOORE. BEET TOPPING AND LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 001?. 10, 1910.

1 ,024, 142, Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

2 sums-sum 1.

R. H. MOORE.

BEET TOPPING AND LOADING APPARATUS.

' APPLIOATION FILED 00T.10, 1910.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RALPH I-I. MOORE, 0F SPRECKELS, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SPRECKELS SUGAR COM- PANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION.

BEET TOPPING AND LOADING APPARATUS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH H. MOORE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Spreckels, in the county of Monterey and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet Topping and Loading Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The hereinafter described invention relates to an apparatus which may be readily and conveniently moved from place to place within the field of work for the topping of beets and loading of the same directly into wagons situated alongside of the apparatus for receiving the topped beets, the object being to provide a practical machine for ex peditiously severing the tops from the beets and delivering the topped beets into wagons to be loaded, the topping and loading of the beets being carried out as a continuous operation.

Under the present system of treating beets within the field, the topping of the beets and the loading of the topped beets into wagons are performed as independent operations and charged for separately, the double expense thus incurred adding materially to the cost of the beets for sugar manufacturing purposes. It is this double handling of the beets which the present in vention mainly seeks to obviate and by so doing reducing the expense incident to the topping and loading of the beets and like wise materially expediting the work in gen eral.

The invention resides in the novel arrangement of the working parts for mechanically topping the beets, separating the severed tops therefrom, and automatically conveying the topped beets to wagons to be loaded, whereby the topping and loading is performed as a single or continuous operation.

To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a front View with the inclined planes removed in order to illustrate the drive connections for the various working parts. Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken detail view of one of the endless carriers, illustrating one of the beet holding shelves attached thereto. Fig. 4: is a detail end view Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 10, 1910.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912. Serial No. 586,199.

of the holder disclosed by Fig. 8 of the drawings.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to indicate any suitable form of frame, which is supported by means of the forward wheels .2 and the rear steering wheel 3. Any desired means may be employed for propelling the wheeled frame from place to place within the field of work, but preference is given to the use of a gasolene engine 1, which is mounted on the base structure of the supporting frame. The engine shaft 5 is connected to the axle 6 of the forward wheel 2 by means of the drive connection 7 so that motion is transmitted from the engine shaft for actuating the portable structure.

In the present case, a plurality of incline planes 8 are provided at the feed end of the machine, at the base of each being arranged a receiving table or platform 9, onto which the beets to be topped are placed. Over these inclined planes work the beet supporting shelves 10, which are attached to and carried by means of the endless chain carrier 10, two of which, in the present case, are provided for each of the inclined planes. These endless chain carriers work over the sprocket wheels 11 and 12, located at the upper and lower ends respectively of the inclined planes 8. The said incline planes 8 serve as supports for the shelves 10, during the upper run thereof, each of said shelves being connected to the carrier chains by a lug 13, which, during the upward movement of the shelves, work through the longitudinal slots 13 in the said inclined planes 8. Each shelf 10 is provided with a projection or tooth 14:, onto which the beet is impaled and held firmly in place as conveyed up the inclined planes 8. I11 fact, this impaling tooth or projection holds the beet at its uppermost end, the beet lying crosswise of the shelf 10, with its top projecting beyond the inner edge of the longitudinal slot 9 cut in the shelf and in alinement with the circular saw 15, mounted on a driven cross shaft 15 located at approximately the upper end and above the surface of the inclined plane 8, the position of the saw being such as to work through the slot 9 as the shelf moves beneath the same and cut or free the top from the held beet 16. In the present case, a plurality of the circular topping saws 15 are shown, one

for each of the endless carriers. Motion is imparted to the cross shaft 15 carrying the circular saws 15 by means of the drive belt 16, which is suitably connected and driven from the drive mechanism of the apparatus. The upper sprocket wheels 11 for the enclless chain carriers 10 are secured to a cross shaft 17 working in suitable bearings of the upper frame structure 2 of the machine frame, while the sprocket wheels 12 are secured to a cross shaft 17 located at the forward end of the machine frame 1 and below the tables or platforms 9. The upper crossshaft 17 constitutes the drive shaft for the endless chain carriers 10 and 'motion is transmitted to said shaft from a counter shaft 18, working in bearings of the upper frame structure 2, by means of the drive connection 18. The said shaft 18 is driven from the engine shaft by the drive connection 18 The shaft 18 also operates the shafts 19 and 19', being placed into engagement wit-h the inner ends thereof by means of the slide clutches 20 and 20, which are operated by the attendant of the machine situated in the station 21 through the medium of suitable levers extended therein.

The shafts operated by the drive shaft 18 are provided on their outer ends with a pinion 20 which mesh with the gears 20 on the end of the parallel shafts 21,to which are secured the sprocket wheels 22, over which work the endless sprocket chains 22, which with their connecting pieces form a cross conveyer 23. This conveyer works within the transversely disposed runway 23, into which the topped beets are deposited as propelled by the endless carriers 10 over the upper sprocket wheels 11, the same freeing themselves by their "own weight from the'impaling projection or tooth 1 1 of the shelves 10, and falling by gravity onto the cross conveyer 23. This conveyer delivers the topped beets into wagons in attendance to receive the same, the said wagons being located alongside of the machine, and receiving the topped beets as discharged from the cross-conveyer 23. Preferably, two wagons are used to receive the topped beets, one at each side of the machine. Inasmuch as the direction of travel of the cross conveyer 23 may be reversed by the transmitting clutches 20 and 20, the delay incident to the wait occasioned by having a loaded wagon removed and replaced by an empty one is overcome, for the moment one wagon becomes loaded, the operator shifts the slide clutches to reverse the travel of the cross conveyer 23 so as to deposit the topped beets into an empty wagon located at the opposite side of the machine. By this means wagons located at opposite sides of the machine are alternately loaded and the continuous discharge of the topped beets is not interfered with.

For each endless carrier for propelling the beets to be topped toward the line of circular saws 15, there is provided a division plate or deflector wall 24, which is secured immediately above the inclined planes and beyond the line of circular saws. These division plat-es direct the severed tops into the chutes 24, and thus prevent the same being discharged onto the cross conveyer 23. r.

The steering wheel 3 is controlled by the operator from his station on the machine by means of the steering rod 25, which is operated through the medium of the handle 25.

In the working of the machine, the varione described parts being put into operation, the beets, which are first plowed out of the ground, are placed on the tables or platforms 9, at each of which an operator is stationed. As the shelves 10 of the endless carriers come into view, a beet is placed transversely thereon by the operator, the same being impaled on the projection or tooth 1 1 with its top in line with the circular cutting saw. The beet as thus held is carried up the inclined plane 8 to the said saw, which cuts or severs the top therefrom. As the topped beet is carried beyond the sphere of the saw by the travel of the endless carrier, the division plate 24: guides the severed top into the chute 24, while the topped beet is deposited onto the, transversely moving conveyer 23 and by the same carried toward and discharged into a wagon alongside of the machine to receive the same. As one wagon becomes loaded with topped beets, the operator reverses the travel of the conveyer 23, so as to cause the discharge of the topped beets into an empty wagon located at the opposite side of the machine to be loaded.

ll hile a plurality of endless carriers for the beets to be topped, and circular saws for removing the tops. have been described and illustrated, such is only for the purpose of increasing the capacity of the machine, for it is obvious that the use of the invention is not restricted to a plurality of such co-acting instrumentalities, inasmuch as a single carrier and topping saw will answer in connection with a receiving conveyer for the topped beets. I

The essence of the invention resides in the employment of an endless traveling carrier for the beets to be topped, means for removing the tops of the beets as presented thereto by the endless carrier, with mechanism co-acting with the endless conveyer for receiving the topped beets and discharging the same into wagons to be loaded, the action of the working parts being automatic, so that the topping of the beets and the loading of the topped beets into wagons is carried out as a continuous operation.

Changes may be made in the construction of the various described working parts of the apparatus without creating a departure from the nature of the invention, which resides broadly in co-acting instrumentalities for topping the beets and loading the topped beets into wagons as a continuous operation, whereby the double handling of the beets is avoided.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to protect by Letters Patent is- 1. In a device of the character described, a beet feeder, means for supporting beets transversely thereon, a beet topper overlying the beet feeder, a division plate overlying the beet feeder and extending from directly in rear of the topper to the discharge end of said feeder, beet receiving means underlying the discharge end of said conveyer, and means positioned at one side of said division plate for preventing the passage of the beet tops onto said beet receiving means.

2. In a device of the character described, a beet feeder, means for supporting beets transversely thereon, a beet topper overlying the beet feeder, a division plate overlying the beet feeder and extending directly in rear of the topper to the discharge end of the beet feeder, a beet conveyer underlying the discharge end of the beet feeder and a deflector plate underlying the beet feeder and overlying the beet conveyer, said deflector plate being positioned at one side of the division member overlying the beet conveyer, so as to receive the tops of the beets.

3. In a device of the character described, an endless feeder, a topper knife positioned thereabove, a division plate positioned above the discharge end of the beet feeder and in alinement with the topper knife, shelves for supporting the beets carried by said feeder, and provided with rear walls for engaging the beets, said rear walls being provided with downwardly extending slots therein to permit the shelves to pass the topper and division plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RALPH H. MOORE. Witnesses R. L. ADAMS, S. F. GILLIns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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