US1094557A - Feeding mechanism for ensilage-cutters. - Google Patents

Description

0. F. HALDEMAN. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ENSILAGB OUTTEBS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1913 I Patented Apr 28, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

O. F. HALDEMAN.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ENSILAGB GUTTERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1913 1,094,557, I Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vwemiioz COLUMBIA PLANOORAPN co, WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. HALDEMAN, OF SALEM, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SILVER MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF SALEM, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ENSILAGE-CUTTERS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. T'IALDE MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Feeding Mechanism for Ensilage-Cutters and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in feeding mechanism for ensilage cutters and the like in which a plurality of rotating heaters areemployed in connection with the usual mechanism employed in conveying the material to the cutter head.

The objects of the present invention are, first, to provide a plurality of rotating beaters arranged above the conveyer apron and in front of the ordinary feed rolls, whereby the material is moved endwise and to the cutter head; second, to prevent by the use of the beaters the stopping or choking of the material being fed; third, to gradually force the material downward and upon the endless conveyers; and fourth, to provide means whereby the positions of the heaters are varied to compensate for greater or less quantities of material fed at any one time. These objects, together with other objects readily apparent to those skilled in the art, I attain by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, although my invention may be embodied in a variety of other mechanical forms, the construction illustrated being chosen by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a side view taken from the side containing the gear designed to rotate the upper and lower feed rolls except such part of the gearing as is common to drive the gear illustrated. Fig. 2 is a view showing the opposite side of the machine from that illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the different parts properly arranged. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section showing different positions of the upper feed roll and the beaters in full and dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the front end of the device. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one of the heaters. Fig. 7 is a view showing one of the beater carrying bars and a portion of one of the upper feed roll controlling bars. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view show,- ing different positions of one of the feed Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. December 4, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Serial No. 804,578.

roll controlling bars and one of the beater carrying bars showing said parts in different positions in full and dotted lines, the full lines showing said parts in their normal positions and the dotted lines in their positions assumed during the time material is being fed to and between the feed rolls to the cutter head.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents a portion of the frame which is of the usual construction and its detailed construction does not have to do with the present invention except to construct it in such a manner that the various parts can be properly attached. To the frame 1 are attached in any convenient and well known manner the side members 2 which side members are preferably formed of metal and are held in proper relative position with reference to each other in any convenient and well known manner common to ensilage or feed cutters of the type to which this invent-ion pertains. The lower feed roll 3 is journaled in the usual manner in suitable bearings and the upper feed roll 4 properly journaled in the controlling bars 5.

For the purpose of allowing the upper feed roll to move to and from the lower feed roll to at all times properly compress all material, and in such a manner that the rotation of said feed rolls will move the material toward the cutter head, the upper feed roll is journaled in the controlling bars 5, said controlling bars and the feed roll being held in their lowermost positions by means of the spring bars 6 which are connected to the bottom or lower ends of the controlling bars 5 and for the purpose of allowing for the vertical movement of the upper feed roll the side members 2 are provided with the elongated slots 7, through which elongated slots the shaft 8 upon which the feed roll is mounted passes.

For the purpose of maintaining the proper geared relationship as between the upper and lower feed rolls, the gear wheels 9, 10, 11 and 12 are provided. The gear wheels 10, 11 and 12 being held in proper mesh by means of the links 13 and 14:. Thegearing here described having to do with the rotation of the feed rolls does not enter into the present invention so far as its detailed construction is concerned and are shown in this instance in a conventional manner for the purpose of better illustrating the improvements pertaining to my present invention.

The controlling bars 5 are each provided with the angled extension 15, to which extensions are pivotally attached the beater carrying bars 16 in which beater carrying bars the shafts l7 and 18 are properly journaled, said shafts extending through the elongated slots 19 and 20 formed in the side members 2. For the purpose hereinafter described the slots 19 and 20 are located in different angles; that is to say the slot 19 being inclined to a vertical line less than the slot 20, the heaters proper are substantially of the form shown in Fig. 6, and as shown they are made u of the end disks 21 and 22 and the beater blades 23 and 24. In the drawings I have shown four beater blades, but this number may be increased or decreased and the same objects accomplished.

I have discovered that in devices of the kind to which my invention pertains in which a stationary inclined cap or cover is employed, that it frequently happens that one or more stalks of the material being fed into the machine proper becomes clogged or stopped against the underside of the cap or cover and in some instances trouble is caused by a bending of the stopped or clogged material, thereby causing a choking effect to the remainder of the material being fed to the cutter head and in order to overcome this difficulty I place the heaters in substantially the same position as that occupied by the ordinary and common inclined cap or cover.

It will be understood that by the rotation of the heaters the uppermost stalks of the material will be pressed downward and carried forward, thereby preventing any clogging or choking. I prefer to use a series of heaters, the beater near the feed rolls being located in a plane below the beater located farther away or in front of the lowermost heater, by which arrangement the forward and uppermost heater will compress or move downward any stray or straggling stalks as they come under and in contact with said uppermost beater, thereby bringing the material into proper position to be acted upon by the lowermost beater and finally to bring all of the material into proper position to he passed through the feed rolls and to the cutter head.

Upon the lower feed roller shaft 25 is located the sprocket wheel 26 from which sprocket wheel leads the drive chain 27 which drive chain is located around the sprocket wheel 28 which sprocket wheel is mounted upon the shaft 29, upon which shaft is mounted the power roller or drum 30, which imparts motion to the endless conveyer 31. This construction and arrangement is of the ordinary construction and is illustrated for the purpose of fully disclosing the connection between what is old and my improved parts. Upon the shaft 8 upon which the upper feed roll 4 is mounted is securely mounted the sprocket wheel 32, from which sprocket wheel leads the drive chain 33, said drive chain being located around the sprocket wheel 34, which sprocket wheel is mounted upon the lowermost beater shaft 17. Upon the lowermost heater shaft 17 is located the sprocket wheel 37, from which sprocket wheel leads the drive chain 38, which drive chain is located around the sprocket wheel 39, said sprocket wheel being securely mounted upon the lowermost beater shaft 17.

It will he understood that when rotary motion is imparted to the upper feed roll 4: and its shaft by means of the gear wheel 12, rotary motion will be imparted to the sprocket wheel 32 and by means of the various drive chains and sprocket wheels the beater shafts together with the heaters will be rotated.

It will be understood that the heaters should be positively rotated under all circumstances and by providing the drive chains 33 and 37 the upper feed roll can move to and from the lower feed roll without interfering with the driving of the heaters.

As the upper feed roll is carried upward the spring controlled bars 5 will move upward with said upper feed roll, thereby moving the pivoted end of the beater carrying bars 16 upward with the bars 5, which movement lifts the lowermost heater and at the same time lifts and moves out-ward a short distance the uppermost heater. The heater carrying bars in a sense constitutes what might be termed the hypotenuse of a triangle and as the bar is moved toward an imaginary side of a triangle it has a tendency to be moved upward at its pivoted end and also longitudinally, by which action the uppermost heater is moved slightly forward and upward. It is by reason of the peculiar movement of the heater carrying bars that it becomes necessary to incline the slots 19 and 20 at different angles so that the heater carrying bars are free to move and at the same time carry with them the heaters. By providing means for changing the position of the heaters they are automatically adjusted to properly control the material as it is fed to the cutter head.

In the drawings two heaters are illustrated but in some instance a single heater may be employed and in other instances morethan two heaters, reference being had to the size of the machine and at the same time the material designed to he acted upon.

Having fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, side plates secured to said frame, said side plates provided with elongated slots located at different angles to each other, beatercarrying bars, heaters journaled in said carrying bars, the shafts of said heaters located through the elongated slots, means adapted to move the beater carrying bars and means for imparting rotary motion to said heaters.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, side plates secured to-said frame, said side plates pro vided with elongated slots located at different angles to each other, beater carrying bars, heaters j ournaled in said carrying bars, the shafts of said heaters located through the elongated slots, means adapted to move the beater carrying bars and means for imparting rotary motion to said heaters, and feed rolls, one of said feed rolls journaled in bars and the beater carrying bars pivotally connected to said roll carrying bars.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, side members secured to said frame, said side members being provided with elongated slots located at different angles to each other, a cutter head, feed rolls, one of said feed rolls adapted to move to and from the other, means for controlling the movement of the movable feed roll, bars adapted to be actuated simultaneously with the movement of one of the feed rolls, beater carrying bars connected to the bars actuated by the movable feed roll, heaters journaled in said carrying bars, the shafts of said heaters located through the slots in the side members, and means for communicating rotary motion to said heaters.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, side members secured to said frame, said side members being provided with elongated slots located at different angles to each other, a cutter head journaled in the frame, feed rolls, one of said feed rolls journaled in movable bars, feeder carrying bars pivotally connected to the bars carrying one of the feed rolls, the shafts of the heaters being located through the slots in the side members secured to the frame, and means for imparting rotary motion to the series of heaters.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, side members secured to said frame, said side members being provided with elongated slots, said slots lo cated at different angles to each other, a cutter head journaled in the frame, feed rolls, one of said feed rolls ournaled in movable bars, beater carrying bars pivotally connected to the movable bars, and actuated by the mov able feed rolls, said heater carrying bars normally located at an angle to a horizontal line, a series of heaters carried by said heater carrying bars, the shafts of said heaters be ing located through the slots in the side members of the frame and means for imparting rotary motion to the heaters.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. HALDEMAN.

\Vitnesses:

P. B. TUomR, H. A. VAN SYOO.

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

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