US15498A - Improvement in hemp-brakes - Google Patents

Description

IVI. THOMPSON, Jr.v

Hemp Brake.

Patented Aug., 5, 18,56.

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PATENT IMPROVEMENT IN HElVIP-BRAKES.

l Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 5,498, dated August 5, 1856.

.To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, Mnniwnrnnn THOMPSON, Jr., of St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented and made certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Breaking Hemp-Stalks and other Fibrous Substances; and I do hereby-declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 making a part of this specication, and representing the machine complete in all its parts, the superstructure being formed somewhat like the ordinary construction of hemp-brakes,.as at To the front uprights, C C', on the top ends thereof, are journal-boxes m and caps n, to receive the journals of an axle or shaft, O O, resting across the ends of the uprights C. This axle or shaft has attached to it what are termed ,swords,77 as at l? P, formed of suitable material, being beveled lon their sides similar to a case-knife or sword, and broad or stout at their butt-ends or the point of connection with the shaft O, while they taper toward their front ends. These swords, instead of 'being parallel with each other, are wider apart where connected to the shaft O, and their ends tending toward veach other, as at Q, and so arranged as to be over the space T G K 'I K G.

Attached to the ends of the swords is a breaker-block, Q, to the under or face side of which is attachedv an elastic or yielding substance, as at R.

It must be observed that the shaft or axle O O in its middle is formed with a ridge or a cani device, as at'S, which bears against and operates a rod, formed as at T, having two ends, T T', curved or bent to pass underneath the cross-rail F, and then turned upward, and extending outward horizontally toward the front end of themaehine, and their ends bent or deflecting downward six or eight inches, forming something similar to a rake-tooth. This rod may be made so as to be suspended on an axis or fulcrum, as at the rod T3, to admit of vibrating through the action of the cam device S, and to be used as a shaker or as iingers to loosen up the broken'stalks.

At suitable distances, and arranged across the top of the superstructure or framing, are two frustums of cones or conical pulleys, V V, having journal ends working in or resting up on suitable boxes or bearings, these frustums of cones being reversed in position-that is, the larger end of one is opposite the smaller end of the other. To each end of theseconepulleys are iiange or rim formations, to keep in place the band or belt W W when being shifted from end to end or over the surface of the pulleys, the belt being changed or shifted by means of a claw-like or forked lever, XX, working on a vertical'fulcrum or bolt passing through thecross central' rail, L, at y, the

end or handle part of the lever resting on a support, Z, formed with notches, as at & 8v 8U, and attached to the side of the machine. The cone-pulley V, over the center of the machine,

is the driving-pulley, and has attached to the extremity of its axle a balance or flywheel, 1

y1 1 1, while to the other end of the axle the motive or driving power is connected.

To the larger end of the outer cone-pulley, V', is a small crank-arm, f2 2, which connects with a sliding buffer-block, 3, made to slide freely in an opening or slot or buffer-box 4 4,

formed, as shown in the drawings, by two plates of metal of required size andflength attached to the end of a suitable sized longitudinal pitman or connection` rod, 5 5 6, to the end at 6, being a pin or bolt formed with a head, t

and this pin or bolt works in the slot 7, formed in a curved crank-arm attached to the end of the axle or shaft O O, as shown at 8 9; The

passing lengthwise through the extent of the slot, and over this rod is slipped a spiralA spring, 12, the spring expanding to iill up the extent of the. space in the slot or buffer.

box 4 4. The spiral is kept in place by means a vertical perch, 14, containing a grooved or fluted pulley, 15, over which passes a cord, 16

in motion, the swords or breakers thereby being caused to work up and down andto mash or break the stalk, crack the bark, and separate it from the tow and finer bers of the stalks.

The important features of improvement pertaining to my machine and the great mechanical principle or action involved in the operation of my improvements are, first, the compensating pitman-rod or crank-connection 4 5 6, formed as hereinbefore described, with the buffer-block, spring, and elastic plugat one end, while the other end works or slides in a curved slot formed in a curved crankarm, as at 7 8 9, and through the intervention of which devices I am enabled to overcome entirely the checking or retarded action of the swords or breakers, this checking being caused in all hemp-brakes heretofore used by the undue introduction of an excess supply of matter beneath the breaker-block, or too much matterin bulk,which undue or irregular feeding causes the swords and the breaker-block suddenly to be checked, thereby producing sudden concussion, jarring, and straining of parts, and occasioning not unfrequently breakage of the swords and much delay and labor in operating any of the various hemp-brakes heretofore used. l

. It has been .thoroughly tested and most satisfactorily demonstrated by a series of practical operations with my brake that when any irregular or undue amount of feeding in of hemp occurs, that the action of the swords and breaker-block is not at all interfered with or retarded, because the buffer-block and the spring to which the small crank, 2 2, is attached play or give, thus accommodating the action of the smaller crank, 2 2, and the larger slotted crank, 7 8 9, to the amount of feed, and

thus compensate by lengthening the pitmanrod relative to the crank 2 2 by the bufferblock pressing outwardly toward the end of the pitman, and thus enabling the smaller crank, 2 2, by its compensating motion, to readily overcome and pass the dead-center point, while the forward end, by aid of the sliding pin or bolt thereto attached, moves or compensates and changes its position in the curved slot 7 of the crank, and by which action the blow or stroke of the swords P P and Y,

the breaker-block is graduated to suit the amount of feed beneath' them, and consequently there is no danger of undue concussion or breaking of the blades or swords, nor does any delay or stoppage take place while the stalks of hemp are being subjected in bulk to breakage. i

Another important feature of my improvement is the double-acting claw-like or forked lever, which, while it shifts the band or belt W W, it also performs the duty of moving the cord 16 17 18, by which means the end 6 of the pitman-rod is lifted or let down. This operation of shifting the band upon the conepulleys changes the action as well as the speed of the sword. For instance, by changing the belt or band to the large end ofthe pulley V, the speed of the pulley Vis increased. The crankjoint at 6, being extended, lengthens the leverage and diminishes the sweep or length of stroke vof the swords, `and also diminishes the movement thereof. Then by reshifting the belt or band back onto the small end of the pulley V the belt or band passes onto the larger end of the pulley V', and the motion or speed of the crank 2 2 is decreased, and consequently the stroke or sweep of the swords and breakerblock is increased, because the leverage of the slotted crank-arm 7 8 9 is shortened, which diminishes the action or force of the stroke of the blades, all of which shortening and lengthening of the slotted crank-arm and the stroke or sweep of the Swords P I? is accomplished through the agency of the belt or bandWand the cord 16 17 1S,actuated by the forked lever X X, and thus it is through the peculiar con struction of my improved brake I accomplish many new and improved results, doing away entirely with the usual uniform or monotonous rigid action of the swords and breaker-block,

greatly diminishing the labor by requiring much less power than is required by other brakes, besides affording a superior article and in increased quantity. y

rIhe size of my machine varies according to the requirements of the cultivator or producer of hemp, and, as the cost of constructing my machines iscomparatively small, consequently growers of hemp, even on a limited scale, can avail themselves of the use of them.

Manual power, or water, steam, or horse .power are alike applicable to my improvements, several of which may be operated at one andthe same time.

Having given a full description of my improved hemp-brake and shown the same in Fig. 1 complete, I will state that I do not claim a compensating pitman as such; but] What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is- 4 1. The arrangement of a compensating pitman when applied to a hemp-brake and constructed substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

2. I do not claim cone-pulleys for varying the speed of my machine, nor the slotted arm and shifting pitman to vary the stroke of 4the brake but what I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure vby Letters Patent, is the arrangement herein described of the cone-pulleys or equivalent mechanism for varying the corresponding change in the stroke of the speed, and the arrangement of the slotted arm brake.

9 7 8 9, and shifting pitman, as described, in v MERIWETHER THOMPSON, JR. [n s.]

' such relation to each other that by the de- Vitnesses:

scribed connection between them through the J oHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD, shifting-lever X and the cord 18, or their` WM. E. SMITH, l I equivalents, any change of speed shall effect a JOHN S. GALLAHER, Jr.

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