US61617A - Warren - Google Patents

Description

W. GALE.

Straw Cutter'.

Patented 1an. 29, 1867E www atten Erstes @cientf-ift.

MPROVEMENT 1N STBAW GUTTERS. i

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TO ALL WHOMIT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WARREN GALE, oi' Chicopee Falls, in the county of Hampden, and State of Massachusette, have invented a new and useful improvement in Machines for Cutting Straw, Hay', Corn-Stalks, Sugar- Cane, and, other materials; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference 1neing had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification-- Figure 1 being a transverse section of the cutting apparatus of a revolving-knife straw cutter, showing'g'my improvement applied thereto.

Figure 2, a side view of the pressure cylinder thereof, to which my said improvement is applied.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in both figures.Y

My improvement is upon that general class of straw cutters, in which the knives are attached to a revolving cutter cylinder, and out against a revolving pressure cylinder. The nature of my invention consists in making that part of the pressure cylinder against which thc knife (or vknives) cuts, of strips Aet' copper, or any suitable alloy thereof with another metal or metals, which does not, to an injurious extent, depart from those peculiar properties that copper alone of metals possesses, and that render it especially applicable to this purpose, when the knife and pressure cylinders are geared together. These essential properties of copper are, first, a 'peculiar tenacity or toughness, which prevents abrasion and yielding; second, a suiiicient degree of softness, not t0 injure the cutting edges of the knives acting against the same; and, third, at the same time, as'much firmness and elasticity under pressure and weer, as are ever found to he necessary, in addition to the other properties mentioned, to fulfill the purpose intended. These leading properties combined I do not find in any other metal or composition of metals, as proved by numerous and various experiments, extending through a considerable number oi'years, and thoroughly tested. All other metals and alloys soft enough not to act injurionsly on the cutters, are too soft and yielding, not possessing sutlicicnt rmness and tenacity to prevent abrasion-#breaking especially when applied in strips, or yielding to the pressure to which the surfaceis'subjected, under the-knives. Nor does any other material whatever known, possess these qualities which insure the utmost perfection and durability of surface. I find that any alloy ot' copper with zinc or other metals, loses more and more of these indispensable properties, the greater the proportion ot`.thc alloying metalor metals combined with the copper; and that, while a small proportion of other metals doesnot very materially diminish the full excellence of these qualities, and hence a small degree of alloy may be used without bad eil'ect, yet I believe that any addition of other metals to the copper, suiicient to perceptibly'change its properties, isv injurious to. the proper eii'ect. Therefore the indenite mention or'use of4 other alloys or compositions ot metal, or simple soft metals, for this purpose, since all such known to commerce are untit for this use, as compared with copper, entirely misleads and fails to reach the discovery which I have made, and which I have but recently fully proved; and consequently, they do not anticipate my invention founded on this knowledge, now rstmadc known. It is obvious that, as before stated, it matters not what may be the form of the pressure cylinder to which the copper strips are affixed, for the knife or knives to cut against, the principle being' the same under all circumstances; yet, since l have used them upon the flanched cylinder straw cutters,l will herev describe their application thereto, in connection with the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a cross-section of the pressure cylinder A, with its hanches' a au, and of the cuttingcylinder G, with its knives H H H. I cast the copper in narrow strips, B B B, of' about .the size and form indicated in this figure and iig. 2, and t them in rabbet grooves, B b b, made in the hanches, so that clamp-plates, C C C, may be applied flushl against them and the sides of the anches, to hold the strips in place, as between jaws, by screws, c c c; The outer surfaces of the strips are even with the edges'oi the clamp jaws holding them. The edges of the knives H H H t close to the surfaces of the strips, or in contact therewith, as indicated in iig. 1. The stripsof copper, after casting, should be annealed, thus taking away any undue' hardness which otherwise they might possess. They require no n'ish, except to smooth the faces and'adjust them in form-to the edges of the knives which are to cut against them. kOther modes of attaching the copper strips'mny he adopted; but the above is simple and convenient, and allows ready adjustment and replacement oi' the strips. It is essential, however, no matter what method of fastening may bc used, that the copper strips shall rest directly and firmly on the surface of the cylinder. Another important consideration is to be observed in the use of the copper-pressure surfaces. It is necessary that the knife'cylindcr and pressure cylinder should be geared together, as indicated in fig. 1, the two lgear-wheels D E thereon being of equal size. This makes the knives cut always on the same line upon the faces of the strips, and they thus soon cause the line of contact or cut on saidl surface to conform to theirredges, so that there is no danger of injuring the edges of the knives; and much less poweris required to drive the cutter, since there is no unneces- Isary pressure anywhere acting as a brake upon the movement. Not onlyis copper the only material that has vthe proper qualities for a long-enduring pressure surface, as above explained, but it is also exceedingly cheap and economical, 'for a very narrow and thin strip sutiices, and hence the first cost' is but triiling. Besides, it wears many years Without requiring replacement, when the knife Aand pressure cylinders are gearedA together, whereas -any other material which' can be used, such as rawhide, Aor other soft metals, soon wears away, or requires repairs or removal. The copper is also proof against theiveather and dampness,l so destructive of raw` hide facings. The knives and copper-faced hanches are Aarranged upon their respective cylinders in spiral form, as shown inthe drawings, so that only a part of the knife edge will be brought in contactwiththe copper facing at one time. The amount or degree of spiral may be varied, but it never should be so little that more than one-fourth of the length of the knife can be brought in contact with th'e` copper at once. Although I am not aware that, previous to my invention,'c'opper oi-,any alloy of copper has ever beenpused in straw-cutters for the knves't lcut againstfand believe myself to be the first to discover and make known its'advantages for this purpose, yet I shall confine my claim to the use of strips of copper, or a suitable alloy thereof, to cut against,

lwhen the knife and pressure surface cylinders orshafts are geared together, or so arranged in connection with each other that the knife edges and pressure surfaces shall move at equal speed, since I have found that in this way only-'can the invention be made of practical utility; `but when so arranged, the copper is superior to any other material for the purpose known to me therefore,

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by- Letters Patent,.is

A revolvingpressurecylinder, Whosepressure surfaces are faced with or made of strips of copper, or some alloy thereof possessing equivalent properties, in combination with and geared to a revolving'cutter cylinder or shaft, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. i

I alsoclaim a spiral or obliquenlanged-pressure cylinder, faced with copper, in combination with a revolving knife-cylinder, substantially as described. I

In VWitness that the above isa true specification of my improved strmv cutter, I hereunto set my hand this 16th day of August, 1865. l I A WARREN GALE.

Witnesses:

ANDREW' GALn, J. N. THAYER.

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