Patent GB-736605-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to grain turning machines
Inventor: SPEARE WILLIAM ALFRED
IPC: C12C1/15
Filed: 1952-11-20
Abstract: 736,605. Grain turning machines. BOBY, Ltd., R. Feb. 17, 1954 [Nov. 20, 1952], No. 29364/52. Class 86. A grain-turning machine includes a tunnel - shaped wheeled carriage having upright sides, a driven shaft extending across the tunnel transversely to the direction of advance of the machine, at least one grain-turning paddle wheel on the shaft, and an upright worm flight in front of each of the two upright tunnel sides, which when rotated, serves to ease the passage of the machine through the grain. A tunnelshaped carriage, consisting of a top transverse member 1, Fig. 5, surmounting upright sides in the form of hollow elongated housings 2, 2a is mounted upon driven rear wheels 8 and non-driven front wheels 8a, Fig. 4. The driven shaft 3 is mounted in bearings 4 in the housings 2, 2a and carries three paddle wheel hubs 5 within the tunnel, and one paddle wheel hub 5 on each end extending beyond the housings 2, 2a. An electric motor 13 upon the top member 1 is coupled to a counter-shaft 15 by means of a chain and sprockets, and further chains and sprockets transmit drive from the shaft 15 to the shaft 3 and to the rear wheels 8. The various drives from the electric motor 13 are all carried within the housings 2, 2a or within casings 18, 19, Fig. 2, on the top of the carriage. The lower end of each housing 2, 2a is surrounded by a skid 34, freely resting upon the ground but having limited downward movement relatively to the carriage, and having pointed toes 35 at the front. A vertical worm flight 42 formed on a hollow sleeve rests freely upon each skid toe 35, the sleeve slidably engaging in rotary driving relationship over an upright shaft 39, each of the two shafts 39 being driven from the countershaft 15 through bevel gearing 40. Each paddle wheel hub 5 is adapted to removably carry a plurality of radial spokes 6 to the outer ends of which are secured paddle blades 7 which have a concave operating surface and may be made of rubber sheeting backed by a steel plate. In operation the paddle wheels turn the grain by throwing it out behind the machine and the worm flights tend to lift the grain in front of each housing and throw the lifted grain outwardly to the sides of the machine. Alternate or selected spokes 6 on the two paddle wheels located one on each side of a housing 2, 2a are twisted to throw grain behind the housing to minimise the formation of furrows in the turned grain. For operation of the machine in shallow pieces of grain, all the blades 7 of each paddle wheel may be connected to the hub, but when used in deep pieces of grain, alternate or any selected spokes and blades may be removed from the hubs. A pivoted handle 9 projects forwardly of the machine and is provided with a dead man's handle 33 for operating a motor switch in series with a main switch. A cable manipulator consists of a bar 29 pivoted on a vertical axis 30 and equipped at one end with a handle 29a and at the other end with a cable clamp 29b for gripping an electric cable 30a. According to the Provisional Specification, the blades of the paddle wheels may be swung into an inoperative position near the hubs, and agitators may be secured to the vertical driving shafts of the worm flights.