AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF COMBINED THRASHING AND DRESSING MACHINE
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Garrett, junior, of Leiston Works, Sax-
mundham, in the County of Suffolk, and James Kerridge, Foreman to
Messrs. Garrett & Sons, of Leiston Works, aforesaid, for the Invention
of AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF COMBINED THRASHING AND DRESSING
MACHINE."
Sealed the 3rd June 1859, and dated the 18th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Garrett and
James Kerridge at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 18th January 1859.
We, RICHARD GARRETT, junior, of Leiston Works, Saxmundham, in the
County of Suffolk, and JAMES KERRIDGE, Foreman to Messrs." Garrett &
Sons, of Leiston Works, aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF COMBINED THRASHING AND
DRESSING MACHINE," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction of that class of
thrashing machines in which the dressing of the corn is also effected, the
object being to secure an economy in the cost, the space,and the wear and tear
of the machine, and also in the power required to drive the same. To this
end, in place of employing two or more fans to produce the blast requisite for
completing the winnowing and assorting the grain, we provide a fan which
[Price Sd.]

page_text: shall throw into an air trunk a blast which may be divided and led off to any
given number of vents suitably situated for causing the air to impinge upon
the falling grain and chaff, and thereby effect the separation of the chaff and
other extraneous matters, and also assort the grain. This main air trunk we
furnish with branches, which are severally fitted with a mouthpiece so shaped
that it will cause the blast to escape in a thin broad stream, and the force of
the blast we regulate by introducing into the branches adjustable valves,
which by contracting or expanding (as required), the passage for the air will
suit the blast to the special work in hand according to the kind or condition
of the grain under operation. By this arrangement we are enabled by the
use of one fan or blower to direct blasts of air to any desired part of the
machine, and while diminishing the number of the working parts of the
machine to bring it more completely than heretofore under the command of
the attendant. The kind of blower which we prefer to employ is that in which
the rotating blades are mounted in a circular case open at the centre to admit
of the indraft, and provided at its periphery with an annular channel into
which the air passes from a concentric chamber formed to receive the blades
(which are shaped somewhat like the flukes of an anchor), and allows just
space enough for them to rotate in. The air passing into the case through
the central openings will enter the annular chamber, and escape therefrom
through an opening made in the periphery of the case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Garrett and James Kerridge in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
GARRETT, junior, of Leiston Works, Saxmundham, in the County of Suffolk,
and JAMES KERRIDGE, Foreman to Messrs. Garrett and Sons, of Leiston
Works, aforesaid, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Queen Victoria, by Her Letters l'atent,
bearing date the Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Richard Garrett, junior, and James Kerridge, Her special license
that we, the said Richard Garrett, junior, and James Kerridge, our exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard
Garrett, junior, and James Kerridge, our executors, administrators, and

page_text: AND
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF COMBINED THRASHING
DRESSING MACHINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Richard Garrett, junior, and James Kerridge, our executors administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Richard Garrett, junior, and James
Kerridge, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
(that is to say):-
:-
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction of that class of
thrashing machines in which the dressing as well as the thrashing of the corn
is effected, and thereby to secure an economy in the cost, the space, the
weight, and the wear and tear of the machine, and also in the power required
to drive the same. This result we obtain mainly (in place of employing two
or more fans to produce the blasts requisite for completing the winnowing
and assorting of the grain), by providing a single fan which shall drawinto its
case a large volume of air, and by reason of its connection with a system of
air trunks and passages, cause the discharge of the air at any given number
of vents in broad streams suitably directed for impinging upon the falling
grain and chaff, and thereby effecting the separation of the chaff and other
extra cous matters, and also the "tail" from the heavy grain.
In the accompanying Drawings we have shewn in several views, the details
of our improved arrangement of machine. Fig. is an elevation of that
side of the machine to which the fan or blower, and the main or distributing
air trunks are applied; Fig. 2 is a view of the opposite side of the machine,
or that at which the chaff is delivered; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the
machine shewing the parts for thrashing out the corn, delivering thestrawout
of the machine, riddling the grain, and submitting it to the first blast, and
also shewing the position and construction of the mouths through which the

page_text: blasts of air supplied by the fan or blower are discharged; Fig. 4 is an irre-
gular cross section taken in the line *, * of Fig. 7, illustrating the
connection of the fan with the main air trunks, and the mode of dividing and
distributing the blast for the purpose of effecting the first, second, and third
winnowing; Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 3,
shewing the course of the grain after its first winnowing to its discharge in an
assorted condition from the machine; Fig. 6 is a cross section taken in the
line 3, 4, of Fig. 3, or in the line of the first blast; and Fig. 7 is a partial
longitudinal section taken in the line 5, 6, of Figs. 4 and 5, shewing the
arrangement for returning to the first screen the broken pieces of straw, &c.,
that have been carried up by the lifting apparatus with the grain after it
has undergone the first winnowing.
As the introduction of our Invention into combined thrashing machines,
involves a re-arrangement of the gearing, and many of the ordinary working
parts of the machine, it may be convenient to give first a general description
of our improved combined thrashing machine, and afterwards to point out
more particularly the parts to which our Invention specially relates. a, a, is
the pannelled framing enclosing as in a case the thrashing, shaking,screening,
winnowing, and dressing apparatus. In the Drawing it is shewn as supported
on travelling wheels, but the machine may also be constructed as a fixture
when so required; b is the axle of the drum which carries the beaters for
thrashing the corn, and on this axle is also mounted the rotating fan of the
blower c,and thedriving pulleyforreceivingthestrap of themotivepowerengine
The drum shewn at d in the section Fig. 3 is constructed as usual, but with
a somewhat improved form of beater, and it works in an ordinary concave e,
Below this drum and
into which the corn to be thrashed is fed from above.
reaching backwards to the extremity of the machine are the straw-shakers
ff which are arranged as a double set, and rock the one set on a horizontal
shaft 1, and the other set on the horizontal shaft 2 (Fig. 3). These shafts
are severally supported at their extremities by a pair of links 3 and 4 (see
Fig. 2), which are carried by studs affixed to the side framing. The straw-
shakers are connected to a double crank shaft 5 (Fig 3), which receives
rotary motion through a strap 6, (Fig. 1), that passes from a pulley on the
axle b, to a pulley keyed on the crank shaft. A reciprocating vibratory
motion is thus given to the shakers, and the straw as it leaves the drum is
thereby caused to travel up the shakers and fall from the upper end thereof
out of the machine. Immediately below the shakers is a board g, which is
suspended in an inclined position by means of two pairs of pendent rods 7, 8,
which are jointed to the main framing. The object of this board is to receive

page_text: the grain, chaff, and cavings, or broken pieces of straw, as they fall from the
bulk of shaken straw, and to guide them down on to a lower board or table
h, which is attached to a vibrating frame i, in which a riddle is fixed. The
rods S are connected by rods 9 to the links 1 (see Fig. 2), and through them
a swinging motion is given to the board g,sufficient to ensure the discharge of
the grain, chaff, and cavings on to the lower board or table. The riddle
frame i is supported at its forward end by a pair of rocking arms 10, pendent
from studs affixed to the main framing, and its rear end is carried by a pair
of pendent rods 11, which swing on studs at the upper part of the main
framing. Below the riddle is a broad channel k, which extends across the
machine or at right angles to the board g, and is intended to receive the
grain and chaff as they fall from the riddle, and discharge the same into an
upturned open trunk l, into which the first blast from the blower is directed.
A swinging notion is imparted to the riddle frame i through rods 12, which
connect the links 3 of the straw-shakers with the arms 10, and thus the first
screening of the grain is effected.. The broken straw or cavings intercepted
by the riddle passes to the rear end of the riddle frame, and is thus discharged
from the machine.
In order to produce a blast of air which will admit of being regulated
to suit the requirements of the grain, we prefer to employ that kind
of blower which will deliver a large volume of air at a moderately low
pressure. Of this class of blower, the one which we prefer is that for which
Letters Patent for Great Britain were granted to Gage Stickney, and
bearing date September Third, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
The blower consists of a set of rotary curved blades, tapering towards their
extremities, and mounted in a circular case open at the centre to admit of
the indraft of air, and provided at its periphery with an annular channel,
into which the air passes from a concentric chamber formed to receive
the blades, and allowing just space enough for them to rotate in. In this
annular chamber we make openings for the discharge of the air, and lead off
the blast by air trunks c¹ and c² to different parts of the machine. The trunk
c¹ conducts the air downwards to a horizontal passage lying at right angles
thereto, and at the bend a valve or damper is mounted for controlling the
discharge of the air. This air passage leads directly to the upturned trunk l,
and expands laterally in a fan-like form, so that it may deliver the blast of
air on to the grain in a thin broad sheet. Referring to Fig. 6 it will be
readily understood, that as the air flowing from the rotary fan takes the course
of the arrows, it will impinge upon the descending stream of grain, and blow
the chaff and other light matters up the trunk l, and discharge them from the

page_text: machine. The grain will, however, by reason of its superior specific gravity,
fall into a trough m (see Fig. 7) placed to receive it. This trough is fitted
with an incline, and it is mounted on an antifriction roller, and connected at its
rear end by means of a rigid rod and strap to the riddle trame i. A recipro-
cating motion is therefore given to this trough, and the grain instead of
accumulating therein, is traversed forward and discharged into a transverse
cylindrical trough », in which an axle o having radial blades or propellers is
mounted. Rotary motion is given to this axle by a band 13, which passes
from a pulley on the axle b,.over a pulley keyed to the axle o, and by this
means the grain discharged from the trough m is carried forward to the
opposite end of the machine, where it is delivered into a receptacle p. Au
endless band of buckets dipping into this receptacle and working through
trunks sq.g, carries up the grain and deposits it in a cylindrical cleaner, shewn
by dots at Fig. 1, whence by rotating blades working therein and carried by a
horizontal axle r, (which receives rotary motion through a band 14, passing
from a pulley on the axle b, to a pulley on the axle 7), it is discharged into a
spouts (Fig. 5), which conducts the grain on to the table of a vibrating
riddle t. This riddle t consists of a covered chamber open at the ends, but
divided horizontally into two compartments by wire cloth or other riddling
surface t', and fitted with two spouts 12 and 13, the former of which communi-
cates with the upper, and the latter with the lower compartment of the
chamber. The riddle is supported towards its forward end by jointed rods t4,
pendent from the upper part of the main framing, and the rear end of the
riddle is carried by a stud pin, which is the centre of its oscillations. A quick
lateral motion is given to the riddle by connecting it through arod t (Fig.2),
with the upper end of the rocking arm 10, before mentioned. As the grain
is discharged from the cleaner on to the table of the riddle, it is carried
forward on to the riddle surface or screen, where it meets with a second blast
of air to separate the chaff and other matters still mixed with it. The oscilla-
tion of the riddle causes the grain to fall through the riddling surface t, into
the lower compartment, whence it is discharged through the spout t³, into a
zig-zag passage, which conducts it to the separating or assorting cylinder.
The grain while falling into this passage meets with a third blast of air, which
effectually drives off the remaining light matters still mixed with the grain,
and also carries over the "tail" or light seeds, which are conducted away
to a separate receptacle. To obtain the second and third blasts the air is led
from the fan by the trunk c³, into an air chamber u, (Fig. 5), which is divided
by a partition u,and fitted with two valves or dampers u³,³. These dainpers
are for the purpose of regulating the discharge of the air, which passes off by

page_text: two fan-shaped passages u, u, Fig. 4, (similar to that already described) in
thin broad streams, the one stream impinging upon the grain as it falls upon
the riddling surface t', and the other acting upon the grain as it falls upon the
riddle. At the forward end of the screen t¹, is a cross gutter to, made of the
same material as the screen, and intended to intercept the passage of any
broken pieces of straw or other refuse matter that will not pass off with the
blast. This gutter projects laterally beyond the riddle (see Fig. 7), and
returns the collected matters on to the riddle h. Below the gutter to is fixed
a curved plate or second gutter t for receiving any seeds, &c., that t
may have
fallen through the gutter to, and conducting it to a discharge shute v.
The separator or assorting cylinder w (shewn in longitudinal section at
Fig. 5) is constructed in the usual manner. It receives the grain at one end
from the zig-zag passage w¹, and discharges the best. or heaviest corn at its
opposite end down a spout a, which conducts it to a sack or other receptacle,
and the seconds and thirds are discharged through the periphery of the
separator, down their respective spouts 1, 2, as usual into sacks provided
to receive the grain.
From the above description it will be seen that our improved machine
combines the main features of the ordinary "combined thrashing machine,"
but by reason of our improved arrangement, the mechanism for transmitting
the motion to the various working parts is greatly simplified, and the machine
is rendered far more compact than heretofore; but besides these important
advantages, we are enabled to increase the efficiency of the machine, and to
drive it with a considerably reduced expenditure of motive power. Instead
of having three heavy fans (the usual complement of combined thrashing
machines, which prepare the corn for market) with paddles or leaves, we are
enabled, by means of a light fan with narrow vanes (which is capable of being
driven by a small expenditure of power), to obtain and give off a copious
supply of air. The air thus supplied coming from the fan in the form of a
column or columns-admits of being spread out laterally into a broad sheet
without its progress being materially checked, and thus therefore any required
number of blasts may be obtained from one and the same fan, which could not
be secured by the use of the fan with broad paddles in ordinary use. Another
and most important advantage is, that we are enabled to regulate the force of
the blast to the greatest nicety to suit the quality or state of the graiu under
operation. Thus by opening the air valves or dampers to the full, we are
enabled to throw a blast that will carry over the corn with the chaff, and
from this point we are enabled, by partially closing the dampers, to reduce the
force of the blast to any required amount. In order to equalize the intensity

page_text: of the blast throughout the whole width of the stream, we have found it
desirable to contract the capacity of the channel or mouth of the air delivery
passages from the sides towards the middle as shewn at Figs. 3, and by
which means the middle of the stream of air is checked in its flow and
distributed towards the sides of the passages.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of an improved arrange-
ment of combined thrashing and dressing machine,and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent, we claim the means herein described
for supplying blasts of air to combined thrashing and dressing machines.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Garrett, junior, and James
Kerridge, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine.
RICHARD GARRETT, Jr. (L.S.)
JAMES KERRIDGE.
(L.S.)