Im- PROVEMENTS IN WINNOWING OR SEED DRESSING MACHINES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Clark, of Craibstone, by Aberdeen, in
the County of Aberdeen, Millwright, for the Invention of “Im-
PROVEMENTS IN WINNOWING OR SEED DRESSING MACHINES."
Sealed the 3rd January 1873, and dated the 5th July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th July 1872.
I, THOMAS CLARK, of Craibstone, by Aberdeen, in the County of
Aberdeen, Millwright, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINNOWING OR SEED DRESSING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
of
I impart the reciprocatory motion to the riddles and screen
winnowing or seed dressing machines by means of flexible connectors
composed of single cords or bands, or of combined wires or rods and
cords, or bands attached to two cranks set at opposite points on the fan
or fly shaft. The connectors run on and are directed by grooved pulleys,

page_text: and are attached to the 'riddle and screen frames by adjusting screws, so
that in each revolution of the fan shaft, the cranks alternately draw the
riddle and screen frames from side to side, and give the required recipro-
catory motion. The frames are hung in the usual manner.
The force and direction of the blast I alter when required by means
of two rods passing over the curved head lining or frame, and attached
respectively to top and bottom hinged blast directors. The rods pass
through the top rail of the winnower, and are notched at the end so as
to fit on a plate, and are kept in the required position by a spring or its
equivalent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
CLARK, of Craibstone, by Aberdeen, in the County of Aberdeen, Mill-
wright, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Clark, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Clark, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Clark, my executors,
administrators, 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" IMPROVEMENTS IN
WINNOWING OR SEED DRESSING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Clark, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six,

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
·NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
By my improvements in winnowing or sced dressing machines I
impart the reciprocatory motion to the riddles and screen of winnowing
or seed dressing machines by means of flexible connectors composed of
single cords or bands, or of combined wires or rods and cords, or bands.
attached to two cranks set at opposite points on the fan or fly shaft.
The connectors work on and are directed by grooved pulleys, and are
attached to the riddle and screen frames by adjusting screws, so that in
cach revolution of the fan shaft, the cranks alternately draw the riddle
and screen frames from side to side and give the required reciprocatory
motion. The frames are hung in the usual manner.
Y
The force and direction of the blast I alter when required by means
of two rods passing over the curved head lining or frame, and attached,
respectively to top and bottom hinged blast directors. The rods pass,
through the top rail of the winnower and are notched at the end so as
to fit on a plate, and are kept in the required position by a spring or its
equivalent..
fully describing and ascertaining the said Invention, and the manner of
performing or put in practice the same.
Fig. 1 is plan of winnowing machine. Fig. 2 is end view of sane.
Fig. 3 is side view of same. The same letters are used in each Figure.
C is the cranked fly or fan shaft with the two cranks c¹ and c³, set at
opposite points; R is the riddle frame; S, the screen frame, and W',
W, WS, W, the flexible connectors connecting the riddle and screen
frames with the cranked fly or fan shaft. These connectors are
attached to hooks, which are hooked on the cranks, and are made (by
preference) of wire or rod with a piece of leather or cord at the end,
to work on the pulleys. P¹, P³, P³, P', are the connector pulleys and
b, b, b, b, are the pulley brackets. a¹, a³, a³, a², are the adjusting screws

page_text: to which the connectors are attached.
Small thumb nuts work on the
screws against brackets fixed to the riddle and screen frames, and the
connectors can be tightened or loosened as required. H¹, H³, are the
hinged blast directors, and D1, D2, are the rods for working them. The
blast directors can be moved up or down as shown by the dotted lines,
to regulate the force and direction of the blast as may be required. G is
a spring which keeps the rods D', D', in the required position.
It will be readily understood that by making the fan shaft revolve,
the cranks c¹ and c will, by means of the connectors W1, W2, W³, W*,
alternately pull the riddle and screen frames from side to side (as shown
by the dotted lines), or in other words impart the necessary reciprocatory
motion. By this means a quiet and simple movement is obtained, no
bevel wheels are required, there are fewer bearings, and less wear and
tear.
In Fig. 3 the method of driving the fan is shown to be a belt, but the
ordinary wheel and pinion may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my Invention, and in what manner the same may be performed
or carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of
"Improvements in Winnowing or Seed Dressing Machines," as the same
is herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
It being understood that I do not limit myself to the mere details shown
by the said Drawings, as the method as above described of imparting
reciprocatory motion to riddle and screen frames of winnowing and corn
dressing machines is the important feature of my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
ALEXANDER HAY,
17, Henry Street,
Aberdeen.
THOMAS CLARK. (L.S.)