Improvements in Beaters for Thrashing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Beaters for Thrashing Machines.
We, SAMUEL MEDLEY of 29 Stuart Street, New Sommerby, Grantham in the
County of Lincoln, Engineer, and WILLIAM HENRY NORLEDGE of 5 Carter Gate,
Newark, in the County of Nottingham, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:--
Our invention relates to beaters for thrashing machines.
Such beaters as hitherto constructed are objectionable for the reason, amongst
others, that if they are adapted for thrashing thick corn or one kind of grain, they
are not suitable for thrashing thin corn or other kinds of grain. To perform satis-
factory work upon certain kinds of grain the machines as hitherto constructed have
required certain alterations such as the removal of the beater screen or drum.
By our invention we provide means whereby the machine can be readily adapted
for thrashing corn of different qualities or different kinds of grain.
In carrying our said invention into practice we provide adjustable beaters which
are formed with two surfaces either of which may be brought into operative position
as hereinafter described. The said surfaces are sometimes formed on wearing strips
firmly attached to the said beater in such a manner as to be readily removable there-
from. prefer to form the said wearing strips of hardened steel, and to construct
them in such a manner that they are reversible so that when the operating surface on
one side becomes worn they may be turned round or reversed so as to bring a fresh
surface into operative position. For the purpose of bringing either the said surfaces
into operative position we provide upon the drum arc-shaped or curved portions
having slots therein. The beaters are provided with concave surfaces corresponding
in shape to the outer curve of the said arc-shaped or curved portions and with studs
adapted to extend through the said slots.
We provide moreover suitable washers and nuts by means of which the said beaters
may be firmly fixed at either extremity of the slots so as to bring either surface of
each beater into operative position.
To more firmly secure the beaters in position with either surface in position
for operating, we sometimes form enlargements upon the underside of the arc-shaped
or carved portions and provide corresponding recesses in the washers to engage
with the same and thus lock the said beaters firmly in position.
We prefer to construct the drum and the main portions of the beaters of malleable
iron, or steel, but they may be formed of any other suitable material.
It is obvious that adjustable beaters constructed according to our invention are very
advantageous in use, as in order to render a machine in which they are employed
suitable for thrashing thick or thin corn or different kinds of grain, it is only necessary
to slacken the nuts and move or adjust the beaters so as to bring either surface into
operation as the case may be, and then to tighten the said nuts and thereby secure the
said beaters in position. The alteration of the machine for different classes of grain
can thus be very expeditiously effected.
According to another modification of our said invention instead of the hereinbefore
described adjustable beater, we employ in combination with our improved drum
interchangeable heaters having differently shaped operating surfaces. In this case the
slots in the drum are dispensed with, and suitable holes (which may be slightly slotted
or elongated to allow for any necessary adjustment) are provided, through which studs
or bolts provided upon the said interchangeable beaters may be passed for securing
the latter to the said drum.

page_text: It is obvious that we can somewhat further modify the construction of the adjustable
beater of the drum without departing from the nature of our said invention.
Dated this 7th day of August 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Beaters for Thrashing Machines.
We, SAMUEL MEDLEY of 29 Stuart Street, New Sommerby, Grantham, in the
County of Lincoln, Engineer, and WILLIAM HENRY NORLEDGE, of 5 Carter Gate
Newark, in the County of Nottingham, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
Our invention relates to beaters for thrashing-machines.
Beaters as hitherio constructed for use in such machines are objectionable for the
reason, amongst others, that if they are well adapted for thrashing thick corn or
certain kinds of grain, they are unsuitable or ill adapted for thrashing thin corn or
other kinds of grain. Therefore with the kinds of grain for which the machine was
ill adapted, the corn has either been improperly thrashed, or else it has been necessary,
in order to ensure the proper thrashing of the corn, to make certain alterations in the
machine, such as the changing of the drum, or the adjustment of the screen relatively
to the beaters, to bring the said screen into closer proximity to, or move it further,
from the beaters, which alterations involved a considerable amount of labour.
By our invention we provide means whereby the machine can be very readily adapted!
for thrashing corn of different qualities or different kinds of grain, without the
necessity for changing the drum or adjusting the screen. We accomplish this result
by the employment of adjustable heaters having different kinds of operative surfaces,
either of which can be brought into the proper position for use, the other operative
surface being simultaneously moved away from this position. Or we provide for
the ready removal of the beaters, and the substitution therefor of other beaters of
different shape.
Our said invention, moreover, comprises an improved drum for use with our
improved beaters.
In the accompanying drawings, we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, showing one form of our
improved drum having adjustable beaters provided with different kinds of operativo
surfaces.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section through one of the beaters and a portion of the
drum, showing details of construction.
Figure 4 is a plan, and Figure 5 a side elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale,
illustrating another form or modification of our drum and beaters.
Figure 6 is a section on the line 2, Figure 5, drawn to a still further enlarged
scale, showing a detail of construction.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a portion of the frame of a thrashing-machine. B is the drum. C is the
shaft supporting the said drum.
a, a are the adjustable beaters, which are formed with two surfaces a¹, a², which are
adapted for thrasbing corn of different quality or different kinds of grain, and either
of which may be brought into operative position as hereinafter described. The said
surfaces a', a² are sometimes formed on wearing strips a' firmly attached to the main
portion or body of the beater a in such a manner as to be readily removable therefrom.
We prefer to form the said wearing strips a³ of hardened steel, and to construct

page_text: them in such a manner that they are reversible, so that, when the working surface on
one side becomes worn, they may be turned round or reversed so as to bring the other
working surface into position for use.
To provide for bringing either of the surfaces a', a into operative position, we
make the drum B with arc-shaped or curved portions B' having slots therein, and
we make the beaters a with corresponding concave surfaces and with studs e adapted
to extend through the slots b. Each beater can, therefore, be moved or adjusted upon
the drum to bring either the surface a¹ or the surface a² of the said beater into
The said
operative position, as shown by the full and dotted lines in Figure 1.
studs chave fitted thereon washers and nuts e by means of which the said beaters a
may be firmly fixed at either extremity of their movement upon the drum.
To more firmly secure the beaters a in position with either surface a¹ or a² in
position for operating, we sometimes form enlargements or projections 6 upon the
under-side of the arc-shaped or curved portions B₁ and provide corresponding
recesses d in the washers d to engage with the same and thus lock the said beaters
firmly in position.
We prefer to construct the drum and the main portions of the beaters a of
malleable iron or steel, they may however, be of other suitable material. The
wearing strips a³ should be of steel; or we make the entire beater of steel.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate another modification of our invention, wherein the
beaters a are provided with lugs at having screw-threaded holes a adapted to receive
set-screws which are passed through the slots in the arc-shaped or curved
portion B B B are shoulders against which the beaters a are adapted to hear when
at either extremity of their movement upon the drum, as shown in full and dotted
lines in Figure 5.
B is a slight projection or steady pin provided upon each of the are-shaped or
curved portions B and adapted to engage with a corresponding recess in the lug a
(as shown more clearly in Figure 6), when the beater a is in the position shown in
full lines in Figure 5, and thus retain it firmly in position.
The drum B, in this instance consists of cheeks or frames (preferably four)
keyed or otherwise firmly secured on the shaft, and firmly united by the
beaters a.
It is obvious that our adjustable beaters are very advantageous, as, in order to
render a machine in which they are employed suitable for thrashing thick or thin
corn or different kinds of grain, it is only necessary to slacken the nuts e or the
set screws and move or adjust the beaters a so as to bring either the surface a¹
or the surface a² into operative position, as the case may be, and then to tighten
the said nuts or the said set-screws and thereby secure the said beaters in position.
The alteration of the machine for different classes of grain can thus be very expe-
ditiously effected. Moreover either of the beaters can be very rapidly removed and
replaced when worn or broken, without the necessity for removing the drum.
'We sometimes cast or form the hereinhefore described beaters in one piece of steel,
with two operative surfaces of different kinds.
The beaters may, if desired, be made adjustable about the centre of the studs or
sei-screws instead of using elongated holes in which the said studs or set-screws can
move about another centre.
in
According to another modification of our said invention, instead of the adjustablo
beaters, we employ, in combination with our improved drum, interchangeable
benters having differently shaped operative surfaces. In this case, the slots
the drum B are dispensed with and suitable holes (which may be slightly slotted or
elongated to allow for any necessary adjustment) are provided, through which studs
or bolts provided upon the said interchangeable beaters, or suitable set-screws inserted
therein, may be passed for securing the said beaters to the said drum.
It is obvious that we can somewhat further modify the construction of our
adjustable beaters or of the drum without departing from the nature of our said
invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we wish it understood
that we claim :-
First. In or for a thrashing-machine, a beater having different kinds of operative
surfaces, for the purpose above specified.
Second. The combination, with the drum of a thrashing-machine, of a beater
having different kinds of operative surfaces, and secured to the said drum in such a
manner that it can be moved or adjusted thereon to bring either of the said surfaces
into operative position, for the purpose above specified.
Third. The improved method or manner of attaching the beaters of a thrashing-
machine to the drum so that they can be easily replaced without removing the drum
from the machine, substantially as herein before described.
Fourth. The combination with the improved beaters, of the drum composed of
two or more checks or frames keyed or otherwise firmly secured upon the shaft or
spindle and firmly united by the said beaters, substantially as, and for the purposes,
set forth.
Fifth. A beater for a thrashing-machine, cast or formed in one piece and having
different kinds of operative surfaces, substantially as described.
Sixth. A drum provided with adjustable beaters each having different kinds of
operative surfaces, and with means for locking the said beaters in position,
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Seventh. The improved apparatus comprising the drum provided with our
adjustable beaters and constructed substantially as described with reference to
Figures 1, 2 & 3 or to Figures 4, 5 & 6 of the drawings, for the purposes specified.
Eighth. The modification of our invention wherein we provide for the use of inter-
changeable beaters, substantially as described.
Datel soniy
SAMUEL MEDLEY..
WM. HY. NORLEDGE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.