Year: 1896

page_text: A communication by CONRAD SINNER, of A 128, Evüker-strasse, Augsburg, in
the Empire of Germany, Mechanic.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, and 31, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object in wide threshing machines driven by steam to
effect the closing and opening of the lid which covers or closes the feed opening,
by means of the bodily weight of the feeder assisted by springs and weights, in
such a way that the lid closes itself as soon as the feeder leaves his stand whereby
accidents through the lid or cover remaining open are prevented.
The arrangement consists of a spring bottom arranged in a recessed sunken
stand for the feeder, which bottom is attached to the stand by means of hinges.
The bottom is connected with a lever by means of a link, the lever being pivotally
mounted in the frame or in a bracket. A tube is connected to or formed in one
with the lever and a ball inserted therein. The tube is connected with the lid or
cover by means of a link.
The mode of action is as follows:-
As soon as the feeder treads on his stand, the spring bottom is pressed down by
his weight into the bottom of the stand whereby the lid is opened by means of the
lever and links. The ball then runs back close to the pivot of the lever and lightens
thereby the lever arm in such a way that the action of the weight of the ball is
almost nil, as against that of a weight connected to the other arm of the lever in
such a way that the latter weight assists with its entire weight the bodily weight
of the feeder in keeping open the flap or lid and the latter can no longer yield to
an accidental pressure.
As soon however as the feeder leaves the spring bottom on completion of the work,
the spiral spring comes into play and lifts the bottom, its link and the lever, some-
what upwards so that the tube or hollow end of the lever comes into an inclined
position. The ball then runs or falls with considerable force down the tube and
causes the weight at the other end to rise, the tube and its link to descend, and
the flap or lid to drop down.
The weight on the lever can be adjusted to about correspond to the bodily weight
of the feeder.
This safety device may be fitted either to old or new threshing machines.
A modification affords a more complete form of this safety device.
A pivoted shield adjustable to an inclined position is provided on the stand for
the feeder so as to protect him from approaching his hand too close to the rotary
threshing cylinder and from being drawn into the cylinder such as by a hanging
neck cloth. This shield also keeps away from the feeder a large quantity of the
dust given off by the machine in his direction and thereby facilitates his work. This

page_text: shield compels the feeder to carry on his work in an upright position which is much
better for his health than the bent, sometimes half lying position of body to which
the feeder in many other threshing machines is forced and which is frequently the
cause of various ailments of chest and stomach.
A second modification in this form of construction of the safety device consists
in causing the lid in necessary cases to close automatically without the feeder
leaving his stand, for instance if a workman in consequence of stumbling or the like
during the threshing falls on the lid or cover. The arrangement is also such that
simultaneously with the cover or lid, the shield also shuts towards the threshing
cylinder opening, and thereby assists the former in its action.
This mode of working of the two flaps is attained by connecting the tube or lever
and its link in this case releasably with one another instead of by a fixed point of
rotation, and this is done by means of a bolt which is inserted in one of the two
levers, and engages by its point in the other.
This connection is maintained by means of a scroll shaped spring which presses
both levers together, or by any other suitable means and which is attached to one
of the two springs.
If then the case arises of a workman or heavy article falling against the lid or
cover the blow thereby caused to the lid will overcome the pressure of the spring,
the point of the bolt slips out of its seat so that the connection of the two levers
is broken and both flaps connected by a link drop without the feeder leaving his
stand.
The flap or shield forms a two armed lever and is counterbalanced by a weight
arranged on the shorter arm.
The last form of construction of the safety device like the first form hereinbefore
described may be applied to old fashioned as well as to new fashioned threshing
machines.
It is not only to be regarded as a great step forward in threshing machine
construction from the point of view of prevention of accidents but also from a
sanitary point of view and not least from that of humanity.
Dated this 17th day of February 1896.
Improvements in or connected with Threshing Machines.
A communication by CONRAD SINNER, of A 128 Evüker-strasse, Augsburg, in
the Empire of Germany, Mechanic.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreigu Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object, in wide threshing machines driven by steam,
to effect the closing and opening of the lid which covers or closes the feed
opening, by means of the bodily weight of the feeder assisted by springs and
weights, in such a way that the lid closes itself as soon as the feeder leaves

page_text: prevented.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the whole apparatus with the lid open and
Figure 2 the same with the lid closed;
Figure 3 is a modified form of construction of the apparatus shown with the lid
open and
Figure 4 the same with the lid closed;
Figures 5 and 6 are views of details.
The arrangement consists of a spring bottom b arranged in a recessed sunken
stand c for the feeder, which bottom is attached to the stand by means of hinges.
The bottom bis connected with a lever n by means of a link g the lever being pivotally
mounted in the frame or in a bracket i. A tube h is connected to or formed in one
with the lever n and a ball k inserted therein. The tube his connected with the lid
or cover a by means of a link l.
The mode of action is as follows:-
As soon as the feeder treads on his stand c, the spring bottom 6 is pressed down
by his weight into the bottom of the stand, as shown in Figure 1, whereby the
lid a is opened by means of the lever h and links g l. The hall k then runs back
close to the pivot of the lever hn and lightens thereby the lever arm h, in such a
way that the action of the weight of the ball is almost nil, as against that of
a weight m connected to the other arm of the lever, in such a way that the
said weight m assists with its entire weight the bodily weight of the feeder in
keeping open the Hap or lid a and the latter can no longer yield to an accidental
pressure.
As soon however as the feeder leaves the spring bottom bon completion of the
work, the spiral spring comes into play and lifts the bottom b, its link g and the
lever n somewhat upwards (Figure 2), so that the tube or hollow end h of
the lever comes into an inclined position. The ball k then runs or falls with
considerable force down the tube h and causes the weight m at the other end
to rise, the tube h and its link to descend, and the flap or lid a to drop down.
The weight m on the lever n can be adjusted to about correspond to the bodily
weight of the feeder.
This safety device may be fitted either to old or new threshing machines.
A modification, shown in Figures 3-6, affords a more complete form of this
safety device.
A shield a' adjustable to an inclined position and pivotted at a is provided on
the stand for the feeder so as to protect him from approaching his hand too close
to the rotary threshing cylinder and from being drawn into the cylinder, such as
by a hanging neck cloth. This shield also keeps away from the feeder a large
quantity of the dust given off by the machine in his direction and thereby
facilitates his work. This shield compels the feeder to carry on his work in
an upright position which is much better for his health than the bent, sometimes
half lying position of body to which the feeder in many other threshing machines
is forced and which is frequently the cause of various ailments of chest and
stomach.
A second modification in this form of construction of the safety device consists
in causing the lid a in necessary cases to close automatically without the feeder
leaving his stand, for instance, if a workman in consequence of stumbling or the like
during the threshing falls on the lid or cover a. The arrangement is also such that
simultaneously with the cover or lid a, the shield a¹ also shuts towards the threshing
cylinder opening, and thereby assists the former in its action.
This mode of working of the two flaps a a¹ is attained by connecting the
tube or lever hand its link in this case releasably with one another instead
of by a fixed point of rotation, and this is done by means of a bolt ; which
is inserted in one of the two levers, and engages by its point in the other, see
Figure 5.

page_text: This connection is maintained by means of a scroll shaped spring which presses
both levers together, or by any other suitable means and which is attached to one
of the two levers.
If then the case arises of a workman or heavy article falling against the lid or
cover a; the blow thereby caused to the lid will overome the pressure of the
spring jo, the point of the bolt j slips out of its seat so that the connection of the
two levers and is broken and both flaps a al connected by a link drop without
the feeder leaving his stand.
The flap or shield a¹ forms a two armed lever and is counterbalanced by a weight o
arranged on the shorter arm.
The last form of construction; shown in Figures 3-6, of the safety device like
the first form herein before described and shown in Figures 1 and 2, may be applied
to old fashioned as well as to new fashioned threshing machines.
It is not only to be regarded as a great step forward in threshing machine con-
struction from the point of view of prevention of accidents, but also from a sanitary
point of view and not least from that of humanity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improvement in or connected with threshing machines which consists in
providing their feed openings with closing devices characterised by the arrange
ment of a spring bottom (6) in a recessed stand, which bottom on being relieved
of a weight, i.e. by the removal of the feeder, is adapted, in consequence of the
action of its spring, to move a hollow lever (4) downwards whereby a ball weight (k)
provided in said lever (h) runs down the lever and closes the lid linked to said lever,
whilst on the bottom (b) being weighted, the lever (h) is raised in such a way that
the ball (k) runs back towards the point of rotation (or pivot) of the said lever and
allows the weight of the feeder to come fully into play to keep the lid open,
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. In the hereindescribed closing device for the feed openings of threshing
machines, the arrangement of a weight (m) on the extended arm (n) of the hollow
lever (h) for the purpose of assisting the bodily weight of the feeder in resisting
any pressure on the lid (a) approximating to this bodily weight and in order to
prevent any closing of the lid, substantially as described."
3. A modification of the hereindescribed safety closing device for the feed
openings of threshing machines, consisting in the arrangement of a shield (a') for
the feeder in front of the feeder's stand, which shield is adapted to be tilted towards
the feed opening, substantially as described.
4. A form of construction of the hereiudescribed safety closing device for the
feed openings of threshing machines consisting in releasably connecting the lid
actuating levers (h) with one another and coupling together by means of a
liuk (r) the two flaps (a a¹) in order that if a workman fall against the lid (a)
an automatic and simultaneous shutting down of both safety flaps (a a¹) may take
place without its being necessary for the feeder to leave his stand, substantially as
-described.
Dated this 17th day of December 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.