IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jeremiah Robert Hambling, of Norwich Road,
East Dercham, in the County of Norfolk, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES."
Sealed the 28th July 1868, and dated the 28th May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jeremiah Robert
Hambling at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 28th May 1868.
I, JEREMIAH ROBERT HAMBLING, of Norwich Road, East Dereham,
in the County of Norfolk, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in thrashing machines.
In place of feeding the crop to be thrashed by manual labour to the
beating drum of the machine as is usual, and which is an operation of
some danger, I arrange endless chains or bands with teeth or spikes
upon them to carry the crop forward and present it to the drum. The
crop is spread by the workman on a table or surface at the top of

page_text: the machine and is raked forward along this table by the teeth or
spikes until it is taken by the beating drum. The endless chains or
bands are driven at a comparatively slow speed by a belt passing
around a pulley on one of the axes which carry them, or it may be in
other convenient manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jeremiah Robert Hambling in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEREMIAH
ROBERT HAMBLING, of Norwich Road, East Dereham, in the County of
Norfolk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Jeremiah Robert Hambling, Her special
licence that I, the said Jeremiah Robert Hambling, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jeremiah
Robert Hambling, 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 Island, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Jeremiah Robert Hambling, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and scals, 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 calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jeremiah Robert Hambling, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in thrashing machines.
In place of feeding the crop to be thrashed by manual labour to the
beating drum of the machine as is usual, and which is an operation
of some danger, I arrange endless chains or bands with teeth or spikes
upon them to carry the crop forward and present it to the drum. The
crop is spread by the workman on a table or surface at the top of the
machine and is raked forward along the table by the teeth or spikes
until it is taken by the beating drum. The endless chains or bands
are driven at a comparatively slow speed by a belt passing around a
pulley on one of the axes which carry them, or it may be in other
convenient manner.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood
and readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of a
thrashing machine having feeding apparatus combined with it arranged
according to my Invention.
a, a, is the thrashing drum, and b the mouth or opening into which
the crop to be thrashed is required to be fed; c is a table forming part
of the casing of the machine. At the front of the table the crop is
laid by the workman, and it is raked along it by the teeth or spikes d
fixed upon endless chains e. The chains e encircle the drums f, f, one of
which is driven by means of a driving band from any convenient part
of the machine. The drums f may conveniently be made to revolye at
from 30 to 35 revolutions per minute. The drums ff, with the chains c
and the teeth d, are cased in, as the Drawing shows. The workman
should deliver the crop on to the table to be drawn forward by the teeth d
somewhere about in the quantity which can be taken and thrashed
by the thrashing drum, but should he feed too rapidly the apparatus
will not be clogged, but a portion of the crop fed in will be carried
over the top of the drums fand will come round a second time. g is a
small roller with curved teeth formed of light rod iron, and which I
in some cases apply in order to force the crop into the mouth b. it is
useful when it is desired to send a very heavy feed into the machine,
but it is not required in ordinary working and when doing the best
work. The teeth of the roller g project through slots about 4 inches

page_text: apart in the front of the casing enclosing the drum f, which is here
made of sheet iron. The roller g is driven by a train of wheels from
the axis of one of the drums f, or it may be in other convenient manner,
in such a direction as to divert the crop as it comes round downwards into
the mouth b, and the speed of the teeth of the roller should be about
the same as that at which the crop is raked along the table c by
the teeth d. I prefer to drive this roller by friction gear or through a
friction clutch so that should its teeth become entangled it may stop
without any breakage resulting. In place of using endless chains e
the raking teeth d may be mounted directly on a drum, but this is
not so advantageous as the arrangement which I have shown.
By the use of feeding apparatus arranged as above described all
danger to the workman is obviated, the labor and skill required in
supplying the machine are much lessened, and the loss of grain which
takes place by escape from the feeding mouth is avoided. There is
also the further advantage of a regular mechanical feed in keeping the
machine constantly at its full work without at any time throwing an
injurious strain on the machine.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the combining with thrashing machines feeding apparatus
consisting of a table or surface and travelling teeth or similar instruments
so arranged that the crop being laid on the table or surface is raked
or drawn forward by the teeth or instruments and delivered to the
thrashing drum, as herein described.
I also claim the improvements in thrashing machines substantially
as herein described and shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jeremiah Robert Hambling, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-eight.
JEREMIAH ROBERT HAMBLING. (L.S.)