IMPROVED FEEDING APPARATUS FOR THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Rowley Holben, of Barton, and John
Potterton Fison, of Teversham, both in the County of Cambridge,
for the Invention "of "IMPROVED FEEDING APPARATUS FOR THRASHING
MACHINES
"
Sealed the 16th October 1875, and dated the 30th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Rowley
Holben and John Potterton Fison at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 30th April
1875.
We, RICHARD ROWLEY HOLBEN, of Barton, and JOHN POTTERTON
FISON, of Teversham, both in the County of Cambridge, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED FEEDING APPARATUS FOR
THRASHING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to improved drum feeding apparatus for
thrashing machines, and consists in the employment in combination
with a revolving endless sheet or belt for feeding the sheaves of a drum,
cylinder, or shaft, provided with prongs enclosed in a casing above the

page_text: endless sheet and driven at a slower speed, so that the prongs entering
the sheaves as they are carried under the same by the endless sheet will
tend to spread them evenly so as to ensure a uniform continuous feed to
the thrashing drum. The prongs are preferably curved backwards to
avoid carrying any of the corn round with them, a number of fixed.
prongs are also provided on the casing for the same purpose.
endless sheet and driven at a slower speed, so that the prongs entering
the sheaves as they are carried under the same by the endless sheet will
tend to spread them evenly so as to ensure a uniform continuous feed to
the thrashing drum. The prongs are preferably curved backwards to
avoid carrying any of the corn round with them, a number of fixed.
prongs are also provided on the casing for the same purpose.
The rate of speed of the cylinder is always in a certain ratio to that
of the endless feeder, so that the latter may be driven at a high speed
without liability of the corn choking the passage to the drum.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Richard Rowley Holben and John Potterton Fison
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
ROWLEY HOLBEN, of Barton; and JOHN POTTERTON FISON, of Teversham,
both in the County of Cambridge, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Richard Rowley Holben and John Potterton
Fison, Her special licence that we, the said Richard Rowley Holben and
John Potterton Fison, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Richard Rowley Holben and John Potterton Fison,
our exccutors, 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVED FEEDING APPARATUS FOR THRASHING MACHINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Richard Rowley Holben
and John Potterton Fison, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
'should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the

page_text: 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 Rowley Holben and John
Potterton Fison, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
Our Invention relates to improved drum feeding apparatus for
threshing machines, and consists in the employment in combination
with an endless sheet or belt provided with projections for feeding the
sheaves or loose corn of a drum, cylinder, or shaft, provided with
movable or fixed prongs or other projections, and of a row of prongs on
a vibrating frame together with a plain roller over the mouth of the
drum to avoid waste of corn and improper feed.
In order that our Invention may be more readily understood we have
illustrated it in the accompanying Drawing which represents a longi-
tudinal section of the drum feeding apparatus.
a is the endless sheet or sheets provided with projections b, and carried
on two rollers c, c, whose spindles are mounted in bearings on the
framework of the machine. These rollers carry the endless sheet
round in the direction of the arrows; d is a table fixed in an inclined
position upon which the upper half of the sheet travels, and which thus
supports the weight of the corn on the sheet; e is a cylinder or drum
(or it may be a shaft) provided with movable or fixed prongs f; or other
projections. The drum is journaled in suitable bearings on a specially
designed frame, attached to which is an adjustable hopper or feed board g
arranged to suit all kinds of corn, the whole being supported on the
framework of the machine. The drum e rotates in the direction of
the arrow, and is so disposed in relation to the feed board g, as to take
the corn therefrom and transfer it to the endless sheet a. It is driven
at a slower surface speed than the latter, but its speed is always in a
certain ratio to that of the endless sheet, so that the latter may be
driven at a high speed without any liability of the corn choking the
passage to the drum; h, is an adjustable check board for dividing the
sheaves; i is a row of prongs hung from the framework of the top cover
and caused to oscillate to and fro over the endless sheet a, as indicated

page_text: by the dotted lines by means of eccentrics, cranks, cams, or other device
on the axis of drum e and a connecting rod i'. These prongs are for
finishing the separation of the corn, and they are preferably curved so as
to spread the corn, equally prevent choking, and ensure a uniform
continuous feed to the thrashing drum; % is a plain roller turning slowly
in the direction of the arrow placed directly over the mouth of the
drum.
The apparatus is driven by a belt from the shaker spindle, so that the
shakers are prevented from becoming crowded with straw should they
cease working from any cause; is a cover enclosing the apparatus to
prevent accidents; m, thrashing drum; n, concave; o, p, upper and
lower check boards; ", ", guides for keeping band a in its place.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we declare that what we claim as the Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
employment of the combination of apparatus for regulating the feed to
the thrashing drum, and consisting of the drum, cylinder, or shaft e,
provided with prongs or projections f, the oscillating prongs i, and the
plain drum k, arranged and operating in combination with the endless
travelling sheet a, and the feed board g, substantially as shown and a
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Rowley Holben, for myself
and on behalf of the said John Potterton Fison, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.