IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Tucker,.of Buckland Brewer, Bideford,
in the County of Devon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THRASHING MACHINES."
Sealed the 9th October 1874, and dated the 21st July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Tücker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st July 1874.
I, ROBERT TUCKER, of Buckland Brewer, Bideford, in the County of
Devon, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention refers to the straw shakers.
In order
to assist or improve the straw shaking action-I provide each shaker box
with one or more prongs, which by self-acting arrangement are made to
rise and fall, or swing, so that the outer ends or points of same during a
part or the whole of the back motion of the shaker box are caused to
rise and thus to lift the straw. One mode of carrying this part of my
Invention into effect is as follows:-The prong or prongs are fastened
on or in one with a weigh shaft or spindle which has its bearings on the
shaker box at or near the middle of its length. The spindle also carries
.

page_text: "
an arm passing down to the under side of the shaker, and is there by
means of a string, lace, wire, or other flexible connection joined to a bar
which can be adjusted in its position by means of a screw, nut, or
equivalent mechanical means so as to slacken of tighten up the aforesaid
string, thereby altering the lift of the prong or prongs; or the string
may be adjusted in length by being passed more or less round a small
pulley, the position of which can be adjusted by a thumb nut or other
well known mechanical devices. In order to prevent the prongs from
striking the shaker too hard a stop or stops may be provided which
may conveniently be placed so that the aforesaid arm which passes down
to the under side of shaker strikes against such stop or stops.
The next part of my Invention refers to the riddles. I make the
riddle with wire netting, and I arrange an adjustable hinged board or
flap at the back or delivery end of the riddle; the object of this flap
is to prevent the grain from being blown or thrown out from the
machine at this place. The grain falling through the aforesaid riddle is
carried back by the usual slanting board under the riddle. I according
to my Invention provide a passage for the grain, then to pass on to and
through a first movable sieve, which at the back is formed with wire
netting, through which the light grain falls down into the tail corn
receiver. The grain falling through the first movable sieve comes on to
the second movable sieve, and thence into the receiver in connection
with the elevator.
.
The blast is arranged to act in different directions; namely, above
the upper movable sieve, between the two sieves, and under the lower
sieve; and, lastly, through a passage leading to the under side of the
wire netting of the upper sieve, in order to blow the light chaff or other
light parts from the tail corn during its fall into the aforesaid tail
corn receiver. The amount of blast is regulated by flaps or hinged
boards

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Tucker, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Tucker, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the 'said Robert Tucker, my 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 Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING
MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Tucker, 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 calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Tucker, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
7
The first part of this Invention refers to the straw shakers. In order
to assist or improve the straw shaking action I provide each shaker box,
with one or more prongs, which by self-acting arrangement are made to
rise and fall, or swing, so that the outer end or point of same during a
part or the whole of the back motion of the shaker box are caused to
rise and thus to lift the straw. One mode of carrying this part of my
Invention into effect is as follows:-The prong or prongs is or aro:
fastened on or in one with a weigh shaft or spindle which has its
bearing on the shaker box at or near the middle of its length. The
spindle also carries an arm passing down to the under side of the shaker
and is there by means of a string, lace, wire, or other flexible connection
joined to a bar which can be adjusted in its position by means of a screw,
nut, or other equivalent means, so as to slacken or tighten up the afore-.
said string.

page_text: .
.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings show in side elevation
partly in section sufficient of a shaker box used in thrashing machines
with my improvements applied thereto as will be necessary to illustrate
the manner in which I prefer to carry this part of my Invention into
effect; Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
a is a shaker box; free to move in the usual way about the axis a¹;
b is the prong mounted on shaft or spindle ċ carried in bearings attached
to shaker a; d'is a lever attached to spindle c and carrying pulley e.
A detached view of this lever and pulley is given at Figure 4. fis a
lace, strap, or belting, passing at one end round the pulley e, and attached
at the other end to a screw-threaded rod g, free to move when required
backwards or forwards by means of a nut or key thereon in order to-
shorten or lengthen the strap f; h is another strap, one end being con-
nected to pulley e, and the other to threaded rod i, also capable of
adjustment by nut as required; k is the spring for drawing back and
regulating the position of lever d, and consequently of prong b.
2
.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Motion being communi-
cated to thrashing machine the shaker a is set in motion also, and as thic
straw travels along same it is lifted up and shaken about by the prongs
aforesaid, and it does not get tangled or tightened up in lumps as is now
the case, but passes off as freely as possible to the straw delivering side
of the machine. Before the machine is set to work the position of the
prong is adjusted by tightening up or loosening the straps f and h,
and in this way. the lift of the prong or prongs is regulated, and any
noise from the prongs striking or coming against the shaker is prevented
by the strap and spring k, or other equivalent. Suitable stops may be
used, capable of preventing the prongs striking the shaker with such
force as to cause unpleasant or unnecessary noise.
The second part of my Invention refers to the riddles. I make tlie
riddle with wire netting, and I arrange an adjustable hinged board or
flap at the back or delivery end of the riddle..
Figure 5 illustrates in sectional elevation this part of my Invention."
w is the regulator or hinged board, which can be raised or lowered
according to the nature of the grain; when raised it arrests the grain.
from going over; is the passage for the grain, which first passes on to
the first movable sieve m which at the back is formed with wire netting;
through which the light grain falls down into the tail corn receiver n

page_text: The grain falling through the first movable sieve m comes on to the
second movable sieve o, and thence into the receiver p in connection
with the elevator.
The third and last part of my Invention refers to the blast arrange-
ment, which is also illustrated at Figure 5..
According to this part of my Invention the blast is caused to act in
different directions; namely, above the upper movable sieve m by the
passage q, between the two sieves by the passage 1, as well as under the
lower sieve by the same passage; and, lastly, through a passage t leading
to the under side of the wire netting of the upper sieve m, in order to
blow the light chaff or other light parts from the tail corn during its
fall into the tail corn receiver n, all in the several directions as indicated
by the arrows; v, v, are flaps for regulating the amount of blast and
for directing the currents.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Improvements in Thrashing Machines,"―
•
First. The application to the "shakers" or shaker boxes of such
machines: of prongs for lifting the straw as it passes along same, the said
prongs being adjusted and caused to act substantially in the manner
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction and arrangement of riddles in manner and
for the purposes described, and substantially as illustrated at Figure 5
of the accompanying Drawings..
Third. The construction and arrangement of the blast apparatus so
that a blast may be directed in different directions as required, all sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings..
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Tucker, have hereunto set
my hand, and seal, this 13th day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five..