AN IMPROVED THRASHING MACHINE, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED PORTABLE WINDLASS TO BE WORKED BY MEN OR ONE OR MORE HORSES, PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR DRAWING OR HAULING
Year: 1805

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
LUMBERT, of Wick Rissington, in the County of Gloucester, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third,
in and by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the
Twenty-third day of November, in the forty-sixth year of His reign, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Lumbert, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Richard
Lumbert, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by
myself and themselves, or by my or their deputy or deputies, servants or
agents, or such others as I, the said Richard Lumbert, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part
of His said Majesty's said United Kingdom called England, His Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED
THRASHING MACHINE, AND ALSO AN IMPROVED PORTABLE WINDLASS TO BE WORKED BY
MEN OR ONE OR MORE HORSES, PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR DRAWING OR HAULING;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the
said Richard Lumbert, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar
*mouth next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Lumbert, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, as follows,
that is to say:-
The Improved Portable Windlass for the purpose of drawing or hauling
(the several parts of which are numbered for the sake of more distinct referenco
to them after their being first mentioned) consists of a pair of wheels (No. 1)
of about four fect diameter, and of about the strength of the foremost wheels
of the waggon commonly used in husbandry, which are fixed or placed on
an axletreo (No. 2). of about five feet long, or such a length as will admit
the wheels to follow or move in the carriage tracks of the country. To the
axletree (No. 2) fixed two pieces or bars of wood (No. 3) about twelve
feet long, about three inches square at the fore end, and' about five inches
square at the back end; these pieces or bars of wood (No. 3) are fixed to the
axletree (No. 2) within about one inch of the naves of the wheels at about
eight feet from the fore ends of the bars (No. 8) by means of an iron pin
(No. 4) about three quarters of an inch square, passing through each of the
bars (No. 8) and through the axletree (No. 2); a piece of wood (No. 5) about
three feet long, twelve inches broad, and three inches thick, with iron pivots
(No. 6) of about one inch diameter and nine inches long, at each end, is
connected to the bars of wood (No. 3) at about twenty-one inches from the
back end by means of two iron bars (No. 7) about one inch and a quarter
square, and about nine inches long, abovo the wood, which bars of iron
(No. 7) are firmly fixed on the bars of wood (No. 3) by passing through them
vertically at about twenty-one inches from the back end. The bars of iron
(No. 7) have an eye or hole in them at the upper end to receive the pivots
(No. 6); the piece of wood (No. 5) has a circular hole of about nine inches
diameter through the centre of it, through which passes the vertical shaft
(No. 8), which shaft is of a circular form, about nine inches diameter, and
about six feet long; at the lower end of the shaft (No. 8) is a flanch (No. 9) S
of 'wood or iron of about two feet diameter, and about two inches thick, fixed
to the lower end of the said shaft by means of four iron straps or holdfasts
(No. 10), which straps or holdfasts being about nine inches long, one inch
broad; and half an inch thick in the flat part, and about three inches long

page_text: and three quarters of an inch square in the other part, are fastened to the
shaft (No. 8) at equal distances on the sides at the lower end, and the square
part passeth through the flanch (No. 9), and is rivetted or screwed at the end.
an iron pivot (No. 11) sixteen inches long, two inches square, passing through
the centre of the flanch and into the vertical shaft at least a foot; the lower
end of pivot (No. 11), projecting downwards about four inches, is made round.
Beneath the shaft (No. 8) is a piece of wood (No. 12) about two. feet long,
one foot broad, and three inches thick, with a hole in the centre to receive the
lower end of the pivot (No. 11). This piece of wood is fixed by means of
chains of about four pounds to the yard, and about eight feet long, which
chains are fixed to each end and extended to nearly the fore ends of the bars
of wood (No. 3) and there connected by means of a hook suspended from
the said pieces or bars of wood. An horizontal barrel or roller (No. 13),
about three feet long and four inches diameter, is fixed or placed within
about eighteen inches of the back ends of the bars (No. 3), having a pivot at
each end, and resting on the bars (No. 8), and kept in its situation by means
of staples or any other method. This barrel or roller is for the purpose of
raising the vertical shaft (No. 8) and the chains and piece of wood (No. 12)
attached to it. When the portable windlass is to be moved or shifted in order
to be refixed for working by means of chains of about three pounds to the yard.
being connected to the ends of the piece of wood (No. 12) and to the barrel
or roller (No. 13) at nearly the ends, an iron handle is applied to one end of
the ruller (No. 13) for the purpose of. turning it round: it is generally found
that about six inches is a sufficient distatice to raise the vertical shaft (No. 8)
and parts thereto attached from the ground. At nearly the back end of the
pieces or bars of wood (No. 8) a piece or bar of wood (No. 14), three feet
six inches long and four inches square, is fixed, by means of an iron pin
passing through each end of it, and the bars or pieces of wood (No. 8), to
the centre of the bar or piece of wood (No. 14) is fixed by means of an
universal iron or other joint, or otherwise, so as to move in different directions
a prop or support (No. 15). consisting of wood of about four feet long, and
about five inches broad, and two inches thick; this prop or support is intended
to act in conjunction with an anchor to prevent the windlass from moving
backwards when at work, and has its effect by means of entering into the ground
about six inches, by the force of the windlass, and coming in contact with a
piece of wood or frame of iron extended backwards from the piece of wood
(No. 12). The anchor is made of iron, the least end being about one inch and an
alf square, and regularly increasing to the fluke, where it is about two inches
and an half square; the fluke is about twenty-one inches long, and about six

page_text: inches broad, about two inches thick, and gradually reduced to the point; the
fluke requires to be bent to about the angle of forty-five degrees; tho windlass
is connected to the anchor by means of a forked or bridle chain (No. 16) of
about four pounds to the yard, which is connected to the fore ends of the two
bars or pieces of wood (No. 3) by means of iron staples or eyes fixed in or on
to the said pieces or bars of wood (No.-8), and hooks from the ends of the
chain (No. 16); the said chain is connected or joined to the anchor by means
of a ring or hook in the middle of it, the fore ends of the wooden bars (No. 3)
are prevented from bending inwards when at work, and from sticking or
entering into the ground when in the act of moving forwards by means of a
wooden roller (No. 17) about two feet long and six inches diameter, fixed
or placed between them, with an iron pivot of about one inch diameter at
each end. To form a socket for the leaver, two pieces-of-wood (No.-18.). of
about three inches and an half square, and about four feet long, are fixed at
within three inches of the upper end of the vertical shaft (No. 8), one on cach
side of the shaft (No. 8), which is about nine inches diameter, but which
shaft must be flattened or reduced, at the place where the pieces of wood
(No. 18) are to be fixed, to about five inches thick, and the pieces of wood
(No. 18) made fast to the shaft (No. 8) by means of screwed pins about
three quarters of an inch diameter, or by any other method. These bars
of wood (No. 18) will have a space of five inches-between them, and about
nineteen inches long on each side of the shaft No. 8, to receive two leavers
if required to be worked with two horses, but, generally speaking, one horse
is found sufficient. Plates of iron, about half an inch thick and about two
inches broad, are screwed on above and below to the pieces of wood.
(No. 18) to keep the leaver or leavers in place, the leaver or leavers to be
about ten feet long, and to be put in and out at pleasure, as the leaver should
always be taken out and placed by the side of one of the bars of wood (No. 3)
when the portable windlass is moved or shifted forwards. A chain of about
five pounds to the yard, and about fifty yards long is connected with the
vertical shaft (No. 8) at about eighteen inches from the lower end, and to the
resisting body or implement to be drawn or hauled, which, when the vertical
sbaft (No. 8) is set in motion, will coil downwards till it comes to tho flanch
(No. 9), when, if the shaft (No. 8) is in its proper vertical position, it will
return and coil upwards till it meets a flanch at the part where it was first
hooked on, or instead of a flanch a horizontal roller may be suspended from
the back ends of the bars of wood (No. 3), at about twenty inches from the
ground, and supported from the axletree, which will answer the purpose of
returning the chain downwards. Let the anchor be so situated in the front

page_text: of the machine or windlass that itself and one side of the shaft on which the
chain coils may make a straight line to the point where the chain is connected
to the resisting body or implement to be moved. The anchor and prop will
enter the ground in a proper manner to fix the machine or portable windlass,
except. where the land is rocky or otherwise very hard, in which case an
aperture or hole may be made to receive the fluke of the anchor and the prop.
The machine being fixed as described above, a horse drawing from the end of
the leaver, and moving in a circle of about twenty feet diameter which encom-
passes the portable windlass, passing over the chain that is connected to the
resisting body or implement, and over the bridle or forked chain that connects
the anchor with the bars of wood (No. 3), when the portable windlass is to
be moved or shifted forwards in order to be refixed for working, the horse
should be hooked on to the anchor immediately above the fluke, and the
leaver being taken out and placed by the side of one of the bars (No. 3), the
horse moving forwards with the machinery will cause the chain to uncoil.
Care should be taken that the horse is stopped at or immediately before the
time when the whole of the chain is uncoiled, and the portable windlass may
be fixed and worked as before. It ought to be observed that the power of
the portable windlass will always be in proportion to the size of the barrel
or vertical shaft at eighteen inches from the lower end round which the
chain coils, and the length of the leaver, the size recommended for general
use is about fifteen inches diameter; an increase or diminution of the size
of the barrel is easily brought about by adding or taking away some ribs of
wood eighteen inches long, and of such a square as to give the diameter
required. The machine is supposed to have about a twenty-horse power
when the leaver is about ten feet long and the barrel about thirteen inches
diameter. When the portable windlass is intended to be moved any con-
siderable distance, the bar and horizontal roller crossing the bars (No. 8)
ought to be taken away to permit the vertical shaft (No. 8) to be turned
up in an horizontal position; this portable windlass may also be worked by
manual labor.
The Improved Thrashing Machine thrashes the corn or straw twice over with
one cylinder only, and it is accomplished by a grooved segment, a triangular
rod of wood, iron, or other metal, and a flap or lid with a rack or grating, as
hereafter mentioned, and these things in their application and use in their
respective situations I claim as my improvement. -Take two grooved or other
rollers of wood or metal, of about four inches diameter, and about four feet long,
place them in an horizontal position, resting their axes at each end in the frame-
work of the machine, and let their situation at the back of the cylinder corre-

page_text: spond nearly with that of the rollers in the front of the cylinder. These rollers
have cogged wheels of about four inches diameter on one end of each axle
The axle of the upper roller.has also a cogged-wheel of about, twelve. inches
diameter, and the rollers are turned by the communication this wheel of
twelve inches diameter has with the main wheels of the machine. The
grooved segment is as follows: Take a piece of wood, or iron, or other metal;
about four feet long, and about three quarters of an inch thick, and about
eighteen inches from side to side, convex on one side and concave on the
other, work it within longitudinally with triangular or other grooves, and let
the concavity correspond with the circumference of the cylinder; in the centro
of each end of the said grooved segment cut a square notch which is to receive
a.small iron fixed in the framework; this grooved segment is supported at
cach-end-by-an-iron nearly-in-the formi-of the-letter Y, which,-coming-to-the
hind legs of the machine, is. there, with a nut and screw, the means of fixing
the said grooved segment in. the various situations required, and of with-
drawing it from and approaching it to the cylinder. The triangular rod;
above mentioned, is made of wood or metal, is about four feet long, and its
sides.unequal in width, but.. about. two inches broad, more or less, and. the
widest side is towards the cylinder. Let each end of this rod rest in the
framework of the machine, so that being thus suspended - it shall occupy a
certain portion of the upper space between the circumferences of the upper
roller, above.nientioned, and the cylinder; though placed very near to each
of these circumferences it must not touch them. The flap or lid is a piece
of board or plate of metal about four feet in length, nine inches broad, and
three quarters of an inch thick; this flap or lid is suspended by hinges
from the roof or upper part of the machine in such a manner as that the
lower part of the board or plate may touch the circumference of the upper'
roller at the back of the cylinder a little above the extremity of its horizontal
diameter; the upper edge of the flap or lid is inclined towards the cylinder
of the machine till it makes a line forming an angle of about forty-five degrees
with the horizontal diameter line of the lower roller. An iron or other rack
or grating (of the same length with the rollers, the teeth of which should be
about six inches long, one quarter of an inch wide, and of a proper distance'
from each other, according to the species of corn to be thrashed) fixed imme-
diately below the lower edge of the flap or lid, with the points or ends of the 3
teeth directed about one inch above the horizontal diameter line of, and a
quarter of an inch from, the lower roller, and on the back side of the said
roller;. this rack or grating is intended for the purpose of letting the corn fall
from the straw that is thrashed by the first operation. My improvement is

page_text: applicable to thrashing machines of various sizes or dimensions, but when the
ize or dimensions differ from that I have above specified, the size and dimen-
ions of the different component parts of my improvement must be increased
or diminished nearly in the same proportion.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Lumbert, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of December, in the forty-sixth
year of the reign of our said Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the
grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
King, Defender of the Fuith, and in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and five.