IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASH- ING MACHINERY
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Atkinson, of Richmond Grove, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASH-
ING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 11th April 1854, and dated the 27th January 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Atkinson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
January 1854.
I, JOSEPH ATKINSON, of Richmond Grove, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THRASHING MACHINERY" to be as follows:-
My improvements in thrashing machinery relate, first, to an improved con-
struction and arrangement of the parts of the thrashing drum or cylinder, and
also the concave in which the said drum or cylinder works; and, second, to a
novel arrangement of parts for feeding into the machine the corn, grain, or
other agricultural produce to be thrashed. In ordinary thrashing machines the
thrashing drum or cylinder, and also the concave in which it works, are pro-
vided with stout short pegs or pins, whereby the corn or grain is beaten or
knocked out of the ear. These pegs are usually fixed in the drum and
concave, and are arranged in such a manner that the pegs of the drum
intersect the pegs of the concave when the former rotates. By this means
the ears of corn are rubbed between the pegs of the drum and those of the
concave, and the grain is thereby beaten out.

page_text: In place of fixing these pegs or studs in the drum and concave as heretofore,
I propose to fix them in rollers, which will be mounted in suitable bearings in
the concave, and also in the end plates of the drum. These pegged rollers
will have free liberty to rotate on their axes, except when they are actually at
work in beating out the corn from the car, when they will be fixed by means
of a click or catch, which will be made to take into a ratchet wheel on the
end of each roller, and hold them steady while at work.
By this arrangement of parts the thrashing operation will be effectually
performed, and the straw will be delivered in a much better state than
heretofore.
The improved feeding motion-consists simply in the employment of an
endless band or chain, provided with vertical teeth or prongs for the purpose
of carrying the corn or produce forward into the machine. It will be evident
that this endless chain or band may be made of any convenient length, so as
to extend from the barn or stack to the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Atkinson in. the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th July 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ATKINSON, late of Richmond Grove, in the County of Middlesex, but now of
Round Hill, Masham, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Atkinson; Her special license, that I, the said Joseph
Atkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Atkinson, 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 Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THRASHING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Atkinson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: 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 Joseph Atkinson, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Thrashing Machinery," relates first to
an improved construction and arrangement of the parts of the thrashing drum
or cylinder, and also the concave in which the said drum or cylinder works;
and, second, to a novel arrangement of parts for feeding into the machine the
corn, grain, or other agricultural produce to be thrashed.
In ordinary thrashing machines the thrashing drum or cylinder, and
also the concave in which it works, are provided with stout short pegs or pins,
whereby the corn or grain is beaten or knocked out of the ear.
These pegs
are usually fixed in the drum and concave, and are arranged in such a manner
that the pegs of the drum intersect or pass between the pegs of the concave
when the former rotates.
By this means the ears of corn aro rubbed between the pegs of the
drum and those of the concave, and the grain is thereby beaten out. In
place of fixing these pegs or studs in the drum and concave as heretofore,
I propose to attach them to rollers, which will be mounted in suitable
bearings in the concave, and also in the end plates of the drum. These
pegged rollers will have free liberty to rotate on their axles, by which
arrangement of parts the thrashing operation will be effectually performed,
and the straw will be delivered in a much better state than heretofore.
The improved feeding motion consists simply in the employment of an
endless band or chain, provided with vertical teeth or prongs, for the purpose
of carrying the corn or produce forward into the machine.
It will be evident that this endless chain or band may be made of any
convenient length, so as to extend from the barn or stack to the machine.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, I have shewn in different views
so much of a thrashing machine as will serve to illustrate my improvements.
Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of part of my improved thrashing machine;
Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same; and Fig. 3 is a back view of
the spike rollers, shewing the manner in which they are respectively mounted
and arranged.
Figures 4 and 5 represent in front view and section one of the spike rollers
detached, and drawn full size.

page_text: Figs. 6 are two views of an indented ribbed disc or wheel, to be used in
place of the spiked roller shewn in Figures 4 and 5. This disc or wheel is
made of metal, and has an irregular surface with ribs projecting from it, as
also notches or recesses made in its periphery. The same letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all these figures.
In order to avoid any unnecessary complexity in the Drawing, I have shewn
the spiked rollers as adapted only to the concave, the rotating drun being
provided as usual with fixed pins or studs; but I also propose to, adapt the
rotating spiked rollers to the drum in place, of, the fixed.pins or, studs when
required.
"
The framing of the machine is shewn at a, and the spiked rollers b, b, b, b, are
mounted and turn loosely upon axles c, c, c, c, that are arranged concentrically
around the drum d, and have their bearings in the end plates e, e, of the
machine; they may also have additional supports in some parts of their length,
if found necessary. The spikes or tines of the spiked rollers b, b, are notched
or otherwise made rough on their sides, as shewn at the enlarged views, Fig. 4,
so as to act more effectually in detaching, beating, or rubbing out the grain
from the car as the corn passes through the machine..
The feeding apparatus by which the corn is fed into the machine is shewn
at f, f, Fig. 2. It consists of a broad endless chain, band, or shect of leather,
or other material furnished with spikes. and passed around rollers g, g, the
lower one of which has a slow motion communicated to it from the shaft or
the drum d, by means of a band or toothed gearing.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Motion is first communicated
to the main drum d, in the usual way. The corn to be thrashed is then
laid in suitable quantities upon the travelling feeding band f, f, which
gradually carries it down into the machine, and deposits it upon the
drum d, which by means of its beaters d, carries it in amongst and
between the spiked rollers b, b, which, together with the beaters of the
cylinder or drum d, separate the grain from the straw. The spiked rollers
b, b, being mounted loosely on their shaft or axle, are caused to revolve by
friction of contact with the straw as it is driven through the machine.
Sometimes, in place of the fixed spikes shewn in the Drawing as adapted
to the drum, I furnish the latter with spiked rollers, similar to those
above described, as applied to the concave, and in that case I mount the
axles of the rollers in the end plates of the drum; as the mode of construct-
ing and applying the spiked rollers to the drum will be similar to that
above explained in reference to the concave, no further description will be
necessary.

page_text: The indented ribbed wheel shewn in Figs. 6, which is intended to be
used in place of the spiked rollers above described, consists of a plate of metal
provided at the side with a number of projecting ribs i, i, extending from
the axle to the periphery, which is also cut out or notched, as shewn in the
Drawing, for the purpose of catching hold of the car and drawing the corn
forward.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not intend to confine
myself to the precise arrangement and construction of parts herein shewn and
described, as they may be varied without departing from the nature and object
of my Invention; but that which I do claim, and wish to secure under the
above in part recited Letters Patent is, the use and application to thrashing
machines of rotating rollers, discs, wheels, or other analogous contrivances,
provided with projecting ribs, teeth, spikes, or prongs, for the purpose of beat-
ing, rubbing out, or detaching from the ear the corn or grain contained therein,
as above described.
I also claim the use of the travelling band armed with spikes as above
described, for the purpose of feeding the corn into the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Atkinson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOSPH ATKINSON. (L.S.)