IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THRASHING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
:-
The object of the invention is to devise a simply and cheaply constructed double
blast thrashing-machine in which the grain is thoroughly separated from the straw
without any fear of the kernels being cracked or broken, and in which the dust, chalf,
and foul seed is perfectly removed and the grain is beautifully brightened ready
for the market before being finally discharged from the machine; and it consists
first, in a peculiarly constructed grated concave operated in conjunction with a
drum cylinder secondly in providing a straw shaker supported by peculiarly
constructed spring hangers set at an angle extending upwardly from the cylinder
to a point above the tail rake, tho said straw shaker having formed across its upper
surface an inclined bridge so arranged that the straw and grain passing over it shall
receive a drop shake before it reaches the end of the shaker; thirdly in providing
a peculiarly-constructed jog tray or grain carrier supported by peculiarly constructed
spring hangers which suspend the tray below the straw shaker and derives its
longitudinal reciprocating motion from the gearing designed to drive the straw
shaker, the tray or carrier having a close bottom until it reaches a point over the
dressing shoe of the machine at which point the bottom is perforated so as to
permit the grain to fall through the tray into the dressing shoe while the straw
and rubbish is shaken over the end of the tray; fourthly in providing an elevator
for conveying the grain discharged from the dressing shoe into a peculiarly-
constructed combined smutter and fanning mill; fifthly in discharging the grain so
elevated into a chamber provided with a worm conveyor designed to carry the
grain into a smutter barrel having revolving beaters arranged to convey the grain
to a discharge port in the barrel while scouring the grain. The beaters while thus
operated effectually crush the smut into powder which when discharged with the

page_text: .
grain onto the finishing sieve below the smutter is blown away by the action of a
fan located at the end of the smutter.
This invention may be more fully described as follows:-
The simplest plan by which the special construction of the parts involved in this
invention can be explained, is, to commence at the point where the straw is
conveyed into the machine and to follow the grain in its passage through the
machine.
The operator stands on a foot-board in front of the cylinder, a space, being left
in the machine to allow its body to project above the top of the machine in the
usual manner.
The grain when fed into the mouth of the machine is thrashed in the ordinary
manner, but instead of using the toothed cylinder acting in conjunction with a
toothed concave an ordinary drum cylinder provided with grooved steel beaters of
the usual description is used.
The cylinder is of the usual construction but in the formation of the concave
used in conjunction with it a considerable improvement is effected.
Each end of the concave is formed of two curved castings, hinged together.
These curved castings have sockets, formed in them into which the ends of bars
are fitted. These bars are preferably formed of steel and have tennon ends designed
to fit into the sockets. By thus having tennon ends the bars, cannot only
readily be fitted into the ends, to form the concave but it enables them to be readily
reversed when their edges become worn. As there are four edges for each bar and
only one edge at a time being acted against this plan by which the bars can readily
be changed renders the life of the concave much greater than were the bars fixed
rigidly in position.
Between each pair of bars, a grate is inserted the bridges of which extend at
right angles to the bars or in other words, across the opening between these bars,
which would, if the grates were not inserted have long openings running parallel
with them.
Bolt-holes for the passage of the binding bolts, are made through the bars, tho
said holes being in the centre of the bars, and at such a distance apart longitudinally
as may be necessary to properly bind the bars against the grate-bars, the holes
through the grate-bars being at equal distances apart corresponding with the holes
in the bars, so that the said hars may be reversed without altering the relative
position of the two sets of holes through the bars and grates respectively.
It may be mentioned that suitablo bolts with heads and nuts countersunk into
the ends, are employed for binding the concave together longitudinally.
The grain thrashed out of the straw in the cylinder falls through the grate, onto
the jog-tray or grain-carrier, and owing to the special construction of the concave
herein above described, the grained so thrashed out is less liable to be cracked or
broken than in concaves of the usual construction.
Before following the course of the grain thus dropped onto the grain-carrier
I shall first follow the course of the remaining grain which with the straw is thrown
by the action of the cylinder onto the straw-shaker.
This straw-shaker is composed of a series of cross slats, supported in a longi-
tudinal frame. These cross slats are arranged in what may be termed a clap-board
form; there is a small space between each of these slats, which space permits the
grain to fall through the straw-shaker, onto tho grain-carrier, during the passage of
the straw from the cylinder to the revolving tail-rake.
1
In order to ensure the separation of the grain from the straw before it reaches t
the end of the shaker, an inclined bridge is placed across the upper surface of the
shaker, which bridge raises the straw a short distance above the main surface of
the shaker and drops it onto the said surface which drop shakes up the straw and
effectually frees the grain held by it, but in order to still further provide for the
thorough separation of the grain from the straw the end of the straw-shaker is
raised some little distance above the revolving tail-rake, which distanco produce a

page_text: sufficient fall to thoroughly separate any odd kernels of grain which may have been
held in the straw.
Both the grain carrier and the straw-shaker, are suspended from the main frame
of the machine by spring hangers.
This
The spring hanger is composed of a spring bar fitted into a bracket and secured
therein by a set-screw so that it may be readily withdrawn or adjusted. The
other end of the hanger, is bent around a spool, having a hole through it through
which a pivot-pin is inserted to connect the hanger to the carrier or shaker, the
bracket being fastened to the main frame of the machine, the hangers, are set at
an angle, the object of which is to ensure a vertical movement of the shaker and
carrier simultaneously with their longitudinal reciprocating movement.
movement is derived from a crank-shaft, with two cranks at each end, the doublo
crank at each end being provided for driving the shaker and carrier on both sides,
the cranks being connected to the carrier and shaker by rods and so set that while
the shaker and carrier operate simultaneously the movement of one will be in a
forward direction while the movement of the other is back ward consequently while
they both derive a reciprocating longitudinal movement from the motion of the
crank-shaft they never movo simultaneously in the same direction.
The upward longitudinal reciprocating motion of the grain-carrier and the
straw-shaker causes the straw on the shaker to move towards the end of the shaker
where it falls onto the revolving tail-rake, the grain during the passage of the
straw thus moved being completely shaken out of the straw and falls through the
open shaker onto the grain carrier formed of a series of cross-slats arranged in
what may be termed clap-board form, similar to the shaker only that the boards
thus arranged are closer together in the carrier so as to form a close bottom,
consequently the grain, as it cannot fall through the carrier, will, by the vortical
longitudinal reciprocating movement of the carrier be caused to travel towards the
back end of the said carrier, but before it reaches the end it has to pass over the
perforated portion of the carrier, which perforations are made through the clap-boards
forming the bottom of the carrier at the point immediately over the dressing-shoe.
These perforations are of such a size as to permit the grain to fall through the
bottom of the carrier into the dressing-shoe, while the straw and rubbish continues
to move towards the end of the carrier and falls over its end. The dressing-shoe
is of the ordinary construction and derives a vibrating lateral shake from the main
driving mechanism of the machine. After the dressing-shoe has performed its
duty the grain is discharged from it into the bottom end of an elevator which is
designed to convey the grain into the combined smutter and fanning mill located
in the front of the machine.
It may be mentioned here that a fan sends a blast through the bottom of the
dressing-shoe, blowing the light stuff which may have fallen through with the
grain out of the end of the machine. Thero is a chamber cylindrical in shape and
having a worm conveyor, designed to carry the grain through the chamber into a
smutter-barrel, provided with peculiarly formed benters the teeth in the beaters
being set in a spiral form so that when revolving they form what might be termed
& worm conveyor to carry the grain through the barrel to the discharged port in
the said barrel. The said beaters while so operating effectually crush the smut
into powder, which when discharged with the grain onto the finishing sieve is
blown away by the action of a fan located at the end of the smutter. It will thus
be seen that should the grain being thrashed require additional cleaning after
passing through the dressingshoe it will be very effectually purified by the timo
it has passed through the smutter-barrel, and is screened by the finishing sieve.
The finishing sievo derives a reciprocating shaking movement from the main
driving mechanism of the machine.
When the grain has been discharged by the elevator into the cylindrical chamber
the operator is enabled to examine its condition by opening a slide, made in the
bottom of the chamber, should he find that the grain did not require to be passed

page_text: through the smutter he can, by opening the slide, discharge the grain onto the
finishing-sieve without passing it through the smutter.
I should mention here that the interior surface of the smutter-barrel is roughened,
being preferably made of cast-metal, so that a roughened surface can readily bo
secured.
In addition to the toothed benters, attached to arms opposite to each other,
ordinary straight flat beaters are provided these are made adjustable on the arms
to which they are attached, so that they may be moved nearer to or farther from
the interior surface of the barrel so as to avoid crushing the grain between their
outer edges and the barrel.
These beaters agitate the grain within the smutter barrel while the toothed
beaters act as conveyors for carring the grain through the barrel as before
described.

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, a communication to him from abroad by George William Morris,
Brantford, Ontario, Canada do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES" -and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
The object of the invention is to devise a simply and cheaply constructed
double-blast thrashing-machine in which the grain is most thoroughly separated
from the straw without any fear of the kernels being cracked or broken, and in
which the dust, chaff, and foul seed is most perfectly removed, and the grain is
beautifully brightened ready for the market before being finally discharged from
the machine; and it consists, first, in a peculiarly-constructed grated concave
operated in conjunction with a drum cylinder; secondly, in providing a straw-
shaker supported by peculiarly-constructed spring hangers and set at an anglo
extending upwardly from the cylinder to a point above the tail rake, the said straw
shaker having formed across its upper surface an inclined bridge so arranged that
the straw and grain passing over it shall receive a drop shake before it reaches the
end of the shaker; thirdly, in providing a peculiarly-constructed jog tray or grain
carrier supported by peculiarly-constructed spring hangers which suspend the tray
below the straw shaker and derives its longitudinal reciprocating motion from the
gearing designed to drive the straw shaker, the tray or carrier having a close
bottom until it reaches a point over the dressing shoe of the machine, at which
point the bottom is perforated so as to permit the grain to fall through the tray.
into the dressing shoe, while the straw and rubbish is shaken over the end of the
tray; fourthly in providing an elevator for conveying the grain discharged from
the dressing shoe into a peculiarly-constructed combined smutter and framing-mill;
fifthly, in discharging the grain so elevated into a chamber provided with a worm
conveyor designed to carry the grain into a smutter barrel having revolving beaters
arranged to convey the grain to a discharge port in the barrel while scouring the
grain. The beaters while thus operated effectually crush the smut into powder
which when discharged with the grain onto the finishing sieve below the smutter
is blown away by the action of a fan located at the end of the smutter,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of this improved thrashing-machine, with a portion
of the sheeting removed to expose its interior construction.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of this improved machine, looking at it from the
opposite side to that exposed in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective detail of the improved concave.
Figure 4 is an end detail of the concave.
Figure 5 is a perspective view, showing the form of the improved grate fixed to
one of the longitudinal bars of the concave.
Figure 6 is a perspective detail, showing the construction of the spring hanger.

page_text: Figure 7 is a skeleton olevation, showing the straw-shaker and grain-carrier with
the mechanism by which they derive the longitudinal shake.
Figure 8 is a sectional end view of the combined smutter and fanning-mill.
Figure 9 is a detail of one of the beaters.
Figure 10 is an end view of the beaters.
In the drawings, like letters of reference indicato corresponding parts in each
figure.
The simplest plan by which the special construction of the parts involved in this
invention can be explained, is, to commence at the point where the straw is
conveyed into the machine and to follow the grain in its passage through the
machine.
On reference to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that the operator stands on a
foot-board in front of the cylinder, a space A being left in the machine to allow his
body to project abovo the top of the machine in the usual manner The grain
when fed into the mouth of the machine is thrashed in the ordinary manner, but
instead of using the toothed cylinder acting in conjunction with a toothed concave,
I employ an ordinary drum cylinder provided with grooved steel beaters of the
usual description.
The drum-cylinder is of the usual construction, but in the formation of the
concave used in conjunction with it a considerable improvement is effected.
On reference to Figures 3. 4. and 5 the peculiarity of this construction will be
understood.
Each end of the concave is formed of two curved castings B hinged together as
indicated in Figures 3 and 4. These curved castings have sockets a formed in
them into which the ends of the bars C are fitted. These bars aro preferably
formed of steel and have tennon ends as indicated in Figure 5 designed to fit into
the socket a. By thus having tennon ends the bars C cannot only readily be fitted
into the ends B to form the concave, but it enables them to be readily reversed
when their edges become worn. As there are four edges for each bar and only one
edge at a time being acted against, this plan by which the bars can readily be
changed renders the life of the concave much greater than were the bars fixed
rigidly in position.
Between each pair of bars B a grate D is inserted the bridges of which extend
at right angles to the bars B or in other words, across the opening between these
bars, which would, if the grates were not inserted, have long openings running
parallel with them.
It will be noticed that the bolt-holes b for the passage of the binding bolts, are
made through the bars C the said holes being in the centre of the bars, and at such
a distance apart longitudinally as inay be necessary to properly bind the bars C
against the grate bars D the holes through the grate-bars being at equal distances
apart corresponding with the holes in the bars C so that the said bars may be
reversed without altering the relative position of the two sets of holes through the
bars and grates respectively.
It may be mentioned that suitable bolts with heads and nuts countersunk into
the ends B are employed for binding the concave together longitudinally.
Nothing special in the hinging of the two castings forming the ends of the
concave is claimed It is therefore not necessary to enter into an explanation of its
object. It will be sufficient at the present state of this specification to state that
the grain thrashed out of the straw in the cylinder falls through the grate D onto
the jog-tray or grain carrier E and, owing to the special construction of the concave
herein described, the grain so thrashed out is less liable to be cracked or broken
than in any concaves of the usual construction.
Before following the course of the grain thus dropped onto the grain-carrier E
I shall first follow the course of the balance of the remaining grain which with the
straw is thrown by the action of the cylinder onto the straw-shaker F This straw
shaker is composed of a series of cross slats d supported in a longitudinal frame.

page_text: These cross slats are arranged in what may be termed a clap-board form, which is
clearly indicated both in Figure 1 and in other Figures in which figure it will be
noticed that there is a small space between each of these slats, which space permits
the grain to fall through the straw-shaker F onto the grain carrier È during the
passage of the straw from the cylinder to the revolving tail-rako G.
In order to ensure the separation of the grain from the straw before it reaches
the end of the shaker, an iuclined bridge is placed across the upper surface of the
sbaker F what may be termed an inclined bridge which bridge raises the straw a
short distance above the main surface of the shaker F and drops it onto the said
surface which drop shakes up the straw and effectually frees the grain held by it,
but in order to still further provide for the thorough separation of the grain from
the straw the end of the straw-shaker F is raised some little distance above the
revolving tail-rake G which distance produces a sufficient fall to thoroughly
separate any odd kernels of grain which may have been held in the straw.
Both the grain carrier E and the straw-shaker F are suspended from the main
frame of the machine by spring hangers H. A detail showing the shape of the
hangers, His exhibited in Figure 6 in which it will be seen that it is composed of
a spring-bar fitted into a bracket g and secured therein by a set-screw so that it
may be readily withdrawn or adjusted. The other end of the hanger H is bent
around a spool having a hole through it through which a pivot-pin is inserted to
connect the hanger to the carrier or shaker, the bracket g boing fastened to the
main frame of the machine, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2.
On reference to these figures it will be noticed that the hangers H aro set at an
anglo, the object of which is to ensure a vertical movement of the shaker and
carrier simultaneously with their longitudinal reciprocating movement. This
movement is derived from a crank-shaft I shown in detail in Figure 11 in which
figure it will bo noticed that there are two cranks at each end of the shaft, the
double crank at each end being provided for driving the shaker and carrier on buth
sides, the cranks being connected to the carrier E and shaker F by the rods J and
so set that while the shaker and carrier operate simultaneously, the movement of
one will be in a forward direction, while the movement of the other is backward;
consequently while they both derive a reciprocating longitudinal movement from
the motion of the crank-shaft I they never move simultaneously in the same
direction. The connection between the crank-shaft and shaker and carrier is
exhibited in detail in Figure 7.
The upward longitudinal reciprocating motion of the grain carrier E and the
straw-shaker F causes the straw on the shaker F to move towards the end of the
shaker F where it falls onto the revolving tail-rake G, the grain during the passage
of the straw thus moved being completely shaken out of the straw and falls through
the open shaker F. onto the grain carrier E which grain carrier is formed of a series
of cross-slats arranged in what may be termed clap-board form, similar to the
shaker F only that the boards thus arranged aro close together in the carrier E so
as to form a close bottom; consequently the grain, as it cannot fall through the
carrier E will, by the vertical longitudinal reciprocating movement of the carrier E
be caused to travel towards the back end of the said carrier, but before it reaches
the end it has to pass over the perforated portion of the carrier E which perforations
are made through the clap-boards forming the bottom of the carrier at the point
immediately over the dressing-shoe A These perforations will be seen on referenco
to Figure 1 and are of such a size as to permit the grain to fall through the bottom
of the carrier E into the dressing-shoe K while the straw and rubbish continues to
move towards the end of the carrier E and falls over its end The dressing-shoe K
is of the ordinary construction and derives a vibrating lateral shake from the main
driving mechanism of the machine. After the dressing-ahoe K has performed ita
duty the grain is discharged from it into the bottom and of the elevator L which
is designed, as shown in Figure 1 to convey the grain into the combined smutter
and fanning-mill located in the front of the machine,

page_text: It may be mentioned here that a fan M sends a blast through the bottom of the
dressing-shoe, blowing the light stuff which may have fallen through with the
grain out of the end of the machine. Nothing peculiar is claimed in this fan, or
in the dressing-shoe, but the object is to devise a simple means for still further
cleaning the grain in order to make it ready for market before it is finally
discharged from the machine.
Nothing peculiar is claimed in the construction of the elevator L it being made
in the ordinary manner the only peculiarity being that it is caused to convey the
grain as indicated from the dressing-shoe K to the Chamber N located in the front
of the machine. This chamber is cylindrical in shape and has a worm conveyor o 1
as shown in Figs. 1 and 8 designed to carry the grain through the chamber into a
smutter-barrel P, provided with peculiarly-formed beaters Gas shown in figures 9
& 10. the teeth in the beaters being set in a spiral form so that, when revolving
they form, what might be termed a worm conveyor to carry the grain through the
barrel P to the discharge port i in the said barrel. The said beaters while so
operating effectually crush the smut into powder which when discharged with the
grain into the finishing sieve R is blown away by tho action of the fan S, located
at the end of the smutter as indecated. It will thus be seen that should the grain
being thrashed require additional cleaning after passing through the dressing-shce K
it will be very effectually purified by the time it has passed through the smutter-
barrel P and is screened by the finishing sieve R.
Nothing peculiar is claimed in the finishing sieve R. The finishing sieve R
derives a reciprocating shaking movement from the main driving mechanism of the
machine, and it may also be mentioned that nothing special is claimed other than
that already specified regarding the driving mechanism of the machine which is
pretty fully shown in the drawings.
When the grain has been discharged by the elevator into the chamber N the
operator is enabled to examine its condition by opening the slide. T made in the
bottom of the chamber N. Should he find that the grain did not require to be
passed through the smutter ho can, by opening the slide T, discharge the grain onto
the finishing-sieve R without passing it through the smutter.
It should be mentioned here that the interior surface of the smutter-barrel P is
roughened, being preferably made of cast-metal, so that a roughened surface can
readily be secured.
In addition to the toothed beaters Q which as shown in Figures 8 and 10 are
attached to arms opposite to each other ordinary straight flat beaters are provided
(these are marked U) made adjustable on the arms to which they are attached so
that they may be moved nearer to or further from the interior surface of the
barrel P so as to avoid crushing the grain between their outer edges and the barrel.
These beaters U agitate the grain within the smutter-barrel P while the toothed
benters act as conveyors for carrying the grain through tho barrel as before
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
First In a thrashing-machine provided with an ordinary drum cylinder having
grooved steel beaters of the usual description, the combination of a concave formed
of bars C with a grate D inserted between each pair of bars, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
Second: In the concave of a thrashing-machine the bars C having tennon ends
to fit into the sockets a made in the curved end castings B and bolt-holes bat
equal distances apart in the centre of the bar C. in combination with a grato D
inserted between each pair of bars C. and having bolt-holes corresponding with
those through the bars C. substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Third-In a thrashing-machine an open-bottom straw shaker F supported at an
angle extending upwardly from the cylinder to a point above the tail-rake by the

page_text: Blanting spring hangers, H in combination with driving mechanism arranged to
impart a longitudinal reciprocating motion to the shakers substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
Fourth-In a thrashing-machine an open-bottom straw-shaker F having a
longitudinally reciprocating motion in combination with an inclined bridge f formed
across the upper surface of the shaker F substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Fifth-In a thrashing-machine a jog-tray or grain-carrier E having a close"
bottom formed as described and deriving a longitudinally reciprocating notion as
specified, in combination with perforations made through the bottom of the
carrier E immediately over the dressing-shoe K substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
Sixth: In a thrashing-machine provided with a vibrating grain-carrier and a
vibrating shaker a series of spring hangers H the bottom end of each being
connected to a spool h having a hole through it to permit the passage of the pivot-
pin used in connecting the hanger to the shaker or carrier in combination with the
brackets g fixed to the frame of the machine and arranged to adjustably hold the
spring hangers substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Seventh-In a thrashing-machine a straw-shaker F located above the grain-
carrier E both being supported from the frame of the machine by the spring
hangers H in combination with the double crank-shaft I connected by the rods
to the carrier E and shaker F in order that the revolving of the crank-shaft shall
impart a longitudinal reciprocating motion to the said shaker and carrier, the
cranks being set so that the shaker and carrier shall travel in opposite directions to
cach other.
Eighth In a thrashing machine provided with a dressing-shoo K at one end
and a combined smutter and fanning mill at the other end, an elevator L arranged
to convey the grain from the dressing-shoe K to the chamber N in combination
with the worm conveyor o arranged to carry the grain through the chamber N to
the smutter substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Ninth In a thrashing-machine in which the grain is conveyed from the
dressing-shoe K to the chamber N by the elevator La revolving worm conveyor o
in combination with the slide T substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Tenth In a thrashing machine a chamber N. provided with a worm conveyor o
in combination with the smutter barrel P having a roughened interior surface and
revolving beaters Q within it substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Eleventh-In a thrashing machine a smutter barrel P provided with revolving
toothed beaters Q the tooth in the said beaters being set spirally so as to convoy
the grain from the mouth of the conveyor to the port where it is discharged from
the smutter to the finishing sieve R in combination with the fan S arranged to
send a blast through the grain as it falls from the smutter-barrel P to the finishing
sieve R.