IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard James Webber, of Newton Abbot, in the
County of Devon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
Sealed the 19th September 1865, and dated the 21st March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernard James Webber
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st March 1865.
I, BERNARD JAMES WEBBER, of Newton Abbot, in the County of Devon,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THRASHING AND RUBBING BARLEY AND OTHER GRAIN," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for thrashing
and rubbing barley and other grain. For these purposes rubbing àpparatus
constructed as is hereafter explained, and an endless elevator are applied below
what is called "the receiver" in the Specification of my former Patent dated
the 16th day of September 1863 (No. 2272), and below the screens which receive
the grain or corn from the receiver. This is done in the following manner :-
Below the bottom of the receiver and at a short distance therefrom is a shaft,
on which is one of the pulleys of an endless band or strap of elevators, the
other pulley of such endless elevator being at the upper part of the machine,
and it receives motion by a band from a pulley on the crank shaft which drives
the straw shaker, below which the ordinary or other riddle from which the

page_text: grain descends into the receiver is situated, and where it is subjected to the
action of streams of air as described in the Specification of my said former
Patent. The shaft, which has on it the lower pulley of the endless elevator,
receives motion by the endless band of the elevator, which is cased or enclosed
from top to bottom. The grain when lifted by the endless elevator to the
highest position descends down an inclined sieve or sereen, at the lower end of
which is an opening through which the best corn passes to a sack, whilst the
second quality which has passed through the screen or sieve passes away through
an opening at the lower part into another sack. The corn or grain as it falls
from the elevator is acted on by a blast of air which is conducted from the air
trunk by an air passage to the upper part of the elevator case, where there is
an outlet and pipe to convey away the screenings and to return them to the
straw shaker. On the shaft which carries the lower pulley of the endless
elevator is the rubbing apparatus which consists of a rotating disc with blades
or knives set at right angles to its surface. The rotating disc of the rubber is
fixed to the shaft of the elevator, and revolves therewith. The disc is enclosed
at its circumference, but has inclined passages out through such enclosed
circumference. The rotating disc works opposite to and parallel with another
disc which is fixed. The upper part of the fixed disc is removed, and the
barley, corn, or grain is, by a shoot below the sieves which are under the
receiver, conducted into the rubbing apparatus. On the fixed discs are knives
(or blades in circles between those on the rotating disc, hence the barley or
other grain or corn as it passes through the apparatus is rubbed by the action
of the blades or knives, and it is then elevated, then subjected to a blast, and
then descends on to the inclined sieve or screen. In this arrangement there
are only two through shafts, one for the thrashing drum and one the crank
shaft to the straw shaker, and motion is communicated from the straw shaker
by a short lever and connecting rod to the ordinary riddle which is below the
straw shaker.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed s
by the said Bernard James Webber in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BERNARD
JAMES WEBBER, of Newton Abbot, in the County of Devon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Bernard James Webber, Her special licence that I, the
said Bernard James Webber, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
5 such others as I, the said Bernard James Webber, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 MACHINERY FOR THRASHING AND
RUBBING BARLEY AND OTHER GRAIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Bernard James Webber, 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 Bernard James Webber, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for thrashing
and rubbing barley and other grain. For these purposes rubbing apparatus,
constructed as is hereafter explained, and an endless elevator are applied below
what is called "the receiver" in the Specification of my former Patent dated
the Sixteenth day of September 1863 (No. 2272), and below the screens which
receive the grain or corn from the receiver. This is done in the following
manner:-Below the bottom of the receiver and at a short distance therefrom
is a shaft on which is one of the pulleys of an endless band or strap of elevators,.
the other pulley of such endless elevator being at the upper part of the
machine, and it receives motion by a band from a pulley on the crank shaft,.
which drives the straw shaker, below which is situated the ordinary or other
riddle from which the grain descends into the receiver, where it is subjected
to the action of streams of air as described in the Specification of my said
former Patent. The shaft which has on it the lower pulley of the endless
elevator receives motion by the endless band of the elevator, which is cased or
enclosed from top to bottom. The grain when lifted by the endless elevator
to the highest position descends down an inclined sieve or screen, at the lower
end of which is au opening through which the best corn passes to a sack,

page_text: whilst the second quantity which has passed through the screen or sieve passes
away through an opening at the lower part into another sack. The corn or
grain as it falls from the elevator is acted on by a blast of air which is
conducted from the air trunk by an air passage to the upper part of the
elevator case where there is an outlet and pipe to convey away the screenings,
and to return them to the straw shaker. On the shaft which carries the
lower pulley of the endless elevator is the rubbing apparatus, which consists
of a rotating disc with blades or knives set at right angles to its surface. The
rotating disc of the rubber is fixed to the shaft of the elevator, and revolves
therewith. The disc is enclosed at its circumference, but has inclined passages
out through such inclosed circumference. The rotating disc works opposite
to and parallel with another disc which is fixed. The upper part of the fixed
disc is removed, and the barley, corn, or grain is by a shoot below the sieves
which are under the receiver conducted into the rubbing apparatus. On
the fixed disc are knives or blades in circles between those on the rotating
disc, hence the barley or other grain or corn as it passes through the appa-
ratus is rubbed by the action of the blades or knives, and it is then elevated,
then subjected to a blast, and then it descends on to the inclined sieve or
screen. In this arrangement there are only two through shafts, one for the
thrashing drum, and one, the crank shaft, to the straw shaker, and motion is
communicated from the straw shaker by a short lever and connecting rod
to the ordinary riddle which is below the straw shaker.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
Figure 1 is a side view of a thrashing machine cons
former Patent, and having the improvements which constitute the present
Invention applied thereto.
a, a, is the frame of the machine mounted on wheels for transport; b is the
axis of the thrashing drum, it has on its end a driving pulley; c is the straw
shaker on to which the straw falls after it has been acted on by the thrashing
drum, the bars of the straw shaker receive their motion from the cranked
axis d, having at its end a pulley to receive a driving belt at their outer
ends, the shaker bars are supported on arms on the rocking axis e.
The corn
or grain falls from the shaker on to the riddle f, and thence passes to the
receiver g, from which again it falls as is described in the Specification of my
former Patent on to winnowing sieves or screens h, h, where the corn or grain

page_text: meets blasts of air coming from the fan i on the axis 6 down the wind trunk k,
and these blasts of air are regulated by the adjustable air guides clearly.
shown at Figure 2, which is a transverse section of these parts to a some-.
what larger scale. Up to this point the arrangement of the apparatus is in.
accordance with the Specification of my former Patent. Now, however, in place:
of discharging the corn or grain at the bottom of the machine from the lower:
sieve or screen h I receive the corn or grain at this point into a trough m,
which leads it into a rubbing apparatus, which is shown on a larger scale at
Figure 3; n and o are two discs, with projections or teeth n¹ and o¹ upon them,
the disc o is shown in front and edge views at Figures 4, and the disc n is
similar to it as respects the teeth upon it, except that one quadrant of the
disc n is cut away, the form of the teeth n¹, o¹, the Drawing clearly shows.
The disc n is fixed to the casing p in which it is contained, but the disc o is
carried on a rotating axis q carried by this casing. The trough m leads the
corn or grain into the upper part of the casing p, and it descends through the
opening in the disc n between the discs n and o, and as the disc o with its axis
revolves rapidly the corn or grain is rubbed between the teeth n² and o¹, and when
it escapes at the periphery of the discs it is caught by the inclined blades o² on the
periphery of the disc o, and it is by them pushed forward until it comes within
the reach of the screw (r), which is also mounted on the axis q, and the screw
throws it forwards to be taken by the elevator buckets which are fixed on the
elevator strap, passing around the pulleys on the axis q. The elevator buckets
carry the corn or grain to the top of the machine, where it is discharged down the
inclined screen t, and as the corn or grain falls from the buckets on to the
screen t it meets a current of air brought up by the trunk 1, the end of which,
as is clearly shewn in Figures 1 and 2, takes wind from the wind trunk k, this
current of air separates any impurities or light grain which may before have
escaped, and these are led with the blast through the pipe v, which returns
them on to the straw shaker to pass again through the machine. The corn
or grain is by the screen t separated into first and second quality, and it is
discharged into sacks at the openings w and x. The elevator receives its
motion from a pulley on the axis of its upper roller, and over this pulley a
belt passes to a pulley on the axis d, and this, as before-mentioned, has on it
another belt pulley, and a strap passes around it to a pulley on the axis b.
The riddle f, with the receiver g, screens h, and trough m, which are attached
to it, receive a shaking movement from the axis e, the riddle f, and parts
connected therewith, are suspended in the usual manner, and by the connecting
rod y are linked with an arm e¹ on the axis e.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details described, but what I claim is,―
First, the combination with a thrashing machine, such as is described in the
Specification of my former Patent dated the 16th of September 1863 (No. 2272),
of a rubbing apparatus, an elevator, an inclined screen, and another winnowing
blast for separating the large and small grain and screenings, as herein-before
described.
I also claim the method of constructing. the rubbing apparatus as berein-
before described.
. I also claim the method of giving motion to the riddle f, and parts connected
therewith, from the straw shaker, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernard James Webber, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
BERNARD JAMES WEBBER. (L.S.)