A MACHINE FOR THRASHING CORN AND PULSE
Year: 1805

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPHER
PERKINS, of Stockton, in the County of Durham, Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Ninth day of February, in the forty-fifth year of His reign, did
give and grant unto me, the said Christopher Perkins, His especial licence
that I, the said Christopher Perkins, during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"A MACHINE FOR THRASHING CORN AND PULSE;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso obliging me, the said Christopher Perkins, under my hand
and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be used and performed, to be inrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery, as, by reference thereunto had, may
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Christopher Perkins, do hereby declare that my said Invention is contained in
the section and perspective view or plan delineated in the margin of these
Presents, and the following description thereof, viz* :-
Figure 1st, a section of the machine taken near the centre in a direct line

page_text: from one end to the other. By this section the business of the machine is so
clearly seen at one view, that but little explanation is requisite to make it
perfectly understood. A, the stool on which the person stands who feeds the
machine. B, the feeding board. C, C, the feeding rollers. D, the breast
piece, which is fixed at each end by a screw bolt and nut to two sweeped
pieces of wood, one on each side, and directly opposite to each other; but one
of which only can be seen in the section at E, which is hung by a screw bolt
and nut at b. And to each of theso sweeped pieces is fixed a strong iron
plate F, with four oblong holes in cach plate, and in which hang four sus-
pended rollers G, G, G, G, which, together with the said iron plates, form the
segment of a circle, and are suspended above the extremities of the drum H,
at rather a less distance than the thickness of a barleycorn, or any smaller
corn, so that no grain whatever can possibly fail of being dislodged by the
beaters I, I, I, I; and the progress of the straw is beside greatly facilitated by
means of these suspended rollers, as they have the power of rising and turning
round at one and the same time, or they my have the liberty of rising only.
In thrashing pulse, such as peans or beans, the pinion at the end of the upper
feeding roller must be taken off, and replaced by the small wheel, Figure 3d;
and at the same time it will be requisite to raise the suspended rollers, which
is done by means of two iron bolts, one of which is only seen at K, and which
is fastened to the sweeped piece at L, and going through the rail M, having a
screw nut on each side thereof. By which means the rollers are raised to the
required height, and let down again at pleasure, and at whatever distance it is
necessary to place the same above the beaters, there they will always be most
firmly and securely fixed by the bolts and nuts N, N.
Figure 2d, a perspective view of the machine. A, the feeding wheel; B, the
spur wheel; C, the drum axis; D, the front piece of the segment; E, the axis
of the tumbling shaft; F, a picce of wood laying along the machine, and on
which rests the tumbling shaft which connects the machine with the horse
wheel; G, G, G, G, the suspended rollers. But though I speak of and have
shewn four of these suspended rollers, both in the section and in the per-
spective view of the machine, yet I do not by any means confine myself so
that or any other number, it being on the suspended roller or rollers, on which
my Patent right is grounded.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Perkins, have hereunto set
.
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and five.
CHRIS PERKINS. (L.S.)

page_text: in Chancery.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-seventh day of
February, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Christopher Perkins
came before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the.
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Second day of March, in the year above written.