Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Shelling and Cleaning Small Seeds, and for Thrashing Corn.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application 23rd Mar, 1806
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Jan., 1897-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Jan., 1897-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1897
TRUVIDIONAL OF MULTIVALION.
[Communicated from abroad by GUISEPPE STRAFURINI, of Castelleone
(Cremone, Lombardie), in the Kingdom of Italy, Mechanician.]
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Shelling and
Cleaning Small Seeds, and for Thrashing Corn.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a machine for shelling and cleaning small seeds and
more especially the seeds of fodder plants, which machine by the aid of slight
modifications, capable of being effected in a very short delay, can be converted
into a corn thrashing machine.
The improved machine acts upon the whole plant by removing the seeds or
grain therefrom in one single operation without a previous preparation of any kind
being necessitated, and the stalks are discharged froin the machine intact and ready
to serve as fodder.
This improved machine differs outwardly from ordinary corn thrashing machines
only by the fact that, at the side, where the large driving belt is arranged, it is
provided with a supplementary pulley, keyed upon the same axis, upon which the
pulley of the large driving belt is mounted, and a second pulley actuated by the
first supplementary pulley and keyed upon the axis of a special thrashing or
beating device. When the corn is thrashed, all products must be concentrated
upon the sieves; when small kinds of seeds are acted upon, then on the other hand
other sieves, arranged below the table, have to act.
The conversion of the small-grain thrasher, into a corn thrashing apparatus
takes place in the following manner.
(1) The table is turned around its pivot so as to be carried into such a position
that an opening is closed by extending the operating part of the table.
(2) The sheet metal jacket which surrounds the counter beater of the beater or
thrasher and which serves, when small grain is operated upon, is removed.
(3) The sieves are changed, as is on the other hand done with corn thrashers,
whenever the species of corn or cereals to be treated, is changed.
(4) The driving belt is removed from its pulleys. By analogous modifications,
made in the inverse sense, the thrasher for small grain is put back in place, starting
from the corn thrasher.
The method of operation of the thrashing device for small grain is as follows:
The fodder plants, such as they are, (heads or ears and stalks at the same time
without previously separating them), are introduced into the first beater or
thrasher. A removable jacket of sheet metal which externally surrounds the
counter beater, prevents the grain from passing into the wrong compartment. The
heads or ears pass into the beater, where they are broken up and directed together
with the stalks over the shakers, the table or any other equivalent device preventing
them from directly passing into the latter chamber.
The shakers expel the material (straw, hay or the like) from the machine in the
usual manner; the broken up heads or ears containing the grains fall through the

page_text: shakers upon the table, below which the sifters are arranged, which separate
the small strawy particles, husks and the like falling down outside with the
products expelled by the shakers. The position of the sifters is sufficiently raised,
so that the products traversing the same, may, while travelling along an inclined
plane, be introduced into the beater, the use of which latter forms a distinct
feature of this improved apparatus.
The bats of the beater are radially inclined so as to enable them to throw, by
the effect of the centrifugal force, the grains and the chaff into a conduit which
terminates in the sifters. The bats of the counter-beater are covered with
projections of almond-shape.
In the sifters the products undergo a second sifting process and a first blowing
process by the action of a blower or fan. They subsequently arrive at the base
of a bucket-elevator which by the aid of a slide, inclines or diverts them, according
to the degree of cleaning, either first upon a rotary sieve, or directly upon a con-
veying screw, whence they fall upon sifters, which participate in the movement of
the table. The products are sifted once more and are subjected to the action of
another fan or blower. On leaving the sifters the cleaned grains drop upon a
bolting-mill furnished lengthwise with wire gauze of different degrees of fineness,
which suitably classes the grains before allowing them to fall into the receiving
sacks or other receptacles. During the passage toward the bolting mill the grains
are continuously subjected to the action of the blower.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Shelling and
Cleaning Small Seeds, and for Thrashing Corn.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to a machine for shelling and cleaning small seeds and
more especially the seeds of fodder plants, which machine by the aid of slight
modifications capable of being effected in a very short time, can be converted into
a corn thrashing machine.
The improved machine is represented in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section.
Figure 2 shows a detail of the beaters hereinafter described and
Figure 3 is a view of the crank shaft hereinafter referred to.
The improved machine acts upon the whole plant by removing the seeds or grain
therefrom in one single operation without a previous preparation of any kind
being necessary, and the stalks are discharged from the machine intact and ready
to serve as fodder.
This improved machine differs outwardly from ordinary corn-thrashing machines
only by the fact that, at the side, where the large driving belt, is arranged, it is
provided with a supplementary pulley, keyed upon the same axis, upon which the
pulley of the large driving belt is mounted, and a second pulley actuated by the
pulley p, and keyed upon the axis of a special thrashing or beating device G.
When the corn is being thrashed, all products must be concentrated at V upon the

page_text: sieves; when small kinds of seeds are acted upon, then on the other hand other
sieves E arranged below the table D have to act.
The conversion of the small-grain thrasher, as represented, into a corn thrashing
apparatus takes place in the following manner.
(1) The table is turned around its pivot b so as to be carried into the position
represented in dotted lines, and so that the opening at a is closed by extending the
operating part of the table D up to the point V.
(2) The sheet metal jacket which surrounds the counter beater of the beater or
thrasher A and which in conjunction with the table B' serves, when small grain is
operated upon, to prevent the latter from passing to the opening V, is removed.
(3) The sieves are changed, as is on the other hand done with corn-thrashers
whenever the species of corn or cereals to be treated is changed.
(4) The driving belt is removed from its pulleys p and q.
By analogous modifications, made in the inverse sense, the thrasher for small
grain is put back in place, starting from the corn thrasher.
The method of operation of the thrashing device for small grain is as follows:
The fodder plants such as they are, (heads or ears and stalks at the same time
without previously separating them), are introduced into the first beater or
thrasher A. A removable jacket of sheet metal which externally surrounds the
counter beater, prevents the grain from passing to the large shaking box U. The
heads or ears pass into the beater, where they are broken up and directed together
with the stalks over the shakers C, the table B in the position shown in the
drawing or any other equivalent device preventing them from directly passing to
the opening V.
The shakers C expel the material (straw, hay or the like) from the machine in
the usual manner; the broken up heads or ears containing the grains fall through the
shakers C upon the table D, below which the sifters are arranged, which separate
the small strawy particles, husks and the like falling down outside with the products
expelled by the shakers. The position of the sifters E is sufficiently raised, so
that the products passing through the same, may, while travelling along the
inclined plane F, be introduced into the beater G, the use of which latter forms a
distinct feature of this improved apparatus.
The bats of the beater G are radially inclined so as to enable them to throw, by
the effect of the centrifugal force, the grains and the chaff into a conduit H which
leads to the sifters of the large shaking box U. The bats G of the counter-
beater are covered with projections r of almond shape, as shown in Figure 2.
In the sifters I the products undergo a second sifting process and a first blowing
process by the action of a blower or fan L. They subsequently arrive at the base
of a bucket-elevator M which by the aid of a slide inclines or diverts them,
according to the degree of cleaning, either first upon a rotary sieve O, or directly
upon a conveying screw Z, whence they fall upon sifters N, which participate in
the movement of the table D. At N the products are sifted once more and are
subjected to the action of another fan or blower P.
By the pivoted flaps it is rendered possible to direct the air current either on to
the four sieves N arranged one below the other, or only on to the upper pair of
them (as the lower pair is for the most part not used in the thrashing of corn).
On leaving the sieves N the cleansed seeds pass upon a plane sifter which
likewise participates in the movement of the large shaking box U and is provided
with a sieve having meshes of different sizes in order to sort the seeds as may be
required before they reach the sacks in which they are transported.
A peculiar feature in the described machine is also the absence of the shaft
driving the large shaking box in the customary steam thrashing machines.
The movement of the straw shaker C, of the large shaking box U, and of the
table D is effected exclusively by the cranked shaft m shown in longitudinal
section in Figure 3.
By the middle crank m¹ the table D is set in motion by means of the rod n,
Figure 1, and by the two lateral cranks m" the large shaking box U is actuated

page_text: by means of the rods O; the straw shakers are supported through the intervention
of carrying plates u directly upon the cranks of the shaft m, which carries them
along, thereby imparting the necessary shaking movement to them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion 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. A corn thrashing machine which can be adapted for thrashing and
cleaning fodder, plants, characterized
(a) by a sheet metal casing furnished with a prolongation B¹ and fitted to
be adjusted about the customary thrashing drum A for preventing the direct
falling through of the thrashed fodder plants on to the bottom of the large
shaking box U;
(b) by the division of the collecting board D situated below the straw
shakers C into two parts, one of which is pivoted on a hinge b and so
adjusted that, in the thrashing of plants for fodder, it will conduct the
falling blossom heads on to the shaking sieves E arranged above the second
beater drum G, whilst in the thrashing of corn the latter will pass directly
to the bottom of the large shaking box U;
(c) by the employment of the second beater drum G, which being arranged
above the bottom of the large shaking box U, throws on to the latter the
products which it receives in consequence of the centrifugal action.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.