Improvements in Apparatus for making up Trusses of Straw.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for making up Trusses of Straw.
I, NOEL PILLOY, of Court St. Etienne, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The apparatus which forms the subject of the present invention, and which
is to be adapted to a thrashing machine, has for its object to present automati-
cally to the attendant who binds, the trusses of straw properly formed of even
weight and volume.
At the front of the thrashing machine, is arranged a horizontal shaft, fitted
along its whole length with rods or arms forming a series of star wheels, in the
arms of which falls the straw advanced by the usual straw shakers, after having
been deprived of the grain.
These straw shakers are provided with rounded fins of wood, serving to suitably
forward the straw, and they may be furnished on their edges with points, which
facilitate the forward movement of the straw.
Further, at their under edges, these fins are formed so as to press down the
straw of the truss being formed on the arms.
The ends of the shaft enter boxes suitably attached to the sides of the thrash-
ing machine, and which are intended to contain gearing, which is thus preserved
from clogging with dust and dirt.
At one end, the shaft turns in a block or bearing supported by a spring
blade, which allows it to descend when the proper weight of straw has collected
on a set of arms. A coiled spring which can be compressed at will, serves for
regulating the stiffness of the blade, according to the weight it is desired to give
the truss of straw.
Close to the bearing is a star wheel mounted on the shaft, the arms of which
strike one after the other against a fixed stop.
When the straw has fallen on the arms in sufficient quantity to constitute a
truss, the pressure of the fins, added to the weight of the straw, deflects the
blade to the point, when the star wheel is no longer retained by the stop. The
shaft thus freed, makes a quarter turn, and the truss of straw falls onto the
receiver, from which the attendant whose duty it is to bind, removes it, notice
of its presence on the receiver having been given by the sounding of a bell.
At the opposite end, the shaft carries another star wheel, against which rests
the long arm of a bell-crank lever, the shorter arm of which is in the form of,
or is provided with, a toothed sector.

page_text: When under the weight of a truss of straw, the shaft makes a quarter turn;
the star wheel leaves the lever, which, by its weight, and that of the prongs
mounted on a rod, makes a forward movement, and works pinions, which operate
the rod with its prongs. These latter hold back the fresh supply of straw being
brought forward by the shakers, and prevent it falling on the already formed
truss.
The following arm of the star wheel, as it comes round, strikes against the lever,
and causes the parts to take up their normal position again, to permit the forma-
tion of a fresh truss of straw.
A spring aids in raising the lever, which is formed at the lower end of the
long arm with an elbow, which catches the end of the arm, and prevents the shaft
turning backwards.
Thus, by means of this elbow on the one part, and of the star wheel at the other
end, on the other part, the shaft is securely held during the formation of the truss
of straw, and prevented from turning in either direction.
Blades or fins suitably suspended in front of the shaft, retain the truss of straw
being formed on the arms.
The position of the fins can be regulated, according to the desired volume of
the truss, by means of a sector, or curved guide and pins.
A plank or door prevents the dust from blowing on the attendant during the
thrashing.
The advantages of this arrangement can be summed up as follows:-
(a), Equality in the volume and weight of the trusses;
(6) Facility in storing the straw, by reason of the regularity of the trusses; and,
from this fact, economising space;
(c) Considerable reduction in the hand work, which is both difficult and
fatiguing.
Dated this 28th day of October 1899
Improvements in Apparatus for making up Trusses of Straw.
I, NOËL PILLOY, of Court St. Etienne, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manu-
facturer, 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:-
The apparatus which forms the subject of the present invention, and which
is to be adapted to a thrashing machine, has for its object to present automati-
cally to the attendant who 'binds the trusses of straw properly formed of even
weight and volume.
At the front of the thrashing machine is arranged a horizontal shaft A, fitted
along its whole length with rods or arms B, forming a series of star wheels, on
the arms of which falls the straw advanced by the usual straw shakers C, after
having been deprived of the grain
These straw shakers are provided with rounded fins of wood c, serving to suitably
forward the straw, and they may be furnished on their edges with points c', which
facilitate the forward movement of the straw.
Further, at their under edges these fins are formed so as to press down the straw
of the truss being formed on the arms B.

page_text: The ends of the shaft A enter boxes D D suitably attached to the sides of the
thrashing machine, and which are intended to contain gearing, which is thus
preserved from clogging with dust and dirt.
At one end, the shaft A turns in a block or bearing E, carried by a cross
piece e of the frame, and, at the other end, the shaft turns in a bearing F, sup-
ported by a spring blade G (see Fig. 5), which allows it to descend, when the
proper weight of straw has collected on a set of arms B.
A coiled spring g, which can be compressed at will, serves for regulating the
stiffness of the blade G, according to the weight it is desired to give the truss
of straw.
Close to the bearing F, is a star wheel H, mounted on the shaft A, the arms
of which strike one after the other against a fixed stop I (see Fig. 6).
When there is no weighing to be effected, the star wheel will be in the posi-
tion indicated at Fig. 3 with respect to the stop.
When the straw has fallen on the arms B in sufficient quantity to constitute
a truss, the pressure of the fins c, added to the weight of the straw, deflects the
blade G to the point when the star wheel H, being in the position indicated at
Fig. 6 with respect to the stop, is no longer retained by the stop I.
The shaft thus freed makes a quarter turn, and the truss of straw falls onto
the receiver J, from which the attendant, whose duty it is to bind, removes it,
notice of its presence on the receiver having been given by the sounding of a
bell.
At its opposite end, the shaft A carries another star wheel K, against which
rests the long arm of a bell-crank lever L, the shorter arm of which is in the form
of, or is provided with, a toothed sector.
When under the weight of a truss of straw the shaft A makes a quarter turn;
the star wheel K leaves the lever L, which, by its weight, and that of the
mounted on the rod M, makes a forward movement, and works the pinions m, m³,
N,
prongs
which operate the rod M with its prongs N. These latter hold back the fresh
supply of straw, being brought forward by the shakers, and prevent it falling on
the already formed truss.
The following arm of the star wheel K, as it comes round, strikes against the
lever L, and causes the parts L, M, N, to take up their normal position again,
to permit the formation of a fresh truss of straw.
A spring aids in raising the lever L, which is formed, at the lower end of the
long arm, with an elbow, which catches the end of the arm, and prevents the
shaft turning backwards.
Thus, by means of this elbow . on the one part, and of the star wheel H, on
the other part, the shaft A is securely held during the formation of the truss of
straw and is prevented from turning in either direction.
Blades or fins P, suitably suspended in front of the shaft A, retain the truss
of straw being formed on the arms B.
The position of the fins P can be regulated, according to the desired volume of
the truss, by means of a sector p or curved guide and pins.
A blank or door Q prevents the dust from blowing on the attendant during the
thrashing.
The advantages of this arrangement can be summed up as follows:-
(a) Equality in the volume and weight of the trusses;
(b) Facility in storing the straw, by reason of the regularity of the trusses; and,
from this fact, economising space:
(c) Considerable reduction in the hand work, which is both difficult and
fatiguing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
In a truss-forming apparatus adapted to a thrashing machine, and in order to

page_text: ensure automatically the fixture of the device on which the truss is formed, while
the same is being formed, and the rotation of this device when the truss is com-
plete, and at the same time preventing additional straw falling on the completed
truss, the combination with the shaft A and its arms B, of the following organs
-a star wheel H, resting against a stop I; a bearing F supported by a spring G,
with regulating screw 9, so as to be capable of inflection; a star wheel K; a
lever L, one end of which gears with pinions m m³, these latter actuating a
rod or axle M, on which are mounted prongs N in front of each straw shaker,
the whole as described and represented in the drawing.
021
1
TI
1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.