IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THRASHING AND DRESSING CORN
Year: 1848

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
ORBELL PALMER, of Southam, near Swaffham, in the County of Norfolk,
Farmer, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of July, in
the twelfth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Walter Orbell Palmer, my exors, admors
and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Walter Orbell Palmer, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I; the said Walter Orbell Palmer, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, 'exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
THRASHING AND DRESSING CORN;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Walter Orbell Palmer, should cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of. Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Walter Orbell Palmer, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked 5
thereon, that is to say
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 show two opposite side clevations of a machine for thrash-
ing and dressing corn; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section; Figure 4 is an
end view; and Figure 5 is a transverse section taken at x, x, Figure 3. In
each of these Figures the same letters are used to indicate similar parts.
A, A, are the seat and foot place where the man sits to feed in the corn to
be thrashed. B is the thrashing beater; C is a small straw shaker. Dis
the large straw shaker. F is an endless band on to which the corn as it is
thrashed out falls, and by which the corn is carried into the trough or
receiver G, and from which the corn is lifted by the endless chain of buckets
H, by which the corn is thrown on to the inclined board K, from which it
falls into the dressing machine; and I would state, that the thrashing machine
and the dressing machino are similar to what have heretofore been used, and
therefore separately they are not claimed by me as new. J is the wheel for
driving the dressing machine. L is a sieve for separating the short straws
from the corn. M is a roller for assisting the separation of the short straw.
N is the hopper of the dressing machine. O is the. flyer of the dressing
machine. P is the screen which receives the dressed corn. Motion is com-
municated to the machinery by two drums or pulleys and endless bands
driven by a steam engine or other power. The band (1) gives motion to the
axis o, which drives the flyer or fan O, and the strap or band (2) gives motion
to the axis of beaters B, and from the axes of these instruments the other
motions are derived by straps and apparatus, as shewn in the Drawings.
Thus, from the axis o motion is communicated by strap (3) to the small
shakers C, and from its axis, by a cross band (4), motion is communicated to
the straw shaker D, and from its axis motion is communicated to the axis Q
of the upper roller of the endless chain of buckets; and from this axis, by
means of a band (5) motion is communicated to the endless belt F, moved
by the roller R, this endless belt being of strong canvass or other suitable
material, and to which I apply rods of wire (by sowing) transversely, so
as to keep the belt distended in width. The fan of the dressing machine
is driven by means of the strap (1) giving motion to the axis o, which
by a bevilled cog wheel gives motion to the axis of the fan, as shown; and

page_text: the axis of the fan gives motion to the riddle for separating the short straw
and chaff from the corn. This riddle is mounted on two springs T, T, and
the front part is raised and lowered quickly by the connecting rod U, which
receives motion from the crank on the axis of the fan or flyer O, the upper
part of the connecting rod being attached to the lever V, on the other end
of which is attached a strap W, which at its lower end is attached to the
middle of a bar affixed across the outer end of the riddle L, by which means
the outer end of the riddle receives a quick up-and-down motion; and the
effect of this motion is made capable of regulation by the springs Y carried
by the bar X, on which the outer end of the riddle beats. By this arrange-
ment the short straw is separated from the corn before the corn descends into
the dressing machine.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would remark, that I do not confine myself to
the details herein described, so long as the peculiar character of my Invention
be retained; but what I claim is the so combining of a threshing machine
with a dressing machine, that the corn being thrashed out shall be moved by
suitable apparatus towards the dressing machine, and then elevated in manner
described, and passing through the dressing machine.
And I also claim the mode of applying of a riddle, as above explained, for
separating the short straw from the corn before it passes into the dressing
machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Orbell Palmer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand night hundred and forty-nine
WALTER ORBELL (L.s.) PALMER.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Ninth day of January, in the
year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid Walter Orbell Palmer came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand