IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES, AND IN STRAW ELEVATORS TO BE USED THEREWITH.”
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Middleton, of East Dereham, in the County of
Norfolk, Agricultural Engineer, and Percival Everitt, of Great Ryburgh, in
the same County, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THRASHING MACHINES, AND IN STRAW ELEVATORS TO BE USED THEREWITH.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Middleton and
Percival Everitt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st April
1880.
CHARLES MIDDLETON, of East Dereham, in the County of Norfolk, Agricultural
Engineor, and PERCIVAL EVERITT, of Great Ryburgh, in the same County,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES, AND IN STRAW ELEVATORS
TO BE USED THEREWITH."
The object of this Invention is to elevate the straw delivered from thrashing
machines and deliver it at once onto the stack as it is being built up.
In adapting the Invention to thrashing machines in the course of construction
we substitute our improved elevator for the straw shakers at present in use. Thus
we make a grid of any required length, constructing it of parallel bars, which run
lengthwise of the machine, and for the convenience of transport we joint this grid
transversely at about the middle of its length to allow it to fold down or over, as
may be preferred.
This grid we fix in close proximity to the "concave," so that it may receive the
straw as it is delivered by the drum or beater.
The foot of this grid will be carried by horizontal pivot pins, and it may be
convenient to fit these pins to a swivel frame.
By thus arranging this grid it will be not only capable of elevation to any
required angle but also of adjustment laterally to enable it to distribute the straw
as it is discharged from the upper end thereof.
Below each division of the grid we fit a series of tine bars, the tines of which
are intended to work between the fixed bars of the grid and advance the straw
from the foot to the extreme end of the grid when the latter is elevated for work.

page_text: These bars are made in such a form as will retain the straw from falling back into
the machine. These bars may receive a rising and falling and endway motion
from rotating crank shafts driven by bands or other means from the main driving
shaft of the machine, and they will thus carry up the straw, shaking it throughout
its course by lifting it up from and dropping it onto the grid. This action of the 5
tine bars will serve effectually to disengage any ears or corn that may be contained
in the straw, thereby leaving the same free to fall through the grid onto boards
prepared to receive the corn and guide it back to the machine.
This construction of elevator wo propose to use as an independant machine,
using it in conjunction with thrashing machines of the ordinary type. For this 1
purpose we mount it upon a carriage, which may be attached to and caused to
travel with the thrashing machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Middleton and Percival Everitt in the Grent Seal Patent
Office on the 1st October 1880.
CHARLES MIDDLETON, of East Dereham, in the County of Norfolk, Agricultural
Engineer, and PERCIVAL EVERITT, of Great Ryburgh, in the same County,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES, AND IN STRAW ELEVATORS
TO BE USED THEREWITH."
The object of this Invention is to elevate the straw delivered from thrashing
machines and deposit it at once on the stack as it is being built up.
In adapting the Invention to thrashing machines in the course of construction
we substitute our improved elevator for the straw shakers at present in use.
In the accompanying Drawing we have shown at Fig. 1 in sido elevation, partly
in section, a thrashing machine with the improved elevator adapted thereto, and
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the clevator.
A is the thrashing machine and B the elevator.
This elevator consists of a longitudinal rectangular closed frame, in which is
fixed a grid composed of parallel bars a provided with tincs a', and extending
from end to end of the frame, and situate about midway of the depth of the frame.
The elevator is pivotted at its foot to the thrashing machine, and it is supported at
any required elevation by means of a pair of segment racks b and pinions c. These
pinions are mounted on a shaft d having its bearings in the side of the machine,
and carrying a worm wheel, into which gears a worm e fitted with a crank handlo
for turning it. The elevator frame is closed at its underside by planking f, and at
its upper side by sheet iron g; the ends of the elevator are however open.
Mounted below the grid in bearings in the side frames of the machine and in
bearings on the sides of the elevator frame respectively are crank shafts h, h¹, to
the cranks of which are attached tine bars i, i, i, which are intended to work
between the parallel bars of the grid and carry upwards the straw received into
the elevator from the "concavo "and traverso it forward, so as to discharge it at
the upper end of the elevator. The crank shaft serves also as the fulcrum on
which the clevator turns. The tinc bars i, i, are connected together by cross bars
,, which are furnished with brushes on their undersido for the purpose of
sweeping down any corn that may be received onto and lie upon the planking f
which forms the underfaco of the elevator.
The crank shafts are driven by bands or other means from the main driving
shaft of the machine, and they communicate a rising and falling and endway
motion to the tine bars i, i. The tine bars i, i, will thus be caused to carry up the
straw, shaking it throughout its course by lifting it up from and dropping it onto
the grid. This action of the tine bars i, i, will serve effectually to disengage any
grains of corn that may be contained in the straw, thereby leaving the same free
to fall through the grid onto the planking f.
On the return motion of the tine bars the brushes on the cross bars & will
sweep over the planking, and thus carry down any corn that may lie thereon and
discharge it from the elevator.
By the above described arrangement of shaking mechanism the ordinary shakers
of thrashing machines are dispensed with.
We may remark that it may be convenient to mount the elevator upon a swivel
frame, so as to permit of its receiving lateral adjustment to enable it to distribute
the straw as it is discharged onto the stack.
Fig. 3 represents in side elevation, partly in section, our improved elevator
constructed for use as an independent machine to be employed in conjunction with
thrashing machines of the ordinary type. For this purpose the elevator B is
mounted upon a suitable wheel carriago C, which may be attached to and caused

page_text: to travel with the thrashing machine. The elevator, it will be seen, is mounted
upon the crank shaft h, so as to be free to rock thereon, and this shaft is carried
by bearings in the carriago framing.
If desired, for convenience of transport, the clevator may be jointed transversely
at about the middle of its length to allow it to be folded down or over, as may be
preferred. This joint must however occur in advance of the crank shaft h', and
any convenient means may be employed to raise the elevator to the required
height.
Having now described the nature of our Invention for "Improvements in
Thrashing Machines, and in Straw Elevators to be Used therewith," and explained
-the-manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited-Letters-Patent we claim,—
First. Constructing thrashing machines with a combined straw-elevator_and
shaking apparatus, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the
shakers hitherto employed in thrashing machines are dispensed with, and the straw
can be delivered directly onto the stack, as set forth.
Second. The construction and arrangement of straw elevator, as illustrated in
Fig. 3 of the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Percival Everitt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
PERCIVAL EVERITT. (L.S.)