VARIOUS FURTHER IMPROVE- MENTS ON AN ENGINE OR MACHINE FOR SEPARATING CORN SEEDS AND PULSE FROM THE STRAW AND CHAFF
Year: 1807

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LESTER, of Paddington Green, in the Parish of Paddington, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-first day of November, in the forty-eighth year of
His reign, give and grant unto me, the said William Lester, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, His special licence, full power and authority,
that I, the said William Lester, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, during the term
of fourteen years therein mentioned, within that part of our United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the Dominion of Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "VARIOUS FURTHER IMPROVE-
MENTS ON AN ENGINE OR MACHINE FOR SEPARATING CORN SEEDS AND PULSE FROM
THE STRAW AND CHAFF;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said William Lester, by an instrument in writing
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 performed, to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said William
Lester, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described in the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and in the following description thereof, that is to say:—
A, the frame. Figure 1, the board on which the feeder of the machine
stands. Fig. 2, the part that supports the hopper or straw shake. 3, 3, the
bars of the cylinder chairs. B, B, the cylinder chairs. Fig. 1, 1, the oil box
or bed for the friction rollers, on which the cylinder axis revolves. 2, 2, the
beds or chairs for the crank axis. 3, 3, ditto for the fluted roller that conducts
the corn upon the cylinder. 4, 4, ditto for the lower feeding roller. 5, 5, ditto
for the upper feeding roller, which rests at liberty, so as to rise when the corn
passes thicker than what the space betwixt them would otherwise admit of.
6, 6, 6, 6, sections of the friction rollers, the axis of which do not come quite
through the bosses that are projecting on each side to give them a longer
bearing, and to make them air-tight. 7, 7, 7, 7, pulley wheels over which the
lines or ropes pass that suspend the weights that bear up the 3d and 4th
frictors. 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, sliding segments on which the ends of the
frictors rest, and which are elevated and depressed by the nuts and screws
attached to them, similar to C, C, C, in my former Letters Patent. 9, 9, two
moveable bars to be taken out to permit the cylinder axis to be laid in its
beds; these chairs are fixed to the frame by four strong bolts with nuts and
screws. C, Sheet the First, the cylinder. Fig. 1, the axis, with its rings that
support the covering, Sheet the 2d, C, Fig. 2, covered with segments of
plank, and turned in it chairs, and then cloathed with inverted V segments of
cast iron, their angular points revolving foremost, similar to B in my former
Patent. 3d, a segment of the cylinder. 4th, the wheel to which the power
that drives it is communicated, which should revolve from 3 to 400 times per
minute, some corn requiring more velocity than others, which is varied by
putting on a greater or less wheel. 5, the wheel which drives the crank axis.
6 the wheel that drives the large fluted roller when the thrashing part of the
machine is worked without the separator. D, the upper or first frictor.
Fig. 1, 1, brackets that fill up the space below the axis of the lower feeding
roller to prevent the corn from flying out of the chamber. 2, 2, vertical
segments with inverted V or angular points which meet the points on the
cylinder, giving an oblique rub, which frictors cut the corn from the ear. These
V being concavo on their sharp side fit the convexity of the sharp side of the
cylinder segments, the space betwixt which is varied by the raising or lowering
of the segments 8, 8, &c., in the cylinder chairs B, B, for the different kinds
of corn. The A or angular points may be set nearer or further from each
other both on the frictors and cylinder. Fig. 3, a plate of iron fixed obliquely

page_text: to conduct the corn betwixt the cylinder and frictors. 4, a segment of the
lower frictor. E, the second frictor. F, the third frictor. Fig. 1, 1, the
holes in which the rope is fastened to keep it suspended by the weight of cast
iron or stone. 2, 2, G, the fourth or lower frictor. Fig. 1, 1, the holes for
the ropes as above, at the other ends of which are hung the weights 3, 3.
Fig. 4, a plate of sheet iron curved over the upper edge of the hopper or
straw shake M, to conduct the corn into the lower recess or bonnet L, from
whence it falls upon the grating N. HI, the largo fluted or conducting roller
made of wood and fluted shallow. Fig. 1, A, spur wheel with a rim which
drives the pinion on the lower feeding roller, on the back of which is cast a
pinion which drives the upper roller. I, the feeding rollers fluted shallow,
which convey the corn from the feeder into the chamber upon the large
roller H. J, the feeding board. Fig. 1, the receiving part where the sheaf
is opened. 2, where the feeder presents the corn parallel to the rollers. K,
the chamber which covers the large roller and receives the corn from the
feeding rollers, from which it is drawn upon the cylinder. L, the bonnet that
forms the lower recess into which the corn and straw is discharged from the
cylinder, from which they fall upon the grating. N, Fig. 1, a small wheel
that runs upon the rope that drives the larger roller H. This, wheel rises or
falls as the rope contracts or expands from the dryness or wetness of the
atmosphere. M, the hopper or straw shake which divides the straw from the
corn. Fig. 1, the centre on which it hangs. 2, the stem that receives the end
of the lever that communicates with the crank, by which the hopper is shaken
to discharge the corn and straw. 3, an opening through which the cavings or
short straw. is discharged over. 4, a mash or sieve made of tin set edgeways,
forming square holes three quarters of an inch deep and three quarters square,
which prevents the straw from pitching endways and locking or choaking.
5, the mouth of the hopper, down which the corn and chaff is shook into the
recess 1 at O. N, the front view of the hopper or straw shake. Fig. 1, bars
of wood brought up to an axis edge in front, and 2 inch deep, to prevent the
straw from pitching endways and locking or choaking. 2, a projecting inclosed
box, which forms the upper part of the air conductor P. O, the fan box.
Fig. 1, the recess that receives the corn and chaff from the mouth of the
hopper M, which they fall into the air conductor P, through which the chaff is
blown into the chaff conductor R, the corn falling according to its gravity
into the divider 2. Fig. 2, the floor of the mouth 3, which is sunk down to
admit the projecting slide Fig. 1 on the divider 2. 4, a sliding door to
regulate the current of air. P, the air conductor which encloses and supports
the divider 2 with its regular Fig. 2. Fig. 4, 4, fitting to 4, 4, on the fan

page_text: box O. 1, the wheel and axis U. 2, 2, the chair. Q, the corn divider.
Fig. 1, the projecting slide which slides into the sunken floor 2 at the mouth 3,
at the fan box O. Fig. 2, the regulator which slides within the air conductor
P, and sets the divider nearer or further from the recess 1 on the fan box O
to divide light from heavy corn. 3, the thumb screw. 4, the board, the half
of which is cut off to shew the screw. 5, 5, the hook and bed where the
divider is hung on the regulating frame. 6, the check bar that prevents the
slide 1 from being thrown too high by the teat or lip on the axis U which
strikes against Fig. 7, lifting that part of the divider once in one revolution.
8, the 'first division or plate where the best corn falls, which runs down upon
the sieve 9, through which it is shook upon a screen, shewn in V, Fig. 20, and
then falls out at 10, the chubings, lumps of earth, stone, &c. &c., that will
not pass through the sieve, falls down the tube 11 and out at 12. Fig. 13,
the second division or place where the tailings or hinder ends fall down and
out at Fig. 15, Sheet the 1st, Letter Q. Fig. 14, a plate of iron that is raised
or lowered as the corn is light or heavy, and held in its place with a thumb
screw. R, the chaff conductor which is fixed with hasp and staple to the large
end of p, Fig. 1, where the chaff fly out. S, the crank axis. Fig. 1, the
first wheel which drives the fan axis. 2, the second wheel which is drove by
the wheel Fig. 5 on the cylinder axis. 3, the third wheel which drives the
wheel Fig. 1 on the large fluted roller H. 4, 4, the cranks which work or
give the shaking motion to the hopper M. T, the fan axis. Fig. 1, the fans
of sheet iron. 2, the wheel which is drove by Fig. 1 on the crank axis S.
3, the wheel which drives Fig. 2 on the divider axis U. U, the divider axis.
Fig. 1, the teat or lip which raises and shakes the divider Q. 2, the wheel
which is drove by Fig 3 at T. V, another view of the corn divider. Fig. 1,
the sledge. 6, 6, the check iron. 7, the bed against which the lip or teat
Fig. 1 on the axis U works. 5, the hook that hangs on the regulating
frame. 15, the mouth through which the tailings or hinder ends and light
corn is discharged. 16, ditto, through which the screenings, such as small
seeds, &c. &c., are discharged. These two mouths or outlets, with the others
10 and 12, in Sheet the 2d, Letter Q, discharge their respective contents into
four separate tubes (seen in the Sheet the 3d), through which they fall into
four separate bins under the stage into the sack room. Fig. 17, the place
where the sieve is put in. 18, the button that turns down to keep it in its
place. W, the sieve; there is 4, 5, 6, or more of them for all the different
kinds of corn and seeds, the meshes of them to be of a size sufficient to let
the best of the kind through. X, one of the levers that work on the crank
axis S, which shakes the hopper M. Fig. 1, the collar and brasses which are

page_text: fixed on the cranks 4, 4. 2, the hole that receives the stem 2 on the hopper
M; the other lever is similar to this. In Sheet 3rd. Y, the lever with a small
wheel at its upper end to keep up the returning rope that drives the crank
axis S, which wheel rises when the rope expands and falls when it contracts.
Z is another lever working on the same axis, whose small wheel hangs upon
the returning rope that divides the fan axis T; this wheel rises when the rope
contracts and falls when it expands. a is a small lever and wheel which keeps
up the returning rope that drives the divider axis U; this lever and wheel
works in the same way as that at Y.
Sheet the Third shews a perspective view of the front of the machine, inclu-
ding a perspective section of part of a sack room, the remainder being omitted
to shew the front of the engine more distinctly, the ceiling or top of which is
level with the foot board. Fig. 1, Letter A. b, a bin to receive the best
corn. c, ditto, to receive the screenings, such as small seeds, &c. &c. &c.
d, ditto, to receive the whites, chubings, small stones, lumps of dirt, &c. &c.
e, ditto, to receive the light corn, tailings, or hinder ends. The tubes that
convey them into the bins are shewn at the bottom of the divider Q by dotted
lines.
Sheet the 1st, Fig. 1st, a perspective front view of the machine without the
cylinder, and a part of the cloathing off to shew the rollers and frictors in
their places more distinctly, also without the chaff conductor, to shew the
inside of the air conductor with the front of the corn divider and the mouth of
the fan box, from whence the current of air passes. Figure the 2d, a perspec-
tive back view of the machine. The Drawings are on a scale of one inch to a
foot.
WILLIAM LESTER. (L.s.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of May, in
the forty-eighth year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Third, the
said William Lester came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery,
and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument