IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Chaplin Willsher, of Gracechurch Strect, in
the City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THRASHING MACHINES."
Sealed the 14th June 1872, and dated the 18th December 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Chaplin Willsher
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th December 1871.
I, JOHN CHAPLIN WILLSHER, of Gracechurch Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THRASHING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of the
framing of thrashing machines, and in the arrangement for working the
shakers and screens, the object being to effect an economy in the

page_text: manufacture of the same.
The main portion of the framing I compose
of iron and wood, so combined as to secure stiffness and strength with
the use of little or no skilled, labour for fitting the same together. To
the top sills I fit iron bars so shaped by bending as to-follow-the.desired
outline of the side frames. These bars will by preference take the form
of two inverted arches and form the lower sill and side supports; to
these arches the wheel axles are to be attached. Each side frame is by
preference composed of two flat iron bars set edgewise, and they are
connected together by bolts or rivets running through parting blocks of
wood' or metal. This arrangement is most convenient as the ends of
the stay bars for carrying axle bearings may be run in between the bars.
and form portions of the blocking wherever they occur. The said stay
bars are used to carry the boarding or lining of the framing. The drum
which forms the weightiest portion of the machine is arranged at or near
the junction of the two arches or curves.
When applying the improvements to thrashing machines having a
fan fitted to the drum spindle I avail myself of the use of cast-iron or
metal panels, and employ one of them as a portion of the fan case.
Upon the other half of the fan case I cast on or arrange for a bearing to
receive the drum spindle, thus the fan and drum,come within the,
-bearings and frame of the machine. By the use of these cast-iron panels or
drum heads I can use a drum of greater width than the shakers or other
moving parts of the machine. The panels are so constructed that by
taking out the bolts attaching them to the frame I can remove the drum
with its spindles, concave, and fan endwise, without disturbing any part
of the frame or boarding. The fittings for and the means for adjusting
the concave and for supporting the feed boards of the machine will be
cast with or form a portion of the metal panels.
Instead of having separate crank shafts for working the shakers and
screens, I use one only. This shaft drives the screens in the ordinary
-way through connecting rods, but is placed in such a position as to allow
of the wood shakers being bracketed to the crank couplings. The
movement of the shakers will thus be in the same line as the before-
mentioned connecting rods:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Chaplin Willsher in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th June 1872:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CHAPLIN WILLSHER, of Gracechurch Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Chaplin Willsher, Her special
licence that I, the said John Chaplin Willsher, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Chaplin
Willsher, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THRASHING MACHINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Chaplin Willsher, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
66
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Chaplin Willsher, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-

page_text: framing of thrashing machines, and in the arrangement for working the
shakers and screens, the object being to effect an economy in the manu-
facture of the same. The main portion of the framing is composed of
iron and wood, so combined as to secure stiffness and strength, and but
little or no skilled labor is required for fitting the same together.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of
part of a thrashing machine with my improvements adapted thereto;
Fig. 2, Sheet II., is a longitudinal vertical section of the same; and
Fig. 3, Sheet III., is a transverse vertical section taken in the line 1, 2,
of Fig. I.
To the top sills a, a, I fit the iron bars b, b, b, b, which are so shaped
by bending as to follow the desired outline of the side frames. These
bars 6, b, will by preference take the form of two inverted arches, as
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, and form the lower sill and side supports of the
framing. To this arched framing b, b, the carriages or framings for the
wheel axles c, c, are to be attached. Each of the curved side frames b
is by preference composed of two flat iron bars set edgewise, as shewn at
Fig. 3; and they are connected together by bolts or rivets running
through parting blocks 6¹ of wood or metal. This arrangement is most
convenient as the ends of the stay bars for carrying the axle bearings may
be run in between the bars b, b, and form portions of the blocking
Wherever they occur. Similar stay bars or uprights d, d, Fig. 1, are
used to carry the boarding or lining e, e, of the framing. The drum f
which forms the weightiest portion of the machine is arranged at or near
the junction of the two arches or curves of the bars b, as shewn at Fig. 2,
and by dots in Figure 1, and is supported in bearings fixed in the
panels 9, 9, which are bolted to the woodwork of the framing.
"
When applying the improvements to-thrashing machines having a
fan h fitted to the drum spindle, as shewn at Fig. 3, and by dots at
Fig. 1; I make use of one of the cast-iron or metal panels g, g, Figures 1
and 3, as a portion of the fan case, as shewn in section at Fig. 3. Upon
the other half of the fan case I cast or arrange for a bearing g' to receive
the drum spindle, thus the fan and drum are both brought within the
bearings and frame of the machine. By the use of these cast-iron
-panels g, or drum heads I can use a drum of greater width than the
3

page_text: ٠٢١٠٠٠
shakers or other moving parts of the machine. The panels g, g, are SO
constructed that by removing the pulley p.and fan h, Fig. 3, and taking
out the bolts whereby one of the panels g, g, is attached to the frame, as
shewn in the Drawing, I can remove the drum with its spindle and
concave end wise without disturbing any other part of the frame or
boarding. The fittings i, i, and other means for adjusting the concave j,
Fig. 2, and for supporting the feed boards k, k, of the machine will be
connected with and form a portion of the metal panels so that they can
all be removed together.
The straw shakers are shewn at 1, 1, Fig. 2, and the screens at m, m.
Instead of having separate crank shafts for working the shakers and
screens I use one shaft n. This shaft n passes through the blocks m³, m³,
affixed to the under side of the shakers and also connected to the screen,
so that it drives the screens by means of the connecting rods o, o. The
cranks are arranged in such a position on the shaft as to allow of the
wooden shakers 1, 2, being bracketed to the crank couplings or blocks m', m².
The movement of the shakers 1, 1, will thus be in the same line as the
connecting rods o, o. In Fig. 3 the running wheels q, q, are shewn in
the position they would occupy in relation to the body of the machine,
but the parts for connecting the thrashing machine to the running wheels
are not shewn in this Figure as they form no part of the Invention.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the con-
struction of thrashing machines, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid,—
First. Constructing the framing of thrashing machines of curved
metal bars either alone or in combination with wood filling pieces, as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
Second. I claim mounting the thrashing drum shaft in bearings
attached to panels which are capable of being detached from the rest of
the framing, so that such panels with the drum and other parts connected
therewith may be removed without interfering with the rest of the
frame. I also claim the mode herein set forth of constructing or

page_text: Third. I claim the construction, arrangement, and combination of
parts for communicating motion to the shakers and screens.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Chaplin -Willsher, have here-
unto set my hand and, seal, the Eighteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JOHN C. WILLSHER. (L.S.)