Improvements in Thrashing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1891-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thrashing Machines.
We,
FRANK FRICK LANDIS, of Waynesborough, in the County of Franklin, and
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, and
HERBERT WILLIAM TORR JENNER, of Washington, District of Columbia, United
States of America, Patent Attorney, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines which thrash the grain out of the heads of
wheat or other cereal by means of a rapidly revolving toothed cylinder, and which
subsequently remove the grain from the straw, and separate the thrashed out grain
from the chaff and tailings by means of a series of slatted frames, grooved rolls and
other devices, used in conjunction with a blast of air.
The thrashing cylinder is provided with teeth projecting from its periphery and
is driven at a high speed. The concave is supported under the thrashing cylinder.
This concave is provided with two side plates having curved grooves which are
openended at the front end of the machine. Two crossbars provided with projecting
teeth are slid in the said grooves and are separated by a distance piece for ordinary
work.
These crossbars and distance piece can be arranged in various ways to suit
different sorts of material, or three similar toothed crossbars may be used if
desired.
The
The concave is provided with devices for adjusting each end of it. These
devices consist of similar cams secured upon shafts which are journaled crosswise of
the machine. Ratchet wheels are secured upon these shafts, and pivoted pawls are
provided for engaging with the ratchet teetli and holding the cams in any desired
position after the shafts have been turned by hand to adjust the concave.
front ends of the side plates are provided with openings which engage with the
front cams, and the rear ends may be similarly supported, but for greater con-
venience the cams and their shaft are preferably placed in the upper part of the
cylinder chamber, and the rear ends of the side plates are suspended from the cams
by means of rods. A stop is provided to prevent the concave from moving longi-
tudinally.
.
A perforated plate is provided and has hooked projections which engage with
the front ends of the concave side plates. The front end of the said plate rests
upon round-topped supports secured to the front of the thrashing machine casing.
The plate is provided with a ledge for the bottom of the hopper to rest in, and the
plate rests in an inclined position and adapts itself automatically to movement
every
of the concave.
The sides of the cylinder chamber have bearings in which the cylinder shaft.
revolves, and are provided with curved flanges projecting partly around the
periphery of the cylinder to prevent the straw from getting between the ends of
the cylinder and the sides of the chamber. The hopper throat plates are joined
onto the tops of the curved flanges, and are flared upwardly and outwardly towards
the hopper. The hopper is provided with an inclined bottom, and its rear end
rests in a ledge at the front of the throat plates. The rear portion of the hopper
bottom is made removable and may be tilted up to close the entrance to the cylinder
chamber: The peculiar flaring form of the throat plates and the hopper sides
greatly increases the efficiency of the machine. The double incline on the throat
plates compresses the material at the ends of the cylinder into a mass having the
same density as the material at the middle of the cylinder, and the work of thrashing
is therefore evenly distributed all across the cylinder.

page_text: The grain is beaten out as it passes between the cylinder and the concave, and
the grain and straw fall on a slatted screen secured over one end of the grain pan.
The grain pan is inclined, and is supported by pivoted links. The bottom of the
grain pan is serrated, and a reciprocating motion is imparted to it so that the grain
is caused to travel over its surface.
The straw is taken from the slatted screen by a revolving picker, consisting of a
shaft provided with projecting arms.
Strippers are secured between the picker arms, to prevent the straw from winding
around the picker shaft.
A curved grain deflector is secured in the upper part of the cylinder casing
toward the rear, for throwing forward all the grain which is carried past the inclined
deflecting plate and the partition between the cylinder and the picker. A curved
guide plate extends from the bottom of the grain deflector over the top of the
cylinder, and thence forwardly, at a tangent, to the dirt deflector. The dirt
deflector extends crosswise between the sides of the cylinder chamber, and prevents
the current of small broken grains, dirt and wind from splashing out of the feed
opening of the machine.
Two beaters are provided behind the picker. These beaters consist of plates
arranged in the shape of a cross and secured upon similar shafts. The plates are
intercurrent, the tops of the plates of one beater coming midway between the tops
of the plates of the other beater as the said beaters are revolved.
Toothed wheels of equal diameter are secured on the beater shafts and gear into
each other so that the beater plates are kept in the same relative position and the
beaters revolve with equal speed. Motion is imparted to the beaters from a toothed
wheel on the picker shaft and an intermediate idle wheel. The straw is pressed
and beaten between the beaters to facilitate the subsequent removal of the grain
from it.
A revolving fork is secured on a shaft journaled in the machine behind the
beaters. This fork consists of an open frame provided with crossbars and
projecting teeth. The teeth catch the straw from between the beaters and throw
it downwardly and rearwardly onto the front shaker.
A toothed wheel is secured on the shaft of the fork, and the fork is driven at
twice the speed of the beaters by means of the said wheel and an idle wheel gearing
therewith and with the toothed wheel on the shaft of the upper beater. The fork
makes two revolutions to each revolution of the beaters, and the beaters have twice
as many plates as the fork has crossbars. A toothed crossbar is presented opposite
cach discharge passage, between the beaters, formed by the opposed receding plates.
The teeth drag forward the bunch of straw with increased velocity, and loosen and
drag apart the straw so that the grain may fall out of it freely.
This
The straw from the beaters and fork falls on the front or first shaker.
shaker consists of a series of longitudinal bars provided with ratchet teeth for
causing the straw to be carried to the rear, and with a series of inclined slats.
The inclination of these slats increases from the front to the rear of the first
shaker.
The second shaker is constructed of longitudinal bars and cross slats similar to
the first shaker, and is arranged behind and below the first shaker. The slats of
the second shaker decrease in inclination from the front to the rear instead of
increasing.
The rear end of the first shaker and the front end of the second shaker are
carried by the cranks of the crankshaft journaled in the machine casing, and
revolved by means of a belt pulley secured on a crankshaft outside the casing.
The front end of the first shaker and the rear end of the second shaker are
supported by pivoted links. A very peculiar motion is imparted to the shakers by
the cranks. At the front end of the first shaker, where the slats are slightly
inclined, this motion is a simple longitudinal reciprocation in a circular arc.
the rear end of the first shaker, where the slats have a great inclination, the motion
is elliptical, and the greatest movement is in a diagonal direction and toward the
5.8
At

page_text: second shaker. Intermediate points on the shaker have different motions, and the
inclination of the slats is arranged to increase in proportion to the increase of
the upward or tossing motion. This peculiar construction prevents the grain which
falls from the straw and strikes on the slats, from rebounding upwardly off the
slats and again becoming entangled with the straw. The grain falls between the
slats, and the straw is shaken up, turned over, and carried to the rear.
The rear end of the second shaker overhangs its supporting links for about one
third of the full length of the shaker. The action of the second shaker is very
much like that of the first shaker. At the rear end the motion is both tossing and
longitudinally reciprocating, and is in an upward and forward direction. At the
extreme rear end the motion is chiefly longitudinal, but there is also some tossing
motion, but the direction of the movement is the reverse of that at the front end
of the shaker. A gatherboard provided with forwardly projecting serrations is
secured at the rear end of the second shaker instead of open slats. Over the links
the motion of the second shaker is practically a simple longitudinal reciprocation
in a circular arc, and the slats are arranged with very little inclination over the
said links. The straw which falls upon the front end of the second shaker is
tossed, turned over and carried rearwardly until it comes over the links where it is
merely shaken. At the extreme rear end of the second shaker the straw is again
tossed and is turned over in the reverse direction, and the grain which falls from
it is carried forward under the straw by the serrated gatherboard, and is discharged
through the slats. The longitudinal motion of the straw is continuous toward the
but it is slow at the extreme rear end of the shaker because it is there tossed
and turned over in the reverse direction, and the propelling action of the ratchet
teeth of the longitudinal bars is partially neutralized. The straw is delivered out
of the rear end of the machine to the straw stacker in the usual manner.
rear,
Motion is imparted to the various parts of the machine from a pulley on the fan
shaft, by means of a belt. This belt passes over a belt pulley journaled on a pin
projecting from the machine casing. A toothed pinion on the hub of this last said
pulley gears into a toothed wheel secured on the picker shaft, and revolves the
picker, the beaters, and the revolving fork as hereinbefore described. The belt
also passes over a tension pulley, and over a pulley for revolving the grain cleaning
devices, and around a pulley on the straw stacker shaft. The belt pulley which
revolves the crankshaft which operates the two shakers is arranged to bear against
the belt both at the top and bottom.
The links which support the rear end of the second shaker also support and
vibrate a gatherboard for the grain and chaff below the second shaker. The front
end of this gatherboard is carried by links pivoted to the sides of the machine.
The gatherboard is provided with forwardly projecting serrations on its bottom,
and the upward and forward motion of those parts of the front links to which the
gatherboard is connected carries the grain and chaff along the gatherboard after
they fall through the second shaker, and discharges them upon the grain screen.
The grain pan, hereinbefore mentioned, extends partway under the first shaker,
and receives its longitudinal motion from the lower ends of the pivoted links which
support the front end of the said first shaker. The front end of the grain pan is
supported by links pivoted to the casing of the machine. The grain pan receives
all the grain, chaff and broken heads which fall on it from the picker, beaters and
the first shaker, and discharges them onto the front end of the grain screen.
The grain screen is provided with sides for retaining the material on its surface,
and is supported at the rear end by the links which support the rear end of the
second shaker. These links also give it its longitudinal vibrating motion. The
grain screen has preferably a slight downward inclination towards the rear, and its
front end is supported by links pivoted to the machine casing. Longitudinal
ratchet bars are provided for causing the material discharged upon the screen to
travel over its surface, and the sides may also be provided with ratchet shaped
notches if desired.

page_text: heads so that they do not fall between the roll and the flutes, but are tilted sidewise
and carried over the roll. The notches also help to carry the heads over the roll.
The spiral grooves might be made continuous from one end of the roll to the other,
but they are preferably right and left handed so as to work the material away from
the center of the roll, where it is apt to be most plentiful, and spread it evenly all
across the roll.
A lower grain plate, also provided with a fluted plate, is secured in front of
the lower cleaning roll, in a similar manner to the grain plate just described.
An adjustable retaining plate is secured to two plates which are pivoted to the
side plates, in front of the lower grain plate, and the said two plates have curved
slots so that when they have been adjusted to secure the retaining plate at any
desired angle, they may be secured to the side plates by thumbscrews passing
through the said slots.
The grain and tailings heap up upon the lower grain plate and the retaining
plate, and the adjustment of the retaining plate adapts the device to different sorts
of grain which slide at different angles.
The grain falling from the upper fluted plate is cleaned from dirt by the blast
and slides off the front side of the heap, and the tailings and the remaining grain
fall from the upper roll onto the rear side of the heap and are operated on by the
second fluted plate and roll.
A third grain plate is secured between the side plates, behind and below the
second grooved roll. A toothed comb is adjustably secured to the third grain plate
by means of thumbscrews which pass through slots in the comb.
A triangular dividing bar is secured to wedge-shaped end brackets which are
dropped into correspondingly shaped recesses in the side plates, so that the apex of
the bar comes under the points of the teeth of the comb, and so that the bar may
be easily removed. The object in making the dividing bar removable, is, to permit
a screen to be inserted in its place when timothy or other similar small seed is being
cleaned. The comb is made adjustable because the dividing bar is supported by
the side plates which also support the comb, and the distance between the teeth of
the said comb and the apex of the dividing bar could not otherwise be varied.
The remaining grain falls between the teeth of the comb, and slides off the front
side of the dividing bar. The tailings slide off the rear side of the dividing bar,
and fall into the tailings spout.
The distance between the fluted plates and the cleaning rolls is adjusted to suit
different sorts of grain by means of rods, from the rear ends of which the before-
mentioned bosses project. The front ends of these rods are pivoted to two levers
secured on a shaft journaled crosswise of the machine. A handle is secured to the
end of this shaft outside the casing, and is secured in any desired position, (by
means of a thumbscrew which passes through a curved slot in a plate secured to the
casing,) after the shaft has been turned to adjust the distance between the fluted
plates and the rolls.
A gatherboard is pivoted to the casing by means of links below the above-
described grain cleaning devices, and a screen of perforate material is secured
above the said gatherboard and adapted to vibrate with it.
The grain slides off the screen and falls into the grain spout, and the fine heavy
dirt and very small seeds, such as grass seeds, which pass through the screen, slide
down the gatherboard.
The gatherboard is provided with an opening across its lower end near the grain
spont, and a tilting guide slat is pivoted in brackets secured to the gatherboard
under the said opening. Thrashermen do not usually trouble to remove the fine
dirt and grass seed from the grain, and the guide slat is usually set to throw these
small seeds into the grain spout. Whenever it is thought desirable to remove these
small seeds from the grain, the guide slat is tilted over on its pivots and the grass
seed is allowed to accumulate in a heap on the ground at the rear of the grain
spout.
The gatherboard and screen are vibrated longitudinally by means of eccentric

page_text: rods, and eccentrics secured upon the shaft of the straw stacker and elevator, to
which motion is imparted as before described.
A shaking shoe is supported on upwardly and rearwardly inclined guides behind
the cleaning devices. The bottom of this shoe is provided with serrations for
causing the material which falls upon it to be carried over its surface, and is
discharged out of the rear of the machine.
A space is left in front of the shoe, through which the tailings fall into the
tailings spout. The tailings which fall into this spout contain unthrashed grain,
and are returned to the thrashing cylinder by an ordinary elevator.
It sometimes happens that when the machine has been running for some time,
heavy rubbish will be repeatedly carried through it. This rubbish consists of
sticks, pieces of cornstalks and other similar matter, and is got rid of by means of a
sliding frame provided with a series of inclined slats. This frame usually rests
the shaking shoe behind the space through which the tailings fall into
the tailings spout. When this frame is pushed forward over the tailings spout, its
slats prevent the rubbish from falling into the spout, and cause it to be carried over
the said space and onto the serrations on the bottom of the shaking shoe; and the
said serrations discharge it out of the rear of the machine.
проп
The said shoe is reciprocated by means of rods attached to the beforementioned
eccentric rods. The inclined guides upon which the shoe rests give it the necessary
tossing motion, which, together with the serrations, causes the material on the shoc
to be carried to the rear.
The tailings spout and the grain spout are pivotally suspended from the casing,
crosswise of the machine, by similar links, and have a reciprocating motion imparted
to them in the following manner:
A horizontal double bell-crank lever is pivoted on a pin projecting vertically
from a fixed supporting beam secured in the lower part of the machine. The
opposite ends of this lever are respectively connected to the grain spout and to the
tailings spout by pivoted rods. The middle arm of the said lever is connected to
one of the aforesaid eccentric rods, (driven by the eccentrics on the straw stacker
shaft,) by means of a connecting rod. These two pivoted rods and the connecting
rod are preferably made of flexible wood, or other similar elastic material, so that
they may be springy enough to form operative connecting rods without a multi-
plicity of pivotal joints and connections.
Dated this 30th day of January 1891.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thrashing Machines.
We, FRANK FRICK LANDIS, of the Town of Waynesborough, in the County of
Franklin, and State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America,
Mechanical Engineer, and HERBERT WILLIAM TORR JENNER, of the City of
Washington, in the District of Columbia, United States of America, Patent
Attorney, do hereby declare the nature of this invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN THRASHING MACHINES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to machines which thrash the grain out of the heads of
wheat, or other cereal, by means of a rapidly revolving toothed cylinder, and which
subsequently remove the grain from the straw, and separate the thrashed out grain
from the chaff and tailings by means of a series of slatted frames, grooved rolls
and other devices, used in conjunction with a blast of air.
377
This invention consists in the novel constructions and combinations of part:
hereinafter fully described and claimed.

page_text: In the drawings:
:
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the machine showing the relative
positions and connection of its various co-operating parts.
Figure 2 is a side view of the machine showing the driving belt, wheels and
pulleys.
The remaining figures show the various parts of the machine in detail and are
drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the thrashing cylinder and the parts
directly co-operating with it.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the same, from above, partly in section.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the front end of the grain pan, from above.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through the two straw-shakers.
Figure 7 is a part plan view of one of the straw-shakers.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section through the grain screen.
Figure 9 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 10 is a cross-section through the grain screen, taken on the line a in
Figure 8.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal section through the cleaning devices.
Figure 12 is an end view of the cleaning devices.
6
Figure 13 is a plan view of the cleaning devices, from above.
2
Figure 14 is a plan view, from above, of the devices for vibrating the discharge
spouts.
Figure 15 is a detail view of the sliding bar for raising the side plates clear of
the cams.
Figure 16 is a longitudinal section through the fan.
Figure 17 is a part plan view of the same.
Figure 18 is a cross-section through the fan.
A is the thrashing cylinder provided with teeth a projecting from its periphery,
and adapted to be driven at a high speed. A' is the concave supported under the
thrashing cylinder. This concave is provided with two side plates a' having 3
curved grooves
which are open-ended at the front end of the machine.
Two crossbars 3 provided with projecting teeth are slid in the said grooves and
are separated by a distance piece 31 for ordinary work. These crossbars and
distance-piece can be arranged in various ways to suit different sorts of material,
or three similar toothed crossbars may be used if desired.
3
The concave is provided with devices for adjusting each .end of it. These
devices consist of similar cams 4 secured upon shafts 4' which are journaled cross-
wise of the machine. Ratchet wheels 5 are secured upon these shafts, and pivoted
pawls 5 are provided for engaging with the ratchet teeth and holding the cams in
any desired position after the shafts have been turned by hand to adjust the 4
concave.
The front ends of the side plates are provided with openings 6 which engage
with the front cams, and the rear ends may be similarly supported, but for greater
convenience the rear cams and their shaft are preferably placed in the upper part
of the cylinder chamber, and the rear ends of the side plates are suspended from 4
the cams by means of the rods 61. A stop 21 is provided to prevent the concave
from moving longitudinally. This stop engages with a slot in each side plate and
permits the concave to be moved vertically.
A perforated plate 7 is provided and has hooked projections 7' which engage
with the front ends of the concave side-plates. The front end of the plate 7 rests
upon the round-topped support 8 secured to the front of the thrashing machine
casing. The plate 7 is provided with a ledge 81 for the bottom of the hopper to
rest in, and the plate 7 rests in an inclined position and adapts itself automatically to
every movement of the concave.
The sides of the cylinder chamber have bearings 9 in which the cylinder shaft &
revolves, and are provided with curved flanges 91 projecting partly around-the

page_text: periphery of the cylinder to prevent the straw from getting between the ends of
the cylinder and the sides of the chamber. The hopper throat-plates 10 are joined
onto the tops of the curved flanges 91 and are flared upwardly and outwardly
towards the hopper.
The hopper 11. is provided with an inclined bottom 101 and upwardly flaring:
sides 12, and its rear end rests in the ledges 11 at the front of the throat-plates.
The rear portion of the hopper bottom is made removable and may be tilted up to
close the entrance to the cylinder chamber, as indicated by the dotted lines in,
Figure 3. The peculiar flaring form of the throat-plates and the hopper sides
greatly increases the efficiency of the machine. The material which is fed into the
hopper is naturally most dense in the center, and the double incline on the throat-
plates compresses the material at the ends of the cylinder into a mass having the,
same density as the material at the middle of the cylinder. The work of thrashing
is therefore evenly distributed over the whole length of the cylinder; its teeth
wear evenly, and the grain and straw are delivered from the cylinder in a stream of
equal density, and not dense in the middle and loose at the sides as is the case with.
machines provided with the ordinary feed hoppers.
The grain is beaten out as it passes between the cylinder and the concave, and
the grain and straw fall on a slatted screen B secured over one end of the grain,
pan C.
The grain pan C is inclined and is supported by the pivoted links or arms c
and C. The bottom c¹ of the grain pan is serrated, and a reciprocating motion is
imparted to it so that the grain is caused to travel rearwardly over its surface...
The grain is kept separate from the straw by the slatted screen B. This screen
consists of a series of diverging slats 6 secured in any convenient manner to the
central rib and to the supporting plate B
Passages 13 are formed between the ends of the slats and the sides of the pan,
and a passage 131 is preferably formed between the bottom of the plate Band the
bottom of the grain pan; but the slats of the screen may be secured direct to the,,
bottom of the grain pan if desired. An open space is left at the front of the screen B
for the grain to fall from the concave into the pan.
The slats diverge outwardly and rearwardly, and are preferably arranged
at an angle of thirty degrees with the central rib, but this angle may be
increased or diminished as found to give the best results with different sorts of
grain.
The plate B' is preferably inclined rearwardly and upwardly and the slats are
preferably arranged at right angles to the plate B', but the plate B' need not be
inclined and the slats may be inclined in either direction from an exact right angle.
with the plate, if desired. The plate B' and the slats are supported by the ribs 14,
but the plate 13 may be omitted if desired and the slats may be supported in any
other convenient manner.
The slats are of such height and are arranged at such distances apart from each
other, that all the grain which flies off from the cylinder must strike the slats and
not hit the plate between the slats as that would cause the grain to rebound
upwardly and rearwardly. A small portion of the grain may strike the horizontal.
surface of the plate, or the bottom of the pan when the plate is omitted, close to
the ribs but provided that it strikes the ribs when it rebounds, and is thereby
projected forward, it will not be necessary to space the slats or ribs so, close,
together as to prevent any of the grain from striking the horizontal surface.
The grain which falls into the front end of the grain pan from the concave
passes up the passage, 131, and the grain which strikes the diverging slats rushes up
the channels between the slats and falls into the grain pan through the passages 13.
and over the rear and side edges of the plate B¹.
This slatted screen effectually prevents the grain from rebounding in the grain.
pan and becoming entangled with the straw. The grain is carried away by the grain,
pan, and the straw is taken up by the picker D.
This picker D consists of a shaft d provided with projecting arms Strippers D'

page_text: are secured between the picker arms, to prevent the straw from winding around the
picker shaft as the picker revolves.
A curved grain-deflector 15 is secured in the upper part of the cylinder casing
toward the rear, for throwing forward all the grain which is carried past the
inclined deflecting plate 15 and the partition 16 between the cylinder and the
picker D.
A curved guide plate 17 extends crosswise between the sides of the cylinder
casing from the bottom of the grain-deflector 15 over the top of the cylinder, and
thence forwardly, at a tangent, to the dirt-leflector 17. The dirt-deflector 171
extends crosswise between the sides of the cylinder chamber, and prevents the
current of small grains, dirt, and wind, from splashing out of the feed opening of
the machine, to the inconvenience of the man feeding the machine.
The large grain which is carried around by the cylinder is thrown downward by
the plate 15', and most of the small grain which is carried past the plate is thrown
down by the grain deflector 15. Some of the smaller grains and the dirt, however,
are carried past the grain-deflector 15, and this grain is prevented from being
broken up and from cutting away the top of the cylinder chamber by means of the
curved plate 17. This small grain and dirt flies off from the plate 17 at a tangent
when it reaches the front of the machine, and is then thrown down by the dirt-
deflector 17' onto the perforated plate 7. The grain and dirt either slide off the
plate 7 onto the concave, or pass through the perforations of the said plate into
the grain pan in front of the slatted screen B.
Two beaters E and E¹ are provided behind the picker.
These beaters consist
of plates arranged in the shape of a cross, and are secured upon shafts e and e¹
respectively. The plates are intercurrent, the tops of the plates of one beater
coming midway between the tops of the plates of the other beater as the beaters
are revolved.
A toothed wheel 18 is secured to the shaft e of the upper beater E and gears
into a toothed wheel 18¹ of equal diameter secured on the shaft of the lower
beater, so that the plates of the beaters are always kept in the same relative
position and the beaters revolve with equal speed.
Motion is imparted to the beaters by means of a toothed wheel 19, secured ou
the picker shaft, and an idle toothed wheel 19' journaled on a bearing pin secured
to the machine casing so that the said wheel 19' gears into the said toothed
wheels 19 and 18¹.
F is a revolving fork secured on the shaft behind the beaters. This fork
consists of an open frame extending across the machine and provided with teeth/1
for catching the straw from between the beaters and throwing it downwardly and
rearwardly upon the first shaker, which will be more fully described hereinafter.
A toothed wheel 20 is secured upon the shaft f, and 20' is a toothed wheel which
is journaled on a pin projecting from the machine casing. The wheel 20¹ gears
into the wheels 20 and 18, and these wheels are proportioned so that the fork F
makes two revolutions to each revolution of the beaters. The beaters have each
four plates, and the fork has two toothed bars, so that a toothed bar is always
presented opposite each discharge-passage between the beaters formed by the
opposed receding plates. The fork drags forward the bunch of straw delivered
through the passage by the said plates of the beaters. The fork revolves with a
greater velocity than the beaters, and the straw, which is pressed and beaten by
the beaters, is therefore loosened and dragged apart by the fork, so that the grain
may fall out of it freely.
The straw from the beaters and fork falls on the front or first shaker G. This
shaker consists of a series of longitudinal bars G₁ provided with ratchet-teeth g
adapted to cause the straw to be carried to the rear, and are forwardly and
upwardly inclined slats extending across the shaker between the said longitudinal
bars. These slats are arranged substantially radial to a point above the rear end
of the shaker, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 6, so that the inclination
of the slats increases from the front to the rear of the first shaker.

page_text: H is the second shaker, behind and below the first shaker G, and similarly con-
structed of a series of longitudinal bars H provided with ratchet teeth h, and
inclined cross-slats between the said bars." The slats are similar to the
slats g, but are arranged substantially radial to a point below the front end of
the second shaker, so that the inclination of the slats h' decreases from the front
toward the rear of the shaker H.
The rear end of the shaker G and the front end of the shaker H. are supported
and carried by the cranks of the crank-shaft I, which is revolved by means of
the belt pulley I, secured upon the end of the said shaft outside the machine
casing.
The front end of the shaker G is supported by the links or arms C¹ which are
pivoted on the pins ¹ projecting from the machine casing, and the lower ends of
the said arms C₁ afford a means for supporting and vibrating the grain pan as
hereinbefore described.
Four diagrams are shown in dotted lines upon the shaker G in Figure 6 to
illustrate its motion at different points. At the front end, over the arms C¹, and
where the slats have a very slight inclination, this motion is a simple reciprocation
in a circular arc.
At the rear end of the shaker G+, beyond the center of the crank-shaft, and
where the slats have a very steep inclination, the motion is elliptical and in the
direction of the arrow close to the end diagram, and the greatest movement is in a
diagonal direction and toward the second shaker H. The rear end of the shaker G
therefore has a forwardly and upwardly tossing motion as well as a longitudinally
reciprocating motion.
Intermediate points of the shaker have movements as indicated by the shape of
the diagrams at those points, and the inclination of the slats increases with the
increase of the tossing motion. This peculiar construction and motion shakes the
straw very thoroughly turns it over as it is carried to the rear, and permits
the heavy grain and small chaff to fall through the slats into the grain pan. The
short straw and large chaff do not fall through the shaker, because the inclination
of the slats is so arranged with regard to the tossing motion as to prevent this, and
also to prevent the grain from rebounding upwardly as it falls on the slats and
becoming again entangled with the straw.
The rear end of the second shaker overhangs its supporting links or arms J for
about one-third of the full length of the shaker, and the front end is carried by the
cranks as before described. The arms J are pivoted on the pins j, projecting from
the machine casing, and their lower ends afford a means for vibrating the grain
screen and the cleaning devices, which will be more fully described hereinafter.
The pins on the rear of the arms J, between the shaker and the pivots i,
support and vibrate the gather-board K for the grain and chaff, below the
shaker H, and k are links which support the other end of the said gather-board.
The gather-board K is provided with forwardly-projecting serrations on its
bottom, and the upward and forward motion of the pins j¹ causes the grain and
small chaff to be carried along the gather-board after they fall through the second
shaker H, and discharges them upon the front end of the grain screen.
The action of the second shaker H is very much like that of the first shaker G,
hereinbefore described.
The six diagrams drawn in dotted lines show its motion at different points. At
the front end the motion is both tossing and longitudinally reciprocating, and is
rearward and upward in the direction of the arrow.
A.
At the extreme rear end and beyond the arms J the motion is. chiefly
longitudinal, but there is also a tossing movement, and the direction of the motion,
as indicated by the arrow, is the reverse of that at the front end of the shaker.
gather-board 22 provided with forwardly-projecting serrations 22, is secured at the
rear end instead of the open slats. Over the arms J the motion of the shaker H
practically a simple longitudinal reciprocation in a circular arc and the slats are
arranged with very little inclination over the said arms.
is

page_text: 1
The straw which falls upon the front end of the shaker H, is tossed, turned over,
and 'carried rearwardly until it comes over the links J, where it is merely shaken.
At the extreme rear end of the shaker H the straw is again tossed and is turned
over in the reverse direction, and the grain which falls from it is carried forward
under the straw by the gather-board 22 and is discharged through the slats. The
longitudinal motion of the straw is continuous towards the rear; but it is slow at
the extreme rear end of the shaker H, because it is there tossed and turned over in
the reverse direction, and the propelling action of the ratchet-teeth of the
longitudinal bars is partially neutralized. The straw is delivered out of the rear,
end of the machine to the straw-elevator or stacker in the usual manner.
'Motion is imparted to the various parts of the machine from a pulley 23 on the
'fan shaft, by means of a belt 231.
"This belt passes over the pulley 24, journaled on a pin 241 projecting from the
machine casing. A toothed pinion 25 on the hub of the belt pulley 24 gears into
the toothed wheel 19, secured upon the picker-shaft d, and revolves the picker and
beaters and revolving fork, as hereinbefore described. The belt 23' also passes
"over á tension pulley 26 and over the pulley 261 for revolving the grain-cleaning
devices, and around the pulley 27 on the straw-stacker shaft 27¹.
The belt pulley 1', which revolves the crank-shaft which operates the two
shakers, is arranged to bear against the belt both at the top and bottom, and the
belt 23 and the various pulleys move in the directions indicated by the arrows in
Figure 2.
The links J which support the rear end of the second shaker also support and
vibrate a gather-board K for the grain and chaff below the second shaker. The
front end of this gather-board K is carried by the links k pivoted to the sides of
the machine casing.
The gather-board is provided with forwardly-projecting serrations & on its
bottom, and the upward and forward motion of those parts of the arms J to which
the gather-board is connected carries the grain and chaff along the gather-board
after they fall through the second shaker II, and discharges them upon the grain
* screen.
The grain pan, hereinbefore described, extends partway under the first shaker G.
The grain pan receives all the grain, chaff, and broken heads which fall on it from
the concave, the picker, the beaters, and the first shaker, and discharges them onto the
front end of the grain screen.
Lis the grain screen provided with sides L' for retaining the material upon its
I "surface. The rear end of the grain screen is supported by the arms which
support the second shaker F, and these arms also give the screen its longitudinal
vibrating motion.
יו
The front end of the screen L is supported by the links 28 pivoted to the
machine casing. Longitudinal ratchet-bars 28¹ are provided for causing the
material discharged upon the screen to travel over its surface, and the sides may
also be provided with ratchet-shaped notches if desired.
"The bottom of the grain screen consists of alternate sections of inclined slats 29
having air spaces between them, and sections of imperforate material 29'.
The imperforate surfaces are provided with cross-grooves 30 in which the
material may collect and be carried along by the motion of the screen independent
of the broken straw and chaff above it.
Two gather-boards M M are supported under the screen and are provided with
serrated bottoms 30¹.
These serrations are arranged in opposite directions so as to cause the grain to
travel over the surface of the gather-boards and fall through an aperture m between
them onto the grain-cleaning devices.
The front end of the gather-boards is supported by the links m pivoted to the
'machine casing, and the rear end of the gather-boards is supported and vibrated by
the aims 'J which support and vibrate the second shaker H.
The bottoms of the slats 'in the grain screen bottom preferably project a little

page_text: below the imperforate surfaces, and the hindermost slats are a little longer than the
slats in front of them so as to catch the blast of air better.
The blast of air is supplied by the fan N, which will be more fully described
hereinafter.
The area of all the openings between the slats of the grain screen is small com-
pared with the whole area of the screen, and the pressure of the air passing through
them is therefore substantially uniform at all parts of the screen.
The mixed grain and chaff is shaken on the screen and is carried rearwardly by
its motion. The grain separates from the chaff by gravity, and is carried along
by the imperforate surfaces until it comes to a series of slats. The grain falls
between the slats against the pressure of the blast which blows up the chaff and
light particles and discharges them out of the rear of the machine.
The repetition of this cleaning process at each series of slats removes all the
chaff and light rubbish, and allows all the grain and heavy rubbish to fall on the
gather-boards M M².
N is the fan for furnishing the blast of air.
This fan is secured on the shaft 31 journaled in bearings 31' secured to the fan
casing N. The fan is revolved by a pulley 32 secured on the fan shaft and a
belt 321 which passes around a pulley 33 secured on the cylinder shaft 334 The
main driving pulley 34 is secured on the cylinder shaft and is adapted to be driven
by a belt from a steam engine or other motor.
Two outlet passages for the blast are provided, one O leading to the underside of
the grain screen L, and the other O'leading to the grain-cleaning devices.
A deflecting-board o is pivoted at the junction of the two delivery passages, and
has a toothed rack o' secured to it. A toothed segment 35 is secured on a shaft 35'
which is journaled crosswise of the machine.
:
This segment gears into the rack, and the deflecting-board may be raised or
lowered, by turning the shaft, so as to distribute the air between the two delivery
passages in the proportion found most advantageous in the working of the machine.
The shaft 351 is turned by means of a handle 36; and a screw 36 is provided for
holding the shaft in position after it has been adjusted.
Inlet openings 37 for the air are provided in the sides of the fan casing N¹ around
the fan. shaft, and are provided with circular inwardly-projecting flanges 37',
adapted to encircle the ends of the fan blades n.
The fan blades receive all the air through the inlet openings 37, and the ordinary
circular vortex back-currents of air, at the ends of the fan, are, prevented.
These vortex back-currents, in, ordinary fans, are formed in the following
manner: A pressure of air exists inside the casing while the fan is revolving, and
the air is forced through the ordinary clearance-space between.the end of the fan
blades and the casing.
This air is re-drawn into the center of the fan, and the fan is.partly fed from its
own delivery. When, however, the outer periphery of the ends of the blades n
projects within the inlet opening, no air can escape, because the pressure of the air
at the outer periphery of the blades close to the casing is the same as the pressure
everywhere else around the fan inside the casing:
The fan blades drive before them a blast of air of equal pressure and volume at
all points across the entrance to the delivery passages, and not strong in the center
and weak at the sides as is usually the case with long fans.
The middle diameter of the fan is greater than the diameter of its ends to com-
pensate for its distance from the inlet openings, and to preserve the uniformity of
the pressure of the blast all across the discharge passages.
A regulating valve 38 is provided in the main delivery passage O which leads to
the grain screen.
This valve 38 is pivoted in the lower part of the passage with its longest side
toward the blower or fan, and has its upper and lower sides beveled so as to present
a sharp edge to the blast, A wind vane 38 is secured by brackets 39 to the upper

page_text: side of the valve, and at right angles to its axis which lies parallel with the axis of
the delivery passage O when the pressure of the blast is at its minimum.
A vertical lever 39' is secured to the end of the valve shaft 40 outside the casing,
and has an adjustable sliding weight 40' attached to it by a pin 90.
When the pressure of the blast in the main delivery passage is increased by
lowering the deflecting board o, or by increasing the speed of the fan, the increased
pressure of the blast against the wind vane 381 turns the shaft 40, and the blast
then operates upon the valve by blowing against its underside.
This motion of the shaft also raises the weight 40' which acts with increased
leverage upon the shaft as it rises, and retards the closing of the delivery passage,
by the valve 38, to the minimum area.
An
The pressure of the blast delivered through the main passage O is rendered
practically uniform, and the desired limits of maximum and minimum pressure may
be regulated by sliding the weight 40 upon the lever and securing it at that
distance from the center of the shaft which is found to give the best result.
adjustable spring, or other equivalent device, may be used instead of the weight.
The lever 39 on which the weight slides is provided with a projecting arm 41,
and this arm is pivotally connected with a piston 41', sliding in a dash-pot
cylinder n', by means of a rod 42.
The dash-pot cylinder n¹ is secured to the machine casing, and contains air
which is forced from one side of the piston to the other when the valve in the
delivery passage is moved. The piston 41' is a loose fit in the cylinder ' so that
no valves are required.
The dash-pot prevents all unsteadiness of action in the movement of the valve,
the natural tendance of the valve being to set up a vibratory pendulum motion
under the action of the blast.
The mixed grain and tailings fall, from the gather-boards M M' under the grain
screen, onto the grain-cleaning devices.
An upper cleaning-roll P and a lower cleaning-roll Q are provided and are
journaled in the casing of the machine. Toothed wheels and are secured on the
ends of these rolls, and are connected by a toothed idle wheel 43, journaled on a
pin 43 projecting from the casing of the machine, so that both rolls may be revolved
in the same direction by the belt 23¹ which passes over the pulley 26, as herein-
before described, the said pulley 26' being secured on the end of the roll P outside
the casing.
Each cleaning-roll P and Q is provided with similar spiral grooves 44 which
meet in the center of the roll, and run in opposite directions, in the form of right
and left hand screwthreads. Each screwthread is preferably provided with
notches 44 at various points of its periphery, but these notches may be omitted if
desired.
The upper roll P has cams 45 on its ends for jolting the grain plates.
?"
Two side plates R are provided for supporting the grain plates. The front or
upper ends of these side plates rest upon a transverse bar R₁ supported between
the sides of the machine casing; and the rear or lower ends of the side plates are
provided with noteles which engage with bosses on the ends of the adjusting
rods 46, and the bosses rest upon the brackets 46¹ secured to the machine casing.
The transverse bar R₁ is provided with an inclined portion 47 which slides upon
au inclined guide portion 47¹ on the casing, at one end of the bar; and the said bar
has its other end secured to an inclined slot 48 in a guide bracket 481 by means of
a thumbscrew 49. When the bar is pushed in, the side plates R are held clear of
the cams 45, but when the said bar is pulled out the side plates are lowered so that
they may be jolted by the revolving cams, which bear against the wearing plates 45'
secured to the said side plates. This jolting motion is advantageous when the grain
is wet and does not slide freely.
An upper grain plate P is secured between the side plates R in front of the
upper cleaning-roll P, and this grain plate has a fluted plate pl secured to it, next

page_text: to the roll.
This fluted plate pl may be dispensed with, if desired, and the flutes
may be cut in the edge of the grain plate.
The grain and tailings slide over the fluted plate, and a portion of the grain falls
between the grooves of the upper roll P by gravity, against the pressure of the
blast.
The tailings, which consist chiefly of broken heads of wheat and other similar
matter, are carried over the grooved roll, and the object of making the grooves in
the form of spiral threads is to work the tailings crosswise against the ends of the
flutes of the grain plates. This changes the position of the heads so that they do
not fall between the roll and the flutes, but are tilted sidewise and carried over the
roll. The notches also help to carry the heads over the roll.
The spiral grooves might be made continuous on one direction from one end, of
the roll to the other, but they are preferably right and left handed so as to work
the material away from the center of the roll, where it is apt to be most plentiful,
and spread it evenly all across the roll.
A lower grain plate Q', also provided with a fluted plate 1, is secured in front of
the lower cleaning-roll Q, in a similar manner to the grain plate P1.
An adjustable retaining plate S is secured to two plates S¹ which are pivoted to
the side plates R, in front of the lower grain plate Q, and the said two plates S¹
have curved slots s so that when they have been adjusted to secure the retaining
plate S at any desired angle, they may be secured to the side plates R by thumb-
screws s passing through the said slots.
The grain and the tailings heap up upon the lower grain plate Q₁and the
retaining plate S, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 11, and the adjustment
of the retaining plate adapts the device to different sorts of grain which slide at
different angles.
The grain falling from the upper fluted plate is cleaned from dirt by the blast,
and slides off the front side of the heap; and the tailings and the remaining grain
fall from the upper roll Ponto the rear side of the heap and are operated on by the
second fluted plate and roll.
A third grain plate T is secured between the side plates R, behind and below
the second grooved roll Q. A toothed comb is adjustably secured to the third
grain plate by means of the thumbscrews which pass through slots in the comb.
A triangular dividing bar 50 is secured to the wedge-shaped end brackets 50'
which are dropped into correspondingly wedge-shaped recesses in the side plates R,
so that the apex of the bar comes under the points of the teeth of the comb t, and
so that the bar may be easily removed. The object in making the dividing bar
removable is to permit a screen (not shown in the drawing) to be inserted in its
place when timothy or other small seed is being cleaned.
The comb is made adjustable because the dividing bar 50 is supported by the
side plates R which also support the comb, and the distance between the teeth of
the said comb and the apex of the dividing bar could not otherwise be varied.
The remaining grain falls between the teeth of the comb, and slides off the front
side of the dividing bar. The tailings slide off the rear side of the dividing bar,
and fall into the tailings spout U.
The distance between the fluted plates and the cleaning rolls is adjusted to suit
different sorts of grain by means of the adjusting rods 46, from the rear ends of
which the hereinbefore mentioned bosses project. The front ends of these rods
are pivoted to two levers 51 secured on a shaft 51 journaled crosswise of the
machine.
A. handle 52 is secured to the end of this shaft 51' outside the casing, and is
secured at any desired position, after the shaft has been turned to adjust the
distance between the fluted plates and the rolls, by means of a thumbscrew 52¹
which passes through a curved slot 53 in a plate 53' secured to the casing.
A gather-board 54 is pivoted to the casing by means of links 54' below the
hereinbefore described grain-cleaning devices, and a screen 55 of perforate material
is secured above the said gather-board- and is adapted to vibrate with it,

page_text: The grain slides off the screen 55 and falls into the grain spout 56, and the fine
heavy dirt and very small seeds, such as grass seeds, pass through the screen and
slide down the gather-board 54.
The gather-board 54 is provided with an opening 57 across its lower end near the
grain spout, and a tilting guide slat 58 is pivoted in brackets 59 secured to the
gather-board under the said opening.
Thrashermen do not usually trouble to remove the fine dirt and the grass seeds
from the grain, and the guide slat 58 is usually set to throw these small seeds into
the grain spout 56. Whenever it is thought desirable to remove these small seeds
from the grain, the guide slat 58 is tilted over on its pivots, as indicated by the
dotted lines in Figure 11, and the grass seed is allowed to accumulate in a heap on
the ground at the rear of the grain spout.
The gather-board 54 and the screen 55 are vibrated longitudinally by means of
the eccentric rods 60 and the eccentrics 61 secured upon the shaft 27 of the straw-
stacker and elevator, to which motion is imparted as hereinbefore described.
A shaking shoe is supported on upwardly and rearwardly inclined guides 63
behind the cleaning devices. The bottom of this shoe is provided with serrations.64
for causing the material which falls upon it to be carried over its surface, and to be
discharged out of the rear of the machine.
A space 65 is left, in front of the shoe, through which the tailings fall into the
tailings spout U. The tailings which fall into this spout contain unthrashed grain,
and are returned to the thrashing cylinder by an ordinary elevator, which is not
shown in the drawings.
It sometimes happens that when the machine has been running for some time
heavy rubbish will be repeatedly carried through it. This rubbish consists of sticks,
pieces of cornstalks and other similar matter, and it is got rid of by means of a
sliding frame 67 provided with a series of inclined slats 68. This frame 67
usually rests upon the shaking shoe 62 behind the space 65 through which the
tailings fall into the tailings spout U. When this frame is pushed forward over
the tailings spont U its slats 68 prevent the rubbish from falling into the spout,
and cause it to be carried over the said space and onto the serrations 64 on the
bottom of the shaking shoe; and the said serrations discharge the rubbish out of
the rear of the machine.
The said shoe 62 is reciprocated by means of rods 70 attached to the herein-
before described eccentric rods 60. The inclined guides 63 upon which the shoe
rests give it the necessary tossing motion, which, together with the serrations,
causes the material on the shoe to be carried to the rear.
The tailings spout U and the grain spout 56 are pivotally suspended from the
casing, crosswise of the machine, by similar links 71 and have a reciprocating
motion imparted to them in the following manner. A horizontal double bell-crank
lever 72 is pivoted on a pin 73 projecting vertically from a fixed supporting beam 74
secured in the lower part of the machine. The opposite ends of this lever are
respectively connected to the grain spout 56 and to the tailings spout U by the
pivoted rods 75. The middle arm 72 of the said lever 72 is connected to one of
the aforesaid eccentric rods 60 (driven by one of the eccentrics on the straw-
stacker shaft) by means of a connecting rod 76. These two pivoted rods 75 and
the connecting rod 76 are preferably made of flexible wood, or other similar
elastic material, so that they may be springy enough to form operative connecting
rods without a multiplicity of pivotal joints and connections.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The combination, with the concave provided with toothed bars and having
apertures in the front ends of its sides, of a transverse shaft provided with cams
adapted to be turned to raise or lower the front of the concave, a similar trans-
verse shaft provided with cams and operatively connected to the rear of the

page_text: concave, and a stop for preventing the concave from being moved longituɑmany,
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with a revoluble toothed cylinder, of a
concave pro-
vided with toothed bars and having apertures in the front ends of its sides, the
revoluble cams working in the said apertures, the revoluble cams at the rear of
the cylinder, the connecting-rods pivotally connecting the rear ends of the said
sides with the last said cams, and a stop for preventing the longitudinal motion
of the concave and permitting it to be adjusted vertically, substantially as
set forth.
3. The combination, with a vertically-adjustable concave provided with rounded
projections at its front end, of a round-topped support secured to the end of the
machine casing, and a perforated plate resting upon the said rounded surfaces in
front of the concave and provided with hooked-shaped lugs engaging with the said
projections and adapted to adjust itself to the vertical adjustments of the concave,
substantially as set forth.
4. The combination, with a revoluble toothed cylinder, of a cylinder chamber
provided with side plates having inwardly-projecting curved flanges 9 and upwardly
and outwardly flaring hopper throat-plates 10, the bottom plate 7 provided with a
ledge at its front end, the hopper provided with upwardly flaring sides joining onto
the said throat-plates, and an inclined bottom provided with a loose portion resting
in the said ledge and adapted to be raised to close the feeding-opening of the
machine, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, with a revoluble toothed cylinder, of the toothed concave
below the front portion of the cylinder, the grain-deflector secured in the upper
part of the cylinder chamber behind the cylinder, a curved guide-plate extending
from the said grain-deflector over the top of the cylinder and thence forward at a
tangent, and the downwardly and rearwardly inclined dirt and wind deflector
secured across the cylinder chamber in front of the end of the said guide-plate,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. The combination, with a revoluble toothed, cylinder, of a cylinder chamber
provided with side plates, the curved flanges projecting inwardly over the front
portion of the cylinder substantially at a right angle to the side plates, and the
hopper throat-plates projecting from the inner edges of the said flanges in front of
the cylinder and flaring outwardly toward the hopper and also upwardly in a
vertical direction, whereby the side portions of the material are compressed by the
double convergence of the throat-plates and fed into the cylinder without obstruc-
tion, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination, with a thrashing cylinder, a concave, and a grain pan below
the said parts, of a slatted screen arranged between the said thrashing devices and
the bottom of the grain pan, and consisting of a series of rearwardly-diverging
slats, the said slats being of such height and spaced at such distance apart that all
the grain must strike against the substantially vertical sides of the slats and be
thereby projected forward and prevented from rebounding upward and becoming
entangled with the straw.
8. The combination, with a grain pan, of a slatted screen secured above the
bottom of the pan leaving open passages between the screen and the pan both at
the bottom and at the sides, the slats in the said screen being arranged in a rear-
wardly diverging series and adapted to prevent the grain from rebounding upward
and becoming entangled with the straw, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination, with a revoluble picker for taking the straw from the
thrashing cylinder, of two revoluble beaters provided with intercurrent plates for
the straw from the picker to pass between, and a fork provided with rows of teeth
and revolving at a higher speed than the beaters, a row of teeth being arranged to
come behind and between each pair of opposed beater-plates, whereby the straw
may be loosened, and toothed driving wheels positively connecting the shafts of
the said picker, beaters, and fork, substantially as set forth.
10. The combination, with the two beaters, each provided with four equidistant

page_text: plates intercurrent with each other for the straw to pass between, of the inter-
gearing toothed wheels secured upon the beater shafts, a fork provided with two
rows of teeth and mounted on a shaft behind the said beaters, and intermediate
toothed wheels connected to one of the beater wheels and revolving the said fork
at twice the speed of the said beaters, whereby the straw delivered from between
the beaters may be loosened by the fork, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
11. The combination, with a straw-shaker consisting of longitudinal bars
provided with ratchet-teeth and a series of inclined cross-slats supported between
the said bars and arranged with a decreasing angularity to the longitudinal path of
the material over the slats, of an operating device, such as a crank, for imparting
a longitudinal reciprocating motion to all the slats and a tossing movement to those
slats having the greatest inclination, the said tossing motion decreasing in extent
proportional to the decreasing inclination of the slats in the series, substantially as
set forth.
12. The combination, with a straw-shaker provided with a series of inclined
cross-slats arranged substantially radial to a point near one end of the shaker, of
an operating device, such as a crank, operatively connected to that end of the
shaker near the said point, for reciprocating the shaker longitudinally and also
vertically in proportion to the inclination of the said slats, substantially as set
forth.
13. The combination, with a straw-shaker consisting of longitudinal bars pro-
vided with ratchet-teeth and a series of inclined cross-slats supported between the
said bars, of a crank for imparting motion to one end of the shaker, pivoted
supporting links near the other end of the shaker, and a gather-board forming a
continuation of the said series of cross-slats and situated at the extreme end of the
shaker beyond the said links and having serrations arranged in a reverse direction
to the said ratchet-teeth to cause the grain falling upon it to be carried in the
reverse direction from the straw above, substantially as set forth.
14. The combination, with the first inclined straw-shaker and the links pivotally
supporting its front end, of the second inclined straw-shaker arranged behind the
first said shaker and the links pivotally supporting the rear end of the said second
shaker; the revoluble cranks supporting and actuating the meeting ends of the two
said shakers, the serrated gather-board under the second shaker, pivoted at its
rear end to the supporting links of the said second shaker, and the links pivotally
supporting the front end of the said gather-board, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
15. The combination, with a revoluble picker for taking the straw from the
thrashing cylinder, of a pair of revoluble beaters for the straw to pass through
after being raised by the picker, a revoluble fork for loosening the straw behind
the said beaters, a straw-shaker provided with longitudinal toothed bars and cross-
slats between the bars and arranged behind and below the said fork, and means,
such as a crank, for imparting a longitudinally reciprocating and tossing motion to
the said shaker, whereby the grain and chaff may be shaken out of the straw,
substantially as set forth.
16. The combination, with a vibrating grain screen provided with a bottom
surface consisting of a series of sections of imperforate material provided with cross-
grooves and a series of sections of inclined slats, the said sections being arranged
alternately, of the longitudinal ratchet-bars for causing the material to travel over
the screen, and a blower for forcing a uniform blast upwardly between all the said
slats of the screen, substantially as set forth.
17. The combination, with a fan casing provided with inlet-openings at each
side, of a revoluble fan journaled inside the said casing and having the outer
periphery of the ends of its blades projecting within the said inlet-openings,
whereby the formation of circular vortex currents at the ends of the fan is
prevented and the volume and pressure of the blast are equalized all across
the fan.

page_text: 18. The combination, with a fan casing provided with inlet-openings at each
side and inwardly-projecting flanges encircling the said openings, of a fan journaled
inside the said casing and having the outer periphery of the ends of its blades
projecting within the inlet-openings in close proximity to the said flanges, substan-
tially as and for the purpose set forth.
19. The combination, with a fan casing provided with an inlet opening, of a
revoluble fan having the outer periphery of its blades projecting into the said
opening to prevent the escape of air past the ends of the blades, substantially as
set forth.
20. The combination, with a blower, of a pivoted valve extending across the
main air-discharge passage and normally lying in line with its axis, a wind-vane
secured to the said valve and arranged crosswise of the said passage, and an
adjustable controlling device, such as a weighted lever, for retarding the closing
of the said valve by the blast, substantially as set forth.
21. The combination, with a blower provided with air-discharge passages, and
an adjustable deflecting-board for distributing the air between the said passages,
of a pivoted valve extending across one of the said passages and normally lying in
line with its axis, a wind-vane secured to the said valve and arranged crosswise of
the said passage, and an adjustable controlling device, such as a weighted
lever, for retarding the closing of the said valve by the blast, substantially as
set forth.
22. The combination, with a blower, of a valve pivoted in the main air-discharge
passage of the blower, a wind-vane secured to the said valve and adapted to
partially close it when the pressure of the blast is increased, an adjustable con-
trolling device, such as a weighted lever, for retarding the closing of the valve by
the blast, and a dash-pot operatively connected with the said valve for steadying
its action, substantially as set forth.
23. The combination, with a grain-plate provided with flutes, of a roll provided
with spiral grooves and journaled behind the said flutes at the rear of the said
plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
24. The combination, with a grain-plate provided with flutes, of a roll journaled
at the rear of the said plate and provided with spiral grooves and notches arranged
out of line with each other on its periphery between the grooves, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
25. The combination, with a grain-plate provided with flutes, of a roll journaled
at the rear of the said plate behind the said flutes and provided with right and
left handed spiral grooves extending from the center to the opposite ends of the
roll, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
26. The combination, with a grain-plate and a revoluble grooved roll at the
rear of the said plate, of an adjustable retaining-plate pivoted to the front of
the said grain-plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
27. The combination, with a grain-plate, of a toothed comb adjustably secured
to the said plate, and a removable dividing-bar supported below the points of the
teeth of the said comb, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
28. The combination, with the side plates, of a grain-plate secured to the side-
plates, the toothed comb secured to the said grain-plate, and the removable
dividing-bar provided with wedge-shaped end brackets adapted to be dropped into
pockets in the side plates, whereby the said bar may be supported below the teeth
of the comb, substantially as set forth.
29. The combination, with the upper and lower grooved cleaning-rolls, of the
side plates, a support for the front ends of the said plates to slide on, brackets for
supporting the rear ends of the side plates, the grain-plates secured to the said side.
plates in front of the cleaning rolls, the rods pivotally connected to the rear ends
of the side plates, and the cross-shaft provided with a handle and with levers
pivoted to the said rods, whereby the distance between the grain-plates and the
rolls may be adjusted, substantially as set forth.
30. The combination, with the reciprocating gather-board provided with an

page_text: opening across its lower end, of the perforated screen secured above the gather-
board and vibrating with it, the brackets secured to the gather-board, and the
tilting guide-slat pivoted in the said brackets below the said opening, with one or
the other of its edges bearing against the underside of the gather-board and adapted
to discharge the small seeds into the grain spout or to one side of it, substantially
as set forth.
31. The combination, with the tailings-spout, of the shaking-shoe situated at the
rear of the tailings-spout and provided with a serrated bottom, and a frame pro-
vided with a series of inclined slats and adapted to be slid on the said shoc over
the said tailings-spout, whereby coarse rubbish may be removed from the tailings,
substantially as set forth.
32. The combination, with the longitudinally-reciprocating gather-board, of the
grain-spout and the tailings-spout, both pivotally supported crosswise of the
machine, the revoluble eccentrics and the eccentric-rods connected to the said
gather-board, the shaking-shoe behind the said tailings-spout, the rods secured to
the eccentric-rods and to the said shoe, the double bell-crank lever pivoted between
the two spouts, the rous connecting the respective spouts with the opposite arms
of the bell-crank lever, and the rod connecting the middle arm of the bell-crank
lever with one of the said eccentric-rods, whereby all the said reciprocating parts
may be operated by the said eccentrics, substantially as set forth.
33. The combination, with the brackets secured to the casing, of the longi-
tudinally-adjustable side plates for carrying the grain-plates, said side plates
having their rear ends pivotally supported on the said brackets, a transverse bar
forming a support upon which the front end of the said side plates may slide, the
revoluble cams on one of the grain-rolls, and the inclined guides supporting the
said transverse bar and permitting it to be moved transversely to lower the said
side plates onto the cams, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of August 1891.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
Agents for Applicants.