Improvements in Thrashing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thrashing Machines.
I, FREDERICK HOWARD LIVENS, of South Park, in the City of Lincoln, in the
same county, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
In thrashing machines of this class, the straw on leaving the shakers passes first
between a drum, which is fitted with knives, and a concave similarly furnished, by
which it is cut up and then falls on to another drum fitted with teeth which beat
and soften the chopped straw against racks or combs, from this drum it is received
on to a reciprocating riddle which usually has combined with it a fan, the action of
which is to separate from the chopped and bruised straw, any grain which may have
passed over the shakers with the straw.
It is found in these machines, when dealing with straw grown in hot countries
that the knots are insufficiently bruised for the purpose which is generally in
view, viz. :-to serve as food for cattle, I therefore attach to the delivery end of
the frame, which carries this reciprocating riddle, a supplementary apparatus con-
sisting of two rollers, preferably of cast iron, which stretch across from side to side
of the riddle and by preference are placed vertically one upon the other, though
they may be in any other convenient position relatively to each other. These
rollers are driven at a suitable speed and receive the chopped straw as it falls
from the riddle, and crush the knots or hard pieces therein as it passes through
them.
.
The pressure on the rollers is regulated by a spiral spring and hand wheel over
the bearing at each end, although any other convenient device may be used, and
the rollers may either be driven direct from one of the shafts on the thrashing
machine, or, as I sometimes arrange, a countershaft under the reciprocating riddle
may be driven from one of the pulleys on the thrashing machine at a suitable speed,
and this countershaft may in turn drive one of the crushing rollers. The rollers
may be geared together by cog wheels, but in practice I do not find this necessary,
and they may be grooved or not, either circumferentially, radially or in a spiral
form. The apparatus containing the rollers is made so as to be easily bolted to or
detached from the framework of the reciprocating riddle, and the latter is preferably
furnished with wheels to facilitate transport.
In thrashing machines of this description also it has been the custom hitherto to
deliver the "cavings" as they are usually termed, which consist of those pieces of
straw or corn heads which drop through the shakers and are too large to pass
through the main riddles of the bottom shoe or reciprocating piece, either on to the
ground or into the bruising drum, if the first plan be pursued it entails much
labour in carrying the "cavings" in baskets up to the top of the machine, if on the
contrary they are delivered direct into the bruising drum in consequence of their
" there is not sometimes
entering very nearly at the lowest part of its "concave
sufficient work done on them.
To obviate this I now propose to deliver such "cavings" into the top or cutting
drum so that they will receive both a cutting and a bruising action, and
accomplish this by means of a fan or blower, which is placed under the bottom
shoe of the thrashing machine, and extends nearly across the machine, it delivers
the wind into a transverse slot immediately in front of the delivery board which
forms the extension of the upper riddles of the bottom shoe. Just above this slot
there is fixed a spout of the whole width of the slot, but narrow in the cross
section, this spout extends upwards in an oblique direction, and finishes with
a bend of about 150° immediately under the delivery ends of the straw shakers,

page_text: the action of the fan therefore is to drive the "cavings" as they fall over the
slot, up this spout, and by means of the delivery bend on to the straw cutting
drum.
14
The effect of the air which accompanies the "cavings" has also an advantage in
clearing the ends of the shakers of the straw, and, helping it down towards the straw
cutting drum.
•
In the delivery board of the bottom shoe, immediately before it reaches the
'transverse slot, I arrange, by preference steps which may be 1, 2 or other
convenient number, and I also place behind these steps a slide or falling door,
so that if it be desired to deliver the "cavings" on to the ground, this slide or door
can be opened, and the "cavings". will fall through instead of being delivered on
to the transverse slot, and passed up to the straw cutting drum.
Dated this 24th day of February 1893.
:
F. HOWARD LIVENS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Thrashing Machines.
I, FREDERICK HOWARD LIVENS, of 'South Park, in the City of Lincoln, in
the same county, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
In thrashing machines of this class, the straw on leaving the shakers passes first
between a drum, which is fitted with kuives, and a concave similarly furnished, by
which it is cut up and then falls on to another drum fitted with teeth which beat
and soften the chopped straw against racks or combs, from this drum it is received
on to a reciprocating riddles which usually has combined with it a fan, the action of
which is to separate from the chopped and bruised straw, any grain which may
have passed over the shakers with the straw.
It is found in these machines, when dealing with straw grown in hot countries
that the knots are insufficiently bruised for the purpose which is generally in view,
viz. to serve as food for cattle, I therefore attach to the delivery end of the frame,
which carries this reciprocating riddle, a supplementary apparatus consisting of two
rollers, preferably of cast iron, which stretch across from side to side of the riddle
and by preference are placed vertically one upon the other, though they may be in
any other convenient position relatively to each other. These rollers are driven at
a suitable speed and receive the chopped straw as it falls from the riddle, and crush
the knots or hard pieces therein as it passes through them.
The pressure on the rollers is regulated by a spiral spring and hand wheel over
the bearing at each end, although any other convenient device may be used, and
the rollers may either be driven direct from one of the shafts on the thrashing
machine, or, as sometimes arrange, a. countershaft under the reciprocating riddle
may be driven from one of the pulleys on the thrashing machine at a suitable speed,
and this countershaft may in turn drive one of the crushing rollers. The rollers
may be geared together by cog wheels, but in practice I do not find this necessary,
aid they may be grooved or not, either circumferentially, radially or in a spiral
form. The apparatus containing the rollers is made so as to be easily bolted to or
detached from the framework of the reciprocating riddle, and the latter is
preferably furnished with wheels to facilitate transport.
In thrashing machines of this description also it has been the custom hitherto to
deliver the "cavings" as they are usually termed, which consist of those pieces of
straw or corn heads which drop through the shakers and are too large to pass
through the main riddles of the bottom shoe or reciprocating piece either on to the
ground or into the bruising drum, if the first plan be pursued it entails much labour
in carrying the "cavings" in baskets up to the top of the machine, if on the
contrary they are delivered direct into the bruising drum in consequence of their

page_text: entering very nearly at the lowest part of its " concave "there is not sometimes
sufficient work done on them.
To obviate this I now propose to deliver such "cavings" into the top or cutting
drum so that they will receive both a cutting and a bruising action, and I accomplish
this by means of a fan or blower, which is placed under the bottom shoe of the
thrashing machine, and extends nearly across the machine, it delivers the wind into
a transverse slot immediately in front of the delivery board which forms the
extension of the upper riddles of the bottom shoe. Just above this slot there is
fixed a spout of the whole width of the slot, but narrow in the cross section, this
spout extends upwards in an oblique direction, and finishes with a bend of
about 150° immediately under the delivery end of the straw shakers, the action of
the fan therefore is to drive the "cavings" as they fall over the slot, up this spout,
and by means of the delivery bend on to the straw cutting drum.
The effect of the air which accompanies the "cavings" has also an advantage in
clearing the ends of the shakers of the straw, and helping it down towards the
straw cutting drum.
In the delivery board of the bottom shoe, immediately before it reaches the
transverse slot, I arrange, by preference steps which may be 1, 2 or other con-
venient number, and I also place behind these steps a slide or falling door, so that
if it be desired to deliver the "cavings" on to the ground, this slide or door can be
opened, and the "cavings" will fall through instead of being delivered on to the
transverse slot and passed up to the straw cutting drum.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the delivery end of a thrashing
machine fitted as above described for crushing the straw after it has been subjected
to the action of chopping and bruising drums and passed over a reciprocating
riddle.
Figure 2 is longitudinal section of the delivery end of a thrashing machine
similarly formed with a pair of crushing rollers at the delivery end of the machine
and also with a fan elevator for delivering the cavings to the top cutting drum.
A are the ends of the shakers, B the cutting drum. C a bruising drum below it
or a second drum as shewn in Figure 2 and D a reciprocating riddle on to which
the chopped and bruised straw is delivered from this second drum. E E are the
crushing rollers between which the straw is passed as it leaves the end of the
riddle the lower roller is driven as shewn whilst the upper roller pressed down
by coiled springs F.
In Figare 2 G is a fan or blower delivering wind to a spout H. I is the lower
end of the delivery board delivering cavings" into the spout.
The spout extends upwards as above described to above the level of the upper
cutting drum and just below the level of the delivery end of the straw-shakers is
bent downwards to throw the "cavings" on to the upper cutting drum B.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A thrashing machine adapted for cutting or cutting and bruising the straw
alter it leaves the shakers and fitted with a pair of crushing rollers between which
the chopped straw has to pass as it leaves the machine.
2. The construction of the delivery end of a thrashing machine substantially as
herein before described and illustrated at Figure 1.
3. A thrashing machine adapted for cutting or cutting and bruising the straw
after it leaves the shakers and fitted with a fan elevator for delivering the
"cavings" to the upper cutting drum.
4. The construction of the delivery end of a thrashing machine substantially as
herein before described and illustrated at Figure 2.
Dated this 25th day of November 1893.