CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE AND FIXED COMBINED THRESHING MACHINES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Allam Barrett, William Exall, and Charles
James Andrewes, all of Reading, in the County of Berks, for the Inven-
tion of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE AND FIXED COMBINED THRESHING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 29th May 1855, and dated the 26th March 1855..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Allam Barrett,
William Exall, and Charles James Andrewes at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 26th March 1855..
We, GEORGE ALLAM BARRETT, WILLIAM EXALL, and CHARLES JAMES
ANDREWES, all of Reading, in the County of Berks, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE AND FIXED
COMBINED THRESHING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
The improvements forming the subject of this Invention are, firstly, the
working the upper and lower riddles of portable and fixed threshing machines
by means of the straw-shaking cranks, thereby dispensing with the riddle cranks
usually employed for that purpose.
Secondly, causing two separate blasts or currents of air to proceed from the

page_text: same blower at right or any other angle to each other; the one into the dressing
machine usually fixed to the lower riddle of a threshing machine, and the other
into a second dressing or finishing machine attached to the end of an ordinary
thresher.
Thirdly, forming the discharge shoots and the riddles of the finishing
machine in one piece, and giving to these a vibratory motion in the longi-
tudinal direction of the machine.
Fourthly, working the shoots and riddles of the finishing machine by means
of a link connecting them with one of the riddles of the thresher.
Fifthly, inserting screens in the discharge spouts of the finishing machine,
by which they are made to answer the double purpose of screening the seeds
from the corn, and delivering the same into sacks.
Sixthly, the combination and arrangement of the several parts, as described,
by which grain may be threshed ready for market, without the use of revolving
wire screens or a double blower; or, in fact, any additional motion to those
that already exist in an ordinary threshing machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Allam Barrett, Williamall, and Charles James
Andrewes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
ALLAM BARRETT, WILLIAM EXALL, and CHARLES JAMES ANDREWES, all of
Reading, in the County of Berks, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said George Allam Barrett, William Exall, and Charles James Andrewes,
Her special licence that we, the said George Allam Barrett, William Exall,
and Charles James Andrewes, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said George Allam Barrett, William Exall, and
Charles James Andrewes, our 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

page_text: Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE AND FIXED COMBINED THRESHING MACHINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Allam Barrett, William
Exall, and Charles James Andrewes, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Allam Barrett and William
Exall, on behalf of ourselves and the said Charles James Andrewes, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is
to say):
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the threshing and dressing machines;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; Figure 3, a transverse section
of the finishing machine only. A is the drum of the threshing machine of
the usual description; B, B, the straw shakers; C, the first or top riddle; D,
the second or lower riddle; E, the crank for working the riddles and straw
shakers; F, connecting rod worked by crank E, giving motion to the riddle
C and G is another connecting rod worked by the same crank E, which gives
motion to the second or lower riddle D; H is a screen for distributing the
corn as it falls before the blast; I is the blower, having the ordinary trough J
to carry the wind under the riddle H, and having also another trough K at
right angles to it, to carry the wind to the finishing machine; L, L, the ordinary
tin can elevator; M, the barley aveller or horner; N, O, P, Q, R, and S, are
sieves attached and swinging together; T, delivering spout for puds; U, U,
are links, on which the aforesaid sieves N, O, P, Q, R, and S work; and V is
the link connecting and communicating motion from the riddle D to these
sieves.
The operation of this apparatus is as follows:-The unthrashed grain is fed
into the drum A in the usual way, and the straw shakers B, B, after having
shaken the straw, deliver the same over the end of shakers. The grain from
the drum A and straw shakers then falls on the riddle C, and thence to D,
over the lower end of which the cavings or long straw is delivered. The grain
then falls into the hopper and on to the screen H, and as it falls is acted upon

page_text: by a blast J, which blows the chaff out, leaving nothing but the grain, which
is carried up by means of the elevators L, L, into the barley aveller M, through
which it passes on to the riddle N. The puds and other impurities are delivered
into the spout T, from which they are delivered into a sack. The grain then
passes through the sieve O, and thence to P, and while falling is acted upon
by the second blast from K, blowing the horns of the barley, or any other
chaff that may have remained after the first dressing, over the end of the
screen P, which is of sufficient size not to allow the small corn to fall through
on to the screen R, through which again the very light grain, or what is
called second tailings, as well as seeds will fall, and be thence delivered into S,
where a sack will be fixed ready to remove it. The heavy grain will not fall
through the sieve P, but over the lower end of it on to Q; but should any
small grain or seeds remain with the best, they will fall through the sieve Q
and thence be delivered into S; the best grain falling over Q; and delivered
into a sack provided for that purpose.
Figures 4 and 5 represent an improvement in the construction of the drum;
Figure 4 being a plan, and Figure 5 a transverse section, shewing the several
beaters attached to the drum. In these Figures a is the beater, made entirely
of plate iron, bent to the section shewn, and perforated diagonally or otherwise
at intervals through its whole length; the perforations are marked b, b, b.
The object of these perforations is to enable any corn which might otherwise
become jammed between the drum beaters and the breasting, a free escape
through the beaters, and by this means all breakage of the grain is entirely
prevented.
'
Our last improvement consists in adding to the blower or fan of thrashing
or winnowing machines, &c., a self-acting regulator or governor, by which the
blast is controlled and rendered equable in its intensity, whatever change may
take place in the speed of the fan or blower. Figures 6 and 7. show two forms
of application. In the first of these, c is the body of the blower; d, the
delivery; and e, the inlet for the blast; f, the regulator; g, a small rod attached
to the regulator at h, and to the wind-board i at k. The mode of operation
is as follows: The regulator f, having its top sufficiently weighted, and its
sides formed of leather or other suitable material, is free to rise or fall with
the varying atmospheric pressure exerted on its interior surface due to the
inequalities of the speed of the fan; and being attached by the rod g to
the wind-board i, each rise or fall occasions a corresponding lesser or greater
admission of air through the inlet e, and thus preserves an uniform atmospheric
pressure with a varying velocity.

page_text: In the application shewn in section in Figure 7, m is the body of blower;
n, the outlet, and o, the inlet for blast; p, the regulator; q, spring, keeping
the regulator closed; r, set screw, by which the amount of pressure required
is regulated. In this case, the regulator p is a hinged shutter running the
whole or part of the length of the blower; and having its tendency to open
outwards restrained by the spring q, the counter pressure of which is so regu-
lated by the set screw r, as only to permit an escape of air from the regulator
when any increase in the speed of the fan shall have produced a greater
atmospheric pressure than is desirable, the same object being obtained as by
the former arrangement.
Having thus described our Invention, we claim in respect thereof,
First, working the top and lower riddles of portable and fixed thrashing
machines by means of the straw-shaker crank, thereby dispensing with the
riddle crank usually employed for that purpose.
Second, causing two separate blasts or currents of air to proceed from the
same blower at right or any other angle from each other; the one into the
dressing machine usually fixed to the lower riddle of a thrashing machine,
the other into a second dressing or finishing machine attached to the end of
an ordinary thrasher.
Third, forming the discharge shoots and the riddles of second dressing
machine in one piece, and giving them a vibratory motion in the longitudinal
direction of the thrashing machine.
Fourth, working the discharge shoots and the riddle of the second dressing
machine, by means of a link attached at one end to one of the riddles of
the thrasher, and at the other end to the middle of second dressing or finishing:
machine.
Fifth, inserting screens in the discharge spouts Q and R, Figure 3, by which.
means they are made to answer the double purpose of screening the seeds.
from the corn, and delivering the same into scales.
Sixth, the combination and arrangement of the several parts, as described,
by means of which corn, barley, or other grain may be thrashed and finished
ready for market, without the use of revolving wire screens or a double blower
or screw elevators, or a second set of tin can elevators; or, in fact, any addi-
tional motion to those that already exist in ordinary thrashing machines, the
height from the delivery spout to the ground being sufficient to enable a sack
and weighing machine to be placed underneath it.
Seventh, the introduction of perforated wrought plate iron beaters in the
drums of thrashing machines, the perforation being of any number or form.

page_text: Eighth, the regulating or equalizing the blast of blowers of thrashing,
winnowing, and other machines, by the means described, or others similar.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Allam Barrett and William
Exall, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-five.
WILLIAM EXALL.
(L.S.)
Witness to the signatures of the above-named
George Allam Barrett and William Exall,
JNO. JAMES,
Katesgrove, Reading.