IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: We, PHILIP GIBBONS and ARTHUR SAMUEL FRANCIS ROBINSON both of Wantage
in the County of Berks Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of thrashing machine in which the shaker
boxes and the shoes or riddles are actuated from the same crank shaft.
According to our Invention we suspend the upper and lower shoes or riddles by
side spring hangers as is usual in ordinary thrashing machines-the shaker boxes
also as heretofore we fix at their centre on to the top of brackets which are carried
upon the crank pins or bends of the crank axle.
The brackets which carry alternate boxes we attach by wooden connecting rods
with the front end of one shoe and the brackets which carry the other boxes we
similarly attach by connecting rods to the rear end of the other shoe.
Preferably we secure the connecting rods to the brackets by clamps and we so
shape the brackets that the two sets of connecting rods may come approximately in
a line with one another in order that the momentum of one shoe at either end of
its movement may be balanced by the momentum of the other shoe which is then
at the end of its movement in the opposite direction the strains upon the crank
axis are so made to neutralize one another.
'
In this way it will be seen that the required reciprocating motion is given
to the shoes direct from the crank axes much in the same way as in the ordinary
riddle.
In order also to arrest the momentum of the shoes at the ends of their stroke we
employ upright wooden springs attached at their lower ends to two opposite sides
of the hind axle of the machine--the upper ends of the springs on one side of the
axle we attach by a wooden connecting rod to one shoe and the upper ends of the
springs on the other side of the axle to the other shoe.
Sideway movement of the shoes is prevented by horizontal links as is now
common.
By the above arrangement many ordinary parts and bearings are done away
with and the only joints requiring lubrication are where the brackets are carried
by the crank axle.
In cases where a dressing machine is placed at the back of the thrashing drum
we form tangential holes or openings through the lower part of the casing at the
back of the drum so that a current of air may be induced into the casing through
these openings. This current of air serves to draw away dust or chaff coming from
the dresser which otherwise is apt to accumulate at the back of the drum.
1004

page_text: We, PHILIP GIBBONS and ARTHUR SAMUEL FRANCIS ROBINSON both of Wantage
in the County of Berks Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our 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 that class of thrashing machine in which the shaker
boxes and the shoes or riddles are actuated from the same crank shaft.
According to our Invention we suspend the upper and lower shoes or riddles
by side spring hangers as is usual in ordinary thrashing machines the shaker boxes
also as heretofore we fix at their centre on to the top of brackets which are carried
upon the crank pins or bends of the crank axle.
The brackets which carry alternate boxes we attach by spring blades preferably
of wood to the front end of one shoe and the brackets which carry the other
boxes we similarly attach by spring blades to the rear end of the other shoe.
By connecting the brackets to the shoes in this way by spring blades not only
is the necessity of supporting one or other end of each shaker by a spring hanger
or rocker or jointed support done away with and the momentum of one shoe at
either end of its endway movement balanced by the momentum of the other
shoe which is then at the end of its movement in the opposite direction but in
addition the spring blades also by their elasticity check the momentum of the
shakers at the end of their upward and downward movement and so diminish
or avoid the blows which otherwise would take place between the crank pins
and the brackets-as also each of the shakers is only restrained from turning
upon the crank pin by one or other of the spring blades, the spring would if
necessary yield somewhat and diminish any blow which would otherwise take
place so giving a tremulous movement to the shaker instead of giving a blow
upon the crank.
In order also to arrest the momentum of the shoes at the ends of their endway
stroke we employ upright wooden springs attached at their lower ends to two
opposite sides of the hind axle of the machine-the upper ends of the springs on
one side of the axle we attach by a wooden connecting rod to one shoe and the
upper ends of the springs on the other side of the axle to the other shoe.
Sideway movement of the front ends for the shoes is prevented by horizontal
links as is now common- whilst the upright springs serve as guides and prevent
all sideway movement of the back ends of the shoes.
By the above arrangement many ordinary parts and bearings are done away
with and the only joints requiring lubrication are where the brackets are carried
by the crank axle.
In order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Figure 2 a cross section of a thrashing
machine having our improvements applied to it. The machine shewn is provided
with three shaker boxes but it will be evident that the improvements can also be
applied to thrashing machines which have five or other number of shaker boxes.
a is the framing of the machine, b the drum, c the concave d the crank axle from
which the shaker boxes and shoes or riddles are actuated, ee are the side spring

page_text: hangers by which the shoes or riddles are suspended as is usual-g are the brackets
to which the sbaker boxes h are fixed at their centres and which are carried by the
crank pins or bends of the crank axle d-i are the spring blades secured at one
end to the brackets g-the spring blade which is secured to the middle bracket is
at its opposite end fixed to the forward end of the upper shoe and the spring blades
which are secured to the out brackets are fixed to the backward end of the
lower shoe.
Preferably we secure the spring blades i to the brackets g by clamps and bolts
and we so shape the brackets that the two sets of connecting rods may come
approximately in a line with one another when at each end of their stroke.
1. l. are the upright wooden springs to arrest the momentum of the shoes j and k
at the ends of their stroke-they are attached at their lower ends to opposite sides
of the wooden bar into which the hind axle of the machine is embedded-the upper
ends of the springs on one side of the axle we attach by wooden connecting rods n
to one shoe and similarly the upper ends of the springs on the other side of the
axle by rods n to the other shoe. The springs are unbent when the shoes are at
the middle of their stroke.
When the shoes are at one end of their stroke both springs would be bent
towards one another and when at the other end of their stroke would be bent away
from one another. In this way the tendency to rock the axle or axle bed in one
direction by one spring is always counterbalanced by the tendency to rock the axle
or axle bed in the other direction by the other spring-The springs might be single
springs and be connected with the rods n in the manner shewn in Figure 1 or they
might be used in pairs as shewn in Figures 3 and 4 and the rods n be coupled as
shewn in these Figures by pin joints to the upper ends of the springs-The pins of
the joints in this case we form with flat plates at either end of them as shewn-at
Figure 5-each plate enters between the upper ends of two spring blades as shewn
at Figure 6 and is held there by a bolt . The bolts pass through oblong holes in
the plates so as to give sufficient play to allow the springs to bend freely. The
springs also might be at the centre of the axle as is shewn in Figure 3 or two sets
might be used at a distance apart as in Figure 2-in place also of the spring blades
being secured to the axle they might be secured to any fixed cross bar or beam
provided for the purpose.
We would have it understood that we are aware that in machines in which the
shakers have been mounted at their centre upon the crank pins or bends of a crank
axis it has before been proposed to form the brackets which carry the shakers with
rigid rods projecting from them and to joint by a pin joint the end of the rod
which projects from the middle bracket with the backward end of the upper shoe
whilst the ends of the rods which project from the outer brackets are similarly
jointed by hinge joints to the forward end of the lower shoe-We are also aware
that in other machines where the shakers have been supported in the ordinary way
by side spring hangers the middle crank block or bracket which carries the middle
shaker has been connected by a spring blade with the upper shoe when this upper
shoe has had the bottom shoe rigidly secured to it. But by neither of these
arrangements were the advantages derived from our improvements attained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
First. The combination of the crank axle, the brackets mounted thereon carrying
the shakers and the spring blades secured at one end of the brackets and at their
opposite end connected some to the front end of one shoe or riddle and others to
the rear end of the other shoe or riddle substantially as described.
Second. The employment of spring blades secured to the opposite sides of the
bind axle or other fixed cross bar or beam of the machine for checking the
momentum of the two shoes or riddles at the end of their stroke substantially as
described.

page_text: Third. The construction of thrashing machines substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
Witness to the above signatures,
THOMAS HANDISIDES.
PHILIP GIBBONS.
ARTHUR S F. ROBINSON.
Carpmael & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.