Improvements in Machines for Hulling or Shelling, or Husking, and Hulling or Shelling Maize.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Hulling or Shelling, or Husking, and
Hulling or Shelling Maize.
We, WILLIAM FOSTER AND COMPANY, LIMITED, of Wellington Foundry, in
the City of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention,
which has been cominunicated to us from abroad by Louis Pfaff, of Buenos Ayres,
in the Argentine Republic, Engineer, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of machines which consist
of a cylinder or cage formed by a number of longitudinal bars or rods held in
position with suitable spaces between them by means of several rings arranged at
intervals in the length of the cylinder or cage and formed with holes to receive the
bars or rods and within which cylinder is arranged with capability of revolution a
beater of suitable construction, and which class of machines is now well known.
The heads of maize of different kinds vary considerably in size and the heads of
the same kind of maize likewise vary, the size depending upon more or less perfect
development. Consequently, when a machine which has been constructed more
especially to deal with large or fully developed maize heads, is employed, to shell
or husk and shell small or imperfectly developed heads, it is found that the spaces
between the outer edges of the beater and the rings, which latter perform an
important part in the operation, are too great, and as a result some of the heads
issue from the machine imperfectly shelled or husked and shelled.
This difficulty may be obviated by employing different sized beaters and
changing them for different sizes of heads, but changing the beaters in the manner
suggested involves considerable time and consequently expense.
Now, the object of the present invention is to render machines of the class above
referred to, suitable for performing the several operations of hulling or shelling
or husking and hulling or shelling and also to provide a means of adjusting the
rings of the machine according to the size of the heads to be acted upon.
For this purpose, one, two or more rings are formed double or in two parts
bolted together but one part is provided with, say three, distance pieces of suitable
thickness which separate the two parts of the ring, leaving at intervals a space
between such parts.
These distance pieces are formed, on their inner edges or faces, of the shape of
a flattened pyramid, so that the edges of adjacent distance pieces will lie parallel
to each other, and in the three spaces between the distance pieces are three curved
segmental pieces fitted to slide between the adjacent faces of the distance pieces.
Each of these segmental pieces on its outer edge or periphery is formed with a
boss in which is fixed a threaded screw which passes through the overhanging or
returned end of a bracket fixed with the ring and fitted with suitable adjusting
and lock nuts, so that the segmental pieces may, within certain limits, be more or
less advanced towards, or withdrawn from, the centre of the ring so as to more or
less reduce or enlarge the area of the opening therein.
It does not follow that these segmental pieces would be equally advanced or
retracted, as the nature of the material to be acted upon and the conditions of
working might render it advisable to unequally advance or retract such segmental
pieces.

page_text: By the means herein before described, we are enabled to adapt machines fitted
with beaters of a given size, to treatment of maize heads of all dimensions.
Dated this 20th day of Januar 1904
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Machines for Hulling or Shelling, or Husking, and
Hulling or Shelling Maize.
We, WILLIAM FOSTER AND COMPANY, LIMITED, of Wellington Foundry, in
the City of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention,
which has been communicated to us from abroad by Louis Pfaff, of Buenos Ayres,
in the Argentine Republic, Engineer, 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 improvements in that class of machines which consist
of a cylinder or cage formed by a number of longitudinal bars or rods held in
position with suitable spaces between them by means of several rings arranged at
intervals in the length of the cylinder or cage and formed with holes to receive the
bars or rods and within which cylinder is arranged, with capability of revolution,
a beater of suitable construction and which class of machines is now well known.
The heads of maize of different kinds vary considerably in size and the heads of
the same kind of maize likewise vary, the size depending upon more or less perfect
development. Consequently, when a machine which has been constructed more
especially to deal with large or fully developed maize heads, is employed to shell,
or, husk and shell small or imperfectly developed heads it is found that the spaces
between the outer edges of the beater and the rings, which latter perform an
important part in the operation, are too great, and as a result some of the heads
issue from the machine imperfectly shelled or husked and shelled.
This difficulty may be obviated by employing different size beaters and changing
them for different sizes of heads but changing the beaters in the manner suggested
involves considerable time and consequently expense.
Now, the object of the present invention is to render machines of the class above
referred to suitable for performing the several operations of hulling or shelling or
husking and hulling or shelling, and also to provide a means of adjusting the rings
of the machine according to the size of the heads to be acted upon.
For this purpose, one, two or more rings are formed double or in two parts
bolted together but one part is provided with, say three, distance pieces of suitable
thickness which separate the two parts of the ring, leaving at intervals a space
between such parts.
These distance pieces are formed, on their inner edges or faces of the shape
of a flattened pyramid, so that the edges of adjacent distance pieces will lie
parallel to each other, and in the three spaces between the distance pieces are
three curved segmental pieces fitted to slide between the adjacent faces of the
distance pieces.
Each of these segmental pieces on its outer edge or periphery is formed with a
boss in which is fixed a threaded screw which passes through the overhanging or
returned end of a bracket fixed with the ring and fitted with suitable adjusting and
lock nuts, so that the segmental pieces may within certain limits be more or less
advanced towards or withdrawn from, the centre of the ring so as to more or less
reduce or enlarge the area of the opening therein.
It does not follow that these segmental pieces would be equally advanced or
retracted, as the nature of the material to be acted upon and the conditions
of working might render it advisable to unequally advance or retract such
segmental pieces.

page_text: And, in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings,
more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is a vertical longitudinal elevation representing the cylinder or cage
portion of a machine having the present invention applied thereto.
Figure 2. is a transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1. showing the
curved segmental pieces advanced towards the centre of the ring, and,
Figure 3. is a similar view but showing the segmental pieces in their retracted
position.
In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
a. represents a number of rings which are formed with holes therethrough to
receive a number of rods or bars a¹ constituting a cylinder or cage and a²
represents an opening at the upper part and near to one end of the cylinder or
cage, through which the heads are fed in any suitable direction, a suitable opening
being formed at or near the opposite end of the cylinder or cage through which
the cobs and husks are delivered, as is well understood.
Within the cylinder or cage is located a beater b. the arrangement of the blades
of which has been fully described in the Specification of former Letters Patent,
No. 6109, dated 22nd of April 1890, granted to us and is now well known and the
shaft of this beater b. is mounted in bearings c. carried by the frame d. and
receives rotary motion from any suitable source of power.
In carrying the present invention into effect, one, two, or it might be more of
the rings a. is or are formed in two parts a. a* bolted together by bolts a³ which
in the present example are of sufficient length to pass through both of the
rings a. a* but the part a. of each ring is provided with several, say for example
three, distance pieces at of suitable thickness which separate the two parts a. a* of
the ring leaving at intervals a space between such parts.
These distance pieces a are formed on their inner edges or faces of the shape
of a flattened pyramid so that the inner edges of adjacent pieces at will lie parallel
to each other and in the three spaces between the distance pieces a* are arranged
three curved segmental pieces a which are fitted to slide between the adjacent
faces of the distance pieces a*.
Each of these segmental pieces a³ on its outer edge or periphery is formed
with a boss a in which is fixed a threaded screw a' which passes through the
overhanging or returned end of a bracket a fixed to that part a. of the ring
and is fitted with suitable adjusting and lock nuts a* so that the segmental pieces a
may within certain limits be more or less advanced towards or withdrawn from
the centre of the ring a. a* so as to more or less reduce or enlarge the area of the
central opening therein and for this purpose the inner edges or faces of the
segmental pieces a are shaped to form arcs of a circle of less radius than that of
the central opening in the ring a a*.
It does not follow that all of the segmental pieces a³ would be equally advanced
or retracted as the nature of the material to be acted upon and the conditions of
working might render it advisable to unequally advance or retract such segmental
pieces.
By the means herein before described, we are enabled to adapt machines fitted
with beaters b. of a given size to the treatment of maize heads of all dimensions
thus obviating the necessity for the employment of different sized beaters to be
changed for different sizes of heads.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a machine of the character herein described, the combination with a cage,

page_text: formed of a number of bars or rods supported by rings, of means for varying the
area of the central opening through one or more of such rings, substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. In a machine of the character herein described, the combination with a cage
formed of a number of bars supported by rings, of one or more rings carrying
segmental pieces and means for advancing and retracting the same, substantially
as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
3. In a machine of the character herein described, the combination with a cage,
formed of a number of bars or rods supported by rings, of one or more rings formed
in two parts connected together but with distance pieces between the same, the
inner edges of which distance pieces are shaped to such an angle that they are
parallel to those of adjacent distance pieces, segmental pieces on their inner edges
shaped to the arc of a circle and arranged between the distance pieces and means
for advancing and retracting the segmental pieces, substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 29th day of October 1894.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.