IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING THE 17 THE BEATERS AND DRESSING MACHINERY OF THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Lawrence Taylor, of Cottonend, Bedford, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING THE
17
3
Sealed the 6th October 1854, and dated the 4th August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Lawrence Taylor
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th August 1854.
I, SAMUEL LAWRENCE TAYLOR, of Cottonend, Bedford, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING
THE BEATERS AND DRESSING MACHINERY OF THRASHING MACHINES" to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of a peculiar construction and combination of the
beaters, and also of the parts of the dressing machinery used in combination
with thrashing machines. According to these improvements, the beaters, in
place of each being formed of a flat bar of iron screwed on the wood, a plate
of iron with a ridge is used and fixed with screws, and by the improvements
in the dressing machinery the grain falls from the straw-shaking apparatus of
the thrashing machinery on to an inclined platform, to which a shaking or
vibratory motion is given. At the lower end this platform is formed with a
riddle, so that as the grain and "cavings" descend the inclined platform, the
grain falls through the riddle and the cavings fall off at the end. Below the

page_text: riddle is fixed another platform or surface, which inclines in all directions
towards the middle of one edge, where there is, comparatively, a narrow
opening, through which the grain passes on to another riddle, which is fixed
below the inclined platform in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position, and
the grain falls through such riddle on to an inclined surface, which brings the
grain back to a position below and towards the lower end of the inclined plat-
form, and here the grain and matters falling through the horizontal riddle meet
with currents of air driven through between the riddle and the lower incline,
on to which the grain falls therefrom, as before mentioned, and by such means
the chaff is separated; and in order to get rid of the lighter grains and
matters not separated by the first action of the blast, the fan and apparatus is
so arranged as to give a second blast of air to act against the grain as it falls
off the lower incline on to another short incline, and then on to a spout, which
is fixed below it, and has a sieve bottom. The effect of this second blast is
regulated by a slide or adjusting stop, moveable in the space at that side of
the spout most distant from the fan. All these parts except the fan are fixed
to the under side of the inclined platform, and shake or vibrate with it, and by
such means will the grain be better and more conveniently dressed than by the
dressing apparatus or machinery now combined with thrashing macliinery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Lawrence Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd February. 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
LAWRENCE TAYLOR, of Cottonend, Bedford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Samuel Lawrence Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel
Lawrence Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1, the said Samuel Lawrence Taylor, my 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 Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an,

page_text: Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING AND ARRANGING THE BEATERS
AND DRESSING MACHINERY OF THRASHING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Lawrence Taylor, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Samuel Lawrence Taylor, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same i;
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say):-
:
This Invention consists of a peculiar construction and combination of the
beaters, and also of the parts of the dressing machinery used in combination
with thrashing machines. According to these improvements, the beaters, in
place of each being formed of a flat bar of iron screwed on the wood, a plate
of iron with a ridge is used and fixed with screws, and by the improvements
in the dressing machinery the grain falls from the straw-shaking apparatus of
the thrashing machinery on to an inclined platform, to which a shaking or
vibratory motion is given. At the lower end this platform is formed with a
riddle, so that as the grain and "cavings" descend the inclined platform, the
grain falls through the riddle and the cavings fall off at the end. Below the
riddle is fixed another platform or surface, which inclines in all directions
towards the middle of one edge, where there is, comparatively, a narrow
opening, through which the grain passes on to another riddle, which is fixed
below the inclined platform in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position, and
the grain falls through such riddle on to an inclined surface, which, brings the
grain back to a position below and towards the lower end of the inclined
platform; and here the grain and matters falling through the horizontal riddle
meet with currents of air driven through between the riddle and the lower
incline, on to which the grain falls therefrom, as before mentioned, and by such
means the chaff is separated; and in order to get rid of the lighter grains and
matters not separated by the first action of the blast, the fan and apparatus is
so arranged as to give a second blast of air to act against the grain as it falls
off the lower incline on to another short incline, and then on to a spout, which
is fixed below it, and has a sieve bottom. The effect of this second blast is
regulated by a slide or adjusting stop, moveable in the space at that side of
the spout most distant from the fan. All these parts except the fan are fixed
to the under side of the inclined platform, and shake or vibrate with it, and by

page_text: such means will the grain be better and more conveniently dressed than by the
dressing apparatus or machinery now combined with thrashing machines.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
:
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a thrashing machine constructed
according to my Invention. The nature and construction of this class of
machines being well understood, it will only be necessary to describe the
arrangement of those parts of the machine which relate to my present
improvements. a, a, are the beaters, one of which is shown separately in
section on a larger scale at Figure 2. Each plate of metal, which is screwed
to the face of the wooden bars of the beater, is formed with a ridge or turned-
up edge a', by which construction the beaters are much strengthened and are
not so liable to split or break as heretofore. 6 is the straw-shaker, which is of
the ordinary construction, and from which the grain falls on to the inclined
platform c, to which a shaking or vibrating motion is given by cranks d, fixed
on the axis d', which receives motion by means of a pulley and strap from the
axis of the beater. The motion of the crank axis is communicated by
connecting rods d to the links c¹, which support one end of the platform c
and dressing apparatus, the other end being supported by links &, as shown.
e is a riddle, formed at the lower end of the platform c, through which the
grain falls in its passage down the incline c, the "cavings" falling off over the
end at c. The grain, as it falls from the riddle c, is conducted by the inclined
platform or surface f, through the opening f, on to the riddle g, which is
fixed to the under side of the inclined platform in a horizontal or nearly
horizontal position, and the grain, as it falls from the riddle g, is conducted by
the inclined surface h back to a position towards and below the lower end of
the inclined platform f, and the grain and matters in falling from the riddle g
meet with currents of air (from the fan i) driven up through between the
riddle and the lower incline h, by which the chaff' is separated and discharged
at the top end of the incline h; and in order to get rid of the lighter grains
and matters not-separated by the first action of the blast, the apparatus is so
arranged as to divide the blast of air, by acting against the short incline h¹,
which conducts it partially below the incline h, so as to act on the grain as it
falls from the incline on to the short incline h¹, and into a spout j fixed
below, which has a sieve or perforated bottom. This second blast is regulated
by an adjustable stop, moveable in the space at that side of the spout most
distant from the fan. is an aviller, which may be introduced and caused to

page_text: revolve in the spout j when threshing barley. The parts f, g, h, h, j, & k, aro
all fixed to the under side of the inclined platform c, and shake and vibrate
therewith, and by this arrangement of the apparatus of thrashing machinery
the grain will be better and more conveniently dressed than by the dressing
machinery now used in combination with thrashing machinery.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details herein shown and described, nor do I claim any of the
mechanical parts shown and described separately; but what I claim is, the
constructing of the beaters of thrashing machines as herein explained, and
the combining of the parts of the dressing apparatus in connection with
thrashing machinery as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Lawrence Taylor, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
SAMUEL LAWRENCE TAYLOR. (L.S.)