IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Henry Rose and George Rose, both of 13,
Rue Gaillon, Paris, France. Engineers.
T
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-
Brown at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th December 1874.
I, WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-
Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES," (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Henry Rose and George Rose, both
of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, France, Engineers,) to be as follows:-
These improvements have reference to the mechanism for cleaning the
grain separated from the straw by the thrashing agent, and consist,-
Firstly. In causing the grain with its ordinary accompanying im.

page_text: purities, as delivered by the thrashing agent to fall on a riddle working
with a to-and-fro motion for separating the foreign matter of greater
volume than the corn.
Secondly. In imparting the said motion to the riddle by means of the
ordinary straw shakers or one of them.
Thirdly. In causing the partially cleaned wheat to fall in an apparatus
attached to the thrashing machine for the purpose of separating from
the same all impurities smaller than the wheat by means of a current of
air, which being directed on the partially cleaned grain as it falls from
the riddle blows away from the same the chaff, dust, etc., whilst the corn,
still imperfectly cleaned, falls down an inclined shoot, at the extremity of
which it is met by the ascending column of air or suction, and separates
from it all impurities of lighter specific gravity than the corn.
Fourthly. In suspending across the inclined shoot a series of pallets
or their equivalents, so arranged that the suction of the air is not suffi-
ciently powerful to vibrate them, whilst the accumulation of the corn
pressing behind them will vibrate them, thereby allowing the corn to
pass and excluding the air.
Fifthly. In utilizing the back motion of the straw shakers for re-
turning to the aforesaid cleaning apparatus the grain usually shaken out
of the straw, for which purpose cleats or small cross boards are attached
on the under face of the shakers in such a manner that the latter on
their back motion sweep down to the cleaning apparatus the grain
dropped on the board, usually placed below, and which inclines towards
the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers a
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue
Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the

page_text: thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Morgan-Brown,
Her special license that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the.. said
William Morgan-Brown, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES," (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Henry Rose and George Rose, both of
13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, France, Engineers) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 William Morgan-Brown, 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, that is to say :—
These improvements, which are applicable either to stationary or to
transportable machines for thrashing corn and other similar grain, have
especially reference to that part of the machinery used for cleaning the
corn after its separation from the ear.
It is well known that generally speaking the corn delivered by these
machines is mixed with waste, foreign grains, and other impurities, and
that it has consequently to be submitted to a distinct second operation,
called cleaning, before being fit for sale. These improvements suppress
entirely the necessity of this second operation, for they strip the corn of
all foreign grain or matter whatsoever, as well as the damaged corn, so
that it may be immediately put on sale after leaving the machine. This
important advantage is realised by replacing the ordinary cleaning
apparatus of the thrashing machines by a mechanism less complicated,
less expensive, requiring a smaller motive power, and which is a great
deal less liable to derangement.

page_text: The general character of the Invention consists in substituting an
aspirating cleaning apparatus to the ordinary cleaning apparatus' of
thrashing machines. To this effect these improvements have been made,
first, not only to modify the apparatus in order to adapt it to this
special purpose, but its action or useful effect has been amplified by
making a double use of the blast gencrated by the fan, that is to say,
after having served as an aspirating column to strip the corn of its last
impurities, viz., those of lesser specific gravity, it is directed in the shape
of a blast on the corn falling in the cleaning apparatus for the purpose
of stripping the said corn of the straw, empty ears, and many other im-
purities of the same kind that are habitually treated by a draft or blast
of air; but, second, also to improve certain existing parts of the thrashing
machines and to add others.
In order that these improvements be clearly understood, as well as
the best way I am acquainted with to put them in practical use, I
will describe them conjointly with the two Sheets of Drawing hereto
annexed.
The three Figures of the first Sheet are, Figure 1, a longitudinal
elevation of a thrashing machine. provided with these improvements;
Figure 2, an analogous elevation in section through A, A, Figuro 3;
and Figure 3, a back clevation partially in section.
The nine Figures of the second Sheet are, Figure 1, a longitudinal
elevation in section, and Figure 2 a back elevation of a new arrange-
ment for conducting into the cleaning apparatus the grain falling from
the shakers; Figures 3 and 4, similar elevations of a modification of this
arrangement; Figure 5 a longitudinal elevation of the new mechanism
for cleaning adapted as an independent machine; Figure 6, a front
elevation of the same in section through A, A, Figure 7; Figure 7, a
longitudinal clevation in section through B, B, Figure 6; and Figures 8
and 9 respectively, a detached plan and elevation of a part of the
mechanism of this cleaning apparatus.
In these Figures a represents the frame and b, b, the wheels for an
ordinary thrashing machine; c, the thrasher; and d, the counter-
thrasher. According to these modifications the corn is made to fall
with its ordinary impurities directly from the counter thrasher d on a
coarse riddle e, to which is imparted an horizontal to-and-fro motion,
either by connecting it directly to two of the shakers by means of the
joint g, or preferably by a rod jointed by one of its extremities to onc

page_text: of the shakers, and by the other to one of the oscillating levers i to
which the riddle is suspended. I say preferably, because by adjusting
the end of the rod at such or such part of the slot in the lever i the
stroke of the riddle can be regulated as may be desired. The object of
the riddle is to allow the corn and other grains of the same size or
smaller to pass through the holes or the meshes of the same, whereas
the clods and other substances more voluminous than corn are thrown
out over the side, see Figure 2, where the corn is shown in red and all
the foreign substances in black. The corn having thus undergone a
first purification falls along the board j in the aspirating column k, but
in its fall it is submitted at to the draught or blast of air created by the
fan m, which blows off all the light impurities. This same blast acts
equally and simultaneously through the holes of the riddles, and whilst
being drawn in, in the first place through the aspirating column,
separates all the last impurities remaining in the corn, which latter falls
from the apparatus either on the soil or on the screw n turning in the
box n'; the impurities carried up by the aspiration precipitate them-
selves in the box o. o¹ is a balanced valve to regulate the degree of
suction, and p a series of palets in tin or other appropriate material
articulated across the entire length of the spout. They are intended to
prevent the air from passing in with the corn at this place. They may
be from five to ten centimetres wide, and all articulated on a single rod
crossing the cleaning apparatus.
It occurs that whilst the thrashed corn is being thrown out by the
shakers it abandons often a large quantity of grain that must be gathered
and be submitted to the same operations as the corn that comes from
the thrasher. To this effect I make use of the shakers themselves by
fixing on their under surfaces transverse cleets q, q, which, on the
shakers descending, brush down gradually the grain, which falls on the
inclined board q¹ on the fore end of the riddle e. The grain thus cleaned
may be automatically filled in the sacks by the endless screw n, and
cup chain or elevator 8 emptying into the trough t, shown in red,
Figure 1. The waste from the suction is carried away as it accumulates
by an endless screw u through the jointed door v, Figure 3. Motion can
be imparted to these parts by any appropriate mechanism. I have
shown in the Drawing the gearing I think best adapted for this purpose.
wo is a covering in wire gauze, or any other appropriate openwork
material, surrounding the bottom of the aspirating tube and the box n¹
to prevent the loose straw and other light impurities from mixing afresh

page_text: with the corn.
The corn is also protected in the same manner on its
passage from the trough n¹ till it is stored away in sacks.
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 2, represent a modification of the mechanism
for feeding into the cleaning apparatus the corn shaken out of the straw,
and in which the cleets q, q, are replaced by an endless apron a stretched
on the pulleys b, b, and c, c, which communicate to it motion in the
direction shown by the arrows. This apron is composed of two parallel
straps, connected by stays of wood or other appropriate material, which
sweeping down the inclined board d constantly brush into the cleaning
apparatus the grain shaken out of the straw leaving the machine.
Modification, Figures 3 and 4.--According to this modification the
endless open apron is replaced by a full apron a, made of leather or any
other appropriate material, and the pulleys by cylinders b, b. At the
same time I suppress the inclined board, because the corn falls on this
full apron that carries it directly into the cleaning apparatus.
Figures 5 to 9 represent the cleaning apparatus, which works so ad-
vantageously on a thrashing machine, detached as a separate instrument
for the purpose of cleaning corn either imperfectly separated in other
machines of the same nature, or corn obtained by the flail, or any other
methods. To this end it has been necessary to create an independent
apparatus or cleaning machine, comprising the same principles of action,
but modified in accordance with the necessities of this new application.
These modifications relate principally, firstly, to the shape and pro-
portions of the box and the fan, clearly defined in the annexed Drawings;
secondly, to the special adoption of a riddle working with a to-and-fro
motion, that can be regulated as required, and which is fed from a hopper,
the whole forming à very simple and compact machine, neither volumi-
nous nor expensive, and above all exceedingly effective. It requires very
little power, and unfailingly separates from the corn all the other grains,
objects, or bodies of a larger volume, of a smaller volume, and of an
inferior specific gravity.
In the five Figures above mentioned e represents the box of the
cleaning apparatus; f, the fan aspirating at 9 and blowing off at h;
i, the riddle, suspended at one end by j, j, where it also receives a to-
and-fro from the bell crank k driven by the connecting rod and the cog
wheel, see Figures 8 and 9; 1, the hopper; m, the preciptating box;
n, the regulating valve; o, the valve for the outflow of the waste from
the aspiration, one of which is placed on each side.

page_text: Having thus explained the nature of these improvements, as also the
best way I am acquainted with to put the same into practice, I would
have it understood that what I claim and desire to secure in the before-
mentioned and in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of the riddle e and the
mode of actuating the same, as specified and illustrated in Figures 1, 2,
and 3, Sheet 1.
Secondly. The construction and general arrangement of the cleaning
apparatus as adapted to a thrashing machine, as specified and illustrated
in Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1.
Thirdly. The construction and arrangement of the pallets p, described
and illustrated in Figure 2, Sheet 1, for the purposes specified.
Fourthly. The utilization of the current of air generated by the
fan in the shape of an aspiration and of a blast as adapted to a
thrashing machine, for the purposes specified and illustrated in Figures
1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1.
Fifthly. The adaptation made to the shakers f, f, as described and
illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, Sheet 1, for conducting to the cleaning
apparatus the grain shaken out of the straw leaving the machine.
Sixthly. The two different mechanical arrangements for effecting the
above result, as specified and illustrated, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, Sheet 2.
Seventhly. The construction and general arrangement of an indepen-
dent cleaning apparatus, as described and illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 7,
8, and 9, Sheet 2.
In witness whereof, I; the said William Morgan-Brown, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)