Improvements in or connected with Thrashing Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Thrashing Machines.
We, JAMES MARSHALL, of Britannia Iron Works, Gainsborough, in the County
of Lincoln, Engineer, and HUGO GRAEPEL, of V Aussere Waitznerstrasse. 46,
Budapest, in the Kingdom of Hungary, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Ordinary grain thrashing machines are usually provided with one caving riddle,
over which the cavings pass out of the machine whilst the chaff and grain pass
through the said riddle and drop on to the board beneath and from thence into the
lower dressing apparatus where they pass successively on to two riddles being
exposed to a current of air coming from a blower. Thrashing machines have been
provided with two caving riddles for thrashing grain as described in the Specifica-
tions of James Marshall's Patents 15931 of 1891 and 22727 of 1894 but for certain
purposes, such as for thrashing clover, these two caving riddles are not sufficient,
and according to our present invention we apply a third riddle in the following
manner. We leave the top caving riddle as described in the Specification of the
said Patent No. 22727 of 1894 taking away the sheet iron runs underneath the
same, which in thrashing grain lead the grain passing through this riddle sideways
so that it falls clear of the bottom caving riddle into the bottom hopper, and we
fix in place of these sheet iron runs, an additional caving riddle between the top
and the bottom caving riddle, thus there are three caving riddles one above the
other, which do not require any intermediate runs between them, but allow the
material falling through the riddles, to fall direct on to the riddle below. The two
upper caving riddles may both be placed in the top shoe and the third one in the
bottom shoe, or only one may be placed in the top shoe, and the second and the
third in the bottom shoe. The two top caving riddles lead the short straws out
of the machine allowing only the cobs or husks to pass on to the bottom caving
riddle. In thrashing clover or the like this bottom caving riddle has small holes
allowing only shelled seed and dust to pass through, whilst unshelled husks and
cobs are led into an elevator placed at the end of the lower caving riddle on one
side thereof. The material passing through the lower caving riddle falls on to
a leading down board or run which leads it onto the chaff riddles in the lower
hopper or dressing apparatus.
In the upper part of the lower dressing apparatus of ordinary thrashing machines
there is only one chaff riddle exposed to the action of the blast. According to our
invention we employ two chaff riddles in the upper part of the lower dressing
apparatus arranged in a special manner. At the end of the upper of these chaff
riddles we place a board or dust riddle which may be fixed or jointed so that it
can be adjusted higher or lower at the outlet end to keep back the seed in the
machine and prevent its being blown out. This chaff riddle and its dust riddle
together are so long that the material which is too large to pass through the holes

page_text: therein, and which consequently passes over the said dust riddle, is led outside the
machine. We may use a similar dust riddle on the second chaff riddle beneath
that first named.
In the ordinary construction of thrashing machines, there is in the bottom
hopper (in the lower shoe) an inclined board placed at the end of the chaff riddle
over which the wind coming from the blower is led out of the machine, taking the
chaft along with it, whilst any grain carried along by the wind, falls on to this
inclined board and is led back on to the lower riddles in this bottom hopper. A
loose board is fitted to the edge of this inclined board, which can be adjusted to
suit the different kinds of grain to be thrashed, with a view to prevent grains being
blown out of the machine. We find however that in thrashing clover, or other
light seed, or light grain, it is desirable to gradually reduce the strength of the
wind at the outlet end of the bottom hopper, and with this view, according to our
invention, instead of these boards we apply either adjustable, or fixed, dust riddles
by means of which not only good grain or seed is kept back in the machine, but
the dust and seeds of weeds of smaller size are got rid of more effectually than can
be done in the ordinary construction.
The aforesaid elevator takes any clover heads or husks that are not sufficiently rubbed
out up through a spout to a drum fitted with a rubbing shell, which shell is con-
structed so that the material whilst it is being rubbed is forwarded from the inlet
end of the rubbing shell towards the outlet end thereof. For this purpose we apply
to the said shell ribs or elevations pressed out of the sheet metal of the shell so
that they present elevations on the inside of the rubbing shell and corresponding
hollows or depressions on the outside. These ribs or elevations being placed on
an incline cause the material passing through the shell to pass quickly from the
inlet end to the outlet end.
After leaving the shelling drum, the rubbed material passes through a spout
(which is preferably applied outside the frame of the machine) on
to the board below the third caving riddle, and from there it passes
direct to the lower dressing apparatus of the machine, thus the material
rubbed out by the drum inside the shell does not pass over the caving riddles and
therefore does not mix with the unshelled husks or cobs coming from the drum,
used to separate the cobs or husks from the straw.
The ordinary thrashing drum in these machines is used for separating the clover
heads or cobs from the straw, the concave being covered in to facilitate this, and
the cobs and seeds are then passed through the caving riddles and the second drum,
in the manner described and are finally passed through the bottom hopper and the
remaining dressing apparatus of the thrashing machine.
Dated this 8th day of Auril 1897
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in or connected with Thrashing Machines.
We, JAMES MARSHALL, of Britannia Iron Works, Gainsborough, in the County
of Lincoln, Engineer, and HUGO GRAEPEL, of V Äussere Waitznerstrasse 46,
Budapest, in the Kingdom of Hungary, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Ordinary grain thrashing machines are usually provided with one caving riddle

page_text: over which the cavings pass out of the machine, whilst the chaff and grain pass
through the said riddle and drop onto the board beneath and from thence into the
lower dressing apparatus, where they pass successively onto two riddles, being
exposed to a current of air coming from a blower. Thrashing machines have been
provided with two caving riddles for thrashing grain as described in the Specifica-
tions of Letters Patent granted to one of us (viz.: James Marshall) Nos. 15931
of 1891 and 22727 of 1894, but for certain purposes, such as for thrashing clover,
these two caving riddles are not sufficient to effectually separate the short straw
from the cobs, and according to our present invention we apply a third riddle in
the following manner, and as shewn in longitudinal vertical section in Figure 1
of the accompanying drawing.
We leave the top caving riddle A as described in the Specification of the said
Letters Patent No. 22727 of 1894 but taking away the sheet iron runs underneath
it, which, in thrashing grain, lead the grain passing through this riddle sideways
so that it falls clear of the bottom caving riddle C into the bottom hopper, and
we fix in place of these sheet iron runs an additional caving riddle B between the
top and the bottom caving riddles A and C, thus there
riddles A, B, C, one above another which do not require any intermediate runs
are three caving
between them, but allow the material descending through the upper riddles to fall
direct on to the riddle below. The two upper caving riddles may both be placed
in the top shoe and the third one in the bottom shoe, or only one may be placed in
the top shoe and the second and the third in the bottom shoe. The two top
caving riddles A, B, lead the short straws out of the machine, allowing only the
cobs or husks to pass on to the bottom caving riddle C. In thrashing clover, or
the like, this bottom caving riddle has small holes allowing only shelled seed and
dust to pass through, whilst unshelled husks and cobs are led through an inclined
hopper S which is attached to the end of the riddle C into an elevator H placed
at the lower end of the hopper S on one side of the machine. The material passing
through the lower caving riddle falls on to a leading-down board or run D
which leads it onto the chaff riddles J J in the lower hopper or dressing
apparatus.
In the upper part of the lower dressing apparatus of ordinary thrashing machines,
there is only one chaff riddle (which is exposed to the action of the blast). Accord-
ing to our invention we employ two chaff riddles J J2 in the upper part of the lower
dressing apparatus arranged as shewn, the lower riddle J2 being exposed to. the
action of the blast, whilst the upper riddle J is prevented from getting much
blast in consequence of the material passing over the lower riddle. At the end of
the upper of these chaff riddles J we place a dust riddle J³ which may be fixed,
or jointed, so that it can be adjusted higher, or lower, at the outlet end, to keep
back the seed in the machine, and prevent its being blown out. This chaff riddle J
and its dust riddle J³ together, are so long that the material which is too large to
pass through the holes therein, and which consequently passes over the said dust
riddle, is led outside the machine. By this means any short straws which may
get into the bottom hopper are prevented from getting into the chaff riddle Ja
and so overloading of the said riddle J2 with heavy stuff is avoided, and therefore
heavy blast such as would carry good grain out of the machine is not required.
e may use a similar dust riddle J on the second chaff riddle J2 beneath the first
iddle J. Beneath the dust riddles J3 J4 is a dust riddle K which is provided with
an adjustable dust riddle K².
We
In the ordinary construction of thrashing machines, there is in the bottom
opper (in the lower shoe) an inclined board placed at some distance from the end.
of the chaff riddle over which the wind coming from the blower is led out of the
machine, taking the chaff along with it, whilst any grain carried along by the
vind, falls onto this inclined board and is led back onto the lower riddles in this
ottom hopper. A loose board is fitted to the edge of this inclined board which can
e adjusted to suit the different kinds of grain to be thrashed, with a view to

page_text: prevent grains being blown out of the machine. We find however that in thrash-
ing clover, or other light seed, or light grain, it is desirable to gradually reduce
the strength of the wind at the outlet end of the bottom hopper and with this view,
according to our invention, instead of these boards, which reduce the outlet for
the wind and so tend to make the wind current sharper we apply the aforesaid
dust riddles K K J3, J, either adjustable, or fixed, through which dust riddles
part of the wind from the blower Q passes out of the bottom shoe so reducing the
strength of the blast at the outlet of the bottom shoe and therefore good grain,
or seed, is kept back in the machine, and the dust and seeds of weeds of smaller
size are got rid of more effectually than can be done in the ordinary construction.
The elevator H takes any clover heads or husks that are not sufficiently rubbed
out up through a spout L to one end of a second drum M placed at the upper part
of the machine at the shaker end thereof where it is not in the way when the
machine is used for thrashing grain. The said drum is fitted with a rubbing
shell N which shell is constructed so that the material whilst it is being rubbed,
is forwarded from the inlet end of the rubbing shell towards the outlet end thereof.
For this purpose we apply to the said shell, ribs or elevations m Figure 2 which
are pressed out of the sheet metal of the shell so that they present elevations on
the inside of the rubbing shell and corresponding hollows or depressions on the
outside. These ribs or elevations are placed on such an incline as to cause the
material passing into the shell to pass quickly from the inlet end B² to the outlet
end E3 of the said shell.
The said ribs or depressions may be of various forms. Two examples are shewn
in Figures 3 and 4.
After leaving the shelling drum, the rubbed material passes through a spout
(which is preferably applied outside the frame of the machine) on to the board D
below the third caving riddle C and from there it passes direct to the lower dress-
ing apparatus of the machine, thus the material rubbed out by the drum M. inside
the shell N does not pass over the caving riddles A, B, C, and therefore does not
mix with the unshelled husks or cobs coming from the drum Pused to separate
the cobs, or husks, from the straw.
The ordinary thrashing drum in these machines is used for separating the clover
heads, or cobs, from the straw, the concave being covered in to facilitate this, and
the cobs and seeds are then passed through the caving riddles and the second
drum M in the manner described and are finally passed through the bottom hopper
and the remaining dressing apparatus of the thrashing machine.
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:-
1. In thrashing machines three superposed caving riddles (A. B and C) in com-
bination with a leading down board or rim beneath them, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In thrashing machines two chaff riddles placed one above the other in the
upper part of the lower dressing apparatus with means for passing a current of
air underneath the lower riddle and with a dust riddle at the end of the upper
chaff riddle with or without a similar dust riddle in connection with the lower chaff
riddle, substantially as herein before described, and illustrated in Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. In thrashing machines the application of the dust riddles K K2 which allow
dust and wind to escape, and prevent loss of good seed by reducing the strength of
the blast at the outlet R.
4. In thrashing machines the combination of an elevator at one side of the
machine and a drum placed over the shaker end of the machine and working in a
rubbing shell so constructed and operated that it passes the material received from
the elevator to the other side of the machine and a spout which conducts it into
the lower hopper without again passing over the caving riddles (A B and C) and

page_text: without mixing with the cavings which are only separated from the straw by the
first drum substantially as hereinbefore explained.
Dated this 10th day of January 1898
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.