AN IMPROVED THRASHING AND WINNOWING MACHINE, WHICH HE CALLS FLAIL THRASHING MACHINE." FOR CORN AND OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas George Shaw, of No. 35, Great Saint
Helens, Bishopsgate, in the City of London, Merchant, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED THRASHING AND WINNOWING MACHINE, WHICH HE CALLS
FLAIL THRASHING MACHINE." FOR CORN AND OTHER GRAIN."
Sealed the 11th August 1857, and dated the 26th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas George Shaw at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th February 1857.
I, THOMAS GEORGE SHAW, of No. 35, Great Saint Helens, Bishopsgate, in
the City of London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for "AN IMPROVED THRASHING AND WINNOWING MACHINE, WHICH I CALL 'FLAIL
THRASHING MACHINE,' FOR CORN AND OTHER GRAIN," to be as follows, that is
to say:-
The Invention consists in the construction of a machine for thrashing and
winnowing corn and other grain, and in which the thrashing is performed by
beaters acting in a similar manner to the ordinary flails.
The machine is composed of a suitable frame, on the top of which are
bearings in which work the main shaft, fitted with a fly wheel. On this shaft
two cross armed supports are fixed, connected together by rods, upon which
are jointed a number of beaters or flails, which are made to revolve by any

page_text: suitable means, so as to striko or beat the corn which is placed on a per-
forated endless travelling band, actuated by suitable means. Under the band is
a perforated inclined plate which supports the band when struck by the
beaters. The thrashed corn then. falls upon a rocking sieve or riddle, which
receives a rocking motion by a cam or other means, and thus removes dust 5
and other impurities. The corn is afterwards submitted to the action of a
rovolving fan blower, for the purpose of removing the busk or chaff. The
machine may be driven by manual, steam, or other power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas George Shaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GEORGE SHAW, of No. 35, Great Saint Helens, Bishopsgate, in the City of
London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas George Shaw, Her special license that I, the said Thomas
George Shaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Thomas George Shaw, 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 Invention
for "AN IMPROVED THRASHING AND WINNOWING MACHINE, WHICH HE CALLS FLAIL
THRASHING MACHINE, FOR CORN AND OTHER GRAIN," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas George Shaw, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, 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 Thomas George Shaw, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The Invention consists in the construction of a machine for thrashing and
winnowing corn and other grain, and in which the thrashing is performed by
beaters or flails acting in a similar manner to the ordinary hand flails.
In order to explain the nature of the said Invention more fully, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I will now refer to the accompanying
Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the improved thrashing and
winnowing machine; Figure 2 is a plan, with tho cover removed; and
Figure 3, a vertical section through A, B, of the same; Figures 4 and 5 aro
respectively a plan and side view of one of the flails. The same letters refer
to corresponding parts in the Drawing.
The machine is composed of a wooden frame A, A, to which the boards or.
planks B, B, forming the sides are nailed or otherwise fixed. The bearings C, C,
are bolted to the top of the frame, and support the main shaft D, at one end
of which is a pulley D₁ receiving motion from any prime mover. Upon this
shaft (to which a fly wheel may be fitted, if necessary,) are keyed two or more
arms E, E, to which are fixed the rods F, F, for supporting the flails or
beaters G, G. The corn to be thrashed is fed into the machine through the
hopper H.
It then falls upon an endless travelling band I, which, if
necessary, is carried over the table J, and perforated with corresponding holes,
so as to allow the thrashed grain to fall through. A slow motion is given to
the endless band placed over two grooved or roughened rollers K, K, by a
large pulley L, driven by a strap or band M on the small pulley N made fast
on the main shaft. As the band travels along, it carries the wheat with it,
which action is further assisted by the grooved roller O fixed to an axis P and
placed over the band. This grooved roller receives motion by the pulley Q
gearing with another pulley R of the same diameter fixed on the shaft S.
This arrangement causes the corn to be fed on the perforated table J in a
regular manner, and of uniform thickness. The corn so fed upon the tablo
becomes submitted to the action of the flails or beaters G, G, which are repre-
sented in detail in Figures 4 and 5. They are formed of hard wood, and aro
each screwed to an iron hinge or support T working loosely on the rods F, F.
The flails when they receive a rapid rotatory motion in the direction of the
arrow, rest upon the projecting rods U, U, fixed to the arms E, E, Figures 1,
4, and 5, in their descent, so as to come direct and flat upon the corn or other
grain placed on the table J. The flails or beaters in their rapid rotatory
motion beat out or thrash the grain from the cars in the manner of the
ordinary hand flails,) which grain then falls through the holes V in the table J

page_text: upon the incline W. Any grains of cornwhich are carried along with the straw,
pass through the bars or rods X, X, and then fall upon another incline Y, by
which means the thrashed corn is conducted to the rocking sieves or riddles
Z, Z, for the purpose of removing dirt and other impurities contained therein.
These riddles are suspended by chains a or other means to the sides of the
machine, the upper sieve being of a coarse mesh, and the lower of a fine mesh.
A portion of the endless band I is removed in Figure 2, in order to show the
sieve Z. A rocking motion is given to the sieves by means of a connecting
rod 6 working loosely on a stud pin c on the pulley d. The connecting rod b
is attached at its opposite end by a universal joint to a bell crank lever e, to
one arm of which is fitted a small rod f connected to the upper sieve Z. The
dirt and other impurities thus separated, fall upon the floor g, and aro removed
at the back of the machine. The thrashed corn, when it is being sifted or
riddled, is exposed to the action of the fan i, which is driven at a great velocity
by a small pulley j fixed to the axis k, and driven by a strap or band / on the
pulley d keyed to the main shaft. The fan winnows the wheat, and blows all
the husk and other light substances against the canvas m, whence it falls on
the floor at the back n of the machine, from which they may be drawn out
by any suitable means. The corn being thus thrashed and dressed, falls upon
the incline o, which conducts it to the front of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner of performing the same, I would remark, in con-
clusion, that I do not restrict myself to the exact details of construction herein
set forth, reserving to myself to make modifications of the same; nor do I
claim as new, the arrangement of the apparatus for winnowing, but what I
consider new and useful, and therefore claim as the Invention, is the peculiar
arrangement and construction of a niachino for thrashing corn and other grain,
in which machine the thrashing is performed by means of beaters or flails
acting in a similar manner to the ordinary hand flails, as herein-before
described and represented in the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas George Shaw, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven
.
THO. GEO. SHAW. (L.S.)