IMPROVEMENTS IN WINNOWING OR CORN CLEANING MACHINES, PARTS OF PROVISIONALHICH ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER SCREENING OR SIFTING PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas Edmonds, of Prestwood, Great Mis-
senden, in the County of Bucks, Ironfounder, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WINNOWING OR CORN CLEANING MACHINES, PARTS OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas Edmonds at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th July 1859.
I, JOHN THOMAS EDMONDS, of Prestwood, Great Missenden, in the County
of Bucks, Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINNOWING OR CORN CLEANING MACHINES, PARTS OF WHICH
ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER SCREENING OR SIFTING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in winnowing or corn screening machines, consist, first, in
the application of a double screen one above the other, and so that the corn as it
falls from the feeding hopper and passes under the influence of the fan blower,
is received in the upper screen, by which the short straws are intercepted, the
corn falling into the lower screen, from which it passes off at the end, while
the light or small corn and other small matters pass through this screen, thus
thoroughly cleaning the corn in one operation. This compound screen I
mount with a very small incline, which I am euabled to regulate at pleasure
by raising or lowering the rod, by which the one end is pendant by a screw
which supports it from a bow or other light iron frame at the end of the
machine. This pendant rod is rigid, and the screen swings on a support

page_text: pendant therefrom. The screens have a to-and-fro movement communicated
by a connecting rod and crank on one of the rotating shafts. In these
machines I restrict the passage of the air, in its influence on the corn, to a thin
film as compared with ordinary machines, by which it is rendered more
effectual, and I drive the fan by means of a belt instead of cog wheels,
whereby I am enabled to disengaged the fan readily, and to adapt the machine
for other screening purposes. Further, I place the feed roller on the main or
fly-wheel shaft of the machine. This roller, for the foregoing operation, is
usually covered by a metal fall, which restricts the opening or passage of the
corn, as well understood.
In order to adapt this machine for "cavening" (separating corn from straw
after threshing), I throw off the strap of the fan, and raise the cover of the feed
roller in the hopper, and also remove the upper screen. The straw and corn
fall into the bottom screen through which the corn passes, while the straw
passes of at the end of the screen.
For screening chaff the machine is arranged as last herein described, the
chaff passing through the screen, while the long straws are separated and
delivered at the end of the screen. In order to improve the working of the
screen or screens, I counterbalance them in their reciprocating motion by
means of weighted levers mounted on fulcra, one at each side of the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Thomas Edmonds in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JoпN
THOMAS EDMONDS, of Prestwood, Great Missenden, in the County of Bucks,
Ironfounder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, IIer heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Thomas Edmonds, Her special licence that I, the said
John Thomas Edmonds, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Thomas Edmonds, 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

page_text: Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINNOWING OR CORN CLEANING
MACHINES, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER SCREENING OR SIFTING
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Thomas
Edmonds, my executors or administrators, 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 John Thomas Edmonds, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
My improvements in winnowing or corn cleaning machines consist in the
application of a double screen, or two screens placed in one frame, which can
be used together or separately, according to the purpose to which the machine
is applied, as hercin-after described. The one screen is placed above the
other, so that the corn as it falls from the feeding hopper through the fan
blast passes into the upper screen, by which the short straws are intercepted
while the corn falls through this upper screen into the lower one, from
which it passes off at the end, while the light or small corn or other
small matters pass through this lower screen; corn may thus be thoroughly
cleaned in one operation. This compound or double screen I mount with
very little incline, which I am enabled to regulate at pleasure by raising or
lowering the rods, by which the one end is suspended; I effect this by a
screw, which supports it from a bow or other light iron frame at the end of
the machine; to this screw rods are connected, by which the screen swings.
The screens have to-and-fro movement communicated by a connecting rod and
crank, giving the motion necessary for their action. In these machines I
restrict the passage of the air in its influence on the corn to a comparatively
thin film as compared with ordinary machines, by which it is rendered more
effectual; and I sometimes drive the fan by means of a belt instead of cog
wheels, whereby I am enabled to disengage the fan readily, or the pinion of
the wheel gearing may be disengaged for same purpose, and thereby adapt the
machine for screening purposes only. Further, I place the feed roller on the
fly-wheel shaft of the machine.

page_text: In order to adapt this machine for "cavening" (separating corn from straw
after thrashing), I throw off the feed roller in the hopper, and also remove the
upper screen. The straw and corn fall into the bottom screen through which
the corn passes, while the straw passes off at the end of the screen.
For screening chaff (cut clover, or other commented matters), the machine
is arranged as last herein described, the chaff passing through the screen
while the long straws are separated and delivered at the end of the screen.
In order to improve the working of the screen or screens, I counterbalance
them in their reciprocating motion by means of weighted levers mounted on
fulcra, one at each side of the machine.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents a side elevation of a
winnowing machine fitted with parts and arranged according to my Inven-
tion; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same through line a, b,
Fig. 3, which is an end view of the same. c, c, is the fan, similar to those
ordinarily used in such machines; it is enclosed throughout its circumference,
except at d, d, where the blast emerges at a comparatively narrow opening,
and impinges on the corn, &c., falling from the hopper e, e, which, with its
regulating slidef and feeding roller g, are all as in ordinary machines. These
parts are fitted between the sides h, h, h, h, and the whole mounted on the
standards i, i, and further supported by stays k, k, from the lower framing 1, 1;
M, M, is the screen frame fitted between frames 1, 1, and suspended at one
end by rods or levers n, n, mounted on fulcra o, o, fixed to the stays k, k. At
the opposite end the screen frame is supported by the rods p, p, from the
screw 9, carried by the bow frame r, r. The screen frame is fitted between
the frames 1, 1, so as to slide freely to and fro, and consists of two close
sides 8, 8, having the back end t also close; the other end is open, the sides
The back end is divided into
being there connected simply by the cross tie z.
a kind of hopper B by a regulating slide v, into which hopper the corn and
other bodies not separated by the fan blast fall, being conducted therein by a
shoot C; D, D, is the first or upper screen extending to about half the length
of frame s, 8; it is so fitted as to dispense with it altogether, or for removal,
in order to change it for another. At the end of the screen D there is a cross
channel or spout E, which inclines from one side to the other at which it
delivers; F, F, is the lower screen or sieve extending nearly the whole length
of the frames, s; this is also suitably fitted for removal, as before mentioned;
C, G, is a bridge-piece supporting the driving gear, as represented; w is the
driving shaft, on which the winch handle or other driving gear is placed. On

page_text: this shaft wa wheel H is mounted, which wheel gears with and drives a
pinion fixed on the nxis of the fan. This wheel also drives the shaft u by
pinion fixed thereon; a strap rigger x is also fixed on shaft u, the strap K of
which drives a rigger L fixed on a shaft P carrying a crank R. This crank
shaft is mounted in bearings fixed to one of the cross ties N of frame 1, and
the crank connected by rod y to the screen frame at the joint S, thereby:
communicating the to-and-fro motion to the screen frame. The shaft u also
drives the feed roller g by means of a strap T and rigger U fixed on shaft of
said roller. The parts being so arranged, motion is given to the shaft u, and
corn and other matters to be separated introduced at hopper e; the action is as
follows:-The passage of the corn and matters to be separated therefrom are
regulated by the slide f, and are carried in by the feeding roller g, as usual,
from which they drop directly down, and pass in close proximity to the blast
orifice d, see Fig. 2, which is restricted in its depth, so as to produce a broad
and comparatively thin stream of air; this separates the chaff from the corn, as
well understood, the chaff being carried out in the direction of the arrow,
while the corn or other matters too heavy to be blown away fall on the shoot C,
and are thereby conducted into hopper B, the screens being in motion at the
time. From hopper B the passage of the corn, &c., is regulated by slide v;
escaping under this it is received on the screen D, in which the holes or
meshes are of such size that the corn or other small matters drop through,
while the straw or other matters too large to drop through the screen pass
onwards to the transverse inclined spout E, from which they escape at the side
of the machine. The corn and other matters passing through screen D fall
on to the sieve F. In the sieve the meshes are too small for the corn to pass,
consequently it traverses this sieve or screen from right to left, and is
ultimately delivered at the extreme end. In this traverse of the corn on
sieve F, pulse or other seed or small matters pass through, and the corn is
thus effectually cleaned and separated from foreign matters. The incline of
the screens from right to left is regulated so as to keep the corn thereon a
sufficient length of time for the purposes required. In order to render the
reciprocating motion of the screens free and less liable to jerking motion, I
apply thereto counterbalance weights j, j, which are fixed on the ends of the
supporting swinging levers n, n, carrying the one end of the screen frame.
The suspending rods p, p, hang from a screw 9 mounted on a light arched
frame r, r, passing through a hole therein, and having the boss 2 screwed
thereon; this boss is furnished with a handle, by moving round which the
screw 9 can be elevated or lowered, and so cause the screens to be inclined
more or less as may be required.

page_text: In adapting this improved machine for other purposes, I proceed as
follows: For instance, in applying it to "cavening" (separating corn from
straw after thrashing), I throw the pinion, or it may be a strap, driving the
fan out of gear, and remove the upper screen D and the regulating slide v;
the feed roller g may also be thrown out of gear, and the corn and straw
allowed to run freely from hopper e; at F, F, I substitute a coarse screen,
and such that the corn passes through while the straw passes of at the end
on the left. In this form the machine is also suitable for sifting chaff (that is,
cut clover or other comminuted matters,) from straws, but for which purpose
I put the feed roller g in gear to regulate the feed; the screen at F, F, has
meshes of a suitable size, so that the chaff passes through while the straw is
thrown off at the end on the left. In order to complete this machine, and
render it suitable for the different applications of which it is capable, I furnish
it with several changes of screens and sieves fitting to it, usually five screens
and four finer screens or sieves, screens being those with the coarser meshes,
and sieves those of the finer kind, as well understood.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the arrangement of double screens or seives & parts connected there-
with, in winnowing or corn cleaning machines, applied & actuated as and for
the purposes herein-before described, & either separately or or in combination.
Secondly, I claim suspending the screen from frame r, r, by adjusting
screw q, or otherwise, in order to regulate the incline of the screen or screens.
Thirdly, I claim the application of the counterbalance levers and weights j
to the screen, as and for the purposes described.
Lastly, I claim contracting the blast, as described, and at same time
submitting the corn and other matters to its action close at its point of
emergence, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomas Edmonds, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN T. EDMONDS. (L.B.)
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.