IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE MACHINERY FOR HUSKING AND DRESSING CLOVER AND TREFOIL, AND OTHER SIMILAR KINDS OF SEEDS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Maynard, of Whittlesford, in the County
of Cambridge, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE
MACHINERY FOR HUSKING AND DRESSING CLOVER AND TREFOIL, AND OTHER
SIMILAR KINDS OF SEEDS."
Sealed the 24th September 1872, and dated the 24th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Maynard at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th April 1872.
I, ROBERT MAYNARD, of Whittlesford, in the County of Cambridge,
'do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PORTABLE MACHINERY FOR HUSKING AND DRESSING CLOVER AND TREFOIL, AND
OTHER SIMILAR KINDS OF SEEDS," to be as follows :—
The improvements forming the subject of this Invention consist,-
Firstly. In combining with a husking machine, a sieve or jumper
for the purpose of separating small seeds from the unhusked seed
before it is passed into the drum of the machine.

page_text: Secondly. In attaching to the drum spindle of a husking machine
fans or scoops for the purpose of elevating the seed and husks after they
have passed the drum.
Thirdly. In using with a husking machine a concave surface for the
seed to strike against in order to destroy the momentum it may have
acquired, and reflect it into a receiver.
Fourthly. In supporting the seed receiver of a husking machine by a
hinge or centre pin, in such a manner as that it may rise and fall in
proportion to the weight of the seed or husk deposited on it, and in so
rising and falling shut or open an aperture for its escape from the
receiver.
These improvements relate exclusively to portable husking machines,
that is, husking machines which are constructed for removal from place
to place on travelling wheels, and are worked by portable powers, and
not to such as are fixed.
]
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Maynard in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MAYNARD, of Whittlesford, in the County of Cambridge, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Maynard, Her:
special licence that I, the said Robert Maynard, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Maynard,
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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE MACHINERY FOR HUSKING AND DRESSING CLOVER

page_text: AND TREFOIL, AND OTHER SIMILAR KINDS OF SEEDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Maynard, 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

page_text: The seed being put into the hopper C is delivered by the spiked
roller D into the jumper E, which is an oblong frame open at the
lower end and fitted with a perforated or wired bottom. It is suspended
at the upper end by the joint F, and its lower end rests on the board G.
It is acted upon by the crank H, which as it revolves pulls it by the
flexible strap I in an upward direction. At every revolution of the
crank the lower end of the jumper falls with considerable concussion
on the board G, thereby causing the seed to travel by a succession
of jumps along the perforations or interstices of the wires, whilst
impurities smaller than the unhusked seed are forced through them. 1
The seed passing out at the lower end of the jumper falls over the
board G into the conical case J, in which case revolves at high velocity
a conical drum affixed to the spindle Jl. Between the drum and the
inner surface of the case the seed is drawn and the husk rubbed off,
the seed and husk passing out at the smaller end of the case are caught 1
by the scoops or fans K, which are affixed to the drum spindle, and
by their centrifugal force carried upwards through the square tube L,
and striking against the curved surface M, the seed is reflected into
the receiver N, whilst the husk being lighter is carried by the wind
generated by the fans K away in the direction indicated by the arrow.
For the more perfect separation of the seed from the husk I also use
a further number of surfaces, as shewn at O, which surfaces are so
disposed as to prevent a straight passage through at any placo between
them; the seed therefore striking them is reflected back into the
receiver, whilst the greater portion of the husk is carried away by :
the wind between them. The receiver is suspended on a centre pin
or joint at P and is counterpoised by the spring Q, so that an accu-
mulation of seed and husk upon it is prevented by reason of the weight
of the same depressing it and causing a freer egress between the surface
of the receiver and the delivering roller R. T is a case suspended by the
rods U, U, and caused to vibrate by the action of the crank H1 and the
connecting rod V. It contains a series of riddles or sieves S, $1, $ 2, &c.
The seed and such portion of the husk as remains with it is delivered by
the spiked roller R on to the coarse sieve S and the finer sieve S1,
which suspend it whilst a blast of wind from the fans W acts upon it;
and carries the husk on to the shoot X, which is inclined towards the
side of the machine where it delivers the husk out of the way. Y is a
small trough which receives stones and other heavy substances which

page_text: run off the sieve S and conducts them to the side of the machine. The
decorticated seed passes through the sieve S1, whilst that which remains
unhusked is carried over its edge to the sieve $2, which permits any
husked seed to pass through it but carries the unhusked seed onwards
till it falls over its edge and passes down the boards G1 and G to the
drum. The seed which has passed through the sieves S1 and S2 falls
on the sieve $3, which further separates the unhusked seed, which
passing over its edge falls over the boards G1 and G to the drum.
The principal portion of the seed which has fallen through the sieve § 3,
is received by the sieves $4 and 85, which separate such impurities
as are larger than the seed, carrying them over their edges, where
mixing with the remainder of that which has fallen through S 3 they
pass out the side of the machine by the spout No. 1. The seed which .
has fallen through 85 falls principally on to the finely perforated
sieve 86 which takes out the dust and passes the seed on to the
receiver Z. The remainder of the seed from the sieve S5 falls partly
into the receiver Z and partly into the spout No. 2. The receiver Z
is suspended by a centre pin (a) and counterpoised by springs (b),
so that when it becomes loaded it is depressed and falls away from
the fixed board (c), the seed passing through the interstice is acted
upon by a current of air which is driven by the fans through the
spout (d) which carries the lighter portion of the seed over the board (e)
where it falls down the spout No. 2, the heavier and clean part of the
seed falling into the spout No. 3.
Having thus set forth the way in which my Invention may be
practically used, I wish it to be understood that although I claim
the combination of parts as described, yet I do not claim the In-
vention of all such parts, but only the following, namely, I claim
as of my Invention,―
1st. The combination with a portable husking machine of a jumper
such as I have described.
2d. The attaching to the same kind of machine scoops or fans for
the purpose of elevating the seed and husk.
3d. The use of a surface or a number of surfaces, as I have described

page_text: 4th. The suspending a receiver of a husking machine so that the
varying weight of the seed or husk it contains shall cause the opening
by which it escapes to enlarge or contract.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Maynard, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of October One thousand 5
eight hundred and seventy-two.