IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING THE DRUMS OF THRASHING MACHINES TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS THEREFROM
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eliab Wright Pamplin, Samuel Long, and George Shanks,
all of Teversham, near Cambridge, in the County of Cambridge, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING
THE DRUMS OF THRASHING MACHINES TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS THEREFROM."
Sealed the 7th March 1879 in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, and.
dated the 9th August 1878.
...
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eliab Wright Pamplin, Samuel
Long, and George Shanks at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
9th August 1878.
=
ELIAB WRIGHT PAMPLIN, SAMUEL LONG, and GEORGE SHANKS, all of Teversham,
near Cambridge, in the County of Cambridge. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING THE DRUMS OF THRASHING MACHINES TO PREVENT
ACCIDENTS THEREFROM."
This Invention relates to improvements in the application of a combined falling
hood and platform and safety drum shield for the protection of life and limb of the
men employed in working thrashing machines.
For this purpose an inclined platform is suspended near to the centre of an
ordinary feed board by hinges or joints, and is connected at each side of machine to
horizontal. levers hung on pivots over the top of the drum beaters. These levers
are slotted at one end to allow the ordinary feed board to be moved closer to or
farther from the beaters to admit of thrashing any kind of grain. The opposite
end of these levers carries upright rods, which are connected to and keep in position
a hood fastened by joints to top of machine and hung directly over the feeding
mouth of drum; and at such a distance as not to hinder or interfere with the feeding
of the machine. Beneath this hood is a safety trap or shield hung on joints at its
bottom edge, and kept upright by a pin at its top, edge, which pin fits in a catch
inside the hood, so that by a person or any slight weight falling on the hood” it
·

page_text: necessarily vibrates or moves, causing the pin to drop out of its catch, and the
safety trap or shield instantaneously falls over the beaters and closes over them.
The platform is kept in its usual position by elliptic or other springs between it
and the ordinary feed board.
As soon as the weight is taken off the hood or platform the spring forces them 5
back again to their proper position. The trap or shield may then be lifted up into
the catch, and work may be immediately recommenced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Eliab Wright Pamplin, Samuel Long, and George Shanks in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 8th March 1879.
ELIAB WRIGHT PAMPLIN, SAMUEL LONG, and GEORGE SHANKS, all of Teversham,
near Cambridge, in the County of Cambridge. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING THE DRUMS OF THRASHING MACHINES TO PREVENT
ACCIDENTS THEREFROM,"
This Invention relates to improvements in the application of a falling safety
drum shield kept in an upright position by a connected movable jointed hood and
platform, which, on being subjected to any undue pressure, immediately releases the
shield and causes it instantly to fall over the feeding mouth, rendering it impossible
for anyone to reach the beaters, thus protecting the life and limbs of persons
employed in working thrashing machines.
And in order that our improvements may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed,
Figure 1 of which shows a sectional perspective view, and Figure 2 a longitudinal
section of the feed box and feed opening of a thrashing machine having safety
apparatus applied thereto in accordance with our Invention.
A is an inclined platform over which the grain to be thrashed is fed, being
suspended near the centre of an ordinary feed board by binges or joints A¹, and is.
connected at each side of machine to horizontal levers B hung on pivots or studs
over the top of the drum beaters. These levers B are slotted at one end (as shown
at B) to allow the ordinary feed board to be moved closer to or farther from the
beaters to admit of thrashing any kind of grain. The opposite ends of these
levers B carry upright levers C, which are connected to and keep in position the
hood D connected by joints to the top of the machine, and hung directly over the
feeding mouth of drum beaters, and at such a distance as not to interfere with the
usual method of feeding the machine. Beneath this hood D a safety shield E is
hung on joints E at its bottom edge to the ordinary back board and kept upright
(as shown by dotted lines at f, f,) by a catch F at its top edge, which catch fits
into a hook G inside the hood, so that by a person or any undue pressure falling
either on the hood D or platform A it necessarily depresses the hook G, and this
liberates the catch F, causing the shield E to fall over forward on to the platform A
and so to entirely cover the beaters.

page_text: The hood is jointed at H, allowing the attendant to set it at any required angle,
being kept in position by slotted plates and bolts. It is also provided with ledges
which prevent loose kernels from being thrown about.
The platform is kept in proper position by elliptic or other springs I between it
and the ordinary feed board.
As soon as the weight is taken off the hood D or the platform A the spring forces
them back again to their proper position. The shield E can then be lifted up into
the hook, and the work may be immediately recommenced.
Having thus described the nature of our improvements, and the manner of
performing or carrying the same into practice, we would have it understood that
we do not claim a falling hood or a falling shield, which have been already used for
the purpose aforesaid; but what we claim is, the improved arrangement and
combination of machinery or apparatus for protecting the drums of thrashing
machines, to prevent accidents therefrom by means of the trap or cover E hinged
and suspended over the drum beaters, and released by any undue pressure upon the
hood D or platform A, for the purposes herein-before described, and substantially as
represented in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eliab Wright Pamplin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.