Improvements in Screens or Separators for Use in Threshing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Screens or Separators for Use in Threshing
Machines.
I, FRANK HIXSON, of Ashland, in the County of Ashland, and State of Ohio,
United States of America, Thresher, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
The present invention has relation to separators or screens designed especially
for use in threshing-machines; and it consists in the different parts and combina-
tion of parts hereinafter described.
:-
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the screen, showing the different parts belonging
thereto properly connected.
Figure 2 shows a portion of two slats and the relative position thereof.
Figure 3 is a bottom or under side view of one of the slats, showing manner
of connecting the shaft thereto.
Figure 4 is a side view showing a portion of the shoe also showing the segmen-
tal tooth-bar and the slat-retaining lever.
Figure 5 is a view showing a portion of the slat-operating bar, also showing
the position of the slats with reference to the frame, and showing a portion of
the slat-retaining lever.
Figure 6 is a view showing the slat-retaining lever and a portion of the shaft
connected thereto.
Figure 7 is a view showing a portion of the slat-operating shaft.
Figure 8 is a view showing a portion of one of the screen-bars, also showing
the block for supporting the reciprocating bars, and
Figure 9 is a detached view of one of the screen-slats, showing a slight
modification.
Similar numerals represent corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.
1, 2, 3, and 4 represent the bars composing the screen-frame and are connected
ogether in any convenient and well-known manner and arranged to form a
rectangular frame or casing. To the side members 2 and 4 are journalled the
ends of the shafts 5, which shafts are provided with the inverted U-shaped
cortions 6, said U-shaped portions being preferably located about midway between
he side members 2 and 4; but this is not absolutely necessary in order to carry
ut the objects and purposes of the invention, as it will be understood that the

page_text: objects and purposes hereinafter described can be carried out without any reference
to the particular location of the U-shaped portions 6.
Upon the slat-shafts 5 are attached the slats 7, which slats are corrugated as
illustrated in the drawings, and for the purpose of providing a means for better
connecting said corrugated slats to their shafts the shafts are bent at intervals
to correspond with the bend of the slats, and straps, such as 8ª, may be connected,
as illustrated in Figure 3.
The slats are corrugated in such a manner that when they are placed in the
position illustrated in Figure 1, the convex portions of said slats will come
directly over the concave portions of the next adjacent slat, by which arrange-
ment the corrugations are extended or formed longitudinally with the screen
proper that is to say, said corrugations will extend from the front end of the
sieve to the rear end thereof, and ridges will be provided-by which arrangement
the grain will find its way to the lower portions of the concave sides of the
corrugations. By this arrangement the straw falling upon the sieve or screen
will be held on the ridges, thereby allowing the blast to better move or carry
the straw along the screen.
When it is desired to change the mesh of the screen, the lever 8 is moved
downward, which in turn rocks the shaft 9 and moves the shafts 5 by means of
their inverted U-shaped portions 6, the bar 10, and the arm 11.
For the purpose of moving all of the slats in unison the inverted-U-shaped
portions are set into the notches 12, which notches are formed in the bar 10, as
illustrated in the drawing.
It will be understood that moving the lever 8 up or down will change the
inclination of the corrugated slats 7, and when said slats are brought into nearly
a vertical position the screen will be opened to its full capacty, and when they
are brought into a position so that they will set or lap upon each other the screen
will be in a closed or substantially closed position, by which arrangement the
mesh of the screen will be easily regulated. By this arrangement the mesh of
the screen can be adjusted without stopping the machine proper, this feature
being of great advantage, inasmuch as the amount of grain contained in the straw
varies at different times, owing to the location of the straw contained in the
stack or mow. For instance, much more grain is contained in the bottom or
lower portion of the stack or mow than is contained in the upper portion, and
by a slight movement of the lever 8 during the time the machine is in motion
will adjust the screen to correspond with the amount of grain passing through
or being threshed. Another advantage is that the screen can be regulated quickly
for different kinds of grain, such as changing the screen from wheat to oats or
barley, and at the same time can be adjusted so as to regulate it to different
degrees of dampness of straw.
For the purpose of providing a means for stopping the slats at a point where
there will be a slight space between the lapped portions of said slats the under
edges of the slats are provided with the tangs 13, which tangs are cut from the
lower portions of the concave sections of the corrugations. This feature is not
shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3; but it will be understood they are to be located
as shown in Figure 9; but these tangs may be dispensed with without departing
from the nature of my invention, inasmuch as they are not absolutely necessary
except in the separation of flax seed and other fine seeds and are for the purpose
of retarding the grain or seed, so that a better separation from the chaff and straw
can be had. For the purpose of providing a means for removing the bar 10 for
any cause the block 14 is removably connected to one of the members of the
screen frame, and when said block is removed the bar 10 is free to be dropped
down, so as to disengage the U-shaped portions 6, it being understood that said
bar must be detached from the arm 11 before it can be removed. The object and
purpose for removing the bar 10 is to provide an easy way to adjust a new bar
in case the one in use should become broken. For the purpose of holding the
slats at the desired point of adjustment the toothed bar or segment 15 is provided,

page_text: which toothed bar is connected to the side of the shoe 16. The lever 8 should
be formed of spring material, so that it may be withdrawn from the teeth when
it is desired to adjust said lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination, with a rectangular frame, of a series of shafts journalled
transversely therein and having U-shaped portions, corrugated slats connected
to said shafts, a bar arranged longitudinally of the frame, and having notches
in its upper edge with which the U-shaped portions of the shafts engage, a
rock-shaft, an arm connecting said rock-shaft and said bar, and a lever for operat-
ing the rock-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination, with a rectangular frame, of a series of shafts journalled
transversely therein and having U-shaped portions, corrugated slats connected to
said shafts, a bar arranged longitudinally of the frame and having notches in
its upper edge with which the U-shaped portions of the shafts engage, a rock
shaft an arm connected to the rock-shaft, and to the longitudinal bar, an operat-
ing lever, and a removable block connected to the rectangular frame and sup-
porting one end of the longitudinal bar, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
350
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.