IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Marshall, of Gainsborough, in the County
of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 18th June 1875, and dated the 15th January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Marshall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1875.
I, JAMES MARSHALL, of Gainsborough, in the County of Lincoln,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THRASHING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to various appliances for protecting the
drums of thrashing machines when fed by manual labor, and also
apparatus for feeding such machines by mechanical means.
The protecting appliances are arranged in accordance with these
improvements as follows:-First. A. platform (fixed at a convenient:
clevation over the drum and within reach of the feeder) to which is
connected by a spring or catch motion a protecting board and hand rail

page_text: surrounding the feeder. The former is hinged to one edge of the drum
mouth and also connected to the hand rail. In ordinary working the
drum mouth has a clear opening for the grain, but should any of the
attendants fall against the platform or the hand rail, or the feeder wish
to leave the feeding box, tlic spring or catch action is released and the
protecting board falls over the drum mouth, effectually blocking the
entrance thereto. Another arrangement is similar to that previously
described, but with the platform arranged to fix on either side instead of
over the drum.
According to another method of carrying out my improvements a hand
rail and platform are arranged somewhat similar to the first described
arrangement, but without the spring or catch action, and in lieu thereof
connected with hinges in such a manner that' undue pressure or a sudden
blow closes the same and thus covers the drum mouth. Or a platform
similar to that previously described with side guards, the lower part of
the latter being connected to a swivel bar, to which is attached a plate
placed over the feed board; a weight falling on the guards or platform
tips the latter and raises the plate on the feed board, and thus protects
the drum mouth.
The mechanical feeding apparatus is arranged in accordance with my
improvements in the following nianner-Upon a boarded platform a
number of wood cross bars travel towards the drum. Motion is imparted
to these through an endless chain or belt working over sexagon or other
suitable pullies. At a convenient distance over the cross bars a revolving
fork separates and spreads out the grain evenly in its passage to the
drum: In addition to the revolving fork a divider is placed in advance
of same and a mechanical arrangement introduced within easy reach of
the attendant, by means of which the divider and revolving fork can be
readily adjusted nearer to or further from the travelling cross bars: The
driving pulley imparting motion to the apparatus is constructed with a
friction cone at the back connected with a sliding clutch and lever for
stopping same.
:
.
According to another arrangement a similar platform and cross bar
.carriers as previously described are employed, but in place of the
revolving fork separator a series of fixed forked cross bars are introduced
or a second set of revolving cross bars.
An oscillating tip, according to another arrangement, is, employed,

page_text: upon which the grain is thrown, and by means of which it is pitched
over a board at the end of same on to a revolving flyer or rake which
carries the grain into the drum.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James Marshall in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 13th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MARSHALL, of Gainsborough, in the County of Lincoln, send greeting.,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
cighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,"
give and grant unto me, the said James Marshall, Her special license,
that I, the said James Marshall, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Marshall, 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 THRASHING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Marshall, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 James Marshall, do hereby declare.
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by.
the following statement thereof, that is to say:
These improvements relate to various appliances for protecting the
drums of thrashing machines when fed by manual labor, and also
apparatus for feeding such machines by mechanical means, ...

page_text: The protecting appliances are arranged in accordance with these
improvements as follows:-First. A platform (fixed at a convenient
elevation over or at side of the drum, and within reach of the feeder) to
which is connected by a spring or catch motion a protecting board and
hand rail surrounding the feeder. The former is hinged to one edge of
the drum mouth and also connected to the hand rail. In ordinary working
the drum mouth has a clear opening for the grain, but should any of the
attendants fall against the platform or the hand rail, or the feeder wish
to leave the feeding box, the spring or catch action is released and the
protecting board falls over the drum mouth, effectually blocking the 1
. entrance thereto. The legs nearest the drum which support the platform
are made a little short.
According to another method of carrying out my improvements a
hand rail and platform are arranged somewhat similar to the arrange-
ments previously described, but without the spring or catch action, and 1
in lieu thereof connected with hinges in such 'manner that undue
pressure or a sudden blow closes the same and thus covers the drum
mouth. Or a platform similar to that previously described may be.
employed arranged with side guards, the lower part of the latter being
connected to a swivel bar, to which is attached a plate placed over the 2
feed board, a weight falling on the guards or platform tips the latter and
raises the plate on the feed board and thus protects the drum mouth.
And in order that this part of my improvements may be clearly under-
stood and readily carried into practice I will proceed to describe Sheet 1
of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 shows a side elevation partly in section of the feeder and
drum of a thrashing machine having protecting apparatus applied thereto
in accordance with this part of my improvements. Figure 2 is a plan
of the same.
The protecting appliances consist of the following arrangements of
parts D, D, a platform (fixed at a convenient elevation over or at the
side of the drum, and within reach of the feeder); F, a protecting
board; B, B, a hand rail surrounding the feeder; and A, A, a hinged
foot board.
The protecting board F is hinged to one edge of the drum mouth and
also connected to the hand rails B, B. In ordinary working the drum
mouth has a clear opening for the grain which falls down the incline M;.

page_text: but should any of the attendants fall against the protecting board F, the
platform D, D, or the hand rail B, B, or the feeder wish to leave the
feeding box, the spring or catch action E is released (by the feeder
stepping on the hinged board A, A,) and the protecting board F falls
over the drum mouth, effectually blocking the entrance thereto. The
platform D, D, is arranged to be fixed on either side or at the end of
il
but should any of the attendants fall against the protecting board F, the
platform D, D, or the hand rail B, B, or the feeder wish to leave the
feeding box, the spring or catch action E is released (by the feeder
stepping on the hinged board A, A,) and the protecting board F falls
over the drum mouth, effectually blocking the entrance thereto. The
platform D, D, is arranged to be fixed on either side or at the end of
hand rail
G is a light guard which can be moved to either side to protect
the drum mouth on the opposite side to that from which the grain is
being passed to the feeder; N is the thrashing drum; 0, 0, the.
concaves.
Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 2, show a similar arrangement in its action to
that previously described so far as closing the drum mouth, but the hand
rail is omitted.
The board A, A, which surrounds the feeding box on three sides is
hinged to the machine framing at back, the front edge being supported
on springs or weighted levers at S, S, and forming the covering-in board
of this part of the machine; at H, H, two iron pegs are secured to the
board A, A, and project through machine sides, taking bold of tho
slotted bell-crank levers I, I, on both sides of the machine; a light rod
of wire or cord connects the bell cranks .I to other levers J, J, fixed on
the ends of a spindle K, which carries a catch in the centre at L and
holds up the board F when at work. Should any one fall on the
platform D, D, or the hinged board F, or the feeder in stepping out of
feeding box sets his foot on board A, A, the hinged board F is released*
and closes the drum mouth. A guard board G is placed at opposite side
to prevent anyone slipping into the drum from there, but this side is
very little used when at work; N is the drum; 0, 0, are the concaves:
The mechanical feeding apparatus is arranged in accordance with my.
improvements in the following manner-Upon a boarded platform a
number of wood cross bars travel towards the drum. Motion is imparted
to these through an endless chain or belt working over sexagon or other
suitable pullies. At a convenient distance over the cross bars a revolving
fork separates and spreads out the grain evenly in its passage to the
drum. In addition to the revolving fork a divider is placed in advance
of same and a mechanical arrangement introduced within easy reach of
the attendant, by means of which the divider and revolving fork can be.

page_text: readily adjusted nearer to or further from the travelling cross bars. The
driving pulley imparting motion to the apparatus is constructed with a
friction cone at the back connected with a sliding clutch and lever for
stopping same, or fast and loose pulleys may be used.
According to another arrangement of feeding apparatus in accordance
with my improvements a similar platform and cross bar carriers as
previously described are employed, but in place of the revolving fork
separator a series of forks on an oscillating cross bar is introduced, or a
second set of revolving cross- bars.
An oscillating tip according to another arrangement is employed, 1
upon which the grain is thrown, and by means of which it is separated
and fèd evenly to the drum..
Figure 1, Sheet 3, shows a side elevation, Figure 2 a front elevation,
Figure 3 a sectional side elevation, and Figure 4 a plan of so much of a
thrashing machine as will enable me to describe this part of my 1
improvements.
This arrangement of feed apparatus consists of a boarded platform T,
on the upper surface of which a number of wood cross bars B travel
towards the drum N. Motion is imparted to these through an endless
chain or belt working over sexagon or other suitable pullies A, A. At 2
a convenient distance over the cross bars B a series of forks H are made
to oscillate on a bar F (connected by the rod L to a crank pin on one of
the pulley spindles) which separate and spread out the grain evenly in
its passage to the drum N, and a mechanical arrangement is introduced
within easy reach of the attendant by means of which the oscillating 2
forks can be readily adjusted nearer to or farther from the travelling
cross bars B. The driving pulley is constructed with a friction cone at
the back connected with a sliding clutch and lever for stopping the
apparatus, or fast and loose pullies may be used.
Another arrangement of feed apparatus (see Figures 5 and 6) consists 3
of a similar platform and cross bar carriers to that previously described,
but in place of the oscillating forks a revolving fork R is used and a
dividing board W arranged to raise or lower is introduced to give more
or less feed.
Another arrangement of feed apparatus consists of an oscillating tip. 3

page_text: and evenly distributed to the drum. Sheet 4, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4,
show this arrangement. A is the oscillating tip; B, spindle to which it
is attached. Motion is imparted to the tip through the disc C, con-
necting rod D, and lever E. The grain can be fed in at either side F or
G by turning up the board H either way. Round the feeding hopper I
is fixed a hand rail J supported on springs K. Should an attendant fall
on any part of this hand rail it compresses the springs, thus imparting
through the bell cranks La swivelling motion to the belt spindle M, so
throwing the whole apparatus out of gear. The amount of feed to drum
is regulated by the,boards N, N, and the catch rod O.
I would remark that I am aware that certain arrangements of endless
chain and belt carriers have previously been employed as self-acting
feeders for thrashing machines, I therefore make no claim thereto unless
arranged in accordance with my improvements.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing or carrying the same into practice, what I claim is,-
First. The improved arrangements of apparatus or guards for protect-
ing the drums of thrashing machines, substantially in the manner and
for the purpose herein-before described and represented in Sheets 1
and 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangements of self-feeding apparatus
applied to thrashing machines, and arranged to act substantially in the
manner as and for the purpose herein-before described and represented
in Sheets 3 and 4 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Marshall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.