A MILL OR MACHINE FOR SEPARATING CORN OF ALL KINDS PROM THE STRAW, WHICH MACHINE IS CAPABLE OF BEING WORKED EITHER BY CATTLE, WIND, WATER, OR ANY OTHER POWER, WHEREBY THE CORN MAY BE SEPARATED IN A LESS TIME AND IN A MORE EFFECTUAL MANNER THAN BY THRESHING
Year: 1788

page_text: TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I, ANDREW MEIKLE, of Knowsmill,
in the Parish of Whitekirk, in the County of East Lothian, North Britain,
Engineer and Machinist.
WHEREAS I did by my Petition humbly represent unto His Majesty that
I had invented "A MILL OR MACHINE FOR SEPARATING CORN OF ALL KINDS PROM
THE STRAW, WHICH MACHINE IS CAPABLE OF BEING WORKED EITHER BY CATTLE,
WIND, WATER, OR ANY OTHER POWER, WHEREBY THE CORN MAY BE SEPARATED IN A
LESS TIME AND IN A MORE EFFECTUAL MANNER THAN BY THRESHING," and therefore
praying His Majesty to grant to me, my exors, admors, and assigns, His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, for the sole
advantage of my Invention within England, the Dominion of Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the term of fourteen years pursuant to
the Statute in that case made: And whereas by Letters Patent granted to me
under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the Ninth day of April,
in the twenty-eighth year of His Majesty's reign, His Majesty, in conse-
quence of my humble request, did, for the reasons and motives set forth in
the said Patent, give and grant unto me, my exors, admors, and assigns, full
licence and authority, that I, the said Andrew Meikle, and my aforesaids,
by myself or themselves, during the term of years therein expressed, should
make and vend the said Invention within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to us in our discretion should seem
meet, and that I and my aforesaids should enjoy the whole advantages arising
from the said Invention, to have, hold, and enjoy the full powers and privi-

page_text: leges granted to me and my aforesaids during the term aforesaid, and ac-
cording to the Statutes in such cases made and provided; but under several
conditions and provisions therein expressed and especially provided that if I,
the said Andrew Meikle, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to
be inrolled in the High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said
Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted,
should utterly cease and become void.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Meikle, in compliance with
the said proviso, do hereby ascertain and describe the nature and manner
of my said Invention, in manner following, that is to say:-
The several Drawings hereunder delineated, marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, are so
many sections or representations in which are displayed the nature and use
of the machinery in my method of separating corn from the straw, the
particulars of which the machine and Invention consists being as follows:-
A, A, A, are wheels for working the machine; B is the lying shaft upon
which the machine is fixed; C is the machine upon which the scutchers are
fixed; D is the breast moveable backwards and forwards upon a center to
keep the corn close to the scutchers; E, a weight over a pulley to keep the
breast close up to the scutchers, this may be also done by a weight upon the
end of a laver; F, a weight over a pulley to keep one of the rollers that
feeds in the corn close up to the scutchers; G, lavers to which weights are
hung to press down the upper roller that feeds in the corn so as to press the
straw close together for scutching; H, two fluted rollers for feeding in the
corn, and pressed down by weights and levers so as to keep a firm hold of
the corn as it is feeding; I, are wheels for driving rollers for feeding in the
corn, and may be varied in a different position; K, are two small wheels
for driving both the feeding rollers; L, ironwork for moving a harp; M, harp
for separating the straw from the corn; N is a board for spreading the corn
on where it is fed in by the two rollers to be scutched.
Fig. 1st is an elevation of the whole machine calculated for being worked
by cattle.
Fig. 2nd is a section exhibiting the right-hand side of the machine.
Fig. 3d is a section exhibiting the left-hand of the same.
Fig. 4th, end view of the scutchers, breast, and rollers.
Fig. 5th is a side view of the scutchers.
Which several parts work and operate by any power such as that of cattle,

page_text: wind, or water, and produce the effect of the separation of corn from straw in
manner following, viz*:--
When the mill is set a-going, the sheaf of corn is taken up and spread upon
the board marked (N), when the two fluted rollers marked (H) take hold of
it and feed it on gradually, so that the scutchers marked (C) coming round
scutches the corn off from the straw, and the breast marked (D), moveable
upon a center below, moves back and forward when the corn is put in thicks
or thin. When the corn comes from the scutchers, it falls into the harp
marked (M), by which the corn is separated from the straw, and below the
harp a pair of fawners may be placed so as to separate the corn from the chaff.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Meikle, have hereunto put my
hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the twenty-eighth
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the
grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender
of the Faith, &c., and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven
hundred and eighty-eight.
Inrolled the Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and eighty-eight.