IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Garrett, of Leiston, near Saxmundhanı,
in the County of Suffolk, Agricultural Engineer, and Caleb Hudson,
of the same Place, Turner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THRASHING MACHINES."
Scaled the 15th May 1874, and dated the 14th March 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Garrett and
Caleb Hudson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 14th March 1874.
We, FRANK GARRETT, of Leiston, near Saxmundham, in the County
of Suffolk, Agricultural Engineer, and CALEB HUDSON, of the same
Place, Turner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide the drums of thrashing
machines with a guard or protection when the feeder is in his box and
the machine is in regular work, and also when the feeder has left his
box and the attendants are engaged in clearing the stage of the machine

page_text: of loose corn ears and straws: This guard may be made self-acting or it
may be under the control of the feeder.
In carrying out our Invention we apply to the feed opening a hinged
lattico cover or hood which when shut down will close the feed opening
and yet allow of loose cars and corn being swept into the drum, and
when raised will effectually prevent the attendants on the stage from
stepping or falling into the drum.
An arm or lever extending from the hinge or cover is connected by
a chain, wire, rod, or their equivalent with the hinged floor of the
feeder's box in such a manner that when the feeder enters the box his
weight will depress the hinged floor to a horizontal position and the
cover will thereby be caused to rise, and when the feeder leaves his box
the corn will by its own weight fall and close the feed opening leading
to the drum.
Instead of relying on the depression of the floor of the feeder's box to 1
open the cover a hand lever attached to the side of the box may be used
to operate the cover, the connection therewith being by a similar means
.to that above described. Check pieces may be fitted to the sides of the
cover to form a further protection for the attendants when engaged on
the stage during the regular working of the machine.
2
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frank Garrett and Caleb Hudson in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 14th September 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANK
GARRETT, of Leiston, near Saxmundham, in the County of Suffolk, 1
Agricultural Engineer, and CALEB HUDSON, of the same Place, Turner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty- 3
'seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Frank Garrett and Caleb Hudson,
Her special licence that we, the said Frank Garrett and Caleb Hudson,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the

page_text: said Frank Garrett and Caleb Hudson, our 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 we, the said Frank Garrett
and Caleb Hudson, our exccutors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, 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
monthis next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Frank Garrett and Caleb Hudson,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being
had to the Drawing. hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures.
marked thereon (that is to say) :—
The object of this. Invention of. "Improvements. in. Thrashing
Machines," is to provide the drums of thrashing machines with a
guard or protection when the attendant or feeder is in his box and the
machine is in regular work, and also when the fceder has left his box
and the attendants are engaged in clearing the stage of the machine of
loose corn ears and straw. This guard may be made self-acting or it
may be under the control of the attendant or feeder.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shown so much of a thrashing
machine as is necessary to render our improvements intelligible.
Fig. 1 represents in partial longitudinal vertical section a thrashing
machine illustrating our improvement on the feeding part thereof.
In carrying out our Invention we apply to the feed opening a a
hinged lattice cover or hood 6, which when shut down will close the
feed opening a and yet allow of loose ears of corn being swept into the
drum. When the lattice hood is raised it will effectually prevent the
attendants on the stage from accidentally stepping or falling into
the feeding opening over the drum.

page_text: A short arm or lever c extends back from the hinged part of the cover
and is connected by a chain, wire, or rope c¹, c¹, or their equivalent with
the hinged floor d of the attendant feeder's box.
It will be seen that the chain, rope, or wire c¹ passes over a pulley e
in the feeder's box and is connected by a screw bolt to the hinged floor d,
so that when the attendant or feeder enters the box his weight will
depress the hinged floor to a horizontal position and the cover or hood b
will thereby be caused to rise into the position shown by dots in the
Drawing, and when the feeder leaves his box the cover 6 will by its
own weight fall and close the feed opening a leading to the thrashing
drum f.
Instead of relying on the depression of the floor of the feeder's box
to open the cover a hand lever may be attached to the side of the box
and used to operate the cover b. This arrangement is shown in the
sectional elevation, Fig. 2, where the connection of the hand lever with
the hinged. cover or hood b is effected by means of a rod g. Check
straps or flexible pieces may be fitted if desired to the sides of the
cover to form a further protection for the attendants when engaged on
the stage during the regular working of the machine.
.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements in. Thrashing
Machines," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, we claim as the. Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as
aforesaid, adapting to the feeding opening of thrashing machines a
hinged cover or hood, as and for the purpose herein set forth, which
cover or hood may either be made to act automatically as shewn, or may
be worked by a hand lever as above explained..
In witness whereof, we, the said Frank Garrett and Caleb Hudson,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Eleventh day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred
and seventy-four.