IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THRESHING AND DRESSING GRAIN." IN MACHINERY FOR THRESHING AND DRESSING GRAIN.
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Maynard, of Whittlesford, in the County of
Cambridge, Agricultural Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR THRESHING AND DRESSING GRAIN."
IN
MACHINERY FOR THRESHING AND DRESSING GRAIN.'
Sealed the 20th March 1855, and dated the 7th October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Maynard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th October 1854.
I, ROBERT MAYNARD, of Whittlesford, in the County of Cambridge, Agri-
cultural Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THRESHING AND DRESSING GRAIN" to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of two spiked feed rollers revolving
at unequal velocities.
Second, in the employment of two jointed slotted plates, which are fitted
over the feed rollers, for the purpose herein-after described.
Third, of a method of resifting the riddlings and of delivering the same by
self-acting apparatus to a second process of cleaning.
Fourth, in the employment of springs in threshing machines for suspending

page_text: the riddles, and for counteracting the shock arising from the vibration of
the same.
Fifth, of a new form of drum or beater, composed of a series of bars of angle
iron, having a row of studs immediately in advance of the plain edge of the
bars, whereby the grain is loosened in the ears of corn before it is entirely
expelled by the plain surface of the angle iron.
The jointed plates herein-before referred to work on hinges at one edge, and
have a tendency to approach each other to within a limited distance at their
free edges, by the aid of springs or other suitable arrangement. By this means,
if the rollers are unequally supplied with corn, the action of them upon such
corn will be properly divided. The threshed corn, having descended an incline,
falls into an upper inclined riddle; in this riddle the cavings are in part
delivered at the lower end. The greatest portion of the corn and chaff passes
through a netted or perforated portion of this riddle, and the remainder, with
a portion of the cavings, passes through another netted portion of the riddle
on to a second riddle placed beneath the first. This second or lower riddle is
also fitted with two perforated or netted portions.
Through the first netted portion of this second riddle the tail corn falls into
a third riddle, which allows the best corn to fall through, and the tailings to
pass over the edge into a longitudinal trough, by which it is conducted to a
spout, where it mingles with the secured riddlings, and is with them delivered
into a box or receiver; the riddles are actuated by connecting rods and a
double crank, and are suspended, as before described, by springs. The cavings
which pass the first perforated part of the second riddle are carried along with
the cavings which fall from the second perforated part of the top riddle, and
pass over the second perforated part of the second riddle, where they are
perfectly separated from any corn which may remain in them, and delivered
down an incline to the receiver before mentioned. A cross blast of air is forced
through the second riddle, in order to carry off the chaff which is delivered
at the side of the machine.
The tail corn in the receiver or box before mentioned is conveyed by suitable
elevators to an incline, down which it passes and mingles with the produce
from the drum, and is subjected with it to a repetition of the process herein-
before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Maynard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
5 MAYNARD, of Whittlesford, in the County of Cambridge, Agricultural
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Maynard, Her special license that I, the said Robert
Maynard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Robert Maynard, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOE THRASHING AND DRESSING GRAIN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Maynard, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Maynard, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention consists, first, in the employment of two spiked feed
rollers revolving at unequal velocities.
Second, in the employment of two jointed slotted plates, which are fitted
over the feed rollers, for the purpose herein-after described.
Third, of a method of resifting the riddlings, and of delivering the same by
self-acting apparatus to a second process of cleaning.
Fourth, in the employment of springs in thrashing machines for suspending
the riddles, and for counteracting the shock arising from the vibration of the
same.'.

page_text: Fifth, of a new form of drum or beater, composed of a series of bars or
beaters, having a row of studs immediately in advance of the plain edge of
such bars, whereby the grain is loosened in the ears of corn before it is entirely
expelled by the plain surface of the angle iron.
The jointed plates herein-before referred to work on hinges at one edge, and
have a tendency to approach each other to within a limited distance at their
free edges, by the aid of springs or other suitable arrangement. By this means,
if the rollers are irregularly supplied with corn, their action upon such corn
will be properly divided. The thrashed corn, having descended an incline, falls
into an upper inclined riddle; in this riddle the cavings are in part delivered
at the lower ends. The greatest portion of the corn and chaff passes through
a netted or perforated portion of this riddle, and the remainder with a portion
of the cavings passes through another netted portion of the riddle on to a
second riddle placed beneath the first. This second or lower riddle is also
fitted with two perforated or netted portions. Through the first netted portion
of this second riddle the head and tail corn falls into a third riddle, which
allows the best corn to fall through, and the tailings to pass over the edge into
a longitudinal trough, by which it is conducted to a spout, where it mingles
with the second riddlings, and is with them delivered into a box or receiver.
The riddles are actuated by connecting rods and a double crank, or any other
convenient arrangement, and are suspended, as before described, by springs, or
by links acted on by springs, if found more desirable. The cavings which
pass the first perforated part of the second riddle are carried along with the
cavings which fall from the second perforated part of the top riddle, and pass
over the second perforated part of the second riddle, where they are perfectly
separated from any corn which may remain in them, and delivered down an
incline to the receiver before mentioned. A cross blast of air is forced through
the third riddle, in order to carry off the chaff which is delivered at the side
of the machine. The tail corn in the receiver or box before mentioned is
conveyed by suitable elevators to an incline, down which it passes and mingles
with the produce from the drum, and is subjected with it to a repetition of the
process herein-before described.
And in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood, I
shall now proceed to describe and refer to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Figure 1, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, represents a longitudinal
vertical section of my improved. arrangement of machine for thrashing and
dressing grain, taken through the centre thereof; and Figures 2 and 3 are two

page_text: transverse sections of one of the riddles. A, A, are two feed rollers, studded
with spikes, and revolving at unequal speeds. The spikes of these rollers work
through slots for that purpose in the two curved plates B, B, which work
loosely on hinges at C, C, and are caused to approach each other to within a
limited distance at their edges by springs D, D, or other suitable contrivance.
By this arrangement, if the rollers are irregularly supplied with corn, the action
of the spikes upon the same will be properly divided by the giving or easing of
the plates, which, by their equal pressure upon the corn, will cause it to pass
midway between the axes of the feed rollers. These feed rollers deliver the
corn, which is thrown upon them in the form of a continuous sheet, to the
beating drum E, which may be either of the ordinary construction, or fitted,
as shewn in the Drawing, with short studs F, placed immediately in front or
in advance of the ordinary beaters. These studs first strike the cars of corn
and loosen the grain, and the beater, immediately following them, cleans it from
the straw without injury. In portable machines I propose sometimes to use
a second drum G in conjunction with the drum E, and I then set the latter at
such a distance from the concave, and drive it at such a speed, as only partially
to separate the corn from the straw, and the operation is completed by the
second drum G. For the purpose of separating the chaff from the corn and
cavings or short straws, two riddles H and I are employed. These riddles
are suspended by the flat blade springs J, J, or they may be hung by rods or
links at any other convenient part of the riddles, and acted upon by springs,
the object of introducing springs in connection with the riddles being to
prevent the shocks and unpleasant jarring and shaking during the vibration
of the same.
The riddles are actuated or vibrated longitudinally by the double cranks
K, K, and connecting rods L, L, or by any other suitable arrangement. The
thrashed corn having descended the incline M, falls into the upper end of the
upper riddle H. In this riddle the cavings are in part separated from the corn
and chaff, and are delivered at the lower end at N, the delivery mouth of the
riddle being divided, in order to deliver the cavings on each side of or clear
from the spout V, as shewn in the Drawing. The greatest portion of the corn
and chaff passes through the netted or perforated part 0 of the upper riddle,
and the remainder with a portion of the cavings passes through the second
perforated or netted portion P; the former is riddled again at Q, in the second
or lower riddle I, and falls on to the sloping plates R, R, shewn more clearly in
the transverse section, Figure 3, from which plates it falls into the riddle S.
Through this riddle is forced a cross blast of air, represented by the arrows in

page_text: Figure 3, which air carries off the chaff, and delivers it at the side of the
machine, the best corn falling down at T, whence it may be conducted by an
elevator, or removed by any other means. The tail corn falls over the edge of
the riddle S into a longitudinal trough U, placed on one side of the riddle,
and by this trough it is conducted to the spout V, where it mingles with the
second riddlings, and is with them delivered into the box W. The cavings
which pass the perforated or netted portion Q are carried along with those
which fall from the netted portion P over the second netted portion X in the
lower riddle, where they are perfectly separated from any corn that may remain
in. them, and are delivered laterally by a divided mouth, as described with
reference to the upper riddle, at the end of the lower riddle, as shewn in N¹.
The corn being carried down the inclines Y, Y, Figure 2, mingles with the
tail corn, and with it is deposited in the box W; it is then delivered on to
the inclined plate Z by the elevator a, a. On passing down the incline Z, the
corn mingles with the produce from the drum, and is subjected with it to a
repetition of the process.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to
the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the application and use of two feed rollers, spiked or otherwise;
revolving at unequal speeds, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of the slotted hinged plates in conjunction
with spiked feed rollers, for the purpose of obtaining a more even and regular
supply.
Third, the system or mode of resifting the riddlings, and delivering the
proceeds by self-acting elevating apparatus to a second process of cleansing,
as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use of springs, of any convenient form or
arrangement, in thrashing machines, for counteracting the shocks of the
vibrating riddles in such machines.
Fifth, the peculiar system or mode of hanging or suspending the vibrating
riddles of thrashing machines, as herein-before described and illustrated in my
Drawings.

page_text: Sixth, the application and use of short studs, placed immediately in advance
of the beaters on the drum, for the purpose of loosening the grain before the
beaters act upon it.
Seventh, the general construction, arrangement, and mode of working the
riddles, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Maynard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
ROBERT MAYNARD. (L.S.)