IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIELDS OR GUARDS FOR THRASHING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Wallis and Charles James Steevens, both of Basing-
stoke, in the County of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHIELDS OR GUARDS FOR THRASHING MACHINES."
Sealed the 18th July 1879, and dated the 24th March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Wallis and Charles
James Steevens at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th
March 1879.
ARTHUR WALLIS and CHARLES JAMES STEEVENS, both of Basingstoke, in the
County of Hants. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIELDS OR GUARDS FOR THRASHING
MACHINES."
In working a thrashing machine serious accidents sometimes occur in consequence
of persons employed at the machine falling or slipping into the feeding mouth and
coming in contact with the rapidly revolving beaters. Our Invention relates to
shields or guards for fencing the feeding mouths of thrashing machines in order to
prevent such accidents from happening. For this purpose we make the sloping
platform or feeding board, or the lower part of it, in the form of a flap hinged at
its lower edge so that it can fold down like a door, completely covering the opening
to the beater drum. While the machine is at work this flap is held back by a
catch in a sloping position suitable for feeding the straw over it. A strong spring
behind it, or a weight acting on a pulley or arm attached to the flap, puts a strain
on it, tending to throw it forward as soon as the catch is released. The catch is
connected to the upper part of the feed board or to a bar at its upper edge, which is
so pivotted that when it is strained by a load, such as the weight of a person
falling on it, it partly turns upon its pivots, releasing the catch, whereupon the flap
immediately springs forwards and folds down, covering the opening to the drum of
the machine and so preventing the limbs of the person from coming in contact with
the beaters. On the other side of the feeding mouth we place a hood extending in
curved form over the opening, and we joint this hood to the top of the machine so
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page_text: that it is capable of moving a little forwards towards the feeding mouth when
pressed on by the weight of a person falling against it. The hood is connected to
the pivotted upper part or to the bar of the feeding platform, so that when it is
pressed forward as above described it causes the release of the catch which holds
the flap, and the flap thereupon closes the opening to the drum. Instead of making
the hood itself moveable as above described we fix the hood and mount behind it a
moveable bar or rail which is connected to the upper part or bar of the platform so
as to release the flap when it is pressed on by the weight of a person falling against
it. We also put on either side of the feeding mouth of the machine a rope, chain,
or rod attached to the top of the hood or the moveable rail, or to the pivotted upper
part of the feed board or bar, so that if a person should fall from the side towards
the mouth of the machine his weight straining the rope, chain, or rod causes release
of the catch which holds the flap. Thus by means of the pivotted bar or upper
part of the feeding board at the front of the hood or its moveable bar at the back,
and of the rope, chain, or rod at either side or at both sides of the feeding mouth of
the machine acting in combination with the flap the opening to the beater drum is
effectually guarded, becoming in all cases closed by the descent of the flap before
the limb of a person falling against any of the moveable parts above mentioned can
enter the opening.