Improvements in Straw-bruising Apparatus for Thrashing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
Improvements in Straw-bruising Apparatus for Thrashing
Machines.
I, FREDERICK HOWARD LIVENS Engineer, Sheaf Iron Works, in the City of
Lincoln in the same county, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows
--
In thrashing machines in which the straw after it has passed the shakers, is cut
up and bruised by revolving drums fitted with knives and. beaters, I make these
parts in the following manner :-
The first or knife drum is formed in segments or discs, which may be all exactly
alike and are threaded on to the driving shaft.
These segments are of malleable cast iron, steel, or other suitable material and
are formed with slots cast round the outer rim.
Through these slots are passed the knives, which are placed in two, three or
four or more, rows round each disc, and each row is secured by a bolt which passes
through a boss formed on the web of the disc.
These rows may be arranged parallel with the axis of the drum, but preferably,
diagonally to it, in alternate directions.
Each disc has cast on it one or two driving pegs on one side and a recess, or
recesses on the other side, arranged so that the pegs on one disc fit into the
recesses in the next, and so on ;-it is therefore necessary only to key on to the
shaft certain discs, those which are between being driven by the pegs just
described.
The disc at one end is by preference pusbed tight up to a collar on the shaft,
and the disc at the other end is fastened by a gibheaded key which is protected by
a collar having a slot cut in it.
Filling up plates are fitted to the end discs.
The concave against which this drum works, is also constructed in segments,
which by preference are threaded upon two strong pieces of tubing passing from
side to side of the machine.
These segments may be plain or serrated, and may be cast with slots to receive
the knives which are of similar pattern to those used in the drum and are placed
in pairs, each pair being held by a bolt and. so arranged that they can be slipped
in and out of place, without removing the segments.or the drum.
By preference also I place at a slight angle the plane in which each knife is
fixed, this plane leaning alternately, first on one side and in the next row to the
other side and so on, and preferably I chamfer off only one face of the knives.su
as to increase the shearing action with which the knives of the drum meet the
knives of the concave.
The beater drum is formed'in segments in a like manner to the above and by
preference has the teeth cast upon each segment, these are also provided with
driving pegs and corresponding recesses as described, and are so arranged that
each is in perfect balance and the driving pegs and recesses not being exactly
opposite to one another in each particular disc, the general line of each row of pegs
on the drum when put together is in the form of a.spiral.
The same method for securing the segnents is used as in the knife drum.

page_text: The concave against which the teeth of the beater drum work, is constructed
in a similar manner to the concave of the knife drum, each segment has teeth cast
upon it, or may be made partly. with teeth and partly with knives, fixed as
described above, and may be plain or serrated.
Dated this Twenty-third day of June 1894.
Improvements in Straw-bruising Apparatus for Thrashing
Machines.
I, FREDERICK HOWARD LIVENS, Engineer, of South Park in the City of
Lincoln, in the same county, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In thrashing machines, in which the straw after it has passed the shakers is cut
up and bruised by revolving drums fitted with knives and beaters, I make these
parts in the following manner :-
The first or knife drum, (see Figs. 1 & 2) is formed in segments or discs A,
which may be all exactly alike and are threaded on to the driving shaft B.
These segments are of malleable cast iron, steel, or other suitable material and
are formed with slots C, cast round the outer rim.
Through these slots are passed the knives D, which are placed in two, three,
or four or more rows round each disc, and each row is secured by a bolt which
passes through a boss E, formed on the web of the disc A.
These rows may be arranged parallel with the axis of the drum, but preferably
diagonally to it, in alternate directions.
Each disc has cast or fixed on it, one or two driving pegs F on one side and a
recess or recesses G on the other side, arranged so that the pegs on one disc fit
into the recesses in the next, and so on;-it is therefore necessary only to key on to the
shaft B, certain discs, those which are between being driven by the pegs F, just
described.
The disc at one end is by preference pushed tight up to a collar on the shaft,
and the disc at the other end is fastened by a gibheaded key, which is protected by
a collar having a slot cut in it.
Filling up plates are fitted to the end discs.
The concave see Figs. 3 & 4, against which this drum works, is also constructed
in segments K, which by preference are threaded upon two strong pieces of
tubing II, passing from side to side of the machine, but they may be supported
by bars of any other suitable section, as ☐ iron &c.
These segments K may be plain or serrated as at M to retard the straw and
may be cast with slots N to receive the knives O, which are of similar pattern to
those used in the drum, and are placed in pairs, each pair being held by a bolt P,
and so arranged that they can be slipped in and out of place from the back without
removing the segments or the drum, by means of the slots Q.
By preference also, I place at a slight angle the plane in which each knife is
fixed, this plane leaning alternately, first on one side and in the next row to the
other side, and so on, but preferably I chamter off only one face of the knives, as
at R, so as to increase the shearing action with which the knives of the drum meet
the knives of the concave.
The beater drun see Figs. 5 & 6 is formed in segments, S, in a like manner to
the above and by preference has the teeth T cast upon each segment, these are
also provided with driving pegs V and corresponding recesses V₁ as described and
are so arranged that each is in perfect balance and the driving pegs and recesses

page_text: not being exactly opposite to one another in each particular disc, the general
line of each row of pegs on the drum when put together, is in the form of a
spiral.
The same method for securing the segments is used as in the knife drum.
The concave see Figs. 7 & 8 against which the teeth of the beater drum work is
constructed in a similar manner to the concave of the knife drum, each segment W
has teeth X X cast upon it, or may be made partly with teeth and partly with
knives Y, fixed as described above, and may be plain or serrated as at Z to retard
the straw, and are by preference notched on the underside, as at Z', Z³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what 1
claim is: :―
1. Making the straw bruising and cutting drums of thrashing machines, in
segments formed and fixed as described and fitted with knives or pegs, or both as
required.
2. Forming the concaves in which these drums work in segments fixed to
crossbars and fitted with knives or pegs, or both as described.
3. Setting at an angle the knives of the drums, or concaves so as to increase
their shearing action when the same meet each other, and I claim this whether the
knives be fixed by the method described or in the ordinary way.
4. Serrating the concave segments as shewn so as to cause them as it were to
retard more or less the passage of the straw.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of March 1895.
FREDERICK HOWARD LIVENS.