Improvements in Thrashing Machines.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Thrashing Machines.
I GEORGE ANTHONY SPOKES of Ecton Lodge near Northampton in the county
of Northampton Engineer and Steam thrashing Machine Proprietor do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING
MACHINES" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in thrashing machines, whereby
the corn or grain after leaving the awner is sifted so as to remove stones and
other impurities, and then falls into a hopper wherein is fitted one or more rollers
adjustable to each other or an adjustable slide and roller and by these means the
falling grain is spread out in a thin wide and even stream. This falling stream of
corn or grain so spread out is acted upon by a strong blast from a mechanical
blower the mouth of which said blower is widened out and fitted with regulator
slides for diminishing concentrating or strengthening the blast operating upon
the grain.
In combination with the construction above described and opposite to the blower
mouth a tail board is fitted which tail board is capable of adjustment to and from
the falling corn or grain by a rod and screw upon slides or guides, and receives
the lighter portions of foreign or refuse matter separated out by the blast. The
treated corn or grain falls upon a shoot to a rotary screen for further disposal as
required and all chaff dust and so forth is blown into the top shoe of the machine
thereby making less quantity of rubbish to be sacked.
This general arrangement is to operate in any position or in any part of
thrashing machines and any number of slides rollers or tail boards will be thus
protected or any slide or roller dispensed with as may be desirable.
In other machines the corn as it leaves the awner is passed through a series of
sieves and is acted upon by the blast as it falls through but by that plan the dust
and chaff is only partly blown out from the corn and very rarely substances like
wild oats or anything of that sort is blown out and consequently a vast amount of
time and labour is lost through cleaning the wild oats from the rotary screen.
The advantage of this machine over others is that the blast is evenly distributed
over a thin wide and even stream of corn and by that means the corn is more
thoroughly cleansed from wild oats, small seeds, dust, dirt, or chaff, thereby
making a more perfect sample of corn and also making less work for the rotary
screen and prevents screen from blocking by wild oats sticking in between the
wires.
Dated this 28th day of March 1995
WALTER A. BARLOW,
6, St. Paul's Churchyard, E.C.

page_text: I, GEORGE ANTHONY SPOKES, of Ecton Lodge near Northampton in the county
of Northampton, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THRASHING MACHINES," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to certain improvements in thrashing machines whereby
the corn or grain after leaving the awner falls into a hopper wherein is fitted one
or more rollers adjustable to each other or on adjustable slide and roller and by
these means the falling grain is spread out in a thin wide and even stream. This
falling stream of corn or grain so spread out falls on to one or more rollers covered
with flannel or cloth or any other substance to which such things as Herrieff or
wild oats would adhere; at the back of the flannel roller is fitted a brush which
will sweep the herrieff or wild oats off the roller which then fall over the tail
board, whilst the good corn as it leaves the second roller falls in a thin stream in
front of a powerful blast from a mechanical blower and fitted with regulator slides
for diminishing concentrating or strengthening the blast operating upon the grain ;
it is to be understood that there can be one or more of the flannel or otherwise
covered rollers used, or that the feed and spreading rollers only can be used.
In combination with the construction above described and opposite to the blower
mouth a tail board is fitted which tail board is capable of adjustment to and from
tbe falling grain or corn by a rod and screw said tail board working upon slides
or guides, and said tail board receives the lighter portions of foreign or refuse
matter separated out by the blast. The treated corn or grain falls upon a sieve or
a series of sieves and thence to a rotary screen for further separation as required
and all chaff, dust and so forth is blown into the top shoe of the machine thereby
making less quantity of rubbish to be sacked.
This general arrangement is to operate in any position or in any part of
thrashing machines and any number of such slides rollers or tail boards will be
employed, or any slide or roller be dispensed with as may be desirable.
It is to be observed that in other machines the corn as it leaves the awner is
passed through a series of sieves and is acted upon by the blast as it falls through
but by that plan the dust and chaff is only partly blown out from the corn and
very rarely substances like wild oats or anything of that sort is blown out and
consequently a vast amount of time and labour is lost through cleaning the wild
oats from the rotary screen.
The advantage of this machine over others is that the blast is evenly distributed
over a thin wide and even stream of corn and by that means the corn is more
thoroughly cleansed from wild oats, small seeds, dust, dirt, or chaff, thereby making
a more perfect sample of corn and also making less work for the rotary screen and
preventing the screen from blocking by wild oats sticking in between the wires.
In the drawings annexed hereto
Fig. 1 shows in sectional side view and Fig. 2 in end view from right hand side
of Fig. 1a construction according to this invention.
Fig. 3 in sectional side view shows a modification.

page_text: A represents supporting framework as required, a is the awner tapering as
shown, b the hopper; in Figs. 1 and 2, 6' is a screen within hopper b, c is the feed
or first spreading roller, d is the adjustable slide in combination therewith operated
by hand wheel and screw d¹; e in Fig. 3 indicates the flannel or otherwise covered
roller and the brush operating to sweep off the collected wild oats or other like
impurity. g is the blower which may be fitted at its discharge opening with
adjustable slide to vary the blast (slide not shown).
his the adjustable tail board upon which the dust and lighter refuse matter from
the corn will be discharged by the blast from g, h' is screw rod and hand wheel
for adjusting the said tail board upon its slides or carriers in relation to the stream
of falling grain coming from the spreader devices, i is the rotary screen.
In Fig. 3 are shown. interposed between the tail board h and the rotary
screen i two screens or sieve frames k k¹ for receiving the separated grain. A will
receive the best corn and k¹ the tail corn. The best corn will discharge from the
frame k to the hopper of the rotary screen i, m indicates a spring hanger for
the frames k, k'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
Firstly. The improved means herein described for the purpose of cleaning grain
in thrashing machines or in combination therewith characterised by the spreading
and distributing roller or rollers with adjustable slides in combination with the
blast and tail board and rotary screen constructed and operating as herein set
forth.
Secondly. The improved means for cleaning grain consisting of the awner a;
hopper badjustable spreading roller c slide a roller or rollers and brush e, f, in
combination with the blast and adjustable tail board h and sieve frames k, k' with
rotary screen or screens and hopper constructed and operating as and for the
purpose herein set forth and shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings.
Date OTT 100-
WALTER A. BARLOW,
6, St. Paul's Churchyard, E. C., .
Agent for G. A. Spokes.