Improvements in Maize Leaf-stripping and Thrashing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 21st day of July 1896.
Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Maize Leaf-stripping and Thrashing Machines.
I FRANK NEEDLEY, Manager of Thrashing Machine Department, to Messrs.
Ruston Proctor & Co. Ltd., of Sheaf Iron Works, in the City of Lincoln and
the same county, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In maize thrashing machines in which the grain is thrashed out of the head by
means of a long helix or screw generally having two blades of varying twist
revolving in a cylindrical cage of wrought iron or steel bars placed parallel to the
axis of the screw, it has been the usual custom to take off the leaf from the head
first but by my improved screw this is not necessary & both leaf stripping &
thrashing are done at the same time in a more perfect manner than heretofore.
I accomplish this by breaking up the helix or thrashing screw into two three or
more lengths, each preferably having two blades although more can be used, the
screws are conveniently all formed in the same casting & cach consists of any
portion or even a whole turn, at the receiving end of the cage the pitch is slow,
at the delivery end the pitch is quick; each screw may have its blades commence
& finish almost or quite parallel to the axis of the cylinder; and I find it most
efficient when the screws slightly overlap each other and the blades of the succeeding
screw commencing midway between the blades of the screw behind it. On the
parallel or nearly parallel parts of some of the screw-blades I find it convenient
to place plates which may be adjusted longitudinally so as to more or less modify
the overlapping of the screws and retard or otherwise the passage of the maize
through the cylindrical cage. The first screw I generally make a half turn, the
second a quarter turn, & the third a quarter turn, this last being without the parallel
finish.
For convenience of taking the screw in and out I use a cage made in halves
longitudinally & parts of the bars at each end are stopped off in the usual way to
form the entrance and exit.
In combination with this helix or screw I use a small blower to clear away the
leaf, but I can also use a vibrating fork or similar appliance.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of March 1895.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Maize Leaf-stripping and Thrashing Machines.
1, FRANK NEEDLEY, Manager of Thrashing Machine Department to Messrs..
Ruston Proctor & Co. Ltd. of Sheaf Iron Works, in the City of Lincoln, and 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 maize thrashing machines in which the grain is thrashed out of the head by
means of a long helix or screw, generally having two blades of varying twist
revolving in a cylindrical cage of wrought iron or steel bars placed parallel to the
axis of the screw; it has been the usual custom to take off the leaf from the head
first, but by my improved screw this is not necessary, and both leaf stripping and
thrashing are done at the same time in a more perfect manner than heretofore.
I accomplish this by breaking up the helix or thrashing screw into two, three or
more lengths, each preferably having two blades, although more can be used; the
screws are conveniently all formed in the same casting, and each consists of any
portion or even a whole turn;-at the receiving end of the cage the pitch is slow,-
at the delivery end the pitch is quick; each screw may have its blades commence
& finish. almost or quite parallel to the axis of the cylinder; and I find it most
efficient when the screws slightly overlap each other and the blades of the
succeeding screw commence midway between the blades of the screw behind it.
On the parallel or nearly parallel parts of some of the screw blades, I find it
convenient to place plates which may be adjusted so as to more or less modify the
overlapping of the screws and retard or otherwise, the passage of the maize through
the cylindrical cage.
For the convenience of taking the screw in and out, I use a cage made in halves
longitudinally and parts of the bars at each end are stopped off in the usual way
to form the entrance and exit.
Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation of the screw and cage shewn in
section; A A is the spindle, B B the screw or helix formed with two blades in
three lengths of varying pitch, each length finishing parallel with the axis of the
screw.
The first two lengths occupy a quarter turn each; the third a half turn.
The finishing points of one pair of blades being intermediate between the
commencing points of the succeeding pair, the second and third lengths commence
with the parts which are parallel to the axis.
CC are the adjustable plates on the blades, which may be applied to either or
both ends of any, or all of the blades.
These are slotted longitudinally, whilst the screw is slotted radially so that
adjustment can be obtained in both directions, and the plates can be moved to
lessen the clearance between them and the cage, or to regulate the holding power
of the screw blades on the maize heads.
DDD D, is the cage which is cut away at the top at E for the feeding end
and may be cut away at the lower part at the other end for the delivery, or may
be stopped off altogether as shewn on the drawing..
The arrow F shews the direction of rotation of the screw, and the arrow G
indicates the direction of the discharge at the delivery end.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the screw and shaft in which D D D D are the cage,
jointed at D.D¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I am aware of the Specification of the Patent of William Fastale Limited

page_text: No. 6109 A.D. 1890, and I make no claim to anything described and claimed
therein, but I declare that what I claim is :
1. The construction of a screw or helix as described above and shown in tha
F. NEEDLEY.