Improvements in or relating to Machines for Thrashing Seeds.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machines for Thrashing Seeds.
1, CHARLES MAURICE STANFORD, of High Street, Colchester, in the County of
Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows,
that is to say:-
In this machine a drum of ordinary thrashing machine type is used, but the
machine does not contain a set of shakers as ordinarily for separating the straw
from the seed and cavings. A lower shoe, which is hung upon spring arms and
shaken by a crank or cranks through connecting rods, placed in such position
that all that comes from the drum falls upon it. The shoe delivers the stalks
towards the rear end of the machine and contains certain sieves; preferably
two similar sieves at differing angles with the horizon are uppermost, and over
these the straw passes. Beneath these two similar sieves are placed which
separate the cavings; while the seed pods pass through and are delivered upon
another sieve which retains the good seed pods and seeds but separates fine dirt,
and plantain seed and the like. The good seed and seed poits are delivered
from this shoe to an elevator which carries them to a huller drum.
6.
73
The seeds which are liberated from their pods in the thrashing drum and those
which are readily separated in the large end of the huller cylinder pass through
the wire screen of that cylinder on to a sieve hereinafter called the first sieve
of a second or upper shoe. All that passes over this first sieve is blown into the
chaff bagger.
The seeds which pass through fall upon a finer sieve hereinafter
called the second. Whatever passes over this
second" sieve falls upon a
coarser sieve hereinafter called the third." Whatever passes the
falls upon a finer or fourth sieve. Whatever passes over the
falls upon a
fifth" sieve about mid-way in mesh between the
fifth sieves. This "fifth" sieve also receives that which passes through the
"second" sieve. The blast from the winnowing fan carries away all chaff which
falls through the "first" " 'second"
third and fourth" sieves and deposits
"
"
"
"
he
"
third sieve
fourth" sieve
"
third and
"
it in the chaff bagger. Barley and slivers which pass through the "fourth"
sieve are delivered into a small riddle which has one nearly horizontal screen.
The chief points of novelty in this machine are:-
1. The thrashing drum delivers upon a shoe, the top screens of which separate
the straw the next lower screens separate small straws and cavings-while the
lowest sieve separates the cob or seed heads and passes dirt, rib, plantain, and
other weed seeds.
2. The cob is elevated to a huller of any suitable type.
3. The upper and lower shoes hung upon spring arms are both driven from
the same cranked shaft which has four dips, two being used for each shoe.
Dated this 24th day of January 1899.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Machines for Thrashing Seeds,
I, CHARLES MAURICE STANFORD, of High Street, Colchester, in the County of
Essex, Engineer, 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, that is to say:-
The following description of this invention is illustrated by the accompanying
drawing in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation partly sectional Fig. 2 is
a cross section, Fig. is a longitudinal section through the small riddle, and
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the hinder end.
A drum A with breast A of ordinary thrashing machine type is used; but
the machine does not contain a set of ordinary shakers for separating the straw
from the seed, corn, and cavings. All that comes from the drum A falls upon
a shoe B hung in the lower part of the body of the machine and shaken by means
of connecting rods moved by the crank shaft C. The shoe B is longer than that
ordinarily used in thrashing machines and the sieves are arranged somewhat
differently and at a greater incline. The two upper sieves are preferably
inclined at different angles with the horizon and separate the stalks, straw
and larger cavings which are delivered over the end of the sieve at the rear
end of the machine, whence they may be removed by hand or by an ordinary
straw elevator. Beneath the sieves are two similar sieves 3 also pre-
ferably inclined at different angles with the horizon. These separate more
cavings. At the upper end of shoe B between sieves bare holes for the
purpose of cleaning the sieves 62 and without removing them from the shoe.
There is also a similar hole in each side of the shoe. Nearly all the seed, seed
pods or seed cobs which pass through the sieves fall upon a finer
sieve of slotted steel plate which separates fine dirt plantain seed and the
like. The good seed pods, seed cob, corn and some seeds pass over this sieve 66
and are caught in the lower part of shoe B, which is sloped to one side of the
machine to where a hopper like projection is formed on the shoe into which
the elevator buckets passing round the lower bucket strap pulley of the
elevator I take the contents direct from the shoe B to the receptacle e' at the
large end of the huller evlinder or seed barrel E. Under the plantain sieve 66,
there is a fine sieve which separates any early drawn good seed that has
passed through the plantain sieve. Extending the width of sieve 66 and actuated
by means of handle a brush 48 is fitted for cleaning the plantain sieve holes
without removing that sieve from the shoe B. At the lower ends of sieves b6 b7
are sloped troughs 10 Through the plantain seed is delivered and
through the early drawn good seed is delivered.
Preferably I use the huller or seed drawer described in the Specification of
my Patent No. 11339 of 18th May 1898 and drive it with a strap from pulley a
on the spindle a¹ of drum A to pulley on spindle of huller drum.
which
The upper pulley d for the bucket strap of the elevator is on a shaft
carries a pulley d driven by means of a strap connecting it with pulley on
crank shaft c, which is in turn driven by a strap connecting pulley
pulley on the winnowing fan shaft.
with
The seeds liberated in thrashing and drawing together with drawn and un-
drawn cob, seed pods, chaff, leaf and slivers fall from the huller or seed barrel E
on to the first sieve fl of the upper shoe F. All that passes over this first sieve
falls into the chaff bagger G. All that passes through f is guided by the
plate to the upper end of the second sieve f³, which is of finer mesh than f¹,
and which is adjustable, by means of screw ft, to different angles with the

page_text: horizon. Beneath the second sieve f³ is a plate f at the upper end of which
is a plate fo hinged to f and adjustable to any required angle to prevent the
heavier particles which pass over the sieve f³ from being blown into the chaff
bagger G. Whatever is blown over the plate f, but being heavy falls before it
reaches the chaft bagger G, is received upon a third sieve f' of coarser mesh
than sieve f³ but finer than sieve f¹. The angle of sieve f' with the horizon
is adjustable by means of screws fo. That which passes through sieve fi falls
upon the lower part of a fourth sieve, f. That which is caught by the
plates f f is delivered at the upper end of sieve . The mesh of sieve f
is finer at the upper part than at the lower part. The bulk of the best seed
or corn is separated by passing through the upper part of sieve f, when it is
caught by plate f10 and guided to the spout f" whence it passes to a small
riddle I. Undrawn cob, large seeds or corn, and slivers, which have passed
over for through fand the lower part of f fall upon a fifth sieve f which
is coarser than the upper part of fo but finer than . The undrawn cob passes
through this sieve f and through the spouts ff into the hopper-like pro-
jection at bottom of shoe B whence the elevator takes it with freshly thrashed
cob to the huller. The large seed, large corn and slivers which pass over sieve fiz
pass through spout f" and are bagged.
A winnowing fan H with strap pulley h² driven by a strap from pulley a³
on drum spindle a¹ directs a current of air between the under side of the second
sieve and of the third sieve and plates f, f respectively, as indicated by arrows,
thus causing the chaft and light particles separated by the sieves of shoe F to
be deposited in the chaff bagger G.
The small riddle I is fixed to one side of the shoe F. It contains a sieve 1
of mesh similar to that of the upper part of sieve f. A small blast fan K
driven by means of strap connecting pulley, with drum spindle pulley at
delivers a current of air beneath sieve to blow out any light matters. The best
seed is caught by the bottom of the riddle case and is conducted through shoot 2
through the side of the machine and sacked. Beyond the end of the sieve the
sheet iron bottom of riddle case is continued to form the upper side of the
dirt and tail seed trough. At the end of this sheet iron is an adjustable plate
to regulate and prevent good seed or corn from being blown over with the dirt,
tail seed and corn. The dirt and tailings blown over are caught and delivered
through spout and carried through a shoot M to the hind part of the machine.
The chaff and light particles separated in the riddle I are blown through
spout N and sacked.
Various sets of sieves are provided with the machine to suit the different crops
to be thrashed.
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:
1. The improved thrashing machine substantially as herein described, not con-
taining the customary straw shakers.
2. The mode and ineans of cleaning the plantain sieve without removal from
the shoe substantially as herein described."
3. The mode and means for delivering the un-drawn cob from the upper shoe
into the receptacle attached to the lower shoe whence the freshly separated cob
is taken by the elevator buckets to feed the huller substantially as herein
described.
4. The long lower shoe with the arrangement of sieves substantially as herein
described for the purposes of separating the seed from and delivering the straw,
stalks and cavings, without the use of the customary shakers.
5. The general arrangement of the upper shoe and sieves in same as and for
the purposes herein described.

page_text: 6. The combination of the upper shoe with the attached small riddle sub-
stantially as herein described.
7. The combination of the plantain sieve in lower shoe with a sieve for separating
early drawn good seed from what passes through the plantain sieve.
Dated this Twentieth day of October 1899.
THOS. WILKINS,
Agent for Applicant.