US427471A - flagg - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)-

B. W. PLAGG. THRASHING MAGHINE.

No. 427,471. Patented May 6, 1890.

amen/km 52; mJ Q G obe awa I I I k a h vw aw 5 UNITED STATES PATENT ELI W. FLAGG, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NICHOLS &

' SHEPARD COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

THRASHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,471, dated May 6, 1890. Application filed January 31, 1890. Serial No. 338,705. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI W. FLAGG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Battle Creek, county of Calhoun, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thrashing-Maehines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to an arrangement of pendent guard or fender interposed between the thrashing-cylinder and beater for preventing the straw from being carried up over the latter and from becoming packed in between it and the thrashing-cylinder, and so interfering with the proper working of the machine, and to the means for giving the required adjustment to the shaking screens and grain-pan for insuring their working in proper relation to each other and to the machineframe, and whereby the screen can be adjusted to operate 011 clover, timothy, buckwheat, beans, peas, &c., all as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a thrashing-machine having my improvements applied, with the adjacent side casing-boards removed to show the arrangement of the working parts. Fig. 2 is a face View of one of the plates for adjusting the pan or shaker detached; and Fig. 3 is a side or edge view of the same applied to the casing, shown in section. Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, showing the relation of the thrashingcylinder, beater, and interposed pendent fender 0r guard, said guard being shown also in side elevation detached and in slightly-modified form; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the sections of the shaking straw-carrier detached. Fig. 6 is a broken sectional view illustrating the manner of applying the pivot-plates to the pan.

A A A indicate portions of the framework of the machine, B the thrashing-cylinder, B the concave, and C the beater or beater-cylinder, which parts may be of any usual or preferred construction and need not, therefore, be described in detail.- The beater is ordinarily arranged in rear of and in near proximity to the thrashing-cylinder and in a plane slightly higher than the latter to receive the straw as it is thrown from the thrashing-cylinder and beat it down upon the shaking straw-carrier, so that the latter may begin 5 5 its action upon the straw as soon as it leaves the cylinder, and thereby economize the space within the machine-frame for eifecting a separation of the grain from the straw.

In practice it has been found that the action of the thrashing-cylinder throws the straw with such force against and over the beater that the latter frequently fails to free itself and to beat the straw down as fast as received, and this, combined with the upward movement of the rear uncovered face of the thrashing-cylinder on the straw, tends to pack the latter solidly in between the cylinder and beater, and thereby in a short time to interfere with the proper working of the parts. To obviate this difficulty, a tender or guard a is fastened at its upper edge or end to a transverse frame-bar A secured to uprights A in rear of and above the cylinder B, said guard being pendent from said frame-bar and having its lower end bent or curved forward to bring its edge into close proximity with the teeth I) of the thrashing-eylinder at a point near the horizontal plane of the axis of said cylinder, as shown in Fig. 4:. By this arrange- 8o ment ample room is left for the straw to es cape from the cylinder after it leaves the 0011- cave, the guard or fender acting as a cleaning device for throwing the straw off the cylinder, and the surface of the latter ceases to act on the straw to carry it upward and wedge it in between the cylinder and beater, and the latter is consequently rendered more effective in action and is less liable to become clogged.

The shaking straw-carrier and the grain- 0 pan are similar in arrangement andoperation to the corresponding parts described in Letters Patent No. 387 ,869', granted to me August 14, 1888.

The shaking carrier is composed of sections 5 D, D, D D and D Of these the firstnamed D is composed of a frame covered with the usual forwardly-inclined transverse slats separated sufficiently to let the grain pass down between them, and the side bars 00 of which frame are extended fomvard and pivoted at their lower ends to the sides of the grain-pan E, from which said section receives its motion. It is upheld by links d, pivoted to the side bars thereof and to the sides of the casing. The rear or outer section D is similarly constructed, but is suspended on inclined parallel links (1, connecting it with the casing, and is vibrated by links connecting it with the section D immediately forward of it, as in the patent above referred to. The intermediate sections D, D and D are composed each of an open rectangular frame, a flooring of open wire-gauze d stretched over said frame, and a series of longitudinallyarranged strips or bars (1 placed on edge at intervals overlying the wire gauze or screen and provided on their upper edges with sawshaped teeth (1, as shown. The side bars of these rectangular frames are of angular or bell-crank form, and the upright arms (Z thereof at their forward ends are pivot-ed at their upper ends to the machine frame or casing and form the supports on which said sections are vibrated. The strips (1 uphold the straw above the screen (Z and prevent it from being caught and held by the latter, and the teeth 61' are provided with. inclined forward faces to facilitate the passage of the straw over the bars, and are made perpendicular to the screen, or nearly so, on their rear faces to cause them to engage the straw and force it onward. By this construction a light and strong shaking screen is obtained especially adapted by its coarse wire screen and the toothed longitudinal slats holding the straw above the same to effect a quick and thorough separation or escape of the grain from the straw and its shaking carrier.

The shaker section D is shown connected by links d with the grain-pan E and the section D is connected by links d with the section D ,'the latter and the grain-pan if being connected by linksf and f with a crankshaft F and receiving their vibratory movements therefrom in a well-known manner. The grain-pan E is of any usual or preferred construction; but, like the sections of the superposed shaking straw-carrier, it is essential that it shall fill in closely the space between the sides A of the machine-frame, and to prevent rubbing against said sides or the cramping of the same on their pivotal supports, instead of making the supportin g-pivots rigid on the frame, I form them on pivot-plates having a central hub G and a stud or pin g, formed on the latterin eccentric relation thereto,asshown. The outer rim or peripheral flange G of the hub Gis provided with bolt-holes g at regular intervals, permitting the plate to be adjusted, and through which the plates are bolted to the casing or sides or side flanges of the grain-pan E, the hubs g passing through perforations therein, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The heads of the bolts h are shown countersunk on the inner side of the casing, to be out of the way of the pivoting-links, and the securing-nuts h are applied to the outer ends of the bolts, as shown. By removing the nuts and drawing the plates outward sufficiently to clear the ends of the bolts it can be rotated on its hub G, andthe pivot 9 thereby moved forward or back, up or down, until the re quired position is attained in which the grainpan or shaker-section is made to swing in true relation to the frame and the parts to each other, thereby obviating all cramping and unnecessary friction and wear of the parts.

The upright arms d of the sections D, D, D and D are shown provided on their pivoted ends with two eyes or perforations '6, through either of which they may be pivoted on the pins 9 for further adjustment, where required, for varying their throw by lengthenin g or shortening the pivotal arms or links. Other perforations may be added, if desired, for the same purpose, and, as shown in the case of the adjustable link d, the latter for changing the angle of the section D and adapting it to operate on clover, timothy, orchardgrass, buckwheat, beans, field-peas, &c., as well as upon the usual grains. The upper end of the link dis also made adjustable longitudinally of the machine by means of a series of perforations'e, arranged in an arc of a circle of which the pivotal connection of the link with the section D is the center. This last-named adjustment does not disturb the position of the section when at rest, but it does serve to change its throw, as explained in the patent referred to; but by the ad j ustment of the length of the link by means of the perforations M not only is the position or angle of the section changed, setting it nearer to or farther from the beater, but its throw is also changed. This is important, for the reason that the space between the beater and the shaker is thereby governed.

In many kinds of thrashingfor instance, in clover when very dry and when its straw is disposed to break up into small particles it becomes essential that this section D should lie relatively flat and have a large space between it and the beater to permit the straw to work off rapidly; otherwise, being in a dry and brittle condition, it breaks up into small pieces, and if not quickly passed along over the shaker will fall through between the slats and pass into the grain-pan in large quantities, and thereby clog the sieves and render the cleaning Very defective. In the thrashing of flax, peas, and beans similar results occur if this section of the shaker stands at such an angle as to retard the free passage of the material. Therefore it is necessary to be able to enlarge the space between the beater and the 'shakersection D and to permit said section to lie comparatively level or at a much less angle than is necessary and desirable in the handling of many other conditions of grain and seeds. Again, the perforations in the link serve a double purpose, not only to permit the regulation and adj ustment of the relative space between the beater ITO and the shaker, but the lengthening of this link decreases the uplift of the shaker and this shaker stand at a less angle or nearly level, then it is also desirable to pass this material over the shaker as rapidly as possible and not shake the material through the openings into the grain-pan beneath, and the diminished uplift tend to this result. On the contrary, when the space between the shaker and beater is lessened, and the section D thereby placed at a greater angle, it is then desirable to give the shaker more uplift for the purpose of shaking outand separating the grain from it. This position is most desirable when the straw is tough and weedy and not inclined to break up or out into small pieces, but inclined to hold the thrashed grain intermingled with the straw, and consequently more uplift or shaking is necessary.

The fender or guard at serves not only for the purpose above explained, but by having its lower end bent or curved forward into close proximity with the teeth of the cylinder it very materially reduces the quantity of dust carried around by the thrashing-cylinder. As the teeth of the cylinder strike in to the straw a large amount of dustis necessarily raised, and the tendency is for this to follow around with the cylinder and be thrown out in the front of the machine, to the great discomfort of the man feeding the machine and also of the other operators. The use of this fender or guard with the curved or bent edge largely prevents this, as the current of dust is cut off and turned outside toward the beater, and is then caught by the beater and carried rearward through the machine.

Having now described my invention, I claim as new- 1. The combinatiomwith the thrashing-cylinder and the beater, of the interposed pendent dust-guard and fender-plate having its lower edge bent toward or into close proximity with the ends of the teeth of the thrashing-cylinder, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the pivoted links of the separating-carrier, of the adjustable pivot-plates carrying the link-pivots arranged in eccentric relation thereto, said plates being secured. to their supports by means of bolts and nuts, permitting their adjustment, substantially as described.

The combination of the shaking strawcarrier composed of sections, the grain-pan underneath said carrier, the supporting-links for said carrier and grain-pan, and the pivotplates carrying the eccentrically-arranged pins supporting said links, said plates being made adjustable and secured by means of bolts and nuts, for the purpose and substantially as described.

4. The pivoted links or arms on which the shaking screen is suspended, provided with perforations permitting their adjustment, in combination with the adjustable pivot-plates carrying the link-pivots and being secured to their supports by means of bolts and nuts, permitting the adjustment of said plates, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the beater and the shaking screen or grain-pan, of the. shaking straw-carrier composed of aseries of overlapping independently-pivoted sections, the first section D thereof underlying the beater being connected with and operated from the grain-pan, and the perforated supportingi links therefor made adjustable both in length and laterally for setting said section nearer to or farther from the beater and changing its throw, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of J anuary, A. D. 1890.

. ELI WV. FLAGG.

WVitnesses:

A. O. KINGMAN, O. P. ALDRICH.

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