US546992A - Self-feeding thrasher and separator - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheebs-Sheet 2 T. J. & N. H BEEBE. SELF FEEDING THRASHER AND SEPARATOR.

No. 546,992. Patented Oct. 1,1895.

ANDREW a GRAHAM.PnorcumuwAsMlNmN DC rrrcni THOMAS J. BEEBE AND NORMAN H. BEEBE, OF ANTHONY, KANSAS.

SELF=FEEDING THRASHER AND SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 546,992, dated October 1, 1895.

Application filed January 23, 1895. Serial No. 535,932- (No modeL) To whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS J. BEEBE and NORMAN H. BEEBE, citizens of the United States, residing at Anthony, in the county of Harper and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Self-Feeding Thrasher and Separator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to self feeding thrashers and separators; and it has for its object to provide a new and useful machine of this character that shall provide simple and positive means for the complete feeding, thrashing, and separation of the grain without the use of separate and independent attachments, and particularly the use of a separate and independent band cutter and feeder, such as is ordinarily employed in connection with grain-thrashing machines.

To this end the main and primary object of the presentinvention is to consolidate in a single machine the separate steps of feeding, thrashing, and separating grain, and in the accomplishment of this result to provide a simple and easily-operated mechanism that will insure the results sought to be attained without the use of the destructive and power-consuming vibratory devices common to other thrashing-machines.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invcntion is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line to w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detail in perspective of one of the inverted V-shaped bars of the strawrack. Fig. 5 is a similar View of one of the revolving agitator-shafts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the machine-casing that is adapted to be supported for travel over the ground on front and rear Wheeled axles (not shown) in the usual way. The machine-casing 1 is of a suitable size to accommodate therein the feeding, thrashing, and separating devices employed, and arranged to rotate within one end ofthe casing is the thrashing-cylinder 2. The thrashing-cylinder 2 is arranged transversely within the casing and is mounted on the transverse cylinder-shaft 3, which carries at one end outside of the casing a belt-pulley 4, that receives one portion of a crossed belt 5, which provides for transmitting motion to other parts of the machine, to be presently referred to. This said casing 1, within which the said cylinder 2 is arranged, is provided at the end adjacent to the cylinder with a vertical end wall 35 and with a short inclined top wall 36, which extends in an upward direction toward the rear end of the casing from the upper end of the wall 35, and the function of the walls 35 and 36 as a part of the thrashing-machine will be hereinafter more particularly referred to.

The thrashing-cylinder 2 essentially consists of the opposite cylinder-heads 6 and a series of parallel spaced tooth-bars 7, connecting the heads 6 at their peripheries and carrying a series of thrashing spikes or teeth 8, which Work in conjunction with the concaved spikes 9 of the concave grating 10. The concave grating 10 is of the usual curved shape; but in the present invention is disposed vertically between the end wall of the casing and one side of the cylinder 2 and is supported with its upper end resting against the under side of the inclined top wall 36, intermediate of the opposite ends of said top wall. The concave grating 10 has fitted in the concavity thereof a series of the spikes 9 to provide for a thorough thrashing of the grain as it is caused to pass between the thrashingcylinder and the concave grating by the rotation of the cylinder in the direction indicated by the arrow, and the disposition of said concave grating provides therebetween and the end wall 35 of the casing a grain-space 11, through which falls the loose grain that is worked through the grain openings or slots in the concave grating during the thrashing operation.

The grain is fed to the upper side of the thrashing-cylinder 2 by means of an endless feed apron or carrier 12. The endless feed apron or carrier 12 is arranged longitudinally and at an angle within the top part of the casing 1, directly under a longitudinally-disposed top feed-opening 13, formed in the top of the casing 1. The endlessfeed apron or carrier is of any suitable construction. and is arranged to pass over the oppositely-located apron-rollers 14, mounted on the roller-shafts 15, journaled transversely within the casing 1,

and the front roller-shaft 15, adjacent to the tbrushing-cylinder, has mounted on one end thereof outside of the casing a gear-wheel 16, which meshes with an adjacent gear-wheel17, mounted on one end of the band-cutter shaft 18, which also carries at the same end a beltwheel 1.), over which passes the crossed belt 5 to provide for transmitting motion to the band-cutter shaft and also to the feed apron or carrier. At this point it is to be noted that the short inclined top wall 36 of thecasing is located at one end of the top feed-opening 13 and projects over the front end portion ofthe feed apron or carrier 12, thereby forming a convergent feed-throat between the said front end portion of the apron or carrier 12 and the rear end portion of the inclined top wall 36, through which convergent feed-throat the loosened bundle of grain is fed on top of the thrashingcylinder 2.

The band-cutter shaft 18 is journaledtransversely within the casing 1 at the front end of the top feed-opening 13, directly over the front end of the apron or carrier 12, within the convergent or contracted feed-throatbetween the latter and the vwall 36, and said shaft is provided with a series of alternate oppositely-disposed curved knives or cutters 19, that enter into the bundles of grain car ried by the apron or carrier 12 and sever the bands thereof, whileat the same time evenly spreading the grain out before it is delivered by the apron or carrier 12 onto the, thrash,- ing-cylinder 2. Arrangedfbetween the opposite end portions of the endless feed apron or carrier 12 is an apron-platform 20, that supports the upper portion of thetapron or carrier 12 as it carries the bundles of grain to the band-cutter and thence to the thrashing-cylinder. The said apron-platform 20 is provided at the end nearest the thrashing-cylinder and directly adjacent to the band-cutterwith a series of grain-openings 21, that provide for a primary separation of loose grain from the straw as it is shaken or loosened therefrom by the action of the band-cutter,andsuch.

loose grain falls through the said grain-openings into the space below the said feed apron,

or carrier. The said apron-platform 20therefore serves the important functions of supporting the upper portion of the feed apron or carrier for providing for a primary separation of loose grain from the bundles of straw as it is shaken therefrom by the bandcutters, and also practically formsa part of the inclosing top of the machinecasing, as will be readily noted.

The thrashed grain that passes out from between the cylinder2 and the concave grating 10 is delivered onto the horizontal straw-rack 22, extending the entire length of the machine-casing. The horizontal straw-rack 22 consists of a series of parallel inverted V- shaped rack-bars 23, the inner ends of which bars abut against the concave at its lower end. The inverted V-shaped rack-bars 23 form a rack or bed for the support of the thrashed. grain, so. that the straw can be agitated and worked out through the rear end of the casing, while at the same time allowing the loose grain to separate from the straw. The said rack-bars are provided in both sides throughout their entire lengths with grain slots or openings 24, that allow the loose grain to freely pass therethrough and therefore below the straw-rack onto a horizontally-arranged canvas grain-carrier 25. The canvas grain-carrier 25 is,arranged under and parallel with the straw-rack 22 and extends from the front end of the casing below the grainspacelll to an intermediate point, where it is designed to deliver the grain to a cleaning device 26, Of any ordinary construction, such as is employed in connection with ordinary thrashing-machines.

The parallel inverted V-shaped rack-bars 23, by reason of their specific shape, prevent the lodgrnent of grain, and said bars are spaced apart to form therebetween lingerspaces 27,,througl1 which work the agitatorfingers 28, and in connection with these agitator-.tingersitwill be noted that the sloping sides of the rack-bars cause the short straws to slide down to the agitator-fingers 28, which then catch such shortstraws and pass the same through and out of the machine.

The agitator-fingers 28, that work through the slots 27 between the rack-bars, are substantially segmentalin shape and are providedat one end with attaching-collars 29, thatare adjustably fitted on the transverse agitator-shafts 30 by means of set-screws 31. The agitator-shafts 30are arranged parallel with each-other directly under the straw-rack 22, and the series of these shafts extend from one end of said rack to the other. Each agitator-shaft 30 carries a longitudinal series of fingers 28, which work between each pair of the rack-bars 23, and all of said agitator-Shafts are j ournaled in suitable bearings at opposite sides of the machine-casing and are provided at one endwith the crank-arms 32, to all of which crank-arms is pivotally connected a single connecting bar or pitman 33, which provides for thesimultaneousrotation of all of said, agitator-shafts, and therefore for the simultaneousand even rotation of all of the parallel sets of agitator-fingers 28.

One of the agitator-shafts 30.has fitted on the end opposite itsicrank 32 a belt-wheel 34, that receives a suitable belt to provide for transmitting motion to all of the agitatorshafts, as will be easily understood. As said agitator-shafts revolve, the agitator-fingers carried thereby are turned up through the spaces between the, bars23, and as said fingers are curved in a direction opposite to that in which they revolve thev same toss up and drop the straw at each revolution, at the same time carrying it toward the rear of the machine. This rapid, violent, and continued agitation of the straw effects a perfect separation of the grain from the straw, and at this point it will be noted that an undue accumulation of straw in the machine is rendered impossible, as the lower portion of the feed apron or carrier 12 also travels in a direction toward the rear end of the machine, and therefore assists the fingers 28 in discharging the straw from the machine, as will be readily understood.

From the above it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the hereindescribed self-feedin g thrasher and separator will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this in- Vention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the casing provided with a longitudinally disposed top feed opening, a stationary apron platform fitted longitudinally within the top part of the casing directly under the top feed opening and provided at a point near one end with a series of grain openings for the fall of loose grain, a rotary band cutter mounted within the casing at one end of its top opening and directly adjacent to the grain openings in the apron platform to assist in shaking or loosening the grain from the straw, so that it will pass directly through said grain openings, a feed apron or carrier working over said platform, the thrashing device arranged below and beyond one end of said apron or carrier, the horizontal straw rack and a grain carrier arranged below the straw rack, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the casing provided with a top feed opening, a vertical end wall, and a short inclined top wall disposed at one end of the top feed opening, a vertically disposed concave grating spaced from the vertical end wall of the casing and supported with its upper end resting against the under side of the inclined top wall, the disposition of the grating forming between the same and the vertical end wall of the casing a grain space, a feed apron arranged under the top opening of the casing above the plane of the cylinder and extended under one end of said inclined top wall to form therewith a convergent or contracted feed throat, a rotary band cutter mounted in the feed throat between said apron and the inclined top wall, a horizontal stationary straw rack arranged below the cylinder and consisting of a series of parallel hollow perforate V- shaped bars spaced apart and having their inner ends abutting against one side of the concave at its extreme lower end, and a series of revolving fingers arranged to work in the spaces between the hollow rack bars, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J, BEEBE. NORMAN H. BEEBE. Witnesses:

NEY TITUS, ROBT. H. BEEBE.

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