USRE4566E - Improvement in machines for thrashing, hulling, and cleaning clover-seed - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

MARTIN H. MANSFIELD, OF ASHLAND, OHIO.

IMPRUVEMENT lN MACHINES FUR THASHING, HULLING, AND CLEANING CLUVER-SEED.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN H. MANsErELD, of Ashland, in the county of Ashland and State of Ohio, have invented certain novel Improvements on Machinery for Hulling, Thrashing, and Cleaning Clover-Seed; and I do hereby declare i that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which-v Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a section taken vertically and longitudinally through the machine in the plane indicated by dotted line m x on Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a section taken longitudinally and vertically through the thrashing and hulling and tanning-portions of the machine. Fig. 4 is a section taken transversely and vertically through the thrashing', hulling, and fanningchambers. Fig. 5 is a top view of a .separating-shoe, which is arranged beneath the screens. Fig. 6 is a top view of a portion of the perforated table over which the straw passes after it leaves the thrashing-drum. Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of two teeth of the concave and one tooth of the cylinder.

Similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention relates to certain novel improvements on machinery which is designed for thrashing, hulling, and cleaning clover-seed, as vwill be hereinafter explained.

'The following' description of my invention will enable others skilled in the art to understand it:

ln the accompanying drawing, A represents the frame of the machine. B is the thrashing and hulling-cylinder, which is armed with teeth h', having double convex serrated sides, and which is arranged transversely across one end of the frame A, over a concave, B. This concave B is also armed with teeth h, presenting two concave serrated sides and two inclined serrated sides, as shown in Fig. 7 The cylinder B is housed in above by means of guard-boards a al and a covering-board, a2, an opening in front being left for the introduction of substances to be thrashed, and another opening in rear of it for the discharge of the thrashed substance upon the .shaker C. The inclined board a3 is for conducting the substance to be acted upon into the concave B', or Vbetween it and the cylinder B. On

' Specification forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 56,583, dated July 24, 1866; reissue N o. 4,566, dated September 19, 1871.

each side of the passage leading into the concave is an opening, b, shown in Fig. 3, which opening is the induction or exhaust to a circular chamber, b1, in which fan-blades b2 are arranged upon the shaft of the cylinder B, as shown in'Figs. 2 and 4. The dust, chaff, ttc., arising in the thrashing and hulling-chamber at the point where the substances enter said chamber, are drawn into the fan-chamber blthrough the openings b, and forced out at the opposite side of the cylinder B upon the straw-carrier or shaker O, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. By thus providing fanchambers at the sides of the machine the fanblades can be applied on anddriven by the shaft of the thrashing and hulling-cylinder, and all dust which rises in front of said cylinder will be conducted off in stead of escaping into the face-of the operator. The teeth on the cylinder B and concave B are so constructed and, arranged that the substance in passing between said parts will be thrashed and hulled, andthen delivered upon the straw-carrier or shaker, where the seeds are separated from the straw andthe latter tossed off from the rear end ofthe machine. The strawcarrier or shaker is a finely-perforated board or plate, having metallic pickers d arranged upon its upper surface for raising the straw and facilitating the separation of the seeds therefrom. This straw-carrier or shaker is hung by means of four rods, which are pivoted to the frame `A and operated with a longitudinal rocking-and-tossing movement. Beneath this carrier or shaker O is an imperforated board or table, Cf, which receives upon it all the seed, dto., that fall through the shaker, and which conducts the substances downward and forward upon a screen, D, which is hung by rods at one end and connected to a crank at the other end, so that it receives combined vertical and longitudinal movements. The screen or shoe D separates from most of the chaif all the seeds which have been freed from their pods and discharges the seeds upon the inclined surfaces e e' of a vibrating shoe E, shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The seeds in the pods, and other foreign substances which do not pass through the screen D, are discharged therefrom into a trough, F, from which they are disch( rged, by means of a screw-conveyer, F', into the lower end of an inclined trough. In this trough is an endless elevating-apron, f', which conveys the seeds in the pods back and delivers them into the thrashingunder the iniiuence of blasts of air from a tanchamber in which a fan, Gr, is applied. The seeds fall upon the inclined surface e or' shoe E, and as they fall from this surface c upon the surface e they will pass through strong air-blasts and be deprived of dust, chaff, and other foreign substances which may Vhave escaped through the shaker C and screen D. It will be seen that the shoe'E is provided with two inclined planes c e', which are Aarranged so as to leave a space, f, between them, through which space the dust, Sac., is blown as the seeds fall from the lower edge of ythe board c upon the upperpart of the board c. By thus arranging the surfaces c e in different planes, one below the other, l leave a space between them for a blast of air to-pass through and cause the seed to fall from a higher to a lower plane. And as the opening fis brought very near the fan-chamber and under the iniiuence of a very strong blast of air from said chamber, a y

V'the seeds-discharged from the latter and conducting them laterally outside of the machine. rlhe teeth h, which are arranged in rows upon the concave B arey construsted of pyramidal form, with two ofv their sides serrated diagonally and concave, and the teeth h on the cylinder have convex sides and serrations, which are diagonal, corresponding to the concave sides of teeth L, eX- cept that the teeth h are dressed with the diagonal serrations in reverse, as shown in Figs. 3 and 8. These teeth will operate to the best advantage upon the unhulled clover-seed by retaining the same a greater length of time than is the case where the common forms of teeth are used, and when worn in their cuttingedges on one side can be reversed. The arrangement of thin sheetmetal pickers d, which are applied upon the surface of the straw-shaker, are an improvement on the wooden pickers generally used. The advantage of these metal pickers over the wooden ones is that the board C can be more thickly perforated, as the metal pickers are so thin that they will not cover the holes. The wooden pickers usually cover up about one-sixth of the surface of a straw-shaker, while the metal pickers occupy a very small amount ot the surface thereof.

I do not claim as my invention, broadly, the employment of a suction-fan for carrying dust and chaff away from the thrashing-chamber, nor do I claim arranging a fan on the shaft of the thrashing-cylinder, when such fan does not draw,

the dust, 85e., away from the operator who feeds the machine; nor do I claim such arrangement of fan when it draws dust through a blast-spout away from the operator; nor the metallic strips.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. ln a thrashing or clover-hulling and thrashin g-machine which employs a fan, G, for blowing away chaff, dust, and other foreign substances, the dust-chamber b1, situated within the frame of the machine, aperture b, fan b2, and a discharge-passage at al leading into a space above the straw-carrier or shaker, substantially as described.

2. The shoe E, constructed with inclined planes e e', and a trap, g, in rear of the passage j', substantially as described.

3. The vibrating shoe E, (irrespective of the trap g,) constructed with stepped inclined planes eef, and arranged as shown, in combination with the vibrating intermediate screen D, straw-carrier C, and fan G, substantially as described.

4. The shoe E, irrespective of the trap g, having one or more stepped inclines, as specified, and the intermediate screen D, disconnected and receiving motions independent of each other, and arranged in relation to the fan G, substantially as described.

5. The tailing-box F, conveyer F', and endless elevating-apron f', in combination with screen D, shoe E, fan G, a straw-carrier C, and a thrashing-cylinder B, arranged substantially as described.

H. L. LEE. (lll.)

Images