USRE8638E - Improvement in machines for thrashing, hulling, and cleaning clover-seed - Google Patents

Description

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UNITED STATES PATENTN OEEIoE.

JOHN C. BIRDSELL, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR THRASHING, HULLING, AND CLEANING CLOVER-SEED.

Specitication brniing-part of Letters Patent No. 37,488, dated January 27, 1863; Reissue No. 8,638, dated March 25, 1879; application filed December 12, 1878.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, JOHN O. BIRDSELL, ,formerly of West Henrietta, New York, but now of South Bend, county of St. Joseph, and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Machine for Thrashing, Hulling, and

Cleaning Clover-Seed; 'and I do hereby declare that the same is described and represented in the following specification and drawlngs.

Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of my improved machine for thrashing, hullin g, and cleaning seed. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view ot' Fig. 3 is a detached view of one form of toothed thrashing-cylinder, in which the cylindrical surfaces are smooth and provided with roughened teeth. Fig. 4is a view, partiallyin section, of one form of hullingconcave.-`

My invention consists,- iirst, in the cbmbination, with the thrashing cylinder of a seed-separating machine, of appliances operating in connection with the teeth of the said thrashing-cylinder to detach clover-heads from their stern-Siand appliances operating in connection with the same cylinder to hull or detach the clover-seeds from the small pods containing them, whereby clover-heads may be thrashed or detached from their stems and the seeds hulled or separated from the pods in oneoperation with one and the same thrashin g-cylinder g secondly, in the combinatiomwith the thrashing-cylinderof a seed-separatingmachine, of appliances supported adjacent tov the said thrashing-cylinder and projecting between is teeth, the teeth ofthe thrashing-cylinder adapted to have a relative motion. across the said appliances, whereby by their joint action clover-heads may be thrashed or detached from their stems, and, in connection with and adjacent to the same cylinder, hullin g appliances, which are adapted to co-operate wit-h the said cylinder and its teeth, and effect the separation of the clover-seeds from the -small pods containing them; thirdly, in the combination, with the thrashing-cylinder of a seed-separating machine, of a surface provided with teeth, adapted, in connection` with the thrashing-cylinder, to thrash ordetach cloverheads from their stems, and another surface provlded with hulling appliances adacent to the same cylinder, and adapted, in connection therewith, to hull or detach clover-seeds from the small pods containing them, whereby, 1n

` substantially a single machine and with one and the 'same cylinder, clover-heads may be thrashed or detached from their stems and the seeds hulled from their pods all at one operation and atone hulliug; fourthly, in a rotating thrashing and hulling cylinder with a thrashing concave or-arch above and a hulling concave or arch below, adapted to thrash the seeds from the straw and stalks an dA hull it at one operation iii'thly, as a means for operatin g the bolt, the combination with it of a crank-shaft located at the rear of the machine, said crank-shaft at the same time caused to carry an apron; sixthly, in the 4combination, with a thrashing-cylinder adapted to take in and operate upon clover on the straw, of thrashing and hullin g devices located opposite said cylinder, and operating in connection therewith, whereby clover may be taken on the straw, the heads thrashed therefrom, and the seed hulled ont, all at one operation and with one cylinder.

y AA] A2 B B1B2,&c.,is a suitable frame-work for supporting the machinery. U is the driveshaft, operatedby suitable pulley Ol', driven by-any convenient power. C2 is the thrashingcylinder, provided with teeth about one and onehalf inch long, and at a suitable distance apart lengthwise ont' the cylinder; and I prefer that the teeth of one row shall stand opposite the spaces in the adjacent row. In the device shown the rows ot' teeth are about seven inches apart. rIhis thrashirig-cylinder is provided with a concave or arch, .1), which has several rows of teeth, arranged to break spaces in the differentrows. Aportionof'thescteethIprefer to make wedge-shaped, and they are all so arranged as to project between the teeth on the cylinder and obstruct the passage ofthe cloverhay, so that in operation the teeth of the 'cylinder shall, relatively with the tcethot the concave, have a motion across the latter, to the end that, the clover-hay being detained in its course by the said obstructions projecting between the cyli11der-tectlr,the heads will, by the rapidly-moving thrashingteeth, be stripped oi'over the said obstruct-ions or detached from their stems.

The thrashing-cylinder may be'(as shown in Fig. 3) made plain and with either smooth or roughened teeth; or the surface of the cylinder between the teeth may, if desired, be made Toughened or in the nature of a rasp, to facili, tate the hulling of the clover-seeds from the small pods containing them. In connection with the same thrashing-cylhuler C2 is an arch or concave, D', .the su ace of which is adapted, in connection with sai l'thrashing-cylinder, to hull or sepa-rate thev clover-seeds from their pods. Thehulling-concave shown in the drawings is provided with projecting ribs, which are adapted to extend in between the teeth upon the cylinder, and preferably project nearly to its surface, while the cylinderteeth are preferably made to extend so as nearly to touch the surface of the concave in passing.

I prefer generally that the distance between the ends ofthe cylinder-teeth and the surface of the concave, `and the distance between the outer ends ofthe concave ribs or projections and the surface of the cylinder, sh onld be about one-eighth of an inch, in order that a hulling action may more eectuall y result at those points.

The sides and tops of the ribs of the con cave may be smooth, and the bottoms of the throats only roughened, as shown in' Figs. -1 and 2; or the sides, bottom, and top of the ribs may all be ronghened, as shown in Fig. 4. The ribs are shown at a a., and the grooves betweenthem, through which the teeth of the cylinder pass, at b b.

The particular location, with respect to the cylinder, of the detaching or thrashing and the hulling devices is immaterial, so that both said appliances arc placed opposite the surface ofthe cylinder, so as to mesh or co-operate directly with the cylinder and its teeth; and any arrangement of said thrashing and -hnlling appliancesV will suihce if they are so arranged as to both operate upon the clover before it leaves the machine to detach or thrash the heads from the stems and separate the seeds from the small pods containing them, for I regard as one of the most valuable features of my invention a 'construction whereby with one operation in one machinevwith a single cylinder; and that a thrashing-cylinder, clover may be taken on the straw and the heads be detached therefrom and the seed hulled out from the small pods; for to eiicct this the relation of the parts must be such as to take' in and dispose of the bulky straw. And before my invention I do not know that any singlecylinder machine had ever been made which could thus take clover on the straw, which same cylinder could simultaneously act to get out the seed and I would have it under stood that my invention contemplates,broadly, such 'a construction and adaptation of the' parts ns to eii'ect that purpose.

The pulley E on the shaft C drives theshaft F, on which isl the picking-cylinder F', which takes the thrashed' straw across the concave The pickin g-cylinder'turns in the direction indicated by the arrow. lts teeth pass between the ribs on the perforated lcon cave G, and about one-fourth .inch from the concave. The concave G is perforated with holes about fiveeighths of an inch in diameter and close together. It may be made of sheet metal.

The ribs G1 are located just above the conthe straw and stalks up oit'- the concave asth-ey passv over it, and to prevent them from dragging-the bolls and seeds across the said the latter to fall through upon the belt K'.

H is a bolt, made preferably of thin boards,

headsto fall through. The front end is hung top bar, Hl, by links H2. It is traversed or shaken by links I, attached to cranks I on the shaft J, which latter is driven by pulley J1 by a belt from pulley J2.

A roller on the shaft J, and another roller, K, under the concave G, carry an endless apron or belt, K', to receive the bolls andseed as they drop through the bolt, and convey themto the hulling-eoncave D", where the bolls or small pods are broken or stripped from the seed, which latter is delivered over the front of the concave onto the shoe L, where it is fanned and screened.

' The shoe L is made preferably in the form shown, and hung by links Il. It is provided with one or Inorc screens, M, of suitablesized mesh--say, No. l2, or one hundred and fort-yfour openings per square inch. If two are used, the first may be No. S. The screened seed is collected below, while the chat` and light matter are blown ont by the fan through. the opening M.

The thrashing-teeth may have .both their them to more eii'ectually hull the seed.

1. The combination, with the thrashingcyl inder of a seed-separating machine, of appliances operating in connection with the teeth ofthe said thrashing-cylinder to detach cloverheads from their stems, and appliances operA 'ating in connection with the same cylinder to hull or detach the clover-seeds from the small pods containing them, whereby clover-heads may be thrashed or detached from their stems "and the seeds'hulled-or separated from the pods in one operation with one and the same thrashing-cylinder, substantially as described:

2. In combination with the thrashing-cylinder of a seed-separating machine, appliances supported adjacent .to the said thrashing-cylteeth of the thrashing-cylinder adapted to have a relative motion across the said appliances, wherebyl bytheir joint action clover- 'heads may be thrashed or detached from their stems, and, in connection with and adjacentto the same cylinder, hulling appliances which G and throws it upon the screen orv bolt H.

cave G, and about three inches apart, to hold perforated screen or conca-ve, and permitting y bored with holes large enough to permit the by eyes Gr2 on rods G4', and the rear end on the sides and ends roughened, if desired, to adapt inder and projecting between its teeth, the

are adapted to co-operate with the sain cylinder and its teeth and eEect the separation of the clover-seeds from the small pods containing them, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the thrashing cyl inder of a seed-separating machinefa'f-sur; face provided with teeth, adapted, in connec tion with the thrashing-cylinder, to thrash or detach clover-heads from their stems, and another surface provided with hailing appliances adjacent to the sanie'cylinder, and adapted, in connection therewith, to hull or detach cio-verseeds from the small pods containing them, substantially as described, whereby in a single machine and with one and the same cylinder clover-heads may be thrashed or detached from their stems, and the seeds hulled from their pods, all at one operation and at one K handling.

4. A rotating thrashing and hulling cylinder with a thrashing concave or arch above and a hulling concave or arch below, substantially as described, adapted to thrash the seeds from the straw and stalks and hull it at one operation with one and the same cylinder.

" 5. As a means -for operating the bolt, the

-combination with it of a crank-shaft located beztaken on the straw, the heads thrashed therefrom, and the seed hulled out all at one operation and with one cylinder, substantially as described.

JOHN o. BmDsELL.

` Witnesses:

WELLS W. LEGGETT, F. O. MGCLEARY.

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