"It is better for the interests of science that we rather go about it, not with a single candle, but
by means of a great branching candlestick of lights."

LONDON:

EDITED BY J. C. ROBERTSON.

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY JAMES BOUNSALL.
MECHANICS' MAGAZINE OFFICE, 166, FLEET-STREET.

1843.

BACON.

Library

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PRINTED ANd published BY JAMES BOUNSALL, 166, FLEET-STREET.

2

DRY'S PATENT THRASHING MACHINE.
[Patent dated August 2, 1842.]

THE thrashing machine represented in the accompanying engravings, though but recently patented, and only just specified, is already, we are informed, coming ⚫ into extensive use in the North of England. It is certainly, by far, the most effectual, simple, and easily managed of any yet produced. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine; fig. 2 is an end elevation; fig. 3, a transverse section, through the line a b, of fig. 1, and fig. 4, a horizontal section, through the line c d, of fig. 1. A AAA is the frame. work of the machine; B is a semi-cylinder, represented separately in fig. 5, which is divided into two sections, B1 and B2, each of which is suspended, independently of the other, by eye bolts from the cross bolt C. Both sections present, on the inside, regular rows of teeth ƒfƒ, of a triangular form, supported by transverse stays, or ties, ƒ2 f2; but in the upper section, the spaces between the rows of teeth and the stays are closed; while, in the lower, these spaces are left open. By means to be presently explained, both these sections are made perfectly fixed and stationary, when the machine is in action, and in that state they have the appearance of, and form, in effect, one entire semi-cylinder. D is a revolving beaterframe, shown separately in figs. 6 and 7, (the former being a bird's-eye-view, and the latter an end view,) which carries rows of teeth or beaters, g g g, shaped similarly to the teeth, ff, of the stationary semi-cylinder B, and taking into the interstices between them. E is a pinion, fixed on the end of the axis of the revolving beater-frame D. F is a cog wheel, which takes into the pinion E, and which, being connected by its axis with any primary moving power, as horse power, or steam power, gives motion to the whole machine. G is a stage, or platform, from which the grain to be thrashed is laid by hand on an inclined feeding board G2, whence it falls between the teeth of the revolving beater-frame and those of the stationary semi-cylinder. The grain, as it is thrashed out, falls through the open interstices of the lower section B2 of the stationary semi-cylinder, and is received on the floor of the machine, while the straw is carried round by the action of

The

the revolving beater-frame D, and thrown
out into the vacant space, H, behind. From
the separate views (figs. 6 and 7) given
of the revolving beater-frame, it will be
seen that the triangularly-shaped beaters,
ggg, are fixed to the frame at such an
angle, that when they come down upon
the grain as it passes between the station-
ary semi-cylinder B, and the revolving
beater-frame D, they fall flatly upon it,
and do not present their edges to break,
or cut, or otherwise damage the grain or
straw. It will also be seen by reference
to the separate view, fig. 5, of the semi-
cylinder B, that the teeth on the inside
thereof are set at an angle to correspond
with that at which the teeth of the re-
volving beater-frame D are fixed.
distance between the teeth of the station-
ary semi-cylinder B, and those of the
revolving beater-frame D, may be made
wide or narrow at pleasure, according to
the sort of grain to be thrashed, and the
state as to dryness or wetness which it is
in, by the means next to be described.
K (fig. 4) is a curved bar, attached by its
two ends to the cross bolt C, from which
the sections of the stationary semi-cylin-
der are suspended. L is a winch, one
arm of which passes through a bearing k,
at the end of the frame work A A, and
terminates in a male screw 1, which takes
into a female screw cut out in the head
of the curved bar K. M M are two bear-
ings in the slots m m, on which rest the
ends of the cross bolt C.

From the description, so far, it will be
readily understood, that as the winch is
turned, and the screw end forced inwards,
through the curved bar K, the cross bolt
C, to which the ends of the curved bar
K are attached, will be drawn back, and
with it the two sections of the semi-cy-
linder B, suspended from it, and that the
space between the opposite rows of teeth
will be thereby proportionally increased,
and vice versa. Now to keep the sec-
tions of the semi-cylinder B steady in any
position, which may be thus assigned to
them, and to preserve their parallelism
within the frame work, as also to allow
of the upper section being raised to the
slight degree required when the cross
bolt C is drawn back, there are four dia-
gonal stays N N, two on each side,