Smith's Patent Corn Huskar

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The subject of our illustration is designed to husk corn perfectly without in any way injuring the corn, and the corn being fed to it with any length of stalk wiH be delivered from the machine perfeotly free from husk and stalk. The working parts are mounted in a frame, A, and the power is given to a wheel, B, by the handle, C. D is a belt giving motion to E, from which the belt, F, rotates the wheel, G. On the shaft of G is a drum, I, round which passes the endlesa husking band, K, being provided with wire teeth, something like a carding belt. This band, K, also passes over small rollers in the frame, I, which can give to pressure and again assume their original position by their bearings being on the ends of spring rods, k; K also passes round another drum, I'. In front of K is a wheel, L, provided with wire teeth, and it is in passing between these two that the husk is torn off. From the drum, I, passes a band wheel, j, rotating a brush, O, which serves to clean the wire teeth upon K ; there is also a cleaning brush to L. From a small wheel, a, on the shaft of G, a band wheel, H, passes, rotating a small pulley, b, a* the extremity of a frame, P, which extends over the feeding device, and on the axis of 6 is a drum, around which passes the endless feeding band, Q. From a wheel, c, on the same axis, a band, d, rotates the wheel, e, which gives motion to the upper endless feeding band, R, that also passes around another drum, /, and under rollers whose bearings are so arranged as to keep the band, R, tight and yet give to pressure, by bars and springs, i. Underneath P two saws rotate, on on each side, and between them Q and R pass. S is another, endless band, there being one each side, passing over rollers, h and g. The operation of this machine is as follows: The corn with stalk attached is placed on the endless bands, Q and S, and they are carried between R and Q until they come in contact with the saws, T, which cut off the butts ana stalks; and the motion of the bands over and under the corn while it is momentarily stay ed by the saws serves to slightly loosen the husk. The corn is carried on and falls into the hopper, J, which guides it between the endless husking board, K, and the husking wheel, L, from which it drops perfectly husked on to the delivering hand, M, on the roller, m. This is operated by a pulley and band on the side of the machine not seen in our engraving, rotated from the axis of E, that passes directly across the machine. N is a guard plate, to ensure the fall of the ears on to M. This ingenious device is the invention of W. H. Smith, No. 139 Thames St., Newport, R. I., and is the subject of two patents, one dated October 28, 1856, and the other October 6, 1857. The inventor will be happy to give any further information upon being addressed as above.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 13 Issue 50This article was published with the title “Smith's Patent Corn Huskar” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 13 No. 50 (), p. 393
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican08211858-393c

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