History
George Banks Thrashing Machines
The spread of thrashing machines throughout the country was considerable by the early 1800s. George Banks of Whiston was one of very few who made Thrashing Machines in our area.
John Lingard of Buxton, Derbyshire had the merit of taking the lead in the introduction of these important Machines into Derbyshire etc.
The machine was usually wrought by horses, and these are attached to their water mills.
At this time, the names and residences of the Makers of the Thrashing Machines were:
- George Banks of Whiston
- Benjamin Kitson, of Bridgenorth
- Lambert of Burton on Trent
- Richard Lumbert of Gloucestershire
- William Moire (late of Northumberland), Shropshire
- Thomas Noon of Burton on Trent
- Christopher Perkins of Marygate, in York
- Finder of Bawtry, Yorkshire
- John Shaw of Willow Row, Allsaints, in Derby
- Thomas Wigfull of Aldwark, Rotherham
and slightly later : Lynn in Norfolk.
In our immediate area farmers with Thrashing Mills who who had the Banks Machine were:
- C. Hodgson of Woodhouse Mill
- John Staniforth of Beighton Mill
- Ward of Gleadless Common
Figs. 1 and 2, show a Section and Plan of the operative or Thrashing part, of Mr. Banks's Machines, at Beighton Mill and Gleedless Common.
A is the Feeding-board
B, B are the Feeding Rollers
C C C, etc. the Thrashing-Drum (rather improperly so called in this case)
consisting of six wooden bars shod with iron plate, each supported
on three open arms
D D the Bed, a segment of
a cast-iron Cylinder fluted inside, supported by four
chains - a - and steadied by two coupling-bars - b - , the height of which Bed can be adjusted and altered, by
turning the bars or axles, on which the pulleys - c c, to
which the chains are fastened, and which are prevented by ratchets from receding.
The iron axle of the
Thrashing-drum lhas a pinion E on one end of it,
which works the wheel F, for turning the feeding rollers,
by the intervention of an intermediate dead or loose
wheel, adjustible by screws; and the maker furnishes
different sets of these pinions and wheels, which regulate
the proportionate velocity of the drum and rollers.
GG is a boarded partition and floor, under the drum,
H is the barred grating, on which the thrashed
Straw is tossed by the four rakes - dddd -, at the ends of
four close boarded arms IIII, and finally discharged
at K.
The Thrashing-drum at Gleedless Common, is
16 inches diameter, and is turned by a strap, working
on the pulley M, also 16 inches diameter, which works
off a strap-drum 8 feet diameter, on whose axis is a
rope-pulley 9 inches diameter; whose rope, works on
rake pulley L, 36 inches diameter, and thereby turns
the rake, 36 inches diameter, with a slow motion.
The strap-drum axis has a cast-iron pinion of 22 teeth
fixed on it, which is turned by a wheel 6 feet diameter
with 100 teeth, on a horizontal axis, (passing under the
horse-walk), which has at its other end a pinion of 18
teeth, wrought by a crown-wheel 11 feet diameter with
144 cogs, on a vertical axis, to which the Horse-levers
are fixed ; of such a length, that the middle of the horse
path is 22 feet diameter.
At Beighton Mill the strap- drum for working the drum pulley M, and the rope- pulley for working the rake-pulley L, are fixed on a horizontal axis of the Water-mill Gear, for grinding and dressing Flour. These machines seem under calculated at two-horse power, and ought rather to be called three-horse machines.
©2004