THE FARMERS' CABINET, 



DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY. 



Vol. I. 



PJiiladclpliia, may 1, 1S37. 



No. 20- 



For the Farmers' Cubiiiet. 



A^ricitlteiral Iiispleziients. 



NO. V. 



THE CORN SHELLER. 

 I\Iacliincs for this purpose are made of 

 various forms, and materials, some of tliem 

 formed so that projections on the periphery 

 of a cylinder, operate on the corn, turn the 

 ear round and shell (or separate) the corn 

 from the cob ; others have projections upon 

 the end of a cylinder, or face of a wheel at 

 riuht angles to the shaft, which operates on 

 the corn. Another form is to have projec- 

 tions on frustums of cones for the same pur- 

 pose. 



The ear of corn in either case descends 

 upon an inclined plane, so formed that some 

 part of the ear is still in contact with a por- 

 tion of the projections, and is permitted to 

 turn round as it descends on the plane ; a 

 spring pressmg against the plane with a pro- 

 per degree of force, causes the projections to 

 turn the ear round, shell the corn, and pass 

 the cob from tiie machine, at the lower end 

 of the inclined plane. Where tlie corn is 

 dry or easily separated from the cob, either 

 of these plans W-ill answer, but where it is 

 moist, or not easily separated, a compound 

 circular motion seems better : such a motion 

 to operate on the peripliery of the ear, and 

 at one end of the unshelled part, at the same 

 time is produced in the following manner, 

 viz.: — Two fnistums of cones are placed on a 

 shaft, with the small ends towards each 

 other, and a spur cog wheel is placed between 

 them on the same shaft. This wheel is acted 

 on by another spur cogwheel of larger dimen- 

 sions; so as to turn it and tiie two frustums. 

 The sides of the larger wheel have pointed 

 projections formed upon them, which operate 



on the corn, turn the ear round, and some- 

 VoL. L— No. 20 305 



times shell off part of the corn. Projections 

 are also formed on the periphery of each 

 frustum, extending in a direct line from one end 

 to the otiier ; these are made as tliin as pos- 

 sible, consistent witii the necessary strength, 

 and so as not to break or cut the corn. Two 

 inclined planes, one of them on each side of 

 the larger wheel, extend past the frustums, 

 and sufficiently near them to permit the pro- 

 jections to act on the corn ; those projections 

 on the sides, turn the ears round and shell 

 part of the corn, and those on the peripheries 

 the remainder. The space between the 

 wheels and one plane, maybe greater than 

 the other; and by using the larger for large 

 ears, and the smaller for small ones, the ope- 

 ration will be performed with less force than 

 when the dimensions of both are equal. A 

 spring to each plane, keeps a sufficient force 

 or pressure on the ear to enable the projec- 

 tions to shell, (or remove,) the corn entirely 

 from the cob. 



The shafts of both wheels are usually placed 

 in a horizontal position: and the inclined 

 planes at such an angle, as the ear will pass 

 the most rapidly by the wheels, and at the 

 same time have the corn entirely removed 

 from the cobs : forty- five degrees from the 

 horizon, will in most cases probably be found 

 a proper position. 



The dimensions may be in proportion to 

 the power intended to move the wheels, and 

 they may be moved by hand or other pow- 

 er. 



A good size for the power of a man, is as 

 follows, viz.: — Each frustum ten inches at 

 the large end, and six at the small end, and 

 two inches long; the small spur wheel four 

 inches diameter, and the large one sixteen 

 inches diameter, and one fourth of an inch 

 thick, exclusive of the projections, each of 



