Threshing machines
Invention of Threshing machines
Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of cereal grain (or other crop) from the scaly, inedible chaff that surrounds it. It used to be done manually by hitting the cereal grain with sticks and by throwing it into the air the grain was separated from the chaff. In order to make it more faster people also used cattle, and already in Egypt the first expedients were developed.
During the Middle Ages the process was perfected, and the first threshing machine as we know it today appeared in the 18th century. It was constructed in Scotland in 1786. Andrew Meikl is considered its inventor.
The process had several steps. A bundle of wheat was thrown into an opening, which was usually found on the upper side. By passing through rotating drums the grain was separated from the stem. This was followed by ventilation and filtration, which led the grain into sacks. On the other side of the threshing machine straw and chaff came out separated. The threshing machine was run manually, using horses or machines. It had a specific construction and sound, which even today evokes memories.
Harvest and threshing used to be complicated processes, which required a lot of people to participate. It brought the first return of the year and marked the end of all fears (freezing, hail, parasites, dryness, fire).
