Most of the patents prior to 1836 were lost in the Dec. 1836 fire. Only about 2,000 of the almost 10,000 documents were recovered. This is one of the recovered patents.

For a Machine for Shelling Corn; Joseph Turner, Poland, Cumberland county, Maine, August 15.

“A vertical wheel, set with pins upon its face, is to be made to revolve, and the shelling is to be effected between this wheel, and a follower borne up towards it by spiral springs. There is nothing in the particular arrangement of the follower, as claimed by the patentee, to render it better than the analogous contrivances which have been used in the machines with vertical wheels of cast-iron. The claim is to “the follower, as made in three distinct pieces, and the application of the spiral springs to the follower, together with the slide separating the cob from the corn.” This latter claim, so far as we can understand it, is for a thing without any novelty; but as it is not represented in the drawing, and the latter has no written references whatever upon it, a little obscurity may be expected.”

Description from the Journal of the Franklin Institute, V17, Jan 1836, pg. 195

(To be filled in.)

USPTO pdf