EAM Loc: Milwaukee W

Does anyone know how old this device might be and if there is interest in these older items. I think it was used to shake shell off of seeds. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Lou Salamon Loc: Calabash, nc

I think you're correct... you might explore with the folks at Old World Wisconsin

JDFatCat Loc: Libertytown, Md

You got it right.

dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma

A seed cleaner. Seperates the chaff. There were many on farms back in the 50's.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

It's a seed cleaner, used by farmers to both clean and grade grain they were keeping for seed for the next year. The blower at the bottom provided air to blow away chaff and dirt, and was adjustable to provide for different-sized types of seeds. There were also various screens for different kinds of seeds. I grew up with one of these in our barn and spent many hours working one. Ours had been around for a number of years when I was a boy, and I'm 74. Ours had an electric motor, but I have seen others--earlier models--that ran off a belt from a gasoline engine or a line shaft. They are indeed old machines. There are some new portable ones around, but they are on wheels, are pto driven by a tractor, and have large tanks, electronic adjustment controls and a great degree of sophistication. This one is a simple, home-use version of the big stationary ones used by the large seed companies.

Thanks for posting; the photos bring back some good memories from days gone by.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I grew shell beans a couple years (way back). They grew fine, but shelling them was a real chore. I didn't have one of those machines, but I tried to use an electric fan and dumped a bucket of the shelled beans through the air from the fan into another bucket. The fan was supposed to blow away the light chaff (bits of the shells of the beans) and the heavier beans would just drop into the lower bucket. It almost worked.

I'm sure the machine would have done a much better job, but I decided not to buy one of them and just to buy dry beans instead of trying to do it myself.

WoodnMetalGuy Loc: MN

I believe it's called a 'fanning mill' so that may be helpful in tracking down prices on others that have been sold. -- Dave

Scouser Loc: British Columbia

This reminds me of a 'device' I used back in the early '80's. I was working at a fly-in uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan. It was an extremely remote area, surrounded by low hills, absolutely covered in dense low blueberry bushes. In late summer, when we still had about 20 hrs of daylight left, 4 or 5 of us would drive out in a company pick-up with home made scoops and plastic pails, and collect the blueberries. We would collect as many berries as possible, but always kept one bucket empty.
On the way back to camp, one of us would drive like it was stolen and the rest of us would be in the box. We would hold a full bucket up high and pour the berries into the empty bucket, allowing all the twigs and leaves to blow away in the wind. It worked like a charm, and when we got back to camp we would divide up the berries. Everyone involved would get equal portions, allowing an extra portion for the guy who had been on bear watch.
After all, we were in their back yard, and not very welcome.

My wife would can the blueberries, and they were kept in our cold room. About 3yrs ago I found a couple of jars at the back of a shelf, they tasted just as good as, or even better, than when they were canned, almost 30 yrs earlier.

EAM Loc: Milwaukee W

Great story. I can taste the blueberry flavor from your description. Thanks for sharing!

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

EAM Loc: Milwaukee W

Thank you. Appreciate your response!

Jackdoor Loc: Huddersfield, Yorkshire.

Correct. Called a 'winnowing machine' this side off the pond. Separates the wheat from the chaff. The equivalent in a current, fancy £250,000 combined harvester still works in much the same way. The cylindrical bit on the left of the second photo is a high volume low pressure fan which blows the lighter chaff away from the heavier seed as it's shaken on the sieve thingy.