| Details of Innovation |
Sri. M.Thirumalai is 44 years old, running a lathe workshop for the past 20 years at VaddakkuMalaiyadipatti village near Rajapalayam town. He studied up to 2nd standard. He could not go to school due to his family circumstances. He then joined a lathe workshop. Due to his long experience in the lathe workshop he is well versed in various types of engineering work. He once noticed a tractor mounted maize sheller 7 years back. He wondered how its efficiency could definitely be improved upon. His farmer friends who used this machine also approached him for overcoming practicalproblems during the shelling of cobs.
Improved maize sheller:
The original sheller is operated on by a tractor through a PTO shaft locally called a Yokenkeet. In the main shaft there is one bearing. The size of the ply wheel or pulley has diameter of 3/4 . As the speed of rotation is not satisfactory, Sri. Thirumalai made alterations. He provided 6 bearings in the main shaft where in the old type it was made up of just a hollow pipe. He increased the size of the ply wheel up to 1 diameter where as in the old model it was 3/4. The improved machine can be transported by attaching cultivator links with the tractor where in the old model it was carried only through tractor trailer.
The advantages of the improved maize sheller:
* This can be easily transported to the threshing floor by the tractor
* It enhance the life span of machine due to extra 4 bearings attached in the main shaft
* Shelling efficiency is 40 - 50 bags (100 kg of cobs) per hour which in double the original shelling rate
* It needs only 6 men / women lab our for shelling where as 25 - 30 laborers required in the manual method of shelling.
* The belt used in the machine is very difficult to steal making it theft proof.
Dissemination of the improved sheller:
The cost of the improved sheller excluding the tractor is Rs. 21,000. However the quality of the finishing with new bearings, the increased gauge thickness of equipment assures enhanced life span for the equipment. He has so far designed 7 such models for farmers of near by villages.
Other innovations are:
* Ridge plough for sugarcane crop.
* Bund former for coconut garden. |
Honey Bee Network Knowledge & Innovation Database (HBNKIND)