This is a handheld cast-iron corn sheller in remarkable condition. Designed to shell corn kernels to produce feed for livestock, the corn sheller utilized a simple design to save countless hours of tedious labour. It operates first by feeding a whole cob of corn into the machine. Then, by turning the hand crank, the cob is pulled between two metal-toothed wheels spinning in opposite directions. The kernels are pulled off the cob and fall through a screen into a bucket placed below the device.
The corn sheller was originally invented by Lester E. Denison of Connecticut in 1839. The particular model featured in this photograph was produced by A.H. Patch of Clarksville, Tennessee. It was made in 1886, making it one of the first models produced by A.H. Patch, which opened for business that year. Patch Foundry continued to operated until 1954, after almost 70 years of worldwide success. Today, A.H. Patch corn shellers can be found in antique collections throughout the world, often in good condition due to their cast iron design.