Patent GB-190214872-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in connection with Mowing and Reaping, or Harvesting, Machines.
Inventor: JOHNSON JAMES YATE
Filed: 1902-07-03
Granted: 1903-06-18
Abstract: 14,872. Johnson, J. Y., [Soc. Anon. d'Etude et d'Exploitation des hrevets A. Castelin pour Machines Agricoles Automobiles]. July 3. Reaping, mowing, and harvesting machines.-Relates to a machine which may be adapted for mowing, reaping, or harvesting, and which may be driven either mechanically or by horse traction. The platform 12 is formed with slots 13 through which project teeth attached to one of two cross-bars 9 carried by endless chains 1 driven by pulleys 2 actuated by gearing from a shaft 4<1>, driven by bevel gearing from the main driving-shaft 4. The crank disc 8 for driving the cutter-bar is secured on the end of the shaft 4<1>. The connecting- rod 80 for driving the cutter-bar is connected to the pin of the disc 8, and to a trunnion 83, Fig. 11, on the cutter-bar by universal joints, consisting of sleeves 82 held on the pin and trunnion by pins 84 and arms 81 on each end of the rod 80, between which the sleeves 82 are pivoted. Curved arms 14 are mounted over the end of the platform 12, to hold back the crop until sufficient has accumulated to form a sheaf when the arms 14 are automatically raised to allow the crop to be discharged off the end of the platform by the rake teeth on the bars 9. During the period that the arms 14 are in their lowered position and the crop is accumulating, the rake teeth are caused to drop below the platform before they reach the end of their travel. The mechanism which raises the arms 14 also actuates a pivoted gate which causes a guide-roller on the rake head 9 to enter a path which causes the rake teeth to remain above the platform and sweep the crop off the end. The mechanism for effecting these movements is shown in Figs. 5 and 7. A ratchet-wheel 47 is freely mounted on a cross-bar 29, but is connected thereto by a spring 48 which always returns it to the initial position when released. The wheel 47 is made fast to a toothed wheel 43 operated stepwise by a wheel 44 with a single tooth mounted on the shaft 45. A cam wheel 40, having a cam surface 41 and a notch 42, is mounted loosely on the bar 29, but can be secured in any position to the wheel 43 by a finger. 35 on a sleeve 34, which engages the notch 42 and one of a series of grooves in the wheel 43. The sleeve 34 is adjusted by the hand-wheel 33, to cause the mechanism to be tripped once in any given number of revolutions of the shaft 45, and is provided with an internal spring which tends to maintain the finger 35 in engagement with the wheel 43. A ratchet tooth 51 engages the teeth of the wheel 47. The tooth 51 is on a lever, the opposite end of which is connected by a spring 55 to the frame. A lever 52 is mounted on the same pivot as that of the tooth 51, and carries a roller 53 adapted to be engaged by the cam surface 41 of the cam 40 and to be thereby depressed. When the lever 52 is rocked, it engages a pin 54 connected to the tooth 51, and holds the latter free of the ratchet-wheel 47, which then returns to its initial position under the influence of the spring 48. The lever 52 is provided with two rods, one of which 65 actuates a ratchet-wheel 62, which by suitable levers and links raises the arms 14 fixed to the rock-shaft 59. The other rod 56 rocks a shaft 22 connected by links to the pivoted gate, which, when moved, causes the rake teeth to sweep the platform, as described above. The lever 52 is returned to its initial position by the action of the guide roller on the rake head forcing back the pivoted gate, as it passes it, into its original position. The machine is adapted respectively for mowing or for reaping by adjusting the front hinged portion 75 of the platform 12, as shown in Fig. 7. The hinged portion 75 is provided with hinged supports 76. When the part 75 is in the lowered position, shown in full lines, the machine is adapted for mowing, but, when the part 75 is raised into the position shown in dotted lines at 75<1>, the corn is turned about the point 77 and is laid on the platform 12 and free of the cutting- apparatus, so that the machine can be used for reaping. The reel 71 may be adjustable by any suitable arrangement of mechanism, and is driven by bevel gearing 70 from a shaft driven by chain gearing 6 operated by worm and wheel gearing 5 from the main shaft 4. Means are described for controlling the movement of the guide-rollers of the rake heads so as to ensure that the rake teeth shall travel in the required paths above and below the platform 12.