IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CANSADHARION OF HODGE RATES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander McGregor, of Bedford Leigh, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CANSADHARION OF HODGE RATES "
Sealed the 16th August 1872, and dated the 17th June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander McGregor aţ
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th June 1872.
I, ALEXANDER MCGREGOR, of Bedford Leigh, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature and object of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HORSE RAKES," to be as
follows:-
:-
This Invention is applicable to that class of horse rakes which it is
customary to provide with a seat for the driver. In this arrangement
the seat is placed over the main axle and connected to and supported
from the rocking frame by means of an iron bar, bent to clear the lifting
bar, and jointed to a bracket with its centre placed slightly forward of
the main axle, so that the weight of the driver sitting on the seat tends
to balance the weight of the tines, the seat falling and rising as the tines
are raised or lowered. As a stay for the seat I make use of a bar of
spring steel bolted or rivetted to a hinged bracket on the shafts, and
·

page_text: I make this bracket adjustable by a screw bolt or other means, so that
the spring may press the scat more or less upwards according as it is
required to utilise more or less of the driver's weight for lifting the
tines The spring also gives a greater impetus to the tines in descending
than they would otherwise have with their weight so nearly balanced.
For locking the tines down when raking I make use of a spiral
spring, which by pressure on the extreme end of the connecting rod
shall cause the joint pin which couples it to the arm of the hand lever
to rise above the line of the main pin of the lever and the pin on the
rocking frame. The end of the lever arm I extend beyond the joint
pin and bend it down to catch the under side of the connecting rod,
so that the joint pin can only rise a certain distance out of line, and any
further pressure caused by the tines attempting to rise will only tighten
the lock.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander McGregor in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MCGREGOR, of Bedford Leigh, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of June, in the year of .
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander McGregor, Her special license
that I, the said Alexander M.Gregor, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander McGregor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HORSE RAKES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alexander McGregor, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands

page_text: and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same. to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander McGregor, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawing (that is to
say) :-
This Invention is applicable to that class of horse rakes which it is
customary to provide with a seat for the driver. In this arrangement
the seat is placed over the main axle and connected to and supported
from the rocking frame by means of an iron bar, bent to clear the lifting
bar, and jointed to a bracket with its centre placed slightly forward of
the main axle, so that the weight of the driver sitting on the seat tends
to balance the weight of the tines, the seat falling and rising as the tines
are raised or lowered. As a stay for the seat I make use of a bar of
spring steel bolted or rivetted to a hinged bracket on the shafts, and
I make this bracket adjustable by a screw bolt or other means, so
that the spring may press the seat more or less upwards according as
it is required to utilise more or less of the driver's weight for lifting
the tines. The spring also gives a greater impetus to the tines in
descending than they would otherwise have with their weight so nearly
balanced.
For locking the tines down when raking I make use of a spiral spring,
which by pressure on the extreme end of the connecting rod shall
cause the joint pin which couples it to the arm of the hand lever to
rise above the line of the main pin of the lever and the pin on the
rocking frame. The end of the lever arm I extend beyond the joint
pin and bend it down to catch the under side of the connecting rod,
so that the joint pin can only rise a certain distance out of line, and any
further pressure caused by the tines attempting to rise will only tighten
the lock.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improve-
ments in the Construction of Horse Rakes," I will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may

page_text: be performed or carried, into practical effect, and in order that the same
may be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawing
illustrative thercof, and have marked the same with figures and letters
of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof.
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of my improved horse rake.
A is the driver's seat; B, the bent iron bar supporting the same; C, the
joint pin connecting it to the rocking frame; D, the main axle; E, tho
head rod of rocking frame; H, the tines; I, the hand lever; K, the
lever arm; L, the connecting rod; i, the main pin of lever; k, the 1
joint pin of the lever arm and connecting rod; 4, joint pin on the
rocking frame; k¹, the end of the lever arm bent down to catch the
under side of the connecting rod; M, the spiral spring box; ", the
extension of the end of the connecting rod to receive the pressure of
the spiral spring; a is the spring steel stay for holding up the seat; 1
a', the hinge bracket on the shaft; «², a screw bolt for adjusting the
same, as previously described.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood 2
that I claim as my Invention, the general construction and arrangement
of the various parts of the horse rake, substantially as herein-before
more particularly described and represented by the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander McGregor, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, 2
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
tuvo
ALEXANDER MCGREGOR. (L.S.)
Witnessed by,
JOHN HUGHES,
Clerk to George Davies, C.E.,
Office for Patents,
Manchester.