Improvements in Horse Rakes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 14th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Horse Rakes.
We WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATHER, both of Newark upon
Trent in the County of Nottingham, Agricultural Engineers, do hereby declaro the
nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
The first part of our invention applies to what are called "Self acting horse rakes"
in which pawls on the rocking frame engaging in ratchets on the travelling wheels,
allow the teeth to be lifted by the onward progress of the horse-the rake when
in work being kept firm by rule jointed locking links.
The first part of these improvements consists of methods by which the locking
links are prevented from relocking until the load is delivered.
On one method we form stops on the stationary part of the rake frame, so placed,
that should the horse stop, or go back before the rake is delivered, the outer ends
of the pawls would abut against the said stops and prevent relocking.
By another method, the pawl carrying bars being made with the pawls at one end
and projecting catches at the other end, we hinge on the front portion of the locking
links a curved plate or iron having one or more hooks formed on the under side
at the opposite end from the hinge. When out of work, this plate rests on the
locking links or on studs fixed thereto. When the links are depressed so as to
unlock the rocking frame, the hooks engage with the studs, and hold them so as to
prevent the rake from relocking until the release of the pawls when the projecting
catches on the pawl bars lift the hooks from the studs and allow the rake to relock.
Where the pawl bars have not the projecting catches we fix a small drop catch
or catches on the above described curved plate so contrived that in relocking the
studs close and slide over these drop catches.
The second part of our improvements is a method by which the working parts
of the rake are prevented from falling into gear again after delivering the rake
without the use of a spring.
For this purpose, we use a carefully balanced hook having a horizontal piece or
bar forming a portion of the same, which can partially rotate on a stud, fixed (by
preference) to a plate fixed on the back or stripper bar of the rake. This plate
bas an open slot which receives the back delivery lever. When the load is
delivered, this lever strikes the horizontal piece or bar of the hook, and in so doing
brings the hook over the lever and holds it for a moment, but sufficiently long to
prevent its rebound which might throw the delivery part again into gear.
The third part of our improvements is to prevent the sagging of the swinging
frame that carries the pawl bars. For this purpose we truss the long bar that
forms the front part of the frame with a diagonal tie rod, adjustable with a central
strut.
The fourth part of our invention relates to the construction of the travelling
wheels, which we make with double spokes opposite each other but somewhat spread
out at the nave and rivetted one on either side of a tyer of a T section through
both spokes and the tyre.
1000

page_text: CUM PONTE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Horse Rakes.
We, WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATHER both of Newark upon
Trent in the County of Nottingham Agricultural Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The first part of our invention applies to what are called "Self acting Horse Rakes"
in which pawls on the rocking frame engaging in ratchets on the travelling wheels
cause the teeth to be lifted by the onward progress of the horse; the teeth when in
work being kept firm by rule jointed locking links, and consists of methods by which
the locking links are prevented from relocking until the load is delivered.
Figure 1 Sheet 1 of the accompanying 2 sheets of drawings illustrates the first of
these methods.
Upon a stationary part of the rake frame we form stops A so placed, that after the
rake has been unlocked and the pawls allowed to fall into gear with the ratchets, as
shown in the dotted lines; the outer ends B of the pawls will abut against the stops A
and prevent the rake relocking.
,
Another method of effecting the same object is shown in Figure 2 on sheet 2 and
is adapted for those rakes in which the pawl rods or carrying bars A have the pawls B
mounted on their outer ends and projecting catches Con their inner ends, these
catches Cresting on stops D formed on the locking links L and L' to hold the
pawls Bout of gear. In this case we hinge on the front locking link L' a plate or
iron E having one or more hooks, e, when out of work the plate E rests upon a
stud D attached to the locking link L. When the rake is unlocked and the pawls
allowed to fall into gear with the ratchets as shown in dotted lines by the position of
the locking links at L2 and L³, the plate or iron slides over the stud on which it rests
until the hook drops over the stud as shown in the dotted lines where E shows the
plate or iron and its hook clapsing the stud D². When in this position the rake
cannot relock until the release of the pawls. After the release of the pawls from tlie
ratchets to allow the teeth to fall and resume their proper position for raking the
projecting catches on the pawl bars fall outwards as shown in dotted lines at C¹,
the corresponding position of the locking links being also shown in dotted lines at L'
and L. The projecting catches (lift up the plate on iron E' so that its hook e³ is
held clear of the stud D until the rake has again relocked.
.
Figure 3 of sheet -2 shows a modification of the last described arrangement for use
in cases where there are no projecting catches on the pawl bars. L and L' are the
locking links, the plate or iron E being hinged to the forward link L' as above
described and furnished with a hook e to engage with the stud D on the locking
link L. A chop catch or guard G is pivotted on the hinge side of the plate E so as
to freely swing and cover the hook e when required. L' and L' show in dotted lines
the positions of the locking links and E' e¹ and G¹ the position of the plate or iron
The hook e has
with its hook and guard respectively when the rake is unlocked.
then dropped over the stud D on the locking link L' and holds the locking links from
relocking until the release of the pawls.
After the release of the pawls to allow the rake teeth to fall and resume the
proper position for raking, the locking links on going back assume the positions
shown in dotted lines at Land L'. The stud D2 of the locking link L has then
passed the guard G' on to the hinge side of the plate or iron E' and as the locking
links rise presses the guard G2 so that it closes the hook e² and prevents the stud D
from entering again until after the rake has been locked and in the position shown by
the full lines.
The second part of our invention is for an improvement by which the working
parts of the rake are prevented from falling into gear again, after delivering
the load, without the use of a spring, and is shown in Figures
Sheet 1.
and 4 of

page_text: For this purpose we use à vertical hook H which can partly rotate on a horizontal
pin attached by preference to a plate on the lock or stripper bar S of the rake.
The hook H is counter-balance so that in its normal position it rests against the
stop K; in this position the upper part of the hook H clears the locking link handle L
but the under part projects beyond it. When the rake teeth fall to resume their
proper position for raking and the locking link handle L comes down it strikes the
lower part of the hook H and turning it on its pivot it brings the upper part of the
hook over the locking link handle L and prevents it rebounding so as to throw
the rake into gear again as shown in the dotted lines in Figure 4.
The third part of our invention is to prevent the sagging of the swinging
frame that carries the pawl bars and pawls and is shown in Figure 5 of sheet 1.
For this purpose we truss the long bar M that forms the front part of the frame
with a diagonal tie rod N adjustable with a centre strut O furnished with a screw and
nut P so that the tension of the tie rod N can be adjusted.
The fourth part of our invention relating to the travelling wheels we abandon and
nake no claim thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The method of preventing self acting rakes relocking by means of the ends of
the pawls B coming in contact with fixed stops A as described and shown in
Figure 1.
2. The method of preventing self acting rakes relocking by means of the hinged
plate E and hook e in combination with the stud D' and projecting catches Cas
described and shown in Fig. 2.
3. The method of preventing self acting rakes relocking by means of the hinged
plate E and hook e in combination with the stud D and the guard G as described
and shewn in Fig. 3.
4. The method of preventing self acting rakes rebounding into gear again by means
of the hook H in combination with the locking link handle L as described and shown
in Figs. 1 and 4.
5. Trussing the swinging frame of horse rakes with a tie rod N and an adjustable
strut O as described and shown in Fig. 5.
GEO. DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent for Applicants.