IMPROVEMENTS IN HAY-MAKING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford,
Agricultural Engineer, and Edward Tenney Bousfield, of the same Place,
Engineer, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN HAY-MAKING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard and Edward
Tennoy Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd
July 1880.
JAMES HOWARD, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Agricultural Engineer,
and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, of the same Place, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HAY-MAKING MACHINES."
The object of our Invention is to improve the construction of single and double
action haymaking machines, and to increase their efficiency.
The first part of our Invention relates to a novel arrangement of driving gear by
which the barrel may be rotated in either direction. The travelling wheels are
mounted on stud axles fitted excentrically in flanged blocks or plates, which are
free to turn in bearings in the side frames of the machine. The travelling wheels
carry on their inner face a concentric spur wheel, which is free to gear into one or
other of a pair of geared spur pinions, one of which is keyed to the shaft of the
tine barrel, the other running loosely on a stud pin of the gear box. By bringing
the spur wheel into gear with the pinion on the tine barrel shaft the barrel will be
caused to rotate in the opposite direction to the travelling wheels. When however
the barrel is driven through the idle pinion its rotation will be in the same
direction as the travelling wheels. The engaging and disengaging of the spur
wheel is effected by means of a key or spanner applied to a square formed on the
excentric stud axle. An advantage incidental to this arrangement of gearing is
that the size of the gear boxes in double action machines is materially diminished,
and thus the liability of the machine to clog with grass when at work is reduced.
This arrangement also provides for obtaining great rigidity of construction in the
implement. The flanged blocks or plates which carry the stud axles we fit with a
quadrant arrangement or equivalent device for retaining the axles when set in
their required position.

page_text: "
The second part of our Invention relates to an improved arrangement of springs
for the fork heads. Instead of the ordinary springs fixed at one end, and pressing
with its flat side at the other and upon a metal bracket, we use a flat spring which
receives the pressure vertically at each extremity, and is arched more or less,
according to the pressure put upon it. By this arrangement, when the head is in
its normal position for work, the spring is straight, or nearly so, and has no strain
upon it.
Our third improvement relates to the application of open or self-clearing gear
to hay-makers, the object being to prevent clogging and to dispense with the
necessity of placing the gearing in closely covered boxes.
This open gearing we propose to use both for double and single action hay-makers.
The Invention relates, lastly, to hay-makers intended to effect the operation of
tedding" the hay or raking it into rows. To this end we mount the tino barrel
at-an-angle-to the-axle of the travelling wheels instead of as heretofore in a line
parallel to that axle.
-
-
As therefore the tine barrel is rotated by the traverse motion of the machine
it will gather the hay to one side in rows of greater or less width. The tine barrel
will in this instance also receive its motion through gearing from the travelling
wheels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 3rd January 1881.
JAMES HOWARD, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Agricultural Engineer,
and EDWARD TENney Bousfield, of the same Place, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HAY-MAKING MACHINES."
The object of our Invention is to improve tho construction of single and double
action haymaking machines, and to increase their efficiency.
The first part of our Invention relates to the arrangement of the driving gear
by which the fork or tine barrels aro rotated either in the same direction or in
opposite directions.
In Sheets I. and II. of the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of a
double action haymaking machine; Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the same; and
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of one half of the machine.
Figures 4 and 5 shew various positions of the gearing for imparting the backward
and forward motions. A, A, are cast iron boxes which form with the frame
irons B bolted theroto the side frames of the machine; C is a dead shaft upon which
the fork or tine barrels D), D, are mounted loosely. This shaft serves together
with a transverse bar C to hold the side frames firmly together, the bar being
made fast by rivets, and the shaft secured in place by nuts applied to its screwed
ends.
The travelling wheels E are fitted with lantern wheels E' for transmitting rotary
motion to the tine barrels. Koyed to the sleeve of the fork barrels D on each sile
of the machine is a spur pinion D' for gearing into the adjacent lantern wheels E',
and in gear with these pinions are idle pinions D mounted on axles fixed in the sides
of the boxes A. The pinions D¹ and D² remain always in gear with each other, but
the motion for driving the barrels may be transmitted directly through the pinions D'
or indirectly through the pinions D. Thus when the rotation of the barrels is
required to be in the opposite direction to that of the travelling wheels the
pinions D will be idle, but when the reverse direction is required to be given to
the tine barrels the driving motion will be transmitted through the pinions D³ to
the barrels.
To permit of this the travelling wheels E are mounted on stud axles F, carried
by circular plates F', which have their bearings in the framing, and are free to
turn axially therein. These stud axles are set excentrically to the plates F', and it
is by the axial adjustment of the plates that the pinions D' and D² are thrown
into and out of gear with their lantern wheels E¹. To provide for this motion the
stud axles are squared at their ends to receive a key or wrench F³, by which an
axial motion in either direction is given when required to the plates F¹ on the
opposite sides of the machine.
On the inner face of each of these plates is a circular projection which passes
through a circular bole made in the side of the box A, and to secure the plate in
position a plato F2 is made fast to this circular projection by screws. These plates F
constitute also notched sectors, into which spring bolts F take for locking the
plates into one or other of the three positions which they are required to assumo.
Fig. 1 shews the machine out of gear for travelling. When it is desired that
the fork barrels should rotate for the forward action, or in the opposite direction to
the travelling wheels, the excentric stud axles are moved to the position in Fig. 4.
But when required to rotate for the backward action, or in the same direction as
the machine is travelling, the wheels E' drive through the pinions D³, as shewn in
Fig. 5.

page_text: It is for the purpose of effecting this adjustment of the gearing that the key
or wrench F is applied as before mentioned to the square of the stud axle.
This wrench, when not in use, is removed from the square and carried on the
machine.
In Sheet III., Figures 6, 7, and 8, shew in elevation, end view, and plan,
one side of a haymaking machine constructed according to our Invention, in which
the fork barrels are moved in one direction only.
In this arrangement lantern wheels E¹ are used, the same being attached as
before mentioned to the travelling wheels E, but they form in this case internal
gear wheels for the pinions D'. These pinions are securely attached to the fork 1
barrels which rotate as before upon a shaft C, forming also a tie rod of the framing.
When the fork barrels are out of gear the pinions D₁ are in the drawn position of
Fig. 6, but when in gear they will take the position shewn by dots in that
Figure; F is a lever, by which the excentric stud axles are moved to put the
pinions D¹-into or out of gear with the lantern, wheels E'. This lever is locked in 1
either of its two positions by means of a notched bar F, which is hinged to the
framing, and projects through a staple carried by the lever. The bar is disengaged
from the lever by simply lifting it clear of the staple.
In this arrangement of our haymaker it will be seen that the side frames A are
not composed of boxes which enclose the gearing, but the plates F are mounted in 2
iron sido frames, and the stud axles project through thin plates to receive on their
inner ends an adjusting and locking lever, as explained.
The second part of our Invention relates to an improved arrangement of springs
for the fork or tine heads. Instead of the ordinary spring fixed at one end and
pressing with its flat side at the other end upon a metal bracket, we use a flat 2
_spring which receives the pressure vertically at each extremity, and is arched, more
or less, according to the pressure-put-upon it...
This part of our Invention is shewn as applied to haymakers at Figures 1 and 3-
and 6 and 7; it is however more clearly illustrated in Sheet IV. by the enlarged
views at Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12, which represent one arm of a double action tine 3
barrel in side and front views with a stop for limiting the rocking of the tine head
in either direction.
In these Figures a is a radius arm of a tine barrel, to the outer end of which is
hinged a bracket piece b, to which the tine head is attached by bolts in the usual
manner.
This bracket piece is formed with two feet 6*, which rest upon a T shaped
casting c, which is socketted to receive the radius arm a, and is free to slide
thereon.
3
This piece c is held up in contact with the hinged bracket b by means of a
flat spring & bearing upon a socketted piece c* which lies Blush with the T piece c. 4
The spring & lies against one side of the radius arm a, and has for a step piece u
socketted casting e, wbich is fitted to the radius arm, and secured thereto in any
convenient manner.
The opposite ends of this spring are confined in the casting c* and e, recesses
being made therein to receive the ends of the spring. Thus when the spring is 4
suddenly relaxed after compression it will have no tendency to detach itself from
the tine barrel.
By this arrangement, when the fork or tine head is held in its normal or working
position, as at Figures 9 and 10, the spring is straight, or nearly so, and has no
strain upon it. When however any undue resistance is offered to the tines the 5
hinged bracket will be free to rock and relieve the tines, the spring & yielding to
the pressure put upon the T piece by the hinged bracket, and taking the form
shewn by dots at Fig. 9. The bracket b, although free to rock in either direction,
is brought up by a stop, which we prefer to make movable in order that the tines
may be closed upon the barrel when the implement is out of work.
5
The T piece has hinged to it a stop piece c³, which, when in its working

page_text: position as at Figures 9 and 10, stands up between the feet of the bracket b.
Thus whichever way the tine barrel may be rotating the stop will be in a position
to prevent the bracket rocking beyond the limit required for clearing the tines of
any obstruction. The stop c is held up in its raised position by the spring d
pressing on its heel through the socketted piece c*.
When it is required to close the tines upon the barrels (which is their position
for travelling) the hinged stop c¹ is drawn back into the position of Figures 11 and
12, and the bracket will then be free to rock into the position shown in those
Figures, and thereby close the tines upon the barrel.
When the hinged stop is thus depressed the spring will, through the socketted
piece c*, act upon its heel and retain it in the open position of Figures 11 and 12.
In adapting the flat spring & to single acting tine barrels the movable stop is
not required. In lieu of this the T picce is formed, as shown at Figures 13 and 14,
Sheet V., with a fixed stop on one side thereof, and the bracket is formed with feet,
one only of which is in line with the stop, the other bearing on a part of the T piece
which is out of line with the stop. Thus when the bracket is caused to tip by
any obstruction presented to its tines during the rotation of the barrel it will be
brought up by the stop, but the bracket will be free to tip in the opposito direction
under the hund of the attendant when it is desired to put the tines into the
position for travelling.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in Hay-
making Machines," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we
wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patont we
claim,―
First. The arrangement of mechanism for driving and throwing out of gear tho
tine barrels of double-action bay making machines, as described with reference to
Sheets I and II.
Second. The arrangement of mechanism for driving and throwing out of gear
the tine barrels of single-action haymaking machines, as described with reference
to Sheet III.
Third. The means above described with reference to Sheets IV. and V. for
applying a limited elastic prossure to the brackets of tine heads in double and
single-action machines.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Howard and Edward Tenney
Bousfield, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Third day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty
JAMES HOWARD. (L.S.)
E. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)