IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FINGERS AND FINGER BAR OF MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES, AND THE MANNER OF MOUNTING THE FINGERS UPON THE SAID BAR." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wilson, of Wood Hey, Bebington, in
the County of Chester, Gentleman, Henry Burch, Draughtsman,
and Joseph Battersby, Foreman Fitter, both of Bedford Leigh, in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE FINGERS AND FINGER BAR OF MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES, AND THE
MANNER OF MOUNTING THE FINGERS UPON THE SAID BAR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wilson,
Henry Burch, and Joseph Battersby at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 18th August
1878.
We, WILLIAM WILSON, of Wood Hey, Bebington, in the County of
Chester, Gentleman, HENRY BUROH, Draughtsman, and JOSEPH
BATTERSBY, Foreman Fitter, both of Bedford Leigh, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FINGERS AND FINGER BAR OF MOWING AND REAPING

page_text: .
MACHINES, AND THE MANNER OF MOUNTING THE FINGERS UPON THE SAID BAR," to
be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object the prevention of the clogging of the
finger bar of mowing and reaping machines, and consists in forming the
under part of the fingers of such machines out of the same plate of
metal from which the finger bar itself is made by taking a plate suffi-
ciently wide and cutting out a series of spaces, the projections left
forming the under part of the fingers. The points and top part of the
fingers are then attached by riveting or any other convenient means to
the said projections so formed. Or we take a finger bar of the ordinary
construction and secure the fingers (which in this modification may be
similar to those now in use) to the upper side of the said bar in lieu of
the under side, which has been the practice heretofore, taking care that
the under side of the fingers is flush with the under side of the finger
bar. Both these arrangements have the effect of greatly preventing the
clogging before mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Wilson, Henry Burch, and Joseph Battersby,
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM 2
WILSON, of Wood Hey, Bebington, in the County of Chester, Gentleman,
HENRY BURCH, Draughtsman, and JOSEPH BATTERSBY, Foreman Fitter,
both of Bedford Leigh, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
2
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said William Wilson, Henry
Burch, and Joseph Battersby, Her special license that we, the said
William Wilson, Henry Burch, and Joseph Battersby, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William
Wilson, Henry Burch, and Joseph Battersby, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein

page_text: THOR
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
FINGERS AND FINGER BAR OF MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES, AND THE MANNER OF
MOUNTING THE FINGERS UPON THE SAID BAR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said William Wilson, Henry Burch, and Joseph
Battersby, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands 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 we, the said William Wilson, Henry Burch,
and Joseph Battersby, do hereby declare the nature of our said In-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This Invention has for its object the prevention of the clogging of the
finger bar of mowing and reaping machines, and consists in forming the
under part of the fingers of such machines out of the same plate of metal
from which the finger bar itself is made by taking a plate sufficiently
wide, and cutting out a series of spaces, the projections left forming the
under part of the fingers. The points and top part of the fingers are
then attached by riveting or any other convenient means to the said
projections so formed. Or we take a finger bar of the ordinary con
struction and secure the fingers (which in this modification may be
similar to those now in use) to the upper side of the said bar in lieu of
the under side, which, has been the practice heretofore, taking care that
the under side of the fingers. is flush with the underside of the finger
bar Both-these-arrangements have the effect of greatly preventing the
clogging before mentioned.
In order that this our said Invention may be the more readily seen.
and understood, we have hereunto annexed. a Sheet of Drawings.
illustrative of our improvements in the fingers and finger bar of mowing
and reaping machines, and the manner of mounting the fingers upon the
said bar drawn to a scale of about full size. Similar letters marked on
the several views being used to indicate similar parts.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a side or edge view, and Fig. 2 a plan of a portion of the
finger bar of a mowing and reaping machine constructed in accordance
with our Invention, shewing the under part of the fingers constructed
out of the same plate of metal from which the finger bar itself is
made.
Fig. 3 is a side or edge view of a finger bar of the ordinary con-
struction shewing our improved method of securing the fingers thereto.
In Figs. 1 and 2 A is the finger bar with projections B (seen more
clearly in Fig. 2), constructed out of a single plate of metal by cutting
away the spaces C. The extremities of these projections are slightly
recessed or ✓d in an angular form as seen at D in Fig. 2 to assist the
fastening, and the points E of the fingers are then correspondingly
shaped and secured at the extremities of such projections B by over-
lapping, and having a rivet passed through, as seen in Fig. 1, taking care
that the heads of the rivet or bolt. are flush with the surface, as illus-
trated.
It will thus be seen that the projections B form the under part of the
fingers, and that such fingers are flush with the under side of the finger
bar, and therefore leave no room for the accumulation of obstructive
matter which only tends to clog the progress and increase the draught of
the machine.
In Fig. 3 F is the finger bar which is constructed with a Vª front
edge F, and the fingers G are secured to such finger bar by having a
corresponding Vª recess formed in them which fits accurately on to the
projecting Vª edge F to assist the fastening as in the previous arrange-
ment, and instead of the rear portion of such fingers underlapping the
finger bar, we cause them to overlap, and bolt the same on the upper
side, as illustrated, by which means we are enabled to bring the under
side of the fingers perfectly flush with the under side of the finger bar,
and thus prevent the clogging with obstructive matter, as is the case
when the under sides of the fingers project beneath the finger bar, and
leave spaces for the accumulation of such obstructive matter.
The fingers may be secured to the finger bar by rivets or keys, and
therefore we do not confine ourselves to the precise method of fastening
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page_text: Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
our said Invention, together with the best methods with which we are
acquainted for carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details,
relative proportions, or dimensions of the various parts illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing, but what we claim is, the methods of con-
structing the under part of the fingers of mowing and reaping machines
flush with the under side of the finger bar, as and for the purposes herein-
before described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Wilson, Henry Burch,
and Joseph Battersby, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
WILLIAM WILSON.
(L.S.)
HENRY BURCH.
(L.S.)
JOSEPH BATTERSBY. (L.S.)