IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING,
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of the firm of J. C. Robertson and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster the
Fourteenth day of October One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did for Himself, His heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, ..Her special licence, full
power, sole privilege, and authority, that I, the said Richard Archibald
Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators,
or assignis, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the town of Berwick upon Tweed, and the Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and all Her Majesty's Colonics
and Plantations abroad, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING,

page_text: CUTTING, AND REAPING MACHINES," communicated to me by a foreigner
residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby declare that the nature of
the said Invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed
are fully described and ascertained in and by the following specification
thereof, reference being had to the drawings hereto annexed; that is
to say, the improvements in machines for mowing, cutting, and reap-
ing consist in improvements in, additions to, and modifications of, the
reaping machine for which Letters Patent for England were granted
to me on the Seventh of December One thousand eight hundred
and fifty.
Figure 1, of the Drawings hereunto annexed represents a
side elevation, and Figure 2, a plan of a machine constructed for the
purpose of mowing and cutting grass. In this machine the whole of the
platform is removed, so that the grass as it is cut passes over the back
rail or finger-beam A, and falls upon the ground. B, is a shoe or skate
upon which the machine rests, and the cutter C, is thus enabled to be
placed much nearer to the ground, so that the grass is cut as close to the
ground as if cut by the common scythe. These shoes or skates may be
continued at different intervals along the under side of the finger-bean
A, to adapt the machine to the various inequalities of the ground.
Figure 3, is a view of the shoe and piece to which it is bolted, shown
detached from the machine. D, is the side shield or scraper-board, a
separate view of which is shown in Figure 4. The purpose of this scraper-
board is to clear the track of the cut grass, so as to leave space for the re-
turn of the machine without the horses or cattle drawing it treading down
the cut grass and injuring it. This scraper-board has at top a piece f,
placed at right angles, so as to prevent the grass, as it is collected, from

page_text: falling over it. E, E, are the fingers which are let into the finger-bean A.
The fingers are constructed of the shape shown in Figure 5, and are
inserted into the finger-beam in an inverted position, or in the position
represented in the figure, so as to allow of the knife working much
closer to the ground; the under part is formed with a slot a, for insert-
ing the cutter, and also with openings 6, and c, above and below the
cutter, to prevent the cutter from choking or clogging. G, is the reel,
which in the machine for mowing is placed much further back, so as
to throw the grass well upon the cutters, and over the finger-beam.
The blades of the reel may be provided with points or rakes at each
end, and also placed at intervals along their edge, as shown in the de-
tached view of one of the blades in Figure 6, so as to insure that when the
grain or grass is cut it shall fall upon the platform or over the finger
beam. To adapt this machine for the purpose of reaping, the platform for
receiving the cut grain is fixed to the machine, and the reel is placed more
forward. The side frame carries in front two dividing irons H,H,
which are bolted to a piece of framing the front of which is shod with
iron. Figure 7, is a top view of this piece of framing and dividing irons
H, H. Figure 8, is a plan of the separator, or board for dividing the
cut from the uncut grain. This separator is placed in the reaping
machine nearly flat down upon the platform. Figure 9, a detached
view of the finger-beam, the end of which is carried up in the curved
manner shown, so as to bring the cutter nearer to the ground.
Figure 10, is a plan of an improved form of cutter, to be used for either
mowing or reaping; a, is a bar, to which the cutters b, b, are attached in
sections. These sections may be varied in length, and the angle of
projection or indentation may be increased or diminished. The cutters
being made double-edged, and capable of cutting both behind and
before, will prevent the cutters from being clogged. In order to lessen
the side draught of the machine, the main driving-wheel may be placed
more to the right or to the left, according to the side on which the
draught-beam is placed. A second wheel may also be placed upon a
shaft or axle under or behind the finger beam, and the draught-beam
may be hinged to the machine, so as to adapt it to any irregularities of
the ground. For delivering the grain, a rake may be attached to the
machine in such a manner that it shall take hold of the grain, and draw

page_text: it round, and deliver it at the side, then rise and return above the grain
and repeat the action. The platform for receiving the grain may also
be inclined from one side, so as to facilitate the drawing off of the
grain. The angle of inclination may be regulated by pins or adjusting
screws. Instead of inclining the platform, inclined bars or strips of
wood or metal may be laid across the machine or platform. Figure 11,
is a plan for raising or lowering the wheels that carry the machine:
A, is the finger beam; B, the dividing iron; C, is a frame which is
carried back, and has hinged to it at a, a, two side frames D, D, which
carry the axle of the wheel E; b, b, are screw bolts which are inserted
through holes in the frames C, and D; the frames D, D, are provided
with a row of holes, so that the screw bolts b, may be taken out and
inserted through higher or lower holes, by which the height of
the wheels in reference to the machine can be adjusted as required.
Figure 12, is a modification of the above method as applied to
the driving-wheel. A, is the driving-wheel, which has upon its inner
rim the teeth or cogs B, B. C, is a pinion which gears into the teeth B.
This pinion revolves upon a centre fixed to the framework of the ma-
chine. The driving-wheel A, is centred in side pieces independent of
the machine, but which are free to turn upon centres. These side
pieces have slots cut in them, to allow of the driving-wheel being raised
or lowered, and still kept in gear with the pinion, being retained in
their position by bolts or screws passed through either of the slots.
Upon the axle of the pinion and outside of the frame is a bevel-wheel
which gears into a bevel-pinion on the crank and fly-wheel shaft, which
extends backwards far enough to bring the crank in a line with the
sickle.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare, that I claim
the various improvements in and additions to the reaping machine
patented by me as aforesaid; that is to say,
First, I claim the improved form of finger represented in Figure 5,
for the purposes herein-before described:
Second, I claim the placing of shoes or supports at different intervals
along the underside of the finger-beam, in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before described:

page_text: Third, I claim the peculiar form of finger-beam represented in
Figure 9, and herein-before described:
Fourth, I claim the double-edged cutter represented in Figure 10,
and herein-before described:
Fifth, I claim the delivery of grain by means of an apparatus so
arranged as to deliver the grain to the side, and in the manner herein-
before described:
Sixth, I claim the inclination of the platform or of the bars from one
side to the other, so as to facilitate the delivery of the grain, as
herein-before described:
Seventh, I claim the improved scraper-board represented in Figure 4,
and herein-before described; and,
Eighth, I claim the methods of raising and lowering the wheels
which carry the machine, as herein-before described, and represented
in Figures 11, and 12, of the drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April
thousand oight bondad and f
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the Fourteenth day of
April in the year of our Lord 1853, the aforesaid Richard Archibald
Brooman came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the specification aforesaid, and all and everything therein
contained and specified in form above written, and also the specification
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for
that purpose.
Enrolled the Fourteenth day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.