IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Leopold
May, of Ungarisch, Ostra, in the Austrian Empire.
Sealed the t
Scaled the 1st August 1970,
18th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th February 1879.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES." [A com-
munication from abroad by Leopold May, of Ungarisch, Ostra, in the Austrian
Empire.]
According to the present Invention reaping and mowing machines are constructed
as follows:-
A vertical frame or standard has a hollow axle projecting from its outer side, on
which is mounted a large road wheel, while on its inner side it carries a vertically
adjustable bracket, the end of which curves downwards and is connected by a hinge-
joint to the outer end of the cutter beam of the platform, the inner end of which is
supported by the small road wheel. The platform is thus capable of being turned
up on its hinge joint into a vertical position, so that the machine may occupy very
little width when passing along narrow roads. For this purpose the small road
wheel is removed from its axle on the platform and is placed on one provided on the
bracket.
The outer end of the curved bracket is supported on the ground by a small roller;
it is made vertically adjustable so as to regulate the height of the knife bar by
means of a screw spindle screwing through the bracket and carried in bearings on
the frame or standard. On the extended boss of the main road wheel is a large and
a small bevil toothed wheel, both formed in one casting, running loose on the boss,
but capable of being geared thereto by a sliding clutch.
The large bevil wheel gears with a bevil pinion formed on the crank plate that
works the knife bar, the latter being connected to the crank pin by a connecting rod
077

page_text: formed of two separate rods whose outer ends are pivotted to a head connected by
a strap bolt to the crank pin, while the inner ends are connected to the knife bar
by a universal joint, so as to allow of the platform with the bar being turned up as
beforo described without having to disconnect the connecting rod. When in this
position the clutch which gears the bevil wheel imparting motion to the cutter bar
with the road wheel is put out of gear by means of a rod passing through the hollow
axle of the latter, and connected to a hand lever at its outer ond, while [the inner
end is connected to a lever and fork actuating the clutch. The axle has fixed on its
outer end a strong horizontal lever or arm, the end of which is connected by a link
to a hand lever pivotted to a bracket on the draft pole. Thus on raising the hand
lever the arm is moved so as to turn the axle and with it the frame and platform
carried thereby in such a manner as to cant the front of the platform and conse-
quently the knife bar up from the ground so as to make them clear any stones or
other obstructions on the ground while reaping. By depressing the hand lever the
knife bar is canted downwards so as to cut the corn at any desired height. When
adjusted to the desired position the hand lever is fixed by a pin passing through a
quadrant on the beforementioned bracket of the draft pole. This bracket projects
from the outer side of the draft pole and is cranked round the large road wheel, so
as to embrace the end of the axle projected beyond the latter. Another bracket or
strap fixed to the draft pole embraces an extension of the hollow axle on the
inner side of the standard, so that the draft pole is carried at the level of the
axle.
The smaller one of the two before-mentioned bevil wheels on the axle gears with
a horizontal bevil wheel carried by the standard and having on the circumference of
its upper side a number of brackets to which are pivotted the feed and delivery
arms or rakes that are thus made to revolve over the platform for feeding the corn
to the knife bar and then delivering the cut corn from the platform. These arms
are formed of wood bent into the form of loops, to the lower part of which are fixed
rake prongs. The ends of the arms beyond their pivots carry rollers which bear
upon a fixed cam plate which is carried by the standard and is of such a shape that
as the arms pass round they are raised into a vertical position when passing the
standard, the driver's seat and the horses, and are made to descend as they approach
the knife bar, after which they pass horizontally over the platform and are then
raised again.
The can plate has a moveable hinged part which by means of a spindle and arm
working in a slot therein can be raised or lowered so as to cause the feed-arms
either to maintain their horizontal position in passing over the platform and thus
deliver the corn as it is cut or to be suddenly raised again after passing the knife
bar, so as to allow the cut, corn to accumulate to any desired extent on the platform
before delivering it. This action is regulated by the driver by means of a hand
lever connected to a second rod passing through the hollow axle and connected at
its inner end to the before mentioned spindle that works the moveable part of the
cam plate.
At the outer end of the cutter bean is fixed an upright of U section which
serves as attachment for the bracket of the axle to the small road wheel, and also
for the inclined bars that serve to raise and divide the standing corn.