IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR BINDING SHEAVES AND IN MEANS AND APPLIANCES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin George Hall of Malvern Wells in the County
of Worcestershire Farmer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR BINDING SHEAVES AND IN MEANS AND
APPLIANCES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin George Hall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th April 1883.
BENJAMIN GEORGE HALL of Malvern Wells in the County of Worcester[shire]
Farmer IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR BINDING
SHEAVES AND IN MEANS AND APPLIANCES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
The object of my said Invention is to afford increased facilities for tieing straw,
grain in the straw, rye grass, and other farm produce into sheaves or bundles.
My said Invention consists of a longitudinal shaft, suitably mounted in bearings,
and actuated by manual or other motive power. At one end of this shaft a bevel
wheel is fixed or keyed, which gears into and drives two other bevel wheels
mounted on short shafts at right angles to the main shaft. Two eccentrics are
fitted to these transverse shafts one on each. These eccentrics revolve simul-
taneously and cause a lever to receive a reciprocating motion, and this lever
actuates a twisting prong shaft in a line with the main shaft. This twisting prong
shaft is fitted with an elongated toothed pinion and works with a rotary and
reciprocating motion, receiving half a revolution with each forward stroke, provision
being made to prevent the twisting prong shaft being turned the wrong way. Two
prongs are fitted to one end of the twisting prong shaft which take hold of the
string or other binding material (hereinafter called the string) at each semi-
revolution and vibration.
A bent lever is also fitted, with pullies for the purpose of guiding the string
which passes through a hole to prevent entanglement.
When the sheaf or bundle to be tied is in position the lever passes the string
over or round the sheaf, and being worked by the same lever as the twisting prong
shaft, the string passes between the prongs, after having twisted the other end of
the string. When in this position two pincers, one on each side of the main shaft,
IPrice Gd1

page_text: act in the following manner :-One of the pincers passes under the twisting prongs
and between the string lever and the string when it commences to open and
continues open until it has enclosed the string just above the holder when it closes
with a spring, and in returning takes the string with it through the loop left by
the string lever under the twist made by the twisting prongs; the other pincers,
acting at the same time, open before they reach the string lever, and pass between
the string round the sheaf and the string lever, and enclose the string lever with
the long end of the string, when the pincers close, and the lever now commencing
to rise, the pincers, as they return, take the long end of the string with them. As
they take it by the holder a lever is arranged which passes the string into it, the
holder being opened to receive it by a lever actuated by an eccentric on the main
shaft, and closing with a spring
For cutting the string to release the sheaf a knife is attached, worked by the same
arrangement as the last described pincers, which cuts the string as soon as the
holders have closed upon it; the other end is cut by a fixed knife so placed that
the pincers first described draw the string against it at the same time that the other
end is cut. To assist in tightening the knot, a small bar is arranged to press against
it in the opposite direction to the pull of the first described pincers, and. upon the
upper side of the string.
Upon the tieing platform, and connected with the string lever, is arranged a
presser to release the twine, with which the sheaf is tied, of some of the strain of
olosing or compressing the sheaf; it is arranged to rise with the string lever to
allow the tied sheaf to pass off the platform when the next sheaf is pushed
unon it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin George Hall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th October 1883.
BENJAMIN GEORGE HALL of Malvern Wells in the County of Worcestershire
Farmer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF APPARATUS FOR BINDING
SHEAVES AND IN MEANS AND APPLIANCES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
The object of my said Invention is to afford increased facilities for tieing straw
grain in the straw, rye grass, and other farm produce, into sheaves or bundles.
My said invention consists of a longitudinal shaft, suitably mounted in bearings
and actuated by manual or other motive power. At one end of this shaft a bevel
wheel is fixed or keyed which gears into and drives two other bevel wheels mounted
on short shafts at right angles to the main shaft. Two eccentrics are fitted to these
transverse shafts one on each These eccentrics revolve simultaneously and cause
a lever to receive a reciprocating motion, and this lever actuates a twisting prong
shaft in a line with the main shaft This twisting prong shaft is fitted with an
elongated toothed pinion and works with a rotary and reciprocating motion
receiving half a revolution with each forward stroke, provision being made to
prevent the twisting prong shaft being turned the wrong way Two prongs are
fitted to one end of the twisting prong shaft which take hold of the string or
other binding material (hereinafter called the string) at each semi-revolution and
vibration.
A bent lever is also fitted with pullies for the purpose of guiding the string
which passes through a hole to prevent entanglement
When the sheaf or bundle to be tied is in position, the lever passes the string
over or round the sheaf and being worked by the same lever as the twisting prong
shaft, the string passes between the prongs, after having twisted the other end of
the string. When in this position two pincers one on each side of the main shaft
act in the following manner One of the pincers passes under the twisting prongs
and between the string lever and the string when it commences to open and
continues open until it has inclosed the string just above the holder when it closes
with a spring and in returning takes the string with it through the loop left by
the string lever under the twist made by the twisting prongs the other pincers
acting at the same time open before they reach the string lever and passes between
the string round the sheaf and the string lever and enclose the string lever with
the long end of the string when the pincers close and the lever now commencing to
rise, the pincers as they return, take the long end of the string with them As they
take it by the holder a lever is arranged which passes the string into it the holder
being opened to receive it by a lever actuated by an eccentric on the main shaft
and closing with a spring
For cutting the string to release the sheaf a knife is attached worked by the
same arrangement as the last described pincers which cuts the string as soon as
the holders have closed upon it the other end is cut by a fixed knife so placed that
the pincers first described draw the string against it at the same time that the
other end is cut. To assist in tightening the knot, a small bar is arranged to press
against it in the opposite direction to the pull of the first described pincers and
upon the upper side of the string.
Upon the tieing platform and connected with the string lever is arranged a
presser to release the twine with which the sheaf is tied, of some of the strain of
closing or compressing the sheaf: it is arranged to rise with the string lever to
allow the tied sheaf to pass off the platform when the next sheaf is pushed
upon it
And in order that my said invention may be clearly understood reference is

page_text: hereby made to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts of the several figures:-
The binding machinery constituting my invention is partially enclosed in a
box and consists of the following parts:-One main spindle a a Fig. 1 placed
longitudinally in the box and which actuates or gives motion to the whole of the
other parts and which main spindle is itself driven by the main driving wheel of
the reaping machine, the manner of effecting which is hereinafter described. Upon
this main spindle are fixed three eccentrics b. c and d and at the lower end a bevel
wheel e geared into another bevel wheel ƒ of similar diameter which is fixed upon
a second spindle placed at right angles to the main spindle. Upon this second
spindle are fixed two cranks for working a lever g connected with the string lever h
and twisting prong i. The string lever is that part of the machine which
carries the string round the sheaf and consists of a bent bar hinged to a bearing
at k at the bottom end of the box. and which passes through the aperture h¹ to
the outside of the same and again enters the box through the aperture h². and is
actuated by the lever g as shewn in Fig. 1. The twisting prong consists of a
spindle with twisting prongs i¹. . at one end and an elongated cog wheel or
pinion in the middle portion of its length; this is moved forwards and backwards
in a line with the main spindle by the lever g'. as shown and is carried by two
bearings one at each end placed over the main spindle The twisting prong also
receives a circular motion at the same time that it is moved in a forward direction
this is effected by the eccentric b on the main spindle which is arranged to work a
clutch fixed to the spindle . upon which a cog wheel . is fixed, the wheel being
geared into the elongated cogs on the twisting prong i the effect being that as the
twisting prong moves forward it is rotated through a half circle at the same time
and as it returns backwards it does not rotate but remains in a proper position for
taking the string for the next sheaf-A string holder is placed near the twisting
prong, in such a position, that with the aid of the string guide the string is placed
immediately in front of the prongs which take it as it moves forward, and by
turning half way round make a loop for the string lever to pass the endless part of
the string through after enclosing the sheaf. The string guide is a piece of iron or
other suitable material fastened upon the under side of the top covering of the box
containing the binding machinery and close to the hole . through which the
string is passed by the string lever, it being moved out of the way of the string
lever by the lever m worked by the eccentric c on the main spindle, and returning
to its position to place the string in front of the twisting prong by a spring. Two
pincers or clips no are placed one on each side of the main spindle and in front
of the twisting prong, these are worked by eccentrics at d fixed on the main
spindle. The pincers on the opposite side of the main spindle to the string holder
are made to pass between the string and the inside of the string lever immediately
after the string lever has carried the string through the loop made by the twisting
prong, they then open and going farther enclose the string between the holder and
twisting prong, when they close with a spring and return with the string, which
they draw through the loop left by the string lever and under the loop made by
the twisting prong At the same time the pincers on the other side of the main
spindle move towards the twisting prong and string lever and opening before they
pass are made to enclose the string lever above the twisting prong, and the string
outside the string lever, which is the end of the string next the ball, they then
close and the string lever rising out of the way. they bring the string with them as
they return and drawing in an opposite direction to the other pincers tie the knot.
For placing the string on the holder ready for the next sheaf. A lever is
arranged with a prong at the end which takes the string brought by the last
described pincers and pushes it into the holder, which is opened to receive it and
closed with a spring by which motion a knife is made to cut the string under the
holder and so release the sheaf.
The whole of these movements are effected by one revolution of the main

page_text: My arrangement for gearing the binder sheafing the grain and placing it upon
the binder is as follows. The binder box is fastened to the main frame of the
reaping machine upon the opposite side of the main wheel to the cutter bar and in
a sloping position as shewn in Fig. 3. the end of the box farthest from the machine
being nearer the ground than the end which is fastened to the machine and between
the binder box and the top of the elevating aprons I place a platform p of sheet
iron or other suitable material one end whereof is fastened to the top of the binder
box, the other end to the reaping machine immediately under the top of the
elevating aprons, upon this platform the cut grain falls as it leaves the elevating
aprons and is caught by the skeleton weighing platform q placed upon it, which
tips up when the proper weight of sheaf is upon it, and in so doing acts upon a
lever putting in gear the gathering arms which pass the sheaf into the binder, in
position for the string lever to pass over it the binder being put into gear by the
same lever that gears the gathering arms, but the binder does not move till after
the gathering arms have placed the sheaf in position. My arrangement for this is
as follows: Upon the outside of or along the front end of binder box is placed a
spindler Fig. 2 geared to the main spindle a of the binder and extended towards
the front of the reaper a sufficient distance past the side of the binder box. Upon
the outer end of rare placed two cog wheels 8. t, s is fixed to the spindle to work
the binder, and t running loose to work tho gathering arms At this end of the
binder box are two other spindles u and u¹ on one centre, the cog wheel u
receiving continual motion from the reaping machine, upon u is placed several
rows or parts of rows of cogs which are kept out of gear by a spring until the
tipping platform moves the lever connected therewith (which it does when the
proper weight of the sheaf is upon it) the wheel then makes one revolution which
is sufficient to move the gathering arms and binder sufficiently for one sheaf and
then springs out of gear until the next sheaf is weighed the cogs upon this wheel
are so arranged that when placed in gear they first act on the gathering arms
causing them to place the sheaf in position and then move the spindle connected
with binder once round The weighing platform is so made that when it has
tipped up no more grain can fall upon it until the gathering arms have taken the
sheaf and the platform has returned to its position which it does as soon as the
sheaf is moved from it.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed-I claim :-
1. The general combination and arrangement of mechanism for binding sheaves,
substantially as herein before described and shewn on the drawings
2 The method means and appliances for sheafing and placing the grain upon the
binder, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn on the drawings
3 The method means and appliances for tieing the knot to the string for the
purpose and in manner substantially as herein before described and shewn on the
drawings.
4. The general combination and arrangement of apparatus for binding sheaves
and the means and appliances used in connection therewith hereinbefore described
and shewn on the drawings or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof I the said Benjamin George Hall have hereunto set my
band and seal this fifth day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three