Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 4th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 9th Mar., 1889
We, WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, and ROBERT HENRY SLEEP, both of St. Germans,
in the county of Cornwall, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to horse rakes, and comprises the improvements hereinafter
described.
According to our invention we facilitate the locking of the front bar of the rocking
frame or cradle to which the teeth and couplings are attached or hung and we
dispense with a frame around the teeth.
The locking is effected by one, two or more catches which are attached to a bar, or
axle extending from side to side of the rake or as far as necessary and having an
open frame of rectangular or other suitable shape at its centre. The hind part of the
said frame is used as a foot piece and is connected by levers to the rocking cradle.
The front part of the frame is weighted for the purpose of locking the rake. By
using this rectangular frame the legs of the attendant are unobstructed when operating
the tipping gear.
The bearings in which the locking axle rests are attached to the shaft irons that
form a part of the main body of the rake. When in work the tooth-carrying bar is
held firmly by the above mentioned catches and whatever weight is brought to hear
upon the front of the said tooth carrying bar or rocking frame it cannot be emptied
until the lever is unlocked.
In order to effect the unlocking a slight motion is imparted to the rectangular
frame either by hand or foot, whereby the catches on the connected axle are at once
withdrawn so that the rake can be emptied of its load. As the teeth again fall into
work, the catches above mentioned automatically clasp the front of the tooth-carrying
bar, or rocking cradle so that the teeth are perfectly locked.
This locking does not in any way affect the utility or efficiency of the rake, the
teeth being so suspended that they have full liberty to rise and fall and to adapt them-
selves to the irregularities of the ground.
0

page_text: We couple together the teeth of horse rakes in pairs by means of movable
metal clips with jaws at each end, so formed as to receive a tooth and one side of a
tooth-head or holder between them. The said holder has a curve or recess at one
part and when the tooth is placed in position, alongside the holder, and between the
jaws of the above mentioned metal clips a bolt of suitable shape is passed up through
the recess and through the top of the clip where it is secured by a nut.
end of the tooth is connected to the holder by a set screw, and when required for
gathering extremely heavy crops, every alternate tooth may be taken out, the
remaining teeth being firmly held by the metal clips above described.
The back
The wheels are so constructed that great durability is secured together with great
lightness.
The
We form the spokes of channel.iron or steel or other suitable material.
channel may if desired be filled with wood. The said spokes taper from the hub
towards the felloe.
The wheel boss or bush may be made of cast or malleable iron or steel and so
formed as to receive the said metal spokes or rods at the widest end. The back of
the boss or bush may be in the form of a washer or cap having a hole in the centre,
the whole being secured together by passing a bolt or bolts through the boss or bush
and through a hole in the spoke, or between the spokes, and through the washer or
cap. In addition to this we may rivet the said washer or cap to the widest end of
the spokes. Hence when the boss or bush becomes worn all that is required is to
withdraw the bolts, to remove the worn boss or bush and after replacing, to secure the
new boss or bush in the same manner as hereinbefore described.
We sometimes use a wood nave with metal rings. We then wedge the spokes,
the same being turned so that the channel part of one spoke faces the back of the
other spoke between the flange of the box or nave and the cap or washer, or in
mortices in the hub or rings. The nave can at any time be renewed, or a new spoke
may be added when required.
The spokes are secured to the felloe or tyre, or both, at the tapered ends and we
may turn up the end of each spoke to get a bearing for a rivet to pass through. Or
by preference we may use a piece of metal, part round and part flat, the flat part being
riveted or otherwise secured to the spoke on the inside or between the flanges of the
said spoke while the round part passes through the felloe, tyre, or both and thus forms
a rivet or bolt for keeping the whole together. When wood felloes are used the
round part passes out through the mortice, the spill serving as a tenet.
It is obvious that the details of the construction herein before described can be
modified without departing from the nature of our invention.
Dated the 3rd day of May 1888.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We, WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, and ROBERT HENRY SLEEP, both of St Germans,
in the county of Cornwall, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to horse rakes, and comprises means whereby the locking of
the front bar of the rocking frame or cradle to which the teeth and couplings are attached
or hung is effected without the use of a fixed frame around the teeth; improved
means for coupling together the teeth of the rake, and an improved construction of
wheel.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rake provided with our improvements, and,
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 are a side elevation and front elevation of the locking device
attached.
Figure 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views illustrating the construction and arrangement of
a clip or coupling the teeth, and,
Figures 10, 11 and 12 are views illustrating the construction of the wheels.
a is the rocking frame having the bars a¹, a connected by cross bars a³, a³; b, bare
the rake teeth which are pivotted upon the bar a² and rest upon the bar a', and
c, care standards mounted upon the wheel axle and having connected to them the
shafts d, d and bearings e, e in which the bar a' is mounted, so that it can rock. f is
the treadle frame of rectangular shape mounted upon the shaft or axle g; and h, hare
links connecting the treadle frame with levers i, on the rocking frame, so that when
the said treadle frame is rotated upon its axis under the pressure of the foot of a person
upon the seat or by pulling the lever k, the frame a will be caused to rock to lift the
teeth from the ground.
As all the parts hereinbefore referred to are of well known construction a further
description thereof is unnecessary.
The locking of the teeth according to our invention is effected by catches 1, 1, of
Figures 3 and 4 attached to the shaft g Figures 1 and 2, and adapted, when the
rocking frame is in its normal position to engage beneath the bar a carrying the teeth
so that whatever weight is brought to bear upon the front of the said tooth-carrying-
bar or the rocking frame the teeth cannot be emptied until the frame is unlocked..
The catches 1, are slotted as shown at 1, Figure 4, so that they may be adjusted to
engage with the bar a' in any position of the latter corresponding to the desired angle,
of the teeth. As shown in the drawing the catches are arranged to engage with the,
.

page_text: tooth carrying bar from the front side, but they may be arranged to engage from the
rear side.
In order to effect the unlocking a slight motion is imparted to the treadle frame,
either by hand or foot, whereby the catches 1, 1 are at once disengaged as indicated
by dotted lines in Figure 1 so that the rake can be emptied of its load. As the teeth
again fall into work the catches above mentioned automatically clasp the front of the
tooth-carrying-bar or rocking frame so that the teeth are perfectly locked.
This locking renders the rake more effectual in use than heretofore the teeth being
at the same time so suspended that they have full liberty to rise and fall and to adapt
themselves to the irregularities of the ground.
We couple together the teeth of horse rakes in pairs by means of inovable metal
clips m having jaws n, n' at each end, so formed as to receive a tooth band one side of
a tooth-head or holder o between them, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the latter being
a section on the line x, x of the former. The said holder has a curve or recess pat
each side, as shown most clearly in Figure 7, as when a tooth is placed in position
alongside the holder and between the jaws of the above mentioned metal clips, a bolt
of suitable shape is passed up through the recess and through the top of the clip where
it is secured by a nut. The back end of the tooth is connected to the holder by a set
screw and when required for gathering extremely heavy crops, every alternate tooth
may be taken out, the remaining teeth being finly held by, the nietal clips above
described.
8, s are the wheels which are so constructed that great durability is secured together
with great lightness.
We form the spokes t, t of channel iron or steel or other suitable material. The
channel may if desired be filled with wood. The said spokes advantageously taper
from the hub u towards the felloc vas shown.
The wheel boss or bush inay be made of cast or malleable iron or steel and formed
with a flange u¹ against which the said metal spokes bear upon one side at their
widest ends; a washer or cap u² having a hole in the centre bears upon the other
side of the spokes, the whole being secured together by bolts w passed through the
flange u of the boss or bush the washer u² and through a hole in the spoke, as indicated
in Figure 9. The bolts may be passed between the spokes instead of through them.
In addition to this we may rivet the said washer or cap u² to the widest end of the
spokes. Hence when the boss or bush becomes worn all that is required is to with-
draw the bolts, to remove the worn boss or bush, and after replacing to secure the
new boss or bush in the same manner as hereinbefore described.
We sometimes use a wood nave with metal rings. We then wedge the spokes, the
same being turned so that the channel part of one spoke faces the back of the other
spoke between the flange of the box or nave and the cap or washer, or in mortices in
the hub or rings. The navo can at any time be renewed, or a new spoke may be
added when required.
The spokes are secured to the felloe or tyre by a piece of metal y secured to the
spoke between the flanges, a pin on the piece y passing through the felloe and thus
forming a rivet or bolt for keeping the whole together.
When wood felloes are used
the pin passes out through the mortice, the spill serving as a tenet.
It is obvious that the details of the construction herein before described can be
modified without departing from the nature of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
(1.) In a horse rake, the combination with the rocking frame carrying the teeth or
the tooth carrying bar of one or more catches adapted to engage with the said rocking
frame or tooth carrying bar when in its normal position and to be automatically
disengaged therefrom when the teeth are raised, substantially as, and for the purpose,
described...
S....

page_text: (2.) Coupling the teeth of a horse rake by means of clips of the kind hereinbefore
described combined with the tooth heads or holders, substantially as set forth.
(3.) A wheel for a horse rake having its spokes formed of channel iron or steel
and provided with a hub or boss constructed substantially as hereinbefore described,
so that when worn it can be readily removed and replaced.
(4.) The manufacture and use of the improved horse rake, hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
1 1
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.