IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Phillips at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th August
1860. A communication from abroad by Mr. Jesse Whitehead, of Man-
chester, in the County of Chesterfield, and State of Virginia, one of the
United States of America.
I, RICHARD PHILLIPS, of Wavertree, near Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES," a communication to me from abroad
by Mr. Jesse Whitehead, of Manchester, in the County of Chesterfield, and
State of Virginia, one of the United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention, as communicated to me, relates to an improved construction
and arrangement of the parts of reaping and mowing machines, having hori-
zontal toothed sickles, reel, and one driving wheel, the object being to render
the machine certain in its action when moved or drawn forward, and less
liable to get out of order when moved or drawn in the opposite direction ;* to
an improved construction of wheel and shoe, by which the machine can be
drawn close up to the grain to cut a greater width; made to commence
operations in a field unassisted by hand labour, and without destroying any of
the standing grain, as well as pass over a water furrow or rut with safety to
the machine, and secure cutting action at an uniform distance from the soil-;
and to improved automatic rake attachments, by which the cut grain is laid
in neat and compact gavels or heaps, from which-state they can be bound "into
sheaves with facility.

page_text: In this machine it is preferred that the power should move before it nearest
to the side on which is placed the driving wheel, or wheel that gives motion
to the various operating parts. The other side of the machine is carried by
the grain wheel of peculiar construction, and shielded with the shoe, both of
which are herein-after described. The wheel centres or journals are attached
to the framing, made of suitable ironwork for the sides. The lower binding
is formed of the grain platform, the top bindings by cross-bars, part of which
may serve as a railroad or guide for the rake attachments, herein-after described.
The grain platform is made with a piece cut out of the back of that side of it-
nearest to the driving wheel, and has affixed in front the usual steel-toothed
sickles, the one or both of which is made to move backwards and forwards by
crank and toothed connection to the driving wheel shaft.
The grain wheel and shoe are constructed as follows:-The wheel is made
concave, the convex side of such wheel being outwards towards the grain, the
opposite or concave side. being inwards towards the platform of the machine,
which allows the sickles or cutting bars to play laterally without coming in
contact with the wheel. In order that the bearing wheel shall not crush down
the standing grain, the shoe is made with a recess in it to receive the rim of
such wheel, the outward and forward edge of the separator being brought out,
so that it will gather the grain into 'the cutters, that the bearing wheel shall
pass without interfering with the grain which has not been cut, and the more
effectually.to accomplish this, I lean the top of such wheel over towards the
grain, (its large diameter allows of this being done without throwing the wheel so
much out of the perpendicular as to interfere with its easy action,) which brings
the tread of such wheel inside of the line which the separating point or shoe
makes in the grain, and nearly under the cutting knives, which consequently
will always be at an uniform height from the ground. The large diameter of
the wheel also enables the machine-to be passed over a water furrow or rut
with ease, as that part of the rim of the wheel that is in front of the knives
will roll. up the opposite side of the furrow or rut before the points enter the
soil; and as the centres of the wheels are nearly-in. a. line,, the, machine can
be wheeled round without dragging or scraping up the ground. ;
Two automatic rakers have been arranged for this machine, the one to assist
the other, and having different motions, but in most cases one will be sufficient.
The motion.is derived from the same driving wheel that gives action to the
cutting knives. On one of the journals gearing with the driving wheel is
secured a toothed pinion, rack; and vee-shaped piece, which also gives motion
to the smaller rake, herein-after described. As the pinion-revolves it gives
a reversing motion, by the rack and vee-shaped piece, to a pulley, to which is

page_text: affixed the cords or chains, the other end being fast to the rake head on the
travelling carriage. The reversing motion causes the larger rake to traverse
the platform lengthwise, say, from left to right, in which movement it removes
the cut grain by acting close to the platform. The travelling carriage, to
which the rake is affixed, is fitted a sufficient height above the platform to
allow the grain to fall and the reel to revolve freely, and as the cords or chains
above referred to move over pulleys and through the tubed cross-bars, or
otherwise, there is no danger of their getting out of their places. On one
of the journals gearing with the driving wheel is placed a cam, on which rests
a lever jointed by suitable links or arms to the travelling carriage. When the
larger rake has passed to the extreme right, and removed the grain by the
recess before mentioned, this cam acts on the lever or arm, and raises it, at
the same time angling the travelling carriage to its position of rest, and con-
sequently raising the rake upwards and backwards from the platform out of the
way of the falling grain. An arrangement of shifting gearing can operate this
rake faster in one direction than in the other, and enables the driver to throw
the rakers and cutting bars out of action at any time. The smaller raker is
intended to remove grain left on the platform; it consists of a fork-shaped
instrument fastened to the end of the rack, and vee-shaped binding piece, and
is operated by the toothed pinion, which latter gives the traversing motion to
the larger rake. As it passes downwards over the recessed end of the platform
immediately after the larger rake has been raised backwards, it cannot fail to.
remove any straw which has not been thrown from the platform.