IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING: MACHINERY
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hornsby and John Innocent both of Spittlegate.
Iron Works Grantham in the County of Lincoln for an Invention of
LETTERS PATENT to James Hornsby and John Innocent both of Spittlegate
Iron Works Grantham in the County of Lincoln for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING: MACHINERY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hornsby and John
Innocent at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th August
1883.
JAMES HORNSBY and JOHN INNOCENT both of Spittlegate Iron Works, Grantham
in the County of Lincoln "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINERY""
In harvesting machines as now commonly constructed the axis of the reel is
mounted in bearings at the forward end of a frame which can be raised or lowered
or moved backwards or forwards so as to bring the reel into any position required.
Various ways of giving motion to the axis of the reel from a shaft passing
backwards to the rear end of the machine have been adopted-we give motion
to the shaft which passes backwards to the rear end of the machine by making the
rear end of this shaft square and passing it through a hole of corresponding form
in the interior of a short tubular sleeve mounted at the rear end of the machine
in a suitable bearing. To the sleeve we secure or form in one piece with it a chain
wheel or wheels so that it may be driven by an endless chain.
The square hole in the sleeve only fitting to an extremely short length of the
shaft and the back and front edges of the hole being rounded the shaft may
incline at a considerable angle to the axis of the sleeve by which it is driven and
yet have a revolving motion imparted to it from the sleeve without much loss from
friction.
The front end of the shaft we pass through a bearing formed in the head of a
T piece the stem of this T piece we insert into a socket at the side of the frame
which carries the reel axis. On the stem of the T piece we also mount loosely a
pinion to gear into a toothed wheel on the reel axis. The pinion has fast upon
it a bevil wheel to gear with and be driven by another bevil wheel on the shaft.
In harvesting machines also the crop as it is cut is now commonly received on
ת.

page_text: to an endless apron by which it is conveyed to the side of the machine-here it
is raised between a pair of endless bands or aprons and conveyed over the top of
the driving wheel and delivered on to the top of a table which inclines downwards
on the outer side of the wheel. As the crop descends this table it is by means of
what are called packers and by binding mechanism made up into sheaves which are
properly bound and then delivered froin the machine.
The platform band the elevating bands and the packers we have heretofore
driven by endless chains from the rear end of a spindle which at its front end is
driven by a bevil pinion upon it gearing into a bevil wheel on a transverse shaft
which receives motion from the main driving wheel of the machine. Another
spindle driven at a quicker speed from a separate bevil wheel and passing to the
front of the machine has by a crank at its forward end given motion to the knife-
we now in place of giving motion to the packers from the spindle which passes
backwards to the rear end of the machine give motion to them by an endless chain
driven by a chain wheel on the spindle which passes to the front of the machine
and from which spindle we also give motion to the knife as above explained. At
the same time we retain the spindle which passes to the back of the machine and
which revolves at a slower speed and use it for giving movement to the platform
band, the elevating bands and the reel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Hornsby and John Innocent in the Patent Office on the
22nd February 1884.
JAMES HORNSBY and JOHN INNOCENT both of Spittlegate Iron Works Grantham
in the County of Lincoln, "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINERY "
In harvesting machines as now commonly constructed the axis of the reel is
mounted in bearings at the forward end of a frame which can be raised or lowered
or moved backwards or forwards so as to bring the reel into any position required.
Various ways of giving motion to the axis of the reel from a shaft passing
backwards to the rear end of the machine has been adopted-we give motion to
the shaft which passes backwards to the rear end of the machine by making the
rear end of this shaft square and passing it through a hole of corresponding form
in the interior of a short tubular sleeve mounted at the rear end of the machine in
a suitable bearing. To the sleeve we secure or form in one piece with it a chain
wheel or wheels so that it may be driven by an endless. chain.
The square hole in the sleeve only fitting to an extremely short length of the
shaft and the back and front edges of the hole being rounded the shaft may incline
at a considerable angle to the axis of the sleeve by which it is driven and yet
have a revolving motion imparted to it from the sleeve without much loss from
friction.
The front end of the shaft we pass through a bearing formed in the head of a
T piece the stem of this T piece we insert into a socket at the side of the frame
which carries the reel axis. On the stem of the T piece we also mount loosely a
pinion to gear into a toothed wheel on the reel axis. The pinion has fast upon it
a bevil wheel to gear with and be driven by another bevil wheel on the shaft.
•
In harvesting machines also the crop as it is cut is now commonly received on.to
an endless apron by which it is conveyed to the side of the machine-here it is
raised between a pair of endless bands or aprons and conveyed over the top of the
driving wheel and delivered onto the top of a table which inclines downwards on
the outer side of the wheel. As the crop descends this table it is by means of
what are called packers and by binding mechanism made up into sheaves which
are properly bound and then delivered from the machine.
The platform band the elevating bands and the packers we have heretofore
driven by endless chains from the rear end of a spindle which at its front end is
driven by a bevil pinion upon it gearing into a bevil wheel on a transverse shaft
which receives motion from the main driving wheel of the machine. Another
spindle driven at a quicker speed from a separate bevil wheel and passing to the
front of the machine has by a crank at its forward end given motion to the knife-
we now in place of giving motion to the packers from the spindle which passes
backwards to the rear end of the machine give motion to them by an endless
chain driven by a chain wheel on the spindle which passes to the front of the
machine and from which spindle we also give motion to the knife as above
explained. At the same time we retain the spindle which passes to the back of
the machine and which revolves at a slower speed and use it for giving movement
to the platform band, the elevating bands and the reel.
Figure 1 is a part plan view and Figure 2 a part front elevation of a harvesting
machine in which the reel and packers are driven in the manner above described.
Figure 3 shows. separately a side elevation partly in section of the reel driving
mechanism. Figure 4 shews separately on a larger scale a plan view in section of
this mechanisin.

page_text: In these figures A is the axis of the recl-it is as usual mounted in a bearing B
which can readily either be raised or lowered or moved backwards or forwards.
In the drawings this is shown to be effected in the manner heretofore adopted
by us. The bearing is carried at the front end of a frame C-this frame at its
rear end is connected by a pin to the upper end of upright links D which turn on
a fixed centre at E-the links are in one piece being formed of a bar which has
two right angled bends formed in it as shewn at Figure 2.
The lower end of one link has fixed to it a lever handlo D' by which it can be
turned on the pin E and also a locking bolt to lock into a fixed rack as best seen
in Figure 3 and by which the links D can be locked and prevented from turning.
The bearing B can in this way be moved either backwards or forwards and locked
in any position desired. The forward end of the frame C by which the bearing B
is carried is supported by links F passing from each side of it to a lever arm G
which can also turn around the pin E. The lever arm a las a long lever handle G"
extending backwards-from it and is also provided with a locking bolt to lock into
a fixed rack. By raising or lowering this lever handle the bearing B can be
lowered or raised and it can then be locked and held in the desired position.
In place of the above described mechanism for carrying the bearing B in such
manner that it can be raised or lowered or moved backwards or forwards any other
suitable arrangement of mechanism might be employed for the purpose.
His a toothed wheel fixed on the end of the reel axis it gears into a pinion I
which as best seen in Figure 4 is mounted upon the stem of a T piece J which is
held in a socket on the frame C. The pinion I has a bevil pinion fast with it
which gears into a corresponding pinion K that is fast on the end of the axis L.
This axis passes through the head of the T pieco J and extends backwards to the rear
end of the machine. In this way the bevil pinions I and K are always maintained
A collar on the
correctly in gear whether the bearing B be raised or lowered.
axis L rests against one end of the head of the T piece J and the bevil pinion K
against the opposite end.
The above described means of supporting the forward end of the axis Land of
giving motion from it to the reel axis may be adopted advantageously whether the
axis L has motion imparted to it by the means above described or whether other
means be resorted to for imparting motion to it at its rear end. For example the
axis L might as heretofore be made telescopic and motion imparted to it at its
rear end through a universal joint.
We will now describe more fully the means we adopt for giving motion to tho
nxis L.
Preferably we make the rear end of the axis Lsquare in cross section as shown in
Figure 5 but it might be of a variety of other forms examples of which are shewn
at Figures 5° 5° 5° M is the short tubular sleeve mounted in a suitable bearing at
the rear end of the machine. The rear end of the shaft passes through this sleeve
and the hole formed through the sleeve corresponds in cross section to the cross
section of the shaft.
On the sleeve is fixed a chain wheel N by which it can be driven. In the
Drawing it is shewn to be driven by an endless chain which as shewn in
Figure 2 serves also to drive the endless band platform Q on to which the crop
falls as it is cut and the two endless bands P P by which the cut crop is raised
over the top of the driving wheel.
The endless chain O is driven by a chain wheel R¹ on an axis R which receives
motion from the main driving wheel of the machine in the manner shewn at
Figure 1.
We will now proceed to describe more fully the means we employ for giving
motion to the packers.
The binding table S and packers T are seen in Figure 2. U is the crank axis
from which motion is given to the packers in the ordinary way. On the end of
this axis is a chain wheel U which as shown separately in Figure 6 can be driven
by an endless chain working over a chain wheel on an axis V which is carried

page_text: backwards and by bevil toothed wheels receives motion from the short cross
shaft W which itself receives motion from the driving wheel as shown. The front
end of the axis V carries a crank pin from which motion is transmitted to the
knife as shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
The means we adopt for giving motion from the driving wheel to the reel axis
and to the endless band platform and the endless elevator bands which carry the
cut crop over the driving wheel on to the binder table we have described above
and are shewn by the drawings.
By giving motion to the two shafts R and V from two bevil wheels on the cross
shaft W facing in opposite directions we are not only able to drive these axes at
different speeds but in addition not only can the axis R be driven as heretofore in
the right direction for giving motion to the endless chain by which motion is given
to the reel and to the endless band platform and elevators but in addition the
axis V from which motion is given to the knife being driven in the same direction
motion can be conveyed from it directly by an endless chain and without other
intermediate gearing to a chain wheel on the crank shaft used for giving motion
to the packers.
In Figure 2 is also shewn the means we employ for giving motion to the
needle arm by which a cord is carried around each sheaf after it has been
compacted by the packers.
These and some of the other portions shown of the binding mechanism are
however constructed in the way in which we have heretofore commonly constructed
them so that it is unnecessary to give any description of them.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing
the same we would have it understood that we claim-
First. Supporting the front end of the axis L and giving motion from it to the
reel axis by the means substantially as herein before described.
Second. Giving motion to the rear end of the axis L by the means substantially
as herein before described.
Third. The combination of apparatus substantially as herein before described for
giving motion to the reel axis from the driving wheel of the machine.
Fourth. The combination of apparatus substantially as herein before described
for giving motion to the crank axis which imparts movement to the packers.
Fifth. The combination of apparatus substantially as herein before described for
giving motion to the packers, to the reel, to the endless band platform, and to the
elevator bands.
In witness whereof we the said James Hornsby and John Innocent have
hereunto set our hands and seals this twenty first day of February in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
JAMES HORNSBY (L.S.)
JOHN INNOCENT (L.S.)