IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR GRINDING THE SICKLES OR KNIVES OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
•
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR GRINDING THE SICKLES OR KNIVES OF REAPING
AND MOWING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by William Sidney
Ingraham, of Waukegan, Illinois, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th March. 1878.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR GRINDING THE
SICKLES OR KNIVES OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES." [A communication
from abroad by William Sidney Ingraham, of Waukegan, Illinois, United States of
America.]
This Invention relates to machines for. grinding sickles used in reaping and
mowing machines, and the object of the said Invention is to provide means for
holding the sickle in contact with the face of the stone and to impart a reciprocating
movement to the sickle in a line with the rotation of the said stone and in contact
with the grinding surface of the latter. And the said Invention consists in the
construction and combination of parts as herein-after set forth.
The stand for my grindstone consists of two parallel side beams with two end
pieces securely fastened together by bolts and supported upon legs. The grindstone
is provided on one side with a journal resting in a box secured on one side of the
frame. This journal is screwed into a head piece secured in the eye of the grind-
stone. In the other side of the grindstone is secured another head piece; from
which projects another journal formed with a crank. The outer end of the crank
journal is formed with a V shaped circumferential groove, and rests upon V shaped
rollers working in said groove; these rollers are mounted-in a box secured to the
frame, and the whole is covered by a cap, held in place by a pivotted button. These
rollers prevent any lateral motion of the stone.

page_text: The crank inside of the frame formed by a continuation of the journal at right
angles avoids the jumping of the opposite journal and consequent shaking of the
stand as when the crank is applied on the outside of the stand. The crank is by a
pitman or rod connected with a treadle for operating the grindstone, the said treadle
being provided with V shaped projections on its under side to prevent the slipping
of the treadle.
On the end of the crank journal is secured a toothed wheel which meshes with a
similar wheel mounted on a stud on the side of the frame. On the hub of this latter
toothed wheel is formed an excentric, which is by a pitman or rod connected with
an arm projecting down from one side of an auxiliary frame pivotted to a bracket
secured on the main frame. The said auxiliary frame when the grindstone rotates
has a rocking motion regulated by changing the point of connection between the
said pitman and arm.
In the upper end of the rocking frame is pivotted a curved bar, which may be
adjusted in the frame by changing the pivotting rod to different holes in the frame.
In the centre of the curved bar is formed a bearing for a shank projecting from
. the fork. This bearing is slotted, and on both sides of the slot is toothed or other-
wise roughened. A cap is fitted over the same and a set screw passed through
the cap into the shank. By these means the fork can be turned and held at any
angle. In the arms of the fork is pivotted one part of a clamp, also somewhat fork-
shaped, whose ends project beyond-the ends of the said fork. This part of the
clamp can be adjusted on its pivot and held by a set screw.
On the rod that pivots the above-named point, the clamp, is also pivotted the
other part of the said clamp.
The sickle to be ground is placed between the two parts of the clamp, at the
front end, and fastened by means of a thumbscrew. One part of the clamp is
extended forward, forining a handle or lever for the operator to press the knife down
on to the grindstone: The above devices form an adjustable knuckle by which the
sickle knife can be placed on either a bevel or flat.stone.
-
When it is desired to have the sickle stationary while being ground the pitman
is disconnected from the aforesaid arm and another arm connected to the said
arin. This additional arm has a slot, and is fastened to the main frame by a
set screw.
By loosening this set screw the forward and backward motion can
be imparted to the sickle by hand.
-The construction of the said sickle holder may be modified by forming it with a
lower and an upper frame, between which the sickle bar to be ground is held. The
lower frame in this case consists of two horizontal arms pivoted to the upper end of
the oscillating frame and extending forward over the grindstone; the said arms are
provided on their upper surfaces and forward ends with transverse grooves, which
receive the heads of the rivets that fasten the sickles or cutters to the cutter bar,
the lower faces of two of the cutters resting on the upper faces of lugs: The
pivotted arms are connected by transverse cross bars; the latter are connected
at their middle by a piece which serves the double purpose of bracing the
cross bars and affording a bearing for a set screw; an open clamping frame is
pivotted to the side arms and provided with a handle and rear projection having
a perforation to receive the thumbscrew, the lower, end of which bears against the
upper surface of the said piece in the lower frame whereby the clamping frame can
be adjusted as described.
The clamping frame is provided with recesses in its lower face for the reception
of the cutter bar, which recess lies directly over the grooves in the lower frame.
In this improved apparatus or machine none of the mechanism projects below the
main frame, thus offering no obstruction to the mechanism.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th September 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT, LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR GRINDING THE
SICKLES OR KNIVES OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES." ▲ communication
from abroad by William Sidney Ingraham, of Waukegan, Illinois, United States of
America.
This Invention relates to machines for grinding sickles used in reaping and
mowing machines; and the object of the said Invention is to provide means for
holding the sickle in contact with the face of the stone and to impart a reciprocating
movement to the sickle in a line with the rotation of the said stone and in contact
with the grinding surface of the latter. And the said Invention consists in the con-
struction and combination of parts, as herein-after set forth.
Figure 1 is a side view of my sickle grinder; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figures 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 shew details of the said Invention; Figures 9 and 10 show a modi-
fication of parts of the same.
The stand for my grindstone consists of two parallel side beams A, A, with two end
pieces A¹, A¹, securely fastened together by four bolts a, a, and supported upon four
legs A³, A. B is the grindstone, provided on one sido with a journal b resting in a
box b¹ secured on one side of the frame. This journal bis screwed into a head piece b*
secured in the eye of the grindstone on that side. In the other side of the grind-
stone is secured another head piece d³ from which projects the journal d, the said
journal being at its inner end next to the grindstone formed with a crank d'. The
outer end of the crank journal d is formed with a V shaped circumferential groove x,
and rests upón V shaped rollers e, e, working in said groove. These rollers are
mounted in a box f secured on the frame, and the whole covered by a cap f¹ held in
place by a pivotted button f². These rollers prevent any lateral motion of the
stone.
The crank inside of the frame, formed by a continuation of the journal at right
angles, avoids the jumping of the opposite journal and consequent shaking of the.
stand, as when the crank is applied on the outside of the stand. The crank d¹ is by
a. pitman.or rod C¹ connected with a treadle C for operating the grindstone, said
treadle being at its end provided with V shaped projections C² on its under side to
prevent the slipping of the treadle while being worked..
On the end of the journal d is secured a toothed cog wheel D which meshes with
a similar wheel D¹ mounted on a stud on the side of the frame. On the hub of this
latter toothed wheel is formed an excentric i, which is by a pitman or rod h con- .
nected with an arm k projecting downward from one side of a frame E which is
pivotted to a bracket E¹ fastened at one end of the main frame. The frame E when
the grindstone rotates thus obtains a rocking motion, the extent of which is regulated
by changing the point of connection between the pitman h and arm k.
In the upper end of the rocking frame E is pivotted a curved bar H, which inay
be adjusted up and down in the frame by changing the pivotting rod to different -
holes in the frame.
In the centre of the curved bar H is formed a circular or tubular bearing for a :
shank m projecting from the centre of a fork F. This tubular bearing is slotted
across the top, and on both sides of the slot the bearing is toothed or otherwise
roughened. A cap n is fitted over the same, and a set screw p passed through the .
cap and screwed into the shank m. The fork.F. can. be turned to either side and
held at, any..angle desired by..screwing up the set screw p. In the arms of the

page_text: fork F is pivotted one part G of a clamp, which is also somewhat fork-shaped, and
whose ends project beyond the ends of the fork F. This part G of the clamp can
be adjusted up and down on its pivot and held by a set screw s. t is the rod that'
pivots the part G of the clamp, and on this rod is also pivotted the other part G¹ of
the clamp.
I represents the sickle to be ground, which is placed between the two parts of the
clamp at the front end and fastened by means of a thumbscrew which
v,
passes
through the rear end of the part G¹ and bears against the part G, as shown. The
part G of the clamp is extended forward, forming a handle or lever G² for the
operator to press the knife down to the grindstone. The above devices form an
adjustable knuckle, by which the sickle knife can be placed on either a bevel or
flat stone, the same being stationary, or having a rocking, oscillating, or lateral
motion.
By the double joint in the sickle holder a rocking motion is obtained, either by
band or excentric power, bringing tlie bevel edge of the knife in contact with the
stone from heel to point and applicable to either a bevel or flat stone.
When it is desired to have the sickle stationary while being ground, that is to
say, without any forward and backward motion, the pitman is disconnected from
the arm k and an arm J connected to said arm. The other end of the arm J has a
slot y, and is fastened to the main frame by a set screw w. By loosening this set
screw the forward and backward motion can be imparted to the sickle by hand.
In Figures 9 and 10 I have shewn a modification of the above-described construc-
tion of the sickle holder. In this case the sickle holder A³ is composed of a lower
and an upper frame, between which the sickle bar to be ground is held. The lower
frame consists of two horizontal arms B³ pivotted to the upper end of the oscil-
lating frame E and extending forward over the grindstone; and said arms B³
are provided on their upper surfaces and forward ends with transverse grooves d³
which receive the heads of the rivets that fasten the sickles or cutters to the
cutter bar, the lower faces of two of the cutters resting on the upper faces of the
lugs. The pivotted arms B³ are connected by the transverse cross bars t³. The
latter are connected at their middle by the piece, which serves the double purpose
of bracing the cross bars ts and affording a bearing for the set screw fs. H$
represents an open clamping frame pivotted to the side arms Bs and provided with
a handle Is and rear projection o³, having a perforation to receive the thumbscrew f³,
the lower end of which, bears against the upper surface of the piece in the lower
frame, whereby the clamping frame can be adjusted as described.
The clamping frame H³ is provided with recesses m³ in its lower face for the
reception of the cutter bar, which recesses lie directly over the grooves d³ in the
lower frame B; n', nt, are lugs or extensions projecting sidewise and beyond the
frame, and abutting against the front face of the cutter bar when placed in position
to be ground.
By this construction the sickle holder is rendered tight and the sickle is securely
held in place in the recesses d³ and n³, and by the extensions n' and the bearing
surfaces of the lugs is prevent any rocking motion of the sickle during the grinding
of the same.
In this case I have shewn the grinding face of the stone bevelled from its centre
laterally to approximate to the handle of the sickle sections when the latter are in
position for being ground, by which means the adjacent edges of two sections of the
Bickle can be ground at the same time.
It will be observed that in this improved apparatus or machine none of the
mechanism projects below the main frame.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, .I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The rocking frame provided with adjusting holes at its upper end in com-
bination with the curved pivotted bar perforated at its ends and provided with the

page_text: tubular bearing slotted across its top, and the roughened serrated cap, the set screw,
and the fork having the bearing, all as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The curved, pivotted, and vertically adjustable bar constructed as set
forth, in combination with the serrated cap, the set screws, and the pivotted forks,
as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The pivotted arms connected by the pieces ³, 1, and provided with the
grooves d³ and lugs in combination with the clamping frame, having the recesses
and lugs, the handle, the perforated projection, and the set screw f³, as and for the
purpose set forth.
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Fourth. An apparatus or machine consisting of the parts above described, and
shewn in the Drawing, and operating as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
VITAL DODT TAN