IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander McGregor at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1878.
ALEXANDER MºGREGOR, of Leigh, in the County of Lancaster.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
"
IMPROVEMENTS
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing machines,
and the first part relates to the reaping machine described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me bearing date the 20th day of February 1877, No. 699,
and consists in the first place of an arrangement of the rake cam or cams combined
with the movable friction rollers, whereby am enabled to dispense with the loose
or movable piece of the rake can, whilst at the same time the rake arms are more
securely guided in their path whether as rakes or gatherers, and are perfectly
controllable, either automatically or by the man driving the machine.
Around a portion of the periphery of the usual cam track or tracks, and corre-
sponding to that part where the rake arms or gatherers begin to descend to reel in
the standing grain to the cutters, and extending back to where the rake leaves the
back end of the platform, I form a raised or vertical flange having a horizontal flange
on its top edge projecting inwards, so as to form an internal groove or channel in
which the friction rollers of the rake arms are guided when reeling in and raking off
or delivering the grain.
At the inner circle of the portion of the cam corresponding with the path of the
delivery rakes over the platform only, I form an incline or bridge piece over which
the friction roller of the rake arm runs up, causing the rake to pass over the platform
without delivering or raking off the crop when it is desired that they should act as
gatherers only.
By sliding the friction rollers outward they run in the internal groove or channel
and cause the rake to deliver the cut crop, but when the friction rollers are slidden
inwards they will run over the incline or bridge piece, and cause the rake to pass
over without delivering the cut crop. The axles of the friction rollers are formed
with a knee, so that they may pass clear of the incline or bridge piece when running
in the internal groove or channel and delivering the crop.
I arrange the gearing in a simple manner to automatically operate the sliding
axles of the rollers

page_text: Though in this particular arrangement I have described the inner camway path
as the one to cause the rake to act as a dummy, and the other or outer camway path
to cause the rake to sweep off the sheaf, I do not confine myself to this particular
arrangement, and in some cases use the outer camway path for causing the rake to
act as a dummy, and the inner one for causing it to act as a rake.
As a modification of this part of my Invention I sometimes make use of two
rollers to each rake arm head, one on either side of the knee or crank of the axle,
and by sliding the axle I cause either the outer or the inner rollers to run on
or under a track which shall give the corresponding rake the particular action
required.
The second part of this Invention consists of a peculiar arrangement for working
the sliding clutch employed for throwing the machine into and out of gear when
required. On the boss of the main driving wheel, and between that wheel and the
frame, I place the first motion gear wheel which is free to turn on this boss, and
having attached or formed on the side thereof a ring of radiating clutch teeth.
Around the boss of the main wheel and between it and the first motion gear
wheel is formed a corresponding ring or plate of radiating clutch teeth, set to face
those on the side of the first motion gear wheel, and free to slide on the boss of the
main wheel a sufficient distance to be in or out of gear with the first motion wheels.
To the back of this sliding ring or plate are rivetted or secured two or more pins,
which pass through holes formed in the arms or centre of the main wheel. Either
around these pins or in other suitable holes formed in the main wheel are placed
springs to cause the rings of clutch teeth to be pressed into gear. At the outer
end of these is secured a boss or ring with an annular groove to receive the fork
of an ordinary clutch lever, and free to slide on the outer boss of the main wheel.
On the outer end of the axle carrying the main wheel is placed a flanged cap
secured by a pin to the axle. Outside this cap is placed a boss or bracket free to
turn on the cap, but prevented from coming off by a hooked stud clipping the flange
of the cap. In this boss or bracket are formed holes to receive the driver's seat
standard and foot iron, also an upright arm to which is attached the lever for
throwing in or out of gear. By this arrangement the lever is brought nearer the
driver's hand, thereby avoiding the risk and inconvenience of reaching over to the
inner side of the wheel.
This arrangement is equally applicable to a single wheel "back delivery" reaper.
On the inner side of the boss or bracket which carries the driver's seat is formed a
lug, to which is connected a rod or bar, the front end of which passes through a hole
or slot in the tipping lever bracket on the draft pole. At the back end of this rod
or bar, behind the connection to the seat boss or bracket, is formed a hole to receive
the head of a screwed pin or bolt which passes upwards through a swivel nut
attached to the back of the seat boss or bracket. At the top of this screwed pin or
bolt is placed a crank handle or hand wheel, by rotating which the seat, boss, or
bracket is made to turn on the axle cap, and so adjust the position of the driver's
seat as may be required. At an intermediate part of this screwed pin or bolt I
place a steel spiral or india-rubber spring, which by a movable nut may be adjusted
to put the necessary pressure on the back end of the coupling bar to keep the seat in
position, which at the same time admits of sufficient motion to overcome the jolting
caused by the motion of the machine.
The third part of my Invention relates to improvements in mowing and reaping
machines, and consists,―
Firstly. In an improved mode of connecting the end of the connecting rod to the
knife, whereby the latter (or should the knife be withdrawn the end of the connecting
rod) is prevented from slipping down when the finger bar is elevated to a vertical
position for transport. For this purpose the end of the connecting rod is formed
with a stud projecting opposite the one which fits in the eye of the knife head, and
in the movable drop piece, which keeps the connecting rod attached to the knife, I
provide a recess or groove in which this extra projecting stud is free to work the
full stroke of the end of the connecting rod, but when the finger bar is turned

page_text: up in a vertical position the projecting stud on the connecting rod comes in contact
with a stopped part of the recess in the drop piece, and is thus prevented from
slipping down.
Secondly. In an improved arrangement of pawls and springs used for communi-
cating the motion of the driving wheels to the main shaft when the machine is
moved in a forward direction, and allowing the wheels to rotate without actuating
the shaft when the machine is moved backwards. In that class of two wheeled
machines in which both wheels are used for communicating motion to the knife,
it has been usual to make these pawls (and in many cases the travelling wheels
themselves) right and left handed, and very often great inconvenience has been
caused on a breakage of one of these parts through the delay caused by a wrong
description or a misunderstanding the order for a right or left part. To obviate
this inconvenience I make the pawls in such a manner that they together with the
springs and travelling wheels will answer for either right or left hand. I extend a
similar projection for catching into the teeth of the ratchet wheel on each side of
the longitudinal centre line of the pawl. Around the central boss of the travelling
wheel I form a plate having two holes and two projecting studs at right angles and
equal distances. I arrange the pins of the pawls to fit in the holes in the plate and
by preference straight flat steel springs with a loop at one end to fit over the studs
in the plate, which being at equal distances, and the pawls formed in the manner
previously described enables them to be set to work either way, and so answer for
right or left as may be required.
Thirdly. In improvements in the manner of attaching the driver's seat in that
class of mowing and reaping machines called "combined machines," and in which
it is advantageous to have the driver's seat further from the cutting apparatus in
reaping than in mowing. To effect this movement of the seat I attach the lower
end of the seat standard to a socket or boss which fits in a hole in the frame of the
machine, and is free to partially rotate in the same, so as to cause the seat to describe
the arc of a circle of sufficient length for the purpose required. To this before-
mentioned socket or boss I attach a spring catch bolt or other suitable contrivance
for retaining it in the desired position.
In some cases I prefer to form the seat standard of round iron, rivetted or
secured at the bottom end to this socket or boss, and at the upper end I attach
a short piece of flat spring steel to overcome the jolting caused by a rigid seat.
The fourth part of this Invention has for its object improvements in the manner
of connecting the gear frame with the draft frame in that class of mowing and
reaping machines in which the finger bar is connected to the gear frame by means
of a double joint or hinge bar. On the end of the lifting lever spindle which passes
through the draft frame, and at the opposite end to that at which the lifting lever
and quadrant are secured, is formed a knee or crank. At the outer end of this knee
or crank is pivotted a cranked lever, to the short arm of which is attached a link
connecting the same with the under or gear frame. By means of a spring catch or
other suitable appliance this last-mentioned lever is locked in any previously
determined position with regard to the link, so as to lengthen or shorten the same
in the manner of an ordinary tipping lever for raising or lowering the points of the
fingers by raising or lowering the gear frame and altering the relative angle of the
gear frame with the draught frame. According to this improvement when the
lifting lever is actuated for raising the whole of the finger bar, before the slackness
of the lifting chain is taken up, the crank on the outer end of the lever spindle will
come into operation, thereby raising the gear frame, and with it the points of the
finger, so that they may more readily pass over ridges or other obstructions.