NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Bickerton and Ralph Bickerton, both
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the County of the Town and Burgh of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, Great Britain, Agricultural Implement Manu-
facturers, for the Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-DELIVERY
MECHANISM FOR HARVESTING MACHINES."
Sealed the 25th August 1871, and dated the 3rd March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Bickerton and
Ralph Bickerton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 3rd March 1871.
We, RICHARD BICKERTON and RALPH BICKERTON, both of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, in the County of the Town and Burgh of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, Great Britain, Agricultural Implement Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-
DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR HARVESTING MACHINES," to be as follows, that is to
say:
This said Invention has reference to improvements in the construction
and arangement of the parts of automatic or self-delivery mechanism
for harvesting or reaping and mowing machines generally, and which

page_text: improvements possess the advantages of a simple, light, and compact
portable character, which makes them particularly and more applicable
to those machines known as the well-known "Buckeye" reaping and
mowing machines, and others having their finger bar or beam made
to rise and fall, than such delivery mechanism have been heretofore, and
are suitable either for delivering the cut crop in a swath or in sheaves
over and from the delivery platform, either directly behind or at right
angles to the finger beam.
And this said Invention substantially consists as follows:-In ful-
crumming the tilting levers, carrying the actual paddles and rakes for
gathering the standing crop to be cut in towards and over or off the
delivery platform, which may be of any of the ordinary constructions
for delivering behind or at right angles to the track of the cutters, upon
fulcrums or tilting joints at some little distance from their inner ends,
and on the top and outer edge of a nearly horizontal disc, or corre-
sponding number or set of arms, with an eye or boss, by which it
revolves on a short fixed or revolving nearly vertical spindle carried ou
the inner shoe or other equivalent part of the finger bar, so that the
wholo can rise or fall therewith. The inner ends of the short parts or
arms of the said tilting levers, within their fulcrum, aro mado to project
down below the under and outer extremity of their carrying arms or
disc towards the actuating axis or spindle into a nearly vertical guiding
and tilting groove, gradually curving or diverging up into a horizontal
groove at the part where the long arms of the levers come or tilt down
to gather in the standing crop, and sweep it when cut over and off the
delivery platform, and at the part where and when or after the arms
have so delivered the crop the groove is again gradually curved down
into the vertical groove at or on the other or back part, which may
either continue in a concentric manner round to meet the same or
similar vertical groove at the front, all formed in a fixed stationary
boss or plate, or the inner concentric edge or surface of the fixed disc
(in which the said guiding and tilting groove or surfaces are formed)
may be made to bear up the levers without the annular or outer surface
of the vertical part of the groove, by their inner short ends successively
resting and passing over it in a nearly vertical position, all out of the
way of and on the side next the main frame and gearing of the machine
and the man driving it. These inner ends of the levers have by pre-
ference a small antifriction roller on them working into or on tho

page_text: guiding and tilting groove or surfaces of the said fixed boss or plate.
The revolving disc or boss with arms, carrying the levers on joints, is
by proference placed as low as possible near to the shoc carrying the
whole, so that the long arms of the levers may, when desired, answer for
the gathering paddles, and carry the rakes attached to those arms,
which are desired to sweep the delivery platform, by any convenient
means which will enable them to be set up or down to suit the particular
height and position or form of platform used, as by having two vertical
sliding parallel bars attached to the rakes at right angles, one near each
end, made to slide up and down in corresponding slots formed in the
tilting levers, or into socket irons attached to them, with cotters or
tightening up screws to fix the sliding bars of the rakes at the proper
height when set to suit that of the delivery platform. The spindle or
boss of the revolving disc, or boss carrying the tilting levers of theso
improved arrangements and constructions of delivery mechanism, may
be actuated by any of the usual means, cither direct or through an
intermediate shaft from the motion of the main shaft of the rolling and
carrying wheels, or one of these whicels by or through spur or bevel
wheels, or when an intermediate shaft is used by belts and pulleys or
chains and chain wheels.
Any of the ordinary forms of portable or extra ground sheaf drawing
and forming rakes may be fitted to or drawn behind the platforms of
reaping machines fitted with these improved delivery arrangements of
mechanism, when desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Bickerton and Ralph Bickerton in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, RICHARD
BICKERTON and RALPH BICKERTON, of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the
County of the Town and Burgh of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Great Britain,
Agricultural Implement Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing dato the Third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto us, the said Richard Bickerton and Ralph
Bickerton, Her special licence that we, the said Richard Bickerton
and Ralph Bickerton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Richard Bickerton and Ralph Bick-
erton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"NEW OR IMPROVED SELF-DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR HARVESTING MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Richard Bickerton
and Ralph Bickerton, our exccutors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar mouths
next, and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Richard Bickerton and Ralph
Bickerton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has reference to improvements in the construction
and arrangement of the parts of automatic or self-delivery mechanism
for harvesting or reaping and mowing machines generally, and the
advantages of these improvements are their extreme simplicity and
lightness or compact and portable character, which makes them appli-
cable to most forms of reaping and mowing machines now in use, and
especially, or even more so, to the now most useful and favourite machines
known as the "Buckeye" reaping and mowing machines, and others
of this class, having their carrying beam and finger bar made with joints
to rise and fall to suit the inequalities of the ground, and to have the
latter quite turned up when desired, than self-delivery mechanisms have
been as heretoforo constructed, and are suitable either for delivering the
cut crop in a swath or in sheaves over and from the delivery platform
either at right angles to the track of the machine and the finger beam
and bur or directly behind it.

page_text: And the nature of our said Invention substantially consists as follows:-
In fulcrumming the tilting levers (which carry the ordinary actual paddles
or "dummie" gathering arms and rakes for sweeping the standing crop
to be cut in, towards, and over or off the delivery platform, which may
be of any of the usual constructions and arrangements for delivering the
cut crop at right angles to the track of the cutters, or just behind them,)
upon fulcrums or tilting joints at some little distance from their inner
ends, and on the top and outer edge of a nearly horizontal disc or
corresponding number or set of arms with the corresponding hinge part
of the joints and an eye or boss by which it revolves fixed with or
loosely on a short stationary or revolving nearly vertical or slightly
angled ordinary spindle, carried on the inner part or shoc or other
equivalent part of the fixed or hinged finger bar, so that the wholo can
rise or fall therewith. The inner ends of the said short parts or arms
of the said ordinary tilting levers within their said fulcrum are made
to project down (below the under and outer extremity of their carrying
arms or disc) towards the actuating axis or spindle into a new nearly
vertical guiding and tilting groove, gradually curving or diverging up
into a horizontal groove (at the part where the long arms of the levers
come or tilt down to gather in the standing crop and sweep it when
cut over and off the delivery platform), and at the part where and when
or after the arms have so delivered the crop off the platform this groove
is again gradually curved down into the same or corresponding vertical
groove at or on the other or back part, which groove may either continue
in a concentric manner round to meet the same or similar vertical
groove named at the front, all formed in a fixed stationary boss or plate
or otherwise. The inner concentric edge or surface of the fixed disc
(in which the said guiding and tilting groove or surfaces are formed)
may be made to bear up the levers without the annular or outer surface
of the vertical part of the groove by their inner short ends successively
resting on and passing over it in a nearly vertical position, all so that
the rakes and gathering arms will be out of the way of (and on that side
next) the main frame and gearing of the machine and the man driving
it. These said inner ends of the levers have, by preference, a small
antifriction roller on them working into or on the acting surfaces of the
said guiding and tilting groove or surfaces formed in the said fixed boss
or plate. The revolving disc or boss with arms carrying the levers on
joints is, by preference, placed as low as possible, or as near the shoe
carrying the whole (namely, the spindle, revolving boss, and fixed tilting

page_text: groove plate or disc), so that the long or tilting arms carrying the
actual wooden levers may, when desired, answer for the gathering
paddles and carry the rakes (attached to these tilting arms, which aro
desired to sweep the delivery platform,) by any convenient means which
will enable them to be set up or down to suit the particular height and õ
position or form of platform used, as by having two vertical or sliding
parallel bars attached to the rakes at right angles, one near each end,
made to slide up and down in corresponding slots formed in the tilting
levers (when these are made sufficiently long), or into socket irons
attached to them with cotters or tightening up screws to fix the sliding 1
bars of the rakes at the proper height when set to suit that of the
delivery platform. The spindle or boss of the revolving disc (or boss
carrying the tilting levers of our improved arrangement and construction
of delivery mechanism) may be actuated by any of the usual means,
either direct or through an intermediate shaft, from the motion of the 1
main shaft of the rolling and carrying wheel or wheels, or one of these
wheels, by or through bevel or spur wheels, or when an intermediato
shaft is used by belts and pulleys or chain and chain wheels.
Any of the ordinary forms of portable (additional or. extra) ground
sheaf drawing and forming rakes may be fitted to or drawn behind the 2
platforms of reaping machines fitted with these improved delivery
arrangements of mechanism, when desired.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention we will now
proceed to describe the manner of performing the same by reference to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings, which we 2
have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing the best modes and
means we are at present aware of for so doing, the same reference
letters and numerals indicating the same or like parts in all the
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
3
Figure 1 is a front elevation (with the drawing pole 5, and the raising
and lowering stays 10, 11, of the finger beam 6 carrying the front of
the platform 7 in section), and Figure 2 a corresponding plan of a
complete one main carrying and driving wheeled reaping or harvesting
machine with a fixed beam 6 and segmental platform 7, with one outer 3
carrying or running wheel of a usual typo or character having our new
or improved self-delivery mechanism applied thereto for delivering tho

page_text: cut crop either in a swath or in sheaves or bundles, and sufficient to
illustrate the application of our said improvements to this class of
machines generally.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, and Figure 4 a plan of
sufficient of a "Buckeye" reaping and mowing machine, with our new or
improved delivery mechanism applied thereto, as to show the modes and
means of applying our said improvements or Invention to this class of
reaping and mowing machines; and Figure 5 is a front elevation of the
actuating vertical spindle (of the gathering and raking arms) and its
gearing taken on the line 1---1, in Figure 4, at right angles to that of
Figure 3, so as to show the mode of carrying the self-delivery mechanism
on the hinge beam 6¹ and finger bar 6 and mode of actuating these while
they rise and fall to the undulation of the ground, and so as to admit of the
finger bar 6 being tilted quite up in the usual manner; while Figures 6
and 7 are respectively a side elevation and a plan of the fixed grooved
tilting plate or boss, detached from theso machines, shown respectively
in Figures 1, 2, and Figures 3 to 5, so as to show the peculiar or
distinguishing and exact shape thereof.
The ordinary well-known parts (of the two modifications of reaping
and mowing machines shown in Figures 1, 2, and Figures 3, 4, and 5)
arc cither not mentioned, or, when referred to and not desired to be
distinguished as new or improved by our said improvements or In-
vention, are indicated by numerals only, while the new or improved
parts are indicated and referred to by large or Roman and italic letters,
and their index, accents, or numerals. Thus, 1 is the main frame;
2, the main bearing and actuating wheel or wheels; 3, the main shaft,
which is actuated by their ratchet wheels and palls 4; and 5 is the
drawing horse pole.
In Figures 1 and 2 the finger beam or bar 6 is secured by the strong
knee piece 6¹ to the opposite side of the main frame 1 from the main
wheel 2, and has the outer end of the bar G and segmental platform 7
carried up by the outer small ground running wheel 8, the back delivery
edge of the platform being carried up by the strong flat bar 9 below it,
secured to the inner part 6¹ of the finger beam 6, which near the same
part is secured and regulated in its height off the ground in front by
the strong angled stay 10 and slotted plate and screw handle 11 to the
pole 5.

page_text: Referring specially to Figures 1 and 2 and Figures 6 and 7 the usual
vertical or slightly angled spindle 12 for carrying and actuating the
wooden gathering arms or rakes 13', 13, is carried in a footstep bearing
on the bracket 14, bolted to the inner part of the finger beam at G¹ and
at the top in a journal bearing formed in the middle of the plate or
boss A of our new or improved stationary tilting groove a, which plate
or boss A is secured to the top of the main frame 1 by the two-armed
bracket 15. The top of the spindle 12 (in this case) is placed so nearly
in the transverse plane of the axis of the main shaft 3 that it is actunted
directly by the latter through the bevel pinion and wheel 10, 16', keyed
respectively on the shaft and the spindle, which has the revolving
boss B keyed or otherwise secured on its upper end with a new or
improved arrangement of hinges or joints B' at its outer edges for
carrying the tilting arms C (of the ordinary wooden gathering arms and
rakes 13', 13,) by their corresponding joints C', fulcrummed near their
inner end, leaving the short tilting arm c on each arm C projecting
inwards and downwards (towards the carrying spindle 12), with its
extreme point, or a small antifriction roller c' on it, working into the
said new or improved groove a in the stationary boss A, all so that as
each tilting arm C comes round to the front and outside of the standing
crop to be cut they would tilt or dip down into it, and cause the arms
and rakes 13', 13, to gather it in towards the finger bar 6 and cutters
by the roller c¹ of their short arm e rising up the front inclined part a'
of the tilting and steadying groove a until it reached the horizontal
part a³ opposite and corresponding to whero the rakes 13 have to sweep
the segmental platform 7, and which retains them steady while doing
so, and carrying the cut corn or crop round to deliver it over the outer
back edge 71 at right angles to and out of the way of the noxt traverso
and path of the machine, cither in a swath or in bundles according
to the number of rakes and the speed at which they are driven. When
the revolution of the spindle 12 and tilting arms with their rakes
13, 13', have thus delivered the cut crop behind the body of the machino
the roller c' and end of their short arms c are carried down the inclined
part of the groove a at the back (similar to that a' in front), so as
successively to tilt the rakos to a nearly vertical position, and maintain
them so on the side next the frame 1 to clear it and the main wheel 2,
and the man driving the machine at the part, and while the roller c¹
of the arme glides and passes round the vortical and concentric
part of the groove a, which may only have a bearing surface on the

page_text: inner side a³, with retaining stops at or near their joints C¹ to prevent
their tilting further than raised and held up by the surface a³ and
groove a, a¹, a", which might be continued quite round from a" to meet
the part a in front by the outer bearing surface a¹¹, as shown dotted
in Figures 6 and 7; and the top part or bearing surface of the groove
at a may be dispensed with, as the rollers c¹ can there rest on the under
side of the carrying boss B within the joints B', while the rakes 13, 13',
are sweeping the platform 7, as shown in red lines in Figure 6. With
this improved self-delivery mechanism (as just described) it is preferred
to have six arms C and rakes for delivering the cut crop in a swath,
all formed with their arms C kneed to enable the rakes to sweep the
platform 7 when down and clear the working wheel 2 when up, as
shown fully in Figures 1 and 2; and for delivering in bundles or sheaves
the two opposito rakes 13 only are maintained as rakes, while the four
intermediate rakes 13', two on opposite sides, are reversed (as indicated
in red lines at C* by their knees C being formed in two parts C and C³
for that purpose, secured by slots and bolts C", and also seen particularly
in the detached elevation, Figure 8, taken on the line 2---2 in Figure 7
of the duplex arms C, C, as in the act of tilting or dipping into the
crop in front), so that the rake teeth are turned up, and the arms 13'
pass round into the standing crop (at some considerable distance off the
ground) so as only to gather it in towards the cutters 18 and lay it
over on the platform 7, from which it is thus only swept off at longer
intervals as the two rakes 13 alternately come round. However, it will
bc obvious that fewer arms C and rakes 13, 13¹, might be used to suit
the kind of crop and speed at which they are driven, and also that other
modes of altering or raising and lowering the rakes 13, 13', to suit the
height of the platform or mode of making them answer for paddles; or
"dummie" gathering arms only might be employed, such as are used
in the arms of other constructions of self-acting delivery mechanism
heretofore in use. Instead of making the groove a, a', of the boss A
duplex, or with the descending part a", a, the same as that of the rising
part a¹ in front, to tilt the arms c, C, both up and down, the opposite
arms O might, when desired, be connected by links over the top of their
actuating disc B, so as to dispense with either the top or down tilting
part a¹ or a of the said groove a, a, in the disc or boss A; and it will
also be evident to engineers and machinists that the boss A with its
vertical and inclined graduated and borizontal groove a, a¹, a³, a¹, a³,
might be inverted and secured on the top of the spindle 12 (when this

page_text: is mane nxed and stationary so revolve), and have thE SHOLD
arms c made to project upwards instead of down into the groove of the
boss A, and have the disc B with its joints B¹and arms C made to
revolve on the spindle 12 by the bevel wheel 10' being fixed to its boss
instead of to the spindle, as hercin-before described and shown in the
Figures.
Referring to Figures 3, 4, and 5, in applying our said improved self-
delivery mechanism to the "Buckeye" class of reaping and mowing
machines, we prefer to remove the carrying, raising, and lowering part 6¹
of the finger bar G to the back of the near driving wheel 2' and hinging
or jointing it to the under side of the back 1' of the frame 1 (instead of to
the front as usual), and so reversing or carrying the actuating crauk 17
to the back, also that its connecting rod 17' will work the knife bar 18
in proper position in the finger bar 6 thus placed, all so that the vertical
or angled spindle 12 can be carried in its foot step and upper bearings
upon the inner shoc 19 (carrying the inner running wheel 20), made
in the form of a strong bracket 1 secured to the inner end of the finger
bar 6, and at the back part 10' hinged to the outer part 6" of its
carrying beam 6', so that when the finger bar C is turned right up (as
in "Buckeye" reaping and mowing machines) the self-acting delivery
mechanism is turned up with it clear of the main frame 1 and main
wheel 2. The upper part of the spindle 12, with its carrying disc B,
arms C, and their short tilting arins c, and fixed tilting grooved plate A,
a, a', a², a", a³, are all the same as described in reference to Figures 1, 2,
and the detailed detached views, Figures 6, 7, and 8, except that the
plate A, with the upper journal bearing of the spindle 12 in it, is
secured by the three standards E, E, E', to the upper part of the
bracket D of the shoc 19, all in a portable manner, carrying a short
intermediate horizontal spindle F in journal bearings in the standard E¹,
and a short inner one E" secured by a bottom flange to the bracket D
near the foot step of the spindle 12, so that the self-delivery mechanism
is portable and self-contained on the shoc 19, D being actuated by tho
bevel wheel and pinion 10', 16, from the short shaft F, which receives
its motion by an endless chain 21, passed over a chain wheel 22, on the
near end of the main spindle 3 or boss of the wheel 2, and another 22'
on that of the spindle I, in nearly the same longitudinal vertical plane
when in working position, as shown in the Figures 3 and 4, the chain
allowing the self-delivery mechanism to be turned up on the hinge 6"

page_text: of the finger bar 6 clear of the main frame and other parts of the
machine, without putting the self-delivery mechanism out of working
order or gear with its motive chain wheel 22.
From the foregoing description and reference to the Drawings, it
will be seen that our improved self-delivery mechanism is so compact
and has the actuating spindle 12 and boss B so low that it can be
applied to nearly all classes of reaping and mowing machines, whether
of the fixed rigid finger bar class, described in reference to Figures 1
and 2, or of the hinged "Buckeye" class as described in reference to
Figures 3 to 5, and when the latter are fitted with a light segmental
platform (as 7, 7', shown and described in reference to Figures 1 and 2)
secured and carried on their rising and falling finger bar 6, such
reaping and mowing machines of both classes (thus fitted with our said
new or improved self-delivery mechanism) will deliver the cut crop
either in a swath or in sheaves at right angles to, or one side of
the path of the finger and cutter bars, automatically by the motion of
the machine and its main wheel 2, or shaft 1, or by disconnecting
the actuating wheels 16, 16', or pitch chain 21 and the removal of the
boss B and its arms and rakes 13', 13, from the top of the spindle 12,
and substituting a seat therefor, these machines are made manual side
delivery machines, and further when fitted with the ordinary back
tilting delivery platform of the plain or sparred class 23 (shown in
red lines in Figures 3 and 5), instead of the segmental platform 7, 7',
they are made into ordinary manual back delivery machines to deliver
the cut crop behind the cutter bar in swath or in sheaf, by the man on
the said seat, and by removing the said seat and tilting platform 23,
and attaching the ordinary grass swath mowing horns to the outer end
of the finger bar 6, these machines are also made to answer as grass
mowers. These machines fitted with our said improved self-delivery
mechanism are thus without the removal of their necessary fixed parts
capable at will of being made cither self-delivery or manual delivery
machines for performing a great variety of harvesting purposes as

page_text: and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First. The new or improved construction and arrangement of the
parts of self-delivery mechanism, as described in reference to the well
known construction and arrangement of the old parts of different 5
classes of reaping and mowing machines, substantially as herein
described.
Second. The construction and arrangement of the parts of a compact
or portable self-delivery mechanism, as secured to and carried on the
finger bars of "Buckeye" reaping and mowing machines, or others of 10
that class, having their finger bars to rise and fall or turn up on joints,
all substantially as herein described.
Third. The construction and use of a fixed boss or plate A, with a
groove a, a¹, a³, a", a³, in it, inclined or graduated from the vertical to
the horizontal positions, approximately, for receiving and tilting the 15
short arms c of the hinged gathering arms and rakes of reaping and
mowing machines, substantially as herein described
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Bickerton, have, on behalf
of myself and the said Ralph Bickerton, hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord 20
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
20, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
RICHARD BICKERTON. (1.S.)