IMPROVEMENTS IN HAYMAKING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Charles Float at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th June 1882.
JOHN CHARLES FLOAT of Maldon in the County of Essex " IMPROVEMENTS IN
HAYMAKING MACHINES."
In many of the double-acting haymaking machines as at present constructed,
considerable space is taken up by the clutches used to reverse the action of the
tines; and in other machines, where the clutches are dispensed with in order to
lessen the width of the machine, a complicated arrangement of parts to effect tho
same end is adopted.
Now the object of the present Invention is to simplify the construction of
haymaking machines by adapting thereto a simple arrangement of gearing for
reversing the action of the tines whereby the width of the machines, as ordinarily
constructed, will be reduced some eight or nine inches, and other advantages will
accrue.
1
In carrying out my Invention I mount at about the centre of its length and
loosely on the tine barrel shaft a rock lever On one side of the centre I secure to
this rock lever in any convenient manner two stud axles to carry pinions, and on
the other side of the centre one stud axle for a like purpose. One end of the rock
lever is prolonged to form a handle. To the hub of the tine barrel is fixed a spur
wheel in gear with the pinions and to which motion is communicated through the
pinions from a gear wheel bolted to the hub of the driving wheel.
By rocking the lever on its centre in one direction or the other to bring one or
other of the pinions into gear with the driving wheel, the direction of working of
the tines will be changed, so that they may toss the hay, or merely turn it over.

page_text: When tossing is intended, the outer of the pair of pinions is brought into gear
with the driving wheel, but if simply turning over is required the single pinion on
the opposite side of the centre is placed in gear with the driving wheel.
In either position the lever will be fixed by a bolt or suitable catch, and the
machine will be set for the kind of work required before starting.
The working of the tines may be stopped by throwing the pinions out of gear.
This is effected by causing the rock lever to assume an intermediate position in
which it will also be fixed by a bolt or suitable catch.
It will be understood that an arrangement of gearing will be adapted at either
end of the machine in the usual manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Charles Float in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th December 1SS2
JOHN CHARLES FLOAT of Maldon in the County of Essex
HAYMAKING MACHINES"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
In many of the double-acting haymaking machines as at present constructed
considerable space is taken up by the clutches used to reverse the action of the
tines, and in other machines where the clutches are dispensed with a complicated
arrangement of parts to effect the same end is adopted
Now the object of the present Invention is to simplify the construction of
haymaking machines by adapting thereto a simple arrangement of gearing for
reversing the action of the tines which will allow of the width of the acting portion
of the machines being somewhat increased while the entire width of the machine is
slightly reduced.
In carrying out my Invention I mount a rock lever at about the centre of its
length loosely on the tine barrel shaft.-On one side of the centre I secure to this
rock lever in any convenient manner two stud axles to carry pinions, and on the
other side of the centre one stud axle for a like purpose.-One end of the rock lever
is provided with a handle. To the tine barrel is fixed a spur pinion which gears
with two of the pinions above mentioned and through these pinions with a gear
wheel bolted or otherwise connected to the driving wheel.
By rocking the lever on its centre in one direction or the other to bring the
pinions on one side or other of the centro into gear with the driving wheel the
direction of working of the tines will be changed as required.
An arrangement of gearing such as that above referred to will be adapted at
either end of the machine in the usual manner.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig: 1 is a view, partly in section of one end of a
haymaking machine with my improvements adapted thereto, and Fig: 2 is a cross
section taken on the line xx of Fig: 1.
A is a driving wheel which is mounted on a stud axle, B, secured to a circular
flanged plate C. Arranged peripherically of the upper part of this plate C is a
box C¹ to receive the gearing for actuating the tine barrels, as will be hereafter
more particularly explained.
A similar arrangement of parts is employed at either end of the machine, and the
two ends are connected together as in many other haymaking machines by a tie
rod D which also serves as the tine barrel shaft.
The arrangement of gearing consists of a rock lever a which is mounted at about
the centre of its length loosely on the tine barrel shaft D.-This rock lever u. is
provided with stud axles b b arranged two on one side and one on the other of
the centre, and intended to carry pinions c, c1, c2. Mounted loosely on the shaft D is
a spur pinion d which gears with the pinions c¹ c¹ The rock lever a projects through
ono end of the box C', and is provided with a handle a' by which it may be rocked.
-A hole a² is formed in the end of the lever a to receive a bolt or pin and this hole
corresponds with holes as formed in an external lug or projection on the box C" so
that the lever may be secured in any desired position.
The pinion d is formed with an elongated boss d¹ provided with a feather or
feathers which fit into keyways formed in the interior of the tine barrel E.
F is a gear wheel which is mounted loosely on the stud axle B and is secured by
bolis or otherwise to a flange A¹ formed on the hub of the driving wheel A.
This gear wheel F which turns with the driving wheel communicates motion
either through the pinions c c¹ or pinion c² as required to the spur pinion d and

page_text: through this pinion to the tino barrel E.-In Fig: 2 the gear wheel F is shown in
gear with the pinion c².
By raising the lever so as to bring the hole a opposite the middle one of the
holes, a³, and locking it in that position, the machine will be thrown out of gear, and
by raising or lowering the lever to the top or bottom hole of the three, a³, so as to
bring the pinions c or c² into gear with the wheel F the direction of rotation of the
tines may be changed at will:
The box C¹ is provided with a cover e which is strung on the tine barrel E, and
to prevent the grass from getting into the box through the opening in the cover,
I provide a sleeve c' one end of which is secured to the cover and the other end
projects into an annular recess formed by a flange e² on the boss c³ on the tine
barrel and to which the tine arms are attached.
G is the draught bar the ends of which are secured to the stud axles B.-This
bar projects forward beyond the throw of the tines, and is attached to the shafts in
any convenient manner.
It will be evident that the diameters of the pinions and gear wheel may be varied
so as to regulate the speed at which the tines may be caused to work.
From the above description it will be seen that all the gearing, which is of the
simplest possible description, is in the same vertical plane, and the space usually
taken up by clutches and other complicated arrangements for working the tine
barrels may be utilized to reduce the entire width of the machine or to increase the
width of the tine arms, or partly one and partly the other.
"
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Haymaking Machines
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect I wish it to be under-
stood that I claim :
The arrangement of gearing for actuating the tine barrels of haymaking machines
substantially as herein described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof I the said John Charles Float have hereunto set my hand
and seal the twelfth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
J. C. FLOAT. (L.S.)