AN IMPROVED HORSE RAKE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathaniel Smith, of Thrapstone, in the County of
Northampton, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED HORSE
RAKE,"
Sealed the 18th January 1856, and dated the 8th August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathaniel Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
August 1855.
I, NATHANIEL SMITH, of Thrapstone, in the County of Northampton, En-
gineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
HORSE RAKE" to be as follows:-
My horse rake is constructed as follows:-I form a frame of two bars or
beams, which run from side to side of the implement, and of two sides, with
arms which project towards the front. I connect the shafts to branch irons,
which are secured to the two cross bars of the frame. The rakes, of the
peculiar construction hereafter referred to, are mounted loosely upon an axis,
which runs from one of the side arms to the other, and which is also supported
by passing through two of the branch irons to which the shafts are connected.
To this axis are connected four or more arms or levers, which project back-
wards, and carry a rod which extends across the machine. The beams of the
rakes rest upon this bar, and, by means of a compound lever worked by an

page_text: attendant at the front of the implement, the rakes are raised upon this bar as
often as may be required, without the horse being stopped or the motion
of the implement being interfered with. "I form the beams of the rakes of
tubular iron and the tines of steel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nathaniel Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHA-
NIEL SMITH, of Thrapstone, in the County of Northampton, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Nathaniel Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Nathaniel Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Nathaniel
Smith, my 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 "AN IMPROVED HORSE RAKE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Nathaniel Smith, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
+
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Nathaniel Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:***
My Invention consists of an improved horse rake constructed as follows:
I form a frame of two bars or beams, which run from side to side of the im-
plement, and of two sides, with arms projecting towards the front. I connect

page_text: the shafts to branch irons, which are secured to the cross bars of the frame.
The rakes, which are of the peculiar construction herein-after referred to, are
mounted loosely on an axis, which extends from one of the side arms of the
frame to the other, and is also supported by being passed through two of the
branch irons to which the shafts are attached. To this axis are connected
four or more arms or levers, which project backward, and carry a rod or bar
which extends across the machine, and on which the beams or shanks of the
rakes rest, and, by means of a lever worked by an attendant at the front of the
implement, the rakes are raised. on this, rod as often as may be required
without the horse being stopped or the progress of the implement interfered
with. I form the beams or handles of the rakes of tubular iron and the tines
or teeth of steel.
4
:
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings is a sectional elevation of a horse rake
constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2, a plan of the same;
Figure 3, a sectional view of one of the rakes detached. A; A', are 'cross bars
or beams, which extend from side to side of the implement, and form, together
-with the side pieces B, B, the framework of the machine; C, C, are stays or
tie pieces which run between the front and back bars A, A'. The side pieces
B terminate in arms b, b, projecting towards the front, their ends being con-
nected by a rod D, which supports the rakes when raised, and prevents their
falling over to the front of the machine. E, E, are the wheels which are
attached to the sides of the frame; F; F, are the shafts; G, G, branch irons to
which the shafts are attached; the further extremities or forked ends of these
branch irons are secured to the bars A; A H, H, H, are-the rakes, which are
mounted loosely and independently on a rod or axis I, supported in the sides
of the framework, and extending across the machine. This axis I also passes
through one of the forked ends of each of the branch irons G, G. J, J, J, J,
are four arms or levers, pivoted or jointed on the axis I so as to be free to
move thereon. These arms project backward, and carry at back a rod L,
which extends across the machine just under the beams or shanks of the rakes.
K is the lever for raising the rakes, placed so as to be worked 'at the front of
the implement, and centered on a weigh shaft-M, which passes through bear-
ings m, m, attached to the shafts F. This lever is connected to the rod L.
When it is desired to raise the rakes H, an attendant does so at the front of
the machine, without interfering with its progress or stopping the horse, by
depressing the lever K, whereby the rod L is raised, and with it the rakes
H, H, which rest on it. The action of this lever K may be assisted by em-
ploying a second lever O, centered at the opposite end of the weigh shaft, and

page_text: connected to the rod L. This lever works with the lever K, one action raising
or lowering them together. P is a pin attached by a chain to a keeper Q
fixed to one of the branch irons G. In order to keep the lever depressed and
the rakes raised, the pin is passed over it and into an eye p at the opposite
side of the keeper. The position of the rakes when raised is shewn by the
dotted lines in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a rake detached; the beam or shank r is
of iron, and tubular; the tine s is of steel, and terminates at top in an eye s¹,
by which it is fitted on to the beam or handle. t is an eye at right angles to
the shank, which is passed over or threaded on to the rake carrier bar. Each
rake (or shank and tine) being separately attached to the rake carrier bar, is
capable of rising over any inequality in the land without affecting the working
of the other tines.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, as constituting
my said Invention,―
First, the constructing of the teeth of horse rakes of steel tines and tubular
beams or shanks.
Second, the mounting of the rakes upon a rake carrier bar in such manner
as to enable them to rise independently, as herein-before described.
Third, the raising of the rakes by means of the rake raising bar worked by
a lever from the fore part of the machine.
And, last, the general construction and arrangement of the horse rake,
herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathaniel Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-six
Witness,
JOHN EATON.
NATHANIEL SMITH. (L.S.)