IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHEAF-BINDING, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO BE USED WITH AND ATTACHED TO EXISTING REAPING-MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wild, B.A., Clerk in Holy Orders, of. Tetney, in the
County of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SHEAF-BINDING, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO BE USED WITH AND ATTACHED TO
EXISTING REAPING-MACHINES."
Sealed the 27th January 1880, and dated the 31st July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wild at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st July 1879.
JOHN WILD, B.A., Clerk in Holy Orders, of Tetney, in the County of Lincoln.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHEAF-BINDING, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO BE
USED WITH AND ATTACHED TO EXISTING REAPING-MACHINES."
In order to deliver the crop as it is cut, both by existing reaping machines and
others, which may hereafter be made in properly bound sheaves, I place at the
delivery end of the platform a second platform at a lower level, on to which each
bundle of crop is separately delivered by the reaper. This second platform is placed
upon a framework carried on wheels or rollers, and is attached to the platform of
the reaper by hinges or bolts. This apparatus may also be placed on proper driving
wheels, and inade to operate as a separate and independent sheaf binding machine
to bind the crop into sheaves after it has been cut by a reaper or otherwise.
As each bundle of cut crop is received upon the second platform it is gathered by
a moveable rake extending across the said platform, and by it is carried underneatli
the binding arm. The crop as it is thus moved comes against two wires connected
together. One of these wires is led up through a hole or slot in the second plat-
form, and the other passes through a small hole at the extremity of the free end of
the binding arm. The bundle of crop continuing its onward movement is pressed
against these wires and carries them along with it until the whole of the bundle
lies-underneath the binding-arm. The connected wires are thus made to nearly
encircle the bundle of crop. The binding arm is then caused to descend until the ends.
bearing the wire pass through the holes or slots in the platform and lay the wire-
which they carry in a pair of whirls or pinions. These pinions-during-the move--
ment just described have engaged the lower or second wire, and thus the wires are
brought together completely round the bundle of crop. The said wires being now

page_text: held in the twisting pinions, one on the upper and the other on the lower side,
motion is simultaneously given to the pinions and the wires are twisted together.
By this process the wires placed round the sheaf or bundle of crop are twisted
firmly together, and the ends of the wires intended to pass round the next bundle
are also securely twisted while this is being done, and afterwards the roller or shaft
bearing the twisting apparatus moves onwards, carrying the bound sheaf to or over
the end of the second platform, when the cutting-off mechanism is brought into
action and the wires are severed between the two twists. The bound sheaf thus
falls to the ground either by its own weight or by the action of a delivery arm.
The binder-arm is attached to the end of shaft rotating in suitable bearings on a
fixed support. This support is bent at right angles and attached as to its lower
part to one or other side of the sheaf-binding mechanism, while as to its upper part it
extends to some distance over the second platform at a suitable height so as to allow
the bound sheaf to pass freely between it and the second platform."
The free end of the binder arm terminates in a peculiar manner, that is to say, it
has a twofold termination, one of which is finger shaped, having a small 'hole near
its extremity through which the wire passes, and the other shorter, broader, and
concave on its lower edge to press upon and carry down the wire into the before-
named twisting pinions. The binder arm itself is curved, and may carry in its
curve, or otherwise, a spring to compress the bundle of crop and hold it compactly
together while it is being bound or tied with the wires.
Motion is given this binder-arm by means of a grooved cam and connecting
levers, the cam being placed on the revolving shaft beforenamed which carries the
twisting and cutting off apparatus. The same cam, or a similar one, is made to
work the rake of the binding mechanism, the rake being attached to chains or
bands passing over wheels actuated by the said cam or cams and levers..
The twisting and cutting off mechanism is placed upon and carried by the above
mentioned revolving shaft, which is placed underneath the second platform and at
right angles to the delivery edge of the reaper.. The twisting apparatus consists of
two larger and four smaller wheels or pinions, so arranged in suitable bearings that
-each-of the larger wheels works or causes to revolve two of the said smaller pinions.
These smaller pinions are arranged in pairs or couples at the opposite ends of the
diameters of the larger wheels, and receive the wires through narrow slits in their
bearings. One peculiarity in the arrangement of these smaller pinions is that the
cuts or divisions forming the teeth are continued into the axles of the said pinions,
so that the wires placed in these pinions are carried round within the ordinary
bearings and thus twisted together. The twisting or revolving movement is given
to these pinions by means of a double lever working on a fixed circular cam, and
attached to a crank or arm of the axle on which the larger pinions are fixed.
The cutting-off device consists of two blades of steel or other metal, placed and
working in the space between the two before named larger wheels and their
respective smaller wheels or pinions. These blades are so shaped and arranged as
to form a double pair of scissors or cutter, and are made to open and close at the
proper times by means of a combination of cams and double levers; the cams being
fixed at the side of the machine, and encircling the end of the beforenamed shaft or
roller, and the levers fixed upon the said shaft,
Motion is given to the whole by means of a shaft or shafts with proper bearings
and wheels or pinions gearing with the beforenamed shaft and with the main
driving wheel of the reaper, or with one of the smaller wheels actuated by the said
main driving wheel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Wild in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th January
1880.
JOHN WILD, B.A., Clerk in Holy Orders, of Tetney, in the County of Lincoln.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHEAF-BINDING, CHIEFLY--DESIGNED-TO-BE
USED WITH AND ATTACHED TO EXISTING REAPING MACHINES."
In order to deliver the crop as it is cut, both by existing reaping machines and
others, which may hereafter be made in properly bound sheaves, I place at the
delivery end of the platform a second platform at a lower level, on to which each
bundle of crop is separately delivered by the reaper. This second platform is placed
upon a framework carried on wheels or rollers and is attached to the platform of
the reaper by hinges or bolts. This apparatus may also be placed on proper
driving wheels and made to operate as separate and independent sheaf-binding
machine to bind the crop into sheaves after it has been cut by a reaper or
otherwise.
As each bundle of cut crop is received upon the second platform it is gathered by
a moveable rake extending across the said platform, and by it is carried underneath
the binding arm. The crop, as it is thus moved, comes against two wires connected
together. One of these wires is led up through a hole or slot in the second plat-
form and the other passes through a small hole at the extremity of the free. end of
the binding arm. The bundle of crop continuing its onward movement is pressed
against these wires and carries them along with it until the whole of the bundle
lies beneath the binding arm. The connected wires are thus made to nearly
encircle the bundle of crop. The binding arm is then caused to descend until the
ends bearing the wire pass through the holes or, slots in the platform and lay the
wire which they carry in a pair of whirls or pinions. These pinions, during the
movement just described, have engaged the lower or second wire, and thus the
wires are brought together completely round the bundle of crop. The said wires
being now held in the twisting pinions, one on the upper and the other on the
lower side, motion is simultaneously given to the pinions, and the wires are twisted
together. By this process the wires placed round the sheaf or bundle of crop are
twisted firmly together, and the ends of the wires intended to pass round the next
bundle are also securely twisted. While this is being done, and afterwards, the
roller or shaft bearing the twisting apparatus moves onwards, carrying the bound
sheaf to or over the end of the second platform, when the cutting-off mechanism is
brought into action and the wires are severed between the two twists. The bound
sheaf then falls to the ground, either by its own weight or by the action of a
delivery arm.
The binder arm is attached to the end of a shaft rotating in suitable bearings on
a fixed support. This support is bent at right angles and attached, as to its lower
part, to one or other side of the sheaf binding mechanism, while, as to its upper
part, it extends to some distance over the second platform at a suitable height, so
as to allow the bound sheaf to pass freely between it and the second platform.
The free end of the binder arm terminates in a peculiar manner, that is to say, it
has a twofold termination, one of which is finger shaped, having a small hole near
its extremity through which the wire passes, and the other shorter, broader, and
concave on its lower edge to press upon and carry down the wire into the before
named twisting pinions. The binder arm itself is curved, and may carry in its
curve or otherwise a spring. to compress. the bundle of crop and hold it compactly
together while it is being bound or tied with the wires.
Motion is given to this binder-arm by means of a grooved cam and connecting
levers, the cam being placed on the revolving shaft before named, which carries the
twisting and cutting-off apparatus. The same cam or a similar one is made to work
.

page_text: the rake of the binding mechanism, the rake being attached to chains or bands
passing over wheels actuated by the said cam or cams and levers.
.
The twisting and cutting-off mechanism is placed upon and carried by the above
mentioned revolving shaft, which is placed underneath the second platform and at
right angles to the delivery edge of the reaper. The twisting apparatus consists of
two larger and four smaller wheels or pinions, so arranged in suitable bearings that
. each of the larger wheels works or causes to revolve two of the said smaller pinions.
These smaller pinions are arranged in pairs or couples at the opposite ends of the
diameters of the larger wheels and receive the wires through narrow slits in their
bearings. One peculiarity in the arrangement of these smaller pinions is that the
cuts or divisions: forming the teeth are continued into the axles of the said pinions,
so that the wires placed in these pinions are carried round within the ordinary
bearings and thus twisted together. The twisting or revolving movement is given
to these pinions by means of a double lever working on a fixed circular cam and
attached to a crank or arm, of the axle on which the larger pinions are fixed.
The cutting-off device consists of two blades of steel or other, metal placed and
working in the space between the two before named larger wheels and their
respective smaller wheels or pinions. These blades are so shaped and arranged as
to form a double pair of scissors or cutters, and are made to open and close at the
proper times by means of a combination of cams and double levers, the cams being
fixed at the side of the machine and encircling the end of the before named shaft or
roller and the levers fixed upon the said shaft.
Motion is given to the whole by means of a shaft or shafts with proper bearings
and wheels or pinions gearing with the before named shaft and with the main
driving wheel of the reaper, or with one of the smaller wheels actuated by the said
main driving wheel.
Fig. 1 is a plan view with the platform removed to shew the arrangement of the
various parts of the mechanism which lie underneath the platform and are covered
or protected by it.
Fig. 2 shews the outline of the platform V with the apertures made therein to
allow the fingers of the binding.arm to descend and place the upper wire in the
twisting pinions.
+
Fig. 2 is an end view or section of the same platform, shewing the curve which
descends at the rear, of the shafts C and K, and down. which the bound sheaf, when
the wires are severed, falls to the ground.
Fig. 2b represents the second or moveable platform M shewing the raised edge m,
which moving and pressing against the cut ends of the loose sheaf ensures its
being carried along by the said platform, and placed in the position required.
Fig. 3 shews the arrangement of the twisting and cutting-off devices. These are
attached to the shaft C, and are here shown with the caps or upper part of the
said shaft removed..
Fig. 4 is a section of the cutting off knives or scissors S, S, S', S¹, shewing the
position of their cutting edges between the twisting pinions. The wires are thus
always cut midway between the twisted parts.
Fig. 5 is another section shewing not only the cutting-off knives and twisting
pinions, but the position also of the two larger or driving wheels which work the
four twisting pinions. These represented by Q and Q are securely fixed on the
same axle as Q, and each gears with and drives two of the twisting pinions, that
is to say, one at each extremity of its diameter R, R.
:
Fig. 6 is a section of the circular cams and levers, which close and open the
scissors or cutting off device. T and T are two levers fixed to, and carried round
by the shaft C (see Figs. 1 and 3). "Each lever has a long and short end.. The
www

page_text: long ends move close to the inner side of the cam O; the short ends rest upon the
face of the inner cam O'. The long and short ends being placed together, the
revolution of the shaft C brings each long end simultaneously against a rise or
"notch fastened on the inner side of the outer cam O. The long ends are thus
pushed backwards, and the knives are closed to cut the wires and set free the
bound sheaf. By this motion the short ends are thrust inwards. To allow for this
two falls or recessed places are made in the smaller cam, into which they descend
(Figs. 6 and 7). As the short ends rise out of these recesses to the upper surface
of the cam the longer ends are drawn back to their original position (Fig. 3), and
the knives are opened to allow the wires for the next sheaf to enter the pinions
and to revolve freely.
Fig. 8 shews the end view of a small pinion. The pinion is short and is fitted
with a narrow or thin flange at either end to serve as bearings; the larger one R
having its bearing in the projection X of shaft C, the smaller one in a moveable
bearing, which spans the pinion and is screwed to the projection X.
Fig. 9 shews the fingers of the binding arm, with the eye through which the
wire passes.
Fig. 10 represents the outer side or framework farthest from the reaper.
Fig. 11 shews the side next the reaper with its wheels, cams, levers, binding arm
supports, and binding arm. When the reaper and binder are joined together this
side is placed quite under the delivery edge of the reaper platform, so that as far
as the said delivery edge extends it is covered by it, the intention and arrange-
ment being that the delivery edge of the reaper platform should overlap the edge
of the binder platform sufficiently to enable the raised edged m of the moveable
platform. M. to retire at least one or two inches underneath the said delivery edge.
In Fig. 1, A is the wheel gearing with the reaper driving wheel directly or by
means of a connecting wheel; B is a second pinion on the same shaft as A gearing
with another pinion on the revolving shaft C, which carries the twisting and
cutting-off apparatus, also two cams D and E, Figs. 1, 10, 11.
The cam D is grooved on either face, the groove on the inner face working the
lever F, F, by means of a small runner on an axle fitting freely in the groove, and
giving motion by means of connexion F¹ (Figs. 1 and 11), to the binding arm F
The groove on the outer face in a similar way works the lever G (Figs. 1 and 11),
which connects with the cog wheel G' (Figs. 1 and 11) which in its turn gears
with cog wheel G" (Figs. 1 and 11) on the axle K, and imparts a forward and
backward motion to the two wheels H, H, one on either end; which by means of
chains passing over them work the rake I causing it to carry the sheaf, after it is
deposited on the binder platform, underneath the binding arm F".
The cam E is grooved on its circular surface or circumference, and by means of
the lever L works a moveable platform M (Figs. 1 & 2b) available for short crops,
and which can be taken away when not required, as in the case of long crops.
This platform, shewn by the dotted lines m, m, is capable of easy adjustinent,
merely by moving the pivot Z of the lever L to its proper hole, so as to cause it to
place a sheaf or bundle of crop of any length, from 2 feet to 4 feet, in such a
position under the binding arm as to ensure the wire passing round its middle.
By the middle I mean the part equidistant, or nearly equidistant, from the ends of
the sheaf.
:
-In Figs. 1 and 3, N, N¹, is a double lever working on the axle n. Its runners.
are carried by the rotating shaft C along the surface of the circular cam O, which
is fixed to side W, and give a backward and forward movement to the segment, of
the toothed wheel P, Fig. 1, which in its turn acts on Q. The wheel Q is on the
same spindle as the wheels Q1, Q", (Figs. 3 and 5), which work the twisting
pinions-R, R.
t
In Figs 3, 4, 5, S, S, S1, S1, are the cutting-off knives-or-scissors. These are
placed on the same spindle as the wheels QQ; occupying the space-between
them, and between each pair of twisting pinons, as shewn more clearly-in-Figs. 3-
and 5. These cutting-off knives are worked by means of two double levers T, T

page_text: acting on a second cam O¹ and notches 0" placed within cam O, as shewn in
Figs. 3, 6, 7.
The revolving shaft C is entirely covered by the platform U, which is supposed
to be removed, and is shewn in Figs. 2, 2, Fig. 2 representing its upper
surface, shews the apertures through which the fingers of the binding arm descond
to place the wire in the twisting pinions. Fig. 24 shews its section or longi-
tudinal view with the curve or inclination at the rear of the shafts C and K,
covering the said shafts and forming an inclined smooth surface for the bound sheaf
to descend freely to the ground.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the Drawings..
The letter W represents the framework or sides, and tie rods, &c., of the machine,
Figures 1, 10, 11.
This Invention is carried into practice in the following manner, that is to say:-
The wire from the lower spool or bobbin V is passed through the guiding loop
and small eye fixed on the plate which bears the said bobbin, and then drawn
through the aperture u in the fixed platform U. The wire from the upper bobbin
vis passed through the eye of the front fingers of the binding arm, as shown in
Figures 11 and 9. The two wires are then twisted together. The machine is now
ready to operate.
We will suppose that it has to bind a very short crop, say two feet long. In
this case the fulcrum screw Z of lever L will require to be placed in hole No. 4 of
the said lever. The gearing connection between the reaper and the binder must be.
so adjusted when the two are placed in connexion that the rakes of the former
shall deliver two sheaves separately upon the platform of the binder for each and
every revolution of the shaft c; and, further, each sheaf must be deposited upon
the binder immediately before the moveable, platform M commences its outward
motion or movement which carries the sheaf towards the middle of the fixed or
permanent platform. This being done, the loose sheaf is no sooner laid upon the
said moveable platform than it is carried by this platform until the middle of the
sheaf rests upon or about the middle of the fixed platform. While this action takes
place the rake I of the binder begins to act and carries the sheaf underneath the_
binding arm. In doing this the sheaf is pressed against the connected wires, and
carries them with it towards the rear of the platform. This movement presses the
lower wire into the twisting pinions of the ascending part X of the shaft C. No
sooner is this wire properly received than the end of the lever N¹ ascends the short
risey of the outer circular cam 0, which gives the twisting pinions half a revolu-
tion and places the said wire at the bottom or underneath side of the pinions. But
while this is going on the rake holds the sheaf underneath the binding arm, the
binding arm descends carrying the wire round the sheaf and placing it in the
twisting pinions. To ensure this being done the binding arm is provided with a
second projection or finger shown in Figures 9 and 11. The wire passes through the
eye in the first finger, and lies underneath the second, and the part of the wire thus
distended is forced into the pinion by the downward action of the binding arm.
The end of the lever N¹ has now arrived at the second or larger rise y² of the cam
0. As it ascends this rise the two wires are firmly twisted together, and the sheaf
is bound. During this operation the moveable platform and, the binder rake
commence their backward motions to be in readiness for the next loose sheaf,
The next operation is to liberate the bound sheaf. To effect this the binder arm
ascends, allowing the onward/motion of the shaft C to carry the bound sheaf
towards the rear of the fixed platform where it inclines towards the ground. At
this juncture the long ends of the levers T and T¹ come against the rises 0",
whereby the cutting edges of the scissors are brought together and the bound sheaf
is set free and falls to the ground.
As the wire is twisted at the same time in front and rear of the pinions, and the
scissors divide the wires between the twists, the two wires are left ready twisted
together to receive the sheaf next following.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. The arrangement of apparatus for sheaf binding, substantially as described.
Second. The arrangement of the cutting and twisting mechanism upon a
revolving shaft, substantially as described..
Third. The arrangement of a moveable and adjustable platform receiving the
sheaf and carrying it to the proper position to be bound, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wild, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty,
TAITAL THIT D
JOHN WILD.
(L.D.)