IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Robin, of Nantes, in the Empire of France,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES."
Sealed the 24th June 1859, and dated the 31st December 1858.
'PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Robin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
December 1858.
I, HENRI ROBIN, of Nantes, in the Empire of France, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES,"
to be as follows:-:
Firstly, in placing the horses behind, and in opposing directly the motive
to the resisting force..
Secondly, in imparting to the shears or cutters the movement of the wheels
0 of the reaper by means of simple gearing placed behind the axletree and
under the pole so as not to frighten the horses by its noise or appearance.
Thirdly, in preventing all backward movement in the motive wheels and in
enabling the machine to reap whilst turning.
Fourthly, in cutting the wheat by means of shears or cutters working upon
5. blades in the form of a T, and attaining their maximum speed at the moment
of the severance of the stalk: of wheat, which severance will be effected without
sharp edged tools.

page_text: Fifthly, in moving the shears or cutters by means of the action and impul-
sion of the tie-pieces of a double-armed cross bar made to oscillate from right
to left by means of a shaft put in motion by a double crank worked by the
motive power.
Sixthly, in supporting the wheat during the cutting process, and laying it
on the platform by means of laying plates of regular and uniform motion.
Seventhly, in placing the cut wheat upon the ground in an uninterrupted line
without shaking it, the stalk touching first, the ear being laid outside after
making it pass over an inclined table of stretched cloth or canvas, to which an
impelling movement is imparted by a simple mechanism in connection with
the motive power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henri Robin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI
ROBIN, of Nantes, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henri Robin, Her special licence that I, the said Henri Robin, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henri
Robin, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henri Robin, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henri Robin, 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—
In this reaping machine the cutting and gleaning machinery is supported by
very strong framework of wrought iron and wood. The framework allows here,
the resisting and motive powers to have direct play.. It is fixed upon the axle-
tree of the wheels and strongly fastened to the pole, which is lengthened
behind, and the axis of which corresponds to the centre of the reaping
machine. A horizontal cross bar is fixed against the pole on each side and
to the collar of the horses. The varying height of the cross bar allows a
greater or lesser inclination of the framework, and consequently the wheat;,
hay, or grain may be reaped at any given altitude. The driver placed behind.
can see the machine and his horses before him, and thus overlook every part
of his work at once. The annexed Drawing represents this reaping machine;
the wheels A are connected collateraly with a cog-wheel B, which governs a
pinion C, C. In order to prevent these wheels from moving backwards,. the
pinions Care provided with a ratchet wheel D, the rack of which is fixed on the
cross bar of the frame. In this manner the niotive power is not interfered:
with when the machine turns round, and the reaping may be continued in a
direction from right to left as well as in a straight line.
The shaft c, c, of the pinions C is connected with a gearing wheel E working
the pinion F, the shaft of which f,f, is in its turn connected with a wheel
G, half set in the pole and driving the last pinion H.. It will be observed
that the greater part of the machinery just described will be hidden by the
framework and pole; so that the noise will be suppressed, which is of essential
advantage.
:
To the shaft h, h, are connected two cranks i, i, at angles, which transfer an.
alternative motion of rotation to the bar L through the intervention of the
connecting rods K; in varying the length of the arms of the cranks, the
alternative motion of rotation will be obtained in the most favourable manner
for the reaping process. The double action of the cranks offers more firmness*
and regularity, and prevents the working arising from wear in the socket. The
shaft 1, 1, fixed to the iron cross bar M by a bearing in a single piece, is joined.
on its under part to an oscillating crank N, which transfers its oscillatory motion?
to the cross bar P, by means of a steel. button n, working in. an oblong slot in
the cross bar (Fig. 3 and 4.)
The cross bar P is lined with a band of hoop iron fixed thereto by steel rivets

page_text: and forming a tie pièce'; it maintains the necessary space between the two parts;
and ensures and limits the passage of the double shear rods Q. These double
shears or cutters are united together by à rivet, and traversed by an iron pin,
which forms the axis of rotation of the cutters, and fixes them to the-angle iron
cross bar R. Besides this the rivets of the cutters have a small ring or pro-
jection provided by the turner, and which supporting the two blades at a
sufficient distance, allows them to pass freely over the knives T fixed on the
cast-iron teeth S. In this manner, as one of the cutters passes above the
knife, and the other below it, the stalks of the corn or grain are completely
severed, and this is effected without the aid of any knife or sharp-edged tools.
This useful result is still further improved by the two following circumstances:-
At the instant of the passage of the cutters over the knives they reach their
maximum speed, then the rod of the shears striking against the next tie piece
or stud causes the operation of a counter-stroke at the termination of each
óscillatory movement, which completely severs the straw and the stalk so
perfectly that either the wet or the dry straw, the wheat of different degrees
of maturity, are equally well cut.
According to what has just been described, the reaping always takes place
some few inches in advance of the horses; the knives operate in the vacant
space on one side, whilst they cut on the other; the cutters withdraw behind
against the knives any stiff tufts that may be in the way, as well as any slight
ones, without ever flattening the wheat; consequently, as there is no fear of
repelling the straw or causing its accumulation into bundles, any desirable
rapidity may be communicated to the machine.
The stalks of grain being once cut cannot return a second time, as they are
directly laid upon the platform by the action of the cutters in conjunction with
the laying plates U. The laying plates move round an axis by means of
grooved pulleys. They are supported by two angular arms, which can be
fixed at a varying height along the frame, and may thus be brought nearer or
removed further from the platform.
. To effect the proper delivery of the grain to the ground, the shaft f,f, by
means of bevel gearing works another shaft v, v, which bears upon its extremity
a spur wheel v, in connection with the two trundles X on the shaft x, x, which
is made to be in connection with the latter or to be disconnected by means of
coupling, which is worked by a rack or a small lever. The shaft x, x, can thus
turn either way, and by means of bevil gearing its motion is transmitted to the
inclined shaft z, z.
The feeding cloth is made of a cloth or canvas sewn or fixed upon two

page_text: endless chains passing round the drums Z, Z, which the shafts 2,, and 2', ';
carry at their extremity. As has already been indicated, only one of these
shafts receives a rotative motion from the motive power. The cloth is
stretched from distance to distance by wooden cross bars, in which three or
four steel bands about four inches high are fixed; these bands are thin and
flexible, and their purpose is to preserve the regularity of the reaped. layers,
and to deliver them off the feeding cloth without any confusion. From thence
the cut wheat or grain falls upon the inclined weir or overflow y, which guides
the stalks in passing on to the ground, that is, while the foot of the stalks falls
to the ground, the head slides along the overflow, and is gently placed upon
the soil along the side of the machine and away from it. It should be observed,
that whilst the knives preserve and retain that fixity which is the most
important feature of this reaping machine, a variation of form and shape and
direction can be communicated to them and to the cutters, and as the Figs. 5
and 6 of annexed Drawing indicate, the double cutters may be replaced by.
double wheels communicating with each other, and passing upon the fixed
knives or blades. Motion is transmitted here first to the first wheels, and
from thence to all others. The knives are made of any convenient shape or
form, they may be of curved or straight angles, circular, bent, straight, &c. ;
they can also be symmetrical; this would allow of their being turned when one
end is worn. The action of the wheels is in this case the same as in the
former. The cast-iron teeth may also be replaced by wrought or rolled iron
ones; they bear both the wheels and their axes.
In another modification (see Fig. 7 and 8) the knives are always fixed, their
forward extremity is attached to the cast-iron teeth, while their backward
extremity (the knife properly so called) is free, and may be made to receive
different. shapes. The cutters are here similar to those above, already
described.
Having now described and put forth the nature of my Invention, I wish it
to be understood that my Invention may be modified in its shapes, sizes, and
combination of details; but what I claim is,-
First, the cutting of the wheat or grain by means of shears or cutters
working upon and below blades, which cutting is effected without sharp or
knife-edged tools.
Second, the working of the shears or cutters by the action and impulsion of
tie pieces or studs, placed upon a double-armed cross bar, having obtained an
oscillating motion from the motive machinery.
Third, the supporting of the grain during the cutting process, and delivering

page_text: it. to the ground, as above described, in an uninterrupted line, and placing the
heads of the grain away from the machine, by passing it over an inclined weir
or overflow.
Fourth, the relative arrangement of the machinery in regard to the position
of the pole or shaft..
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Robin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
.
CLE CHARYAU, (L.S.)
Avt.
A. DE BOUSSINEAU, (L.S.)
HENRI ROBIN. (L.S.)
HENRI ROBIN. (L.S.)
Witness,
CLE CHARYAU, (L.S.)
Avt.
A. DE BOUSSINEAU, (L.S.)
Propre
Signed by the above-named Henri Robin in the presence of