IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CORN AND OTHER CROPS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William McIntyre Cranston, of 58, King William
Street, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CORN AND OTHER CROPS."-A communication from
abroad by James Smith Thayer, residing at New York City, United
States of America.
Sealed the 7th August 1862, and dated the 31st March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William M°Intyre Cranston
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st March 1862.
I, WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of 58, King William Street, in the City
of London, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CORN AND OTHER CROPS," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to the manner of hanging or uniting the frame of a
harvesting machine to the main supporting wheel, so that the former may be
raised or lowered and balanced on the latter to suit the special character of
the ground over which it is to be worked, or the work to be done by it.
And the Invention further relates to the manner of attaching a lever séat
to the main frame and wheel so that the weight of the driver may be used in
raising or balancing the machine, and transferring the weight upon the main
or driving wheel. The frame is of a triangular shape, to which frame all
the remaining portions of the machine may be connected. The tongue is

page_text: pro-
connected to this frame rigidly at its front, and the finger bar at its rear. In
a suitable box or block on the outer part of the triangular frame is substantially
fixed a bearing for a journal or shaft, so as to freely turn in the said box.
A hub also projects from this block or box, on which is placed a segmental or
radial plate having a hub upon it, which gives it a proper support on the
jection of the box or bearing. There is also a flange or guide piece on the
segmental plate, which projects into a slot or recess in the block or box to
steady the said segmental plate on its journal or bearing when turning thereon,
There is a pulley fast on the shaft or journal, which may bear against a
circular flange on the inner face of the main driving and supporting wheel,
so as to receive motion therefrom; or the pulley on the shaft or journal may
be a cogged pinion, and the flange a cogged flange taking into it; or an endless
belt may be used around the two, the object being to get motion from the
main wheel, and transmit it to the cutters through the shaft or journal, on to
a reel or rake as may be desired. Supported on the frame piece is a segmental
rim furnished with a groove or channel in its inner perimeter,, in which groove
or channel, the outer edge of the segmental plate above mentioned is received,
and is capable of moving. A projecting piece is also, formed on the inner
perimeter of the rim, against which an adjusting pin placed in either of the
series of holes in the segmental plate may catch to hold the frame when
properly adjusted on the main wheel. On the segmental plate is a journal
for supporting the main wheel, and to said plate is also pivoted, a brace or
support provided with a series of adjusting holes. This brace or support
comes between the plate and the wheel. On the opposite side of the wheel
and pivoted to an arm connected with or fastened to the journal or axle of the
main wheel is a corresponding brace or support, which is also provided with
adjusting holes. To these two braces or supports is hung a seat for the driver or
conductor, which besides being pivotted to the supports by a pin passing through
the adjusting holes above mentioned is also hinged to a standard projecting up
from the triangular standard by a pin passing through its end, and through one
or other of a number of adjusting holes in the standard. The lower end of the
outer brace or support may be formed into a stirrup to make a foot support for
the driver, the axle being. the main supporting part of said stirrup inasmuch as
the support is connected to or with the axle, and thus forms the place for the
stirruip. By pivotting the segmental plate to the frame, and hanging the main
wheel to said plate, and also. pivotting the seat (which is also a lever) to the
plate, and to the standard, as above described, the frame can be raised or
lowered, and balanced on the wheel at pleasure. But in raising or lowering the

page_text: frame the position of the seat changes, for it may be the lever by which the
raising or lowering is done, and some provision must be made for bringing it
back into a convenient or effective position. This is done by the adjustments
heretofore mentioned in the braces and standard. By these connections too,
the adjustments that are necessary are not only made for high or low cutting,
with great facility, but much of the framework heretofore used is dispensed
with, and consequently the machine made lighter and cheaper than heretofore.
The peculiar position and manner of hanging the seat makes the weight of the
driver or conductor on its rear portion act as a counterpoise or balance to
raise and hold up the front part of the machine. The pin is to be inserted
in one of the holes in the segmental plate underneath the projection on 'the
segmental rim, so that when the machine is cutting low, or the frame is on
or close to the ground, and the driving wheel should drop into a depression
of any kind, it will still be in contact with the ground, and continue to drive the
cutter bar, which it could not do were it permanently adjusted to the frame, and
the frame come in contact with the ground. Any sudden jar communicated to
a machine with a stiff tongue is thrown violently upon the borses necks. But
by the above, manner of hanging the seat the weight of the driver when the
machine strikes any obstacle tends to raise up and ease the jar, and thus relievė
the horses. It will be perceived that there is no frame outside of the main wheel,
but simply a seat support and a foot rest, which are connected to the journal or
axle of the wheel, and which aid the driver in converting his seat into a lever for
raising up or easing the machine over any obstruction in its path. The trian-
gular frame to which all the other parts of the machine are connected is on the
cutter bar side of the main wheel. There is but one support to the journal or
axle of the main wheel, and that on the side where the main frame is placed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William McIntyre Cranston in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of 58, King William Street, in the City of London,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,

page_text: did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William McIntyre Cranston, Her special licence, that I, the said William
McIntyre Cranston, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William McIntyre Cranston, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CORN AND OTHER CROPS,"
a communication to me from abroad by James Smith Thayer, a person
resident at New York City, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William M'Intyre Cranston, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William McIntyre Cranston, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:—
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of so much of a havesting machine
as will illustrate the character of the Invention. Figure 2 represents a
perspective view taken from the opposite side of the machine from that shewn
in Figure 1, and shews the manner of supporting the seat and driver on the
main wheel. Similar letters of reference where they occur in the separate
Figures denote like parts of the machine in both the Figures.
The Invention relates to the manner of hanging or uniting the frame of a
harvesting machine to the main supporting wheel, so that the former may be
raised or lowered, and balanced on the latter to suit the special character of
the ground over which it is to be worked, or the work to be done by it. And
the Invention further relates to the manner of attaching a lever seat to the
main frame and wheel, so that the weight of the driver may be used in raising
or balancing the machine, and transferring the weight upon the main or
driving wheel.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use the Invention I will
proceed to describe the same with reference to the Drawings. The frame is
of a triangular shape (A, B, C, forming the three sides of the triangle), to

page_text: which frame all the remaining portions of the machine may be connected.
The tongue D is connected to this frame rigidly at its front, and the finger
bar E at its rear. In a suitable metallic box or block F on the part A of the
frame is substantially fixed a journal or shaft G, so as to freely turn in the
said box. A hub also projects from this block F, on which is placed a seg-
mental or radial plate H; said plate having a hub I upon it, which gives it a
proper support on the projection of the box F. There is also a flange or
guide piece a on the segmental plate H, which projects into a slot or recess
in the block F to steady the said segmental plate on its journal or bearing
when turning thereon; 6 is a pulley fast on the shaft G, which may bear
against a circular flange J on the inner face of the main driving and sup-
porting wheel K, so as to receive motion therefrom. Or b may be a cogged
pinion, and the flange J a cogged flange taking into it, or an endless belt may
be used around the two, the object being to get motion from the main wheel,
and transmit it to the cutters through the shaft G, or to a reel or rake, as
may be desired; L is a segmental rim, supported on the frame piece C, and
furnished with a groove or way c in the inner perimeter, into which groove
'or way the outer edge of the plate H moves, and is supported. A projecting
piece d is also formed on the inner perimeter of the rim L, against which an
adjusting pin placed in either of the series of holes e, e, &c., may catch to hold
the frame when properly adjusted on the main wheel K. On the segmental
plate H is wrought or cast in a journal M for supporting the main wheel K,
and to said plate is also pivoted by a bolt or pin N a brace or support O pro-
'vided with a series of adjusting holes f, f, &c. A support or brace P cor-
responding to that on the opposite side of the wheel is pivotted to an arm Q
connected with or fastened to the journal or axle M of the main wheel K, as
seen in Figure 2, and similarly provided with adjusting holes f, f, &c. To these
two braces or supports O, P, is hung a seat R (for the driver or conductor),
which besides having a pivotted connection with the supports is also hinged
and made adjustable in the standard S by a pin g, which may pass through its
end, and through said standard at any of the adjustments h, &c. The lower
end of the brace or support P may be formed into a stirrup T to make a foot
support for the driver, the axle M being the main supporting part of said
stirrup, inasmuch as the support P is connected to or with the axle, and thus
forms the place for the stirrup. By thus pivoting the plate H to the frame,
and banging the wheel K to said plate, and also pivoting the seat R (which
is also a lever) to the plate H, and to the standard S, the frame can be
raised or lowered and balanced on the wheel at pleasure. But in raising or

page_text: lowering the frame the position of the seat R changes, for it may be the
lever by which the raising or lowering is done, and some provision must be
made for bringing it back into a convenient or effective position. This is done
by the adjustments heretofore mentioned in the braces O, P, and standard S.
By these connections too I not only make the adjustments that are necessary
for high or low cutting with great facility; but I dispense with much of the
framework heretofore used, and consequently make the machine lighter and
cheaper than heretofore. The peculiar position and manner of hanging the
seat makes the weight of the driver or conductor on its rear portion act as a
counterpoise or balance to raise and hold up the front part of the machine.
The pin is to be inserted in one of the holes e underneath the projection d, so
that when the machine is cutting low or the frame is on or close to the
ground, and the driving wheel K should drop into a depression of any kind it
will still be in contact with the ground, and continue to drive the cutter bar,
which it could not do were it permanently adjusted to the frame, and the
frame come in contact with the ground. Any sudden jar communicated to a
machine with a stiff tongue is thrown violently upon the horses' necks. But
by the above manner of hanging the seat, the weight of the driver when the
machine strikes any obstacle tends to raise up and ease the jar, and thus
relieve the horses. It will be perceived that there is no frame outside of the
main wheel, but simply a seat support and a foot rest, which are connected to
the journal or axle of the wheel, and which aid the driver in converting his
seat into a lever for raising up or easing the machine over any obstruction in
its path. The triangular frame to which all the other parts of the machine
are connected is on the cutter bar side of the main wheel. There is but one
support to the journal or axle of the main wheel, and that on the side where
the main frame is placed.
Having thus fully described the nature and object of the Invention, what
I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First, the combination of the single plate H and main wheel, substantially
as described.
I also claim the combination of the main wheel K, single plate H, and
rim L when connected together, and operating in the manner and for the
purpose set forth.
I also claim placing a vibrating wheel on the outside of the frame, or so
that the outside of the frame does not bear on the outside of the wheel in
combination with the triangular-shaped frame on the inside of the wheel;
substantially as described.

page_text: I also claim hanging the seat to the plate H, and to the standard S in the
manner and for the purpose set forth.
I also claim a hinged lever seat and outside stirrup or supporter in com-
bination with a wheel having no outside frame or support, substantially as
herein represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said William McIntyre Cranston, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
W. M. CRANSTON. (L.S.)