IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hornsby, James Edwin. Phillips, and
John Innocent, all of the Spittlegate Iron Works, Grantham, in the
County of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
AND MOWING MACHINES.'
"
Sealed the 24th December 1872, and dated the 6th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hornsby,
James Edwin Phillips, and John. Innocent at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 6th November.
1872.
We, RICHARD HORNSBY, JAMES EDWIN PHILLIPS, and JOHN INNOCENT,
all of the Spittlegate Iron Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “ImpROVEMENTS IN.
REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing
machines.
The frame of the machine, to which the cutting apparatus and the
platform to receive the cut crop is attached, is connected with the pole

page_text: to which the horses are harnessed in such manner that the angle of the
pole to the frame may be varied whilst the machine is at work. At
a short distance from its hinder end the pole is connected with the
frame by a bolt on which it is able to turn. There' is also a lever
jointed at its end to a stud or support on the frame, and also to another
stud or support upon the pole, so that the driver by pressing with this
lever can alter the inclination of the pole to the frame by sliding the
hinder end of the pole along a guide surface bolted to the frame. There
is a bolt upon the lever taking into a notched arc, and so locking it
when the parts have been brought to the desired position: The driver
is carried upon a seat bracketted out from the end of the axle of the
main wheel of the machine; he is here very conveniently placed for
working the hand lever above mentioned, and also another handle which
is herein-after again referred to, by which the inclination of the teeth of
the rakes can be controlled, in addition to which he is well placed to
balance the machine. These rakes and the beaters are mounted upon
arms carried by a boss, which revolves about an axis which is inclined
to a suitable angle to carry the rakes and beaters down to and up from
the platform without interfering with the driver when'in his seat. The
rake teeth are fixed into a head which is jointed to the rake arm, as is
described in the Specification of a former Patent, granted to two of us,
No. 2523, in the year 1866, and we now provide other means of con-
trolling gear in connection therewith, so that when it is not required to
clear the platform the rake head and teeth can without moving the
rake arm be turned up, so as to pass clear of the platform and the crop
upon it.
This controlling gear is arranged in the following manner :—From the
back of the rake head a rod passes to a lever on the rake arm, and to
this lever another rod is attached; this rod passes along the rake arm
and carries at its end a small friction wheel, which abuts upon a fixed
guide, and so supports the rake head whilst the rake is in its work. A
portion of the guide is jointed so that it forms a tongue, which can be
lifted by the driver of the machine, and then a gap is left in the guide.
At such times the friction wheel on the supporting rod as it runs along
the guide drops into the gap or opening, and continues its course on the
inner side of the guide in place of on the outer side, thus the rake after
it has raked the crop over and well clear of the cutting apparatus leaves
it upon the platform, the rake head being turned up so as to pass

page_text: over it, and the same thing occurs at each revolution of the rake,,so
long as the gap in the guide bar is open. This is useful both to avoid
the discharge from the platform of scanty sheaves at places where the
crop is thin upon the land, and also to avoid the dropping of sheaves in
the corners of the fields where they would be liable to injury by the feet
of the horses. It will be seen that the inclination of the rake teeth in
approaching, passing over, and leaving the platform, depends upon the
form given to the guide, and the power which is thus obtained of
adjusting this inclination is of considerable importance.
.
In place of the arrangement above described, the rake arms may be
jointed to their boss. So long as the crop is required to be discharged
from the platform this joint is inoperative, and the rakes travel round
their inclined axis in a circular course; but when the rake is required to
pass over the crop upon the platform without coming in contact with
it the rake arm is lifted by means of a jointed tongue, which directs a
friction wheel mounted upon the arm, so as to cause it to ride over
a fixed guide underneath which it at other times passes. .
To connect the rake heads and the beaters with these arms they are
slotted, and bolts pass through them, and also through the arms.
To give the main bolt a better hold a toothed plate is fixed by the
side of the slotted hole, and a washer plate through which the bolt
passes is formed with similar teeth, and the two sets of teeth interlock
the one with the other.
In both arrangements the jointed tongue is connected with a rod or
handle, and is moved by the driver from his seat upon the axle.
The knive is driven by means of a crank placed at or rather beyond
one of its ends, and connected with the knife by a connecting rod as is
usual, but in place of jointing the connecting rod to the knife close to.
its outer end, that is to say, opposite to the first of the triangular cutting
blades, we make the connecting rod to extend entirely over the first
blade, and even by preference over several of the blades. In this way
we overcome all the inconveniences which have hitherto been experienced
in the use of long connecting rods.
.
This improvement is important in machines in which the crank and
its gear is on the same side of the main wheel as the cutting apparatus,
for in such machines heretofore only. very short connecting rods could be
used

page_text: In mowing machines this arrangement is also very advantageous, as
the crank is brought closer to the cut and falls within the cleared
track.
It is also especially advantageous in reaping machines in which it is
desired to throw the knife over two of the spaces between the fingers, or
to give it a double throw. In such cases in order to prevent the knife
cutting beyond the limits of the platform we form the outermost cutting
blade with a broad point. When the crop is heavy it is sometimes
necessary to provide a lifter at the outer end of the machine, this lifter
"is usually fixed or jointed to the stay which connects the main frame:
with the finger bar; we mount a roller at the leading edge of this lifter
to prevent breakage of the straw when it happens to become bent around
"the edge of the lifter.
.
In two-wheel machines intended more especially for mowing the pole
is carried by a bridge piece between the wheels. The bridge piece has
an arm projecting from it, and to the under side of this the pole is bolted.
The same bolts secure to the upper side of the arm a wooden bearer
extending to the rear and carrying a low seat for the driver. When
thus placed. he can lift the fingers, or case them over soft places.and
inequalities by placing his foot upon the frame which carries the finger
bar. Or when a two-wheeled machine is provided with self-acting
raking apparatus, the seat may very conveniently be bracketted out
from the axle on the outer side of the outer wheel, the driver when thus
placed balances the machine, and is conveniently placed to reach the
starting handle, by means of which the first motion pinion is caused to
slide on its axis to throw the machine into and out of gear. The fork of
the pinion is jointed to a lever which turns on a fixed stud. There is
a peg or tooth on the lever which when the lever is at the end of its
.stroke drops into one or other of two recesses. The lever is able to slide
on its stud axis, and there is a coiled spring around the axis which
presses the lever along the axis in a direction to cause the tooth to drop
into the recess when it comes opposite to it.
The lever handle which lifts the cutting apparatus moves to and fro
in a slotted latch plate in which is a notch at one end of the slot to
retain the lever when the cutting apparatus is raised. At the other end
of the slot is a spring which holds the lever when the cutting apparatus
is lowered, and prevents it playing to and fro as the machine passes over

page_text: .
uneven ground. The spring is easily overcome by the driver when he
draws back the lever to lift the cutting apparatus..
In order to sharpen the knife we employ a circular file mounted and
used in the same way as the grindstones now used for this purpose, and
as is described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to two of
us, and dated 16th June 1869, No. 1851.
•
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.
filed by the said Richard Hornsby, James Edwin Phillips, and
John Innocent in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th May
1873.'
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
HORNSBY, JAMES EDWIN PHILLIPS, and JOHN INNOCENT, all of the
Spittlegate Iron. Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Richard Hornsby, James Edwin
Phillips, and John Innocent, Her special license that we, the said
Richard Hornsby, James Edwin Phillips, and John, Innocent, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Richard Hornsby, James Edwin Phillips, and John Innocent, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any. timė 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 AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Richard Hornsby, James Edwin
Phillips, and John Innocent, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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

page_text: 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 Richard Hornsby, on behalf of
myself and the said James Edwin Phillips and John Innocent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner 5
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing
machines.
..
The first part of our Invention is illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of the 1
annexed Drawings; Figure 1 is a portion of a plan of a reaping machine;
Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 1, 1, in Figure 1.
The frame a of the machine to which the cutting apparatus ¾ and ·
the platform c to receive the cut crop is attached is connected with
the pole d, to which the horses are harnessed in such manner that the 1
angle of the pole to the frame may be varied whilst the machine is at
work. At a short distance from its hinder end the pole d is connected.
with the frame a by a bolt e on which it is able to turn. There is also
a lever jointed at its end to a support 9 on the frame, and also to
another support h upon the pole, so that the driver by pressing upon 2
this lever f can alter the inclination of the pole to the frame. The
hinder end of the pole slides along a guide surface bolted to the frame.
There is a bolt f¹ upon the lever ƒ, taking into a notched arc i, fixed
to the frame, and so locking the lever when the parts have been brought
to the desired position. This arrangement affords a convenient means 2
by which the driver is able instantaneously and without stopping the
machine to alter the pitch or inclination of the fingers of the machine
and the height of the cut.

page_text: .
The rakes a and the beaters are mounted upon arms & fixed to and
carried by a boss c, which revolves about an axis d, which is inclined
to a suitable angle to carry the rakes and beaters down to and up from
the platform without interfering with the driver when in his seat e.
The driver is carried upon a seat bracketted out from the end of the
axle of the main wheel of the machine; he is here very conveniently
placed for working the hand lever ƒ (Figures 1 and 2), and also another
handle g which is herein-after again referred to, by which the inclination
of the teeth of the rakes can be controlled, in addition to which he is
well placed to balance the machine. The rake teeth are fixed into a
head h, which is jointed to the rake arm, substantially as is described in
the Specification of a former Patent granted to two of us, Nos. 2523,
in the year 1866; i, i, are the hinge joints, one flap of each is fixed to
the rake head a and the other to the arm b. We apply controlling
apparatus to such jointed rakes in such manner that when the rake is
required to pass over the platform without delivering, the rake teeth
are turned upwards by the action of the machine itself, and independently
of the pressure of the crop against the rake. This controlling gear is
arranged in the following manner :-From the back of the rake head ha
rod k (jointed to one flap of the hinge i) passes to a lever on the rake
arm b, and to this lever another rod m is attached, this rod passes
along the rake arm to which it is connected by a link m², and carries
at its end a small friction wheel m³, which abuts upon a fixed guide n,
and so supports the rake head whilst the rake is in its work. A portion
5 n' of the guide n is jointed so that it forms a tongue which, by means
of the handle or rod g, can be lifted by the driver of the machine, and
then a gap is left in the guide. At such times the friction wheel m²,
on the supporting rod m as it runs along the guide n drops into the
gap or opening and continues its course on the inner side of the guide
b in place of .on the outer side. Thus the rake after it has raked the
crop over and well clear of the cutting apparatus leaves it upon the
platform, the rake teeth being turned up so as to pass over it, and the
same thing occurs at each revolution of the rake, so long as the gap
in the guide bar is open. This is useful both to avoid the discharge
5 from the platform of scanty sheaves at places where the crop is thin
upon the land, and also to avoid the dropping of sheaves in the corners
of the fields where they would be liable to injury by the feet of the
horses. It will be seen that the inclination of rake teeth in approach-
ing, passing over, and leaving the platform depends upon the form

page_text: given to the guide n, and the power which is thus obtained of adjusting
this inclination is of considerable importance.
Figure 6 shews the way in which we connect the rake head to the
arm when a metal rake arm is employed.
In place of the arrangement above described that shewn at Figures 7
and 8 may be adopted. Here the rake arms a are jointed to their boss b,
and so long as the crop is required to be discharged from the platform
this joint is inoperative, and the rakes travel round their inclined axis c
in a circular course, but when the rake is required to pass over the
crop upon the platform without coming in contact with it the rake
arm a is lifted by means of a jointed tongue d³, which directs a friction
wheel a¹, mounted upon the arm, so as to cause it to ride over a fixed
guide d, underneath which it at other times passes.
We claim. the means of controlling the rakes substantially as
described.
We also claim the general arrangement of the machine, as shewn at
Figure 8, more especially in respect to the combination in the positions
which the Drawing shews of the rake with ungoverned arms and the
seat bracketed out from the wheel.
Another part of our Invention consists in a means of connecting
rake heads and beaters with rake arms. To connect the rake heads
and the beaters with these arms slotted links are jointed to them and
bolts pass through the links and also through the arms.
To give
the bolts a better hold teeth are formed by the sides of the slotted hole.
A washer plate through which the bolt passes is formed with similar
teeth, and the teeth of the sets interlock the one with the other.
The arrangement is shewn in front view at Figure 9, and in end view
at Figure 10. a is the rake arm; b, the rake head, or it might be a
beater board; c, c, are the slotted links having teeth upon them; d,
the bolts; and e, e, the washer plates, having teeth interlocking with
those of the links.
We claim the method of fixing rake heads and beater boards to their.
arms, substantially as described.
Another part of our Invention relates to the cutting apparatus, and
to the means of driving the knife. This means is illustrated by Figure 3 3
and also by Figure 11, which latter Figure shews the knife and fingers
and some other parts in plan. The knife A. is driven by means of a

page_text: crank B' on an inclined axis B placed at or rather beyond one of its
ends, and connected with the knife by a connecting rod C, as is usual,
but in place of jointing the conecting rod to the knife close to its outer
end, that is to say, opposite to the first cutting blade D, or that which
coincides with the first finger when the knife is in a central position,
and omitting the clearing blade E, which cuts on one side of the slade F,
we make the connecting rod to extend entirely over the first blade, and
even by preference over several of the blades and connect it with the
knife at a point G. In this way we overcome all the inconveniences
which have hitherto been experienced in the use of long connecting
rods.
This improvement is important in machines in which, as in the
machine shewn in the Drawing, the crank and its gear is on the same
side of the main wheel as the cutting apparatus, for in such machines
heretofore only very short connecting rods could be used.
In mowing machines this arrangement is also very advantageous,
as the crank is brought closer to the cut and falls within the cleared
track. This will be clearly seen on reference to Figure 12, which is a
diagram of a portion of a mowing machine. It is also especially
advantageous in reaping machines in which it is desired to throw the
knife over two of the spaces between the fingers, or to give it a double
throw. In such cases in order to prevent the knife cutting beyond the
limits of the platform we form the outermost cutting blade H (sce
Fig. 11) with a broad point.
"
We prefer to proportion the parts of the cutting apparatus the one
to the other in the way indicated at Figure 13, which is a plan, and
Figure 14 is a transverse section. a is the finger bar; b, b, the fingers,
which are provided with steel plates 6¹ to form the cutting edges; c is
the knife bar; d, d, the knives.
The main peculiarities of this cutting apparatus are two. 1st. The knives
in place of meeting each other in a sharp angle or V (as indicated by
the dotted lines), meet in a rounded angle or . This construction we
find in practice enables the cutting apparatus to work more freely and
with less power, and knives so made are more easily sharpened. 2nd.
The steel plates 6' are made wider than the finger at its base and have
inclined edges 6*, an arrangement which we also find in practice to
cause the cutting apparatus to work more freely. The pitch of the
fingers is somewhat more than is usual, but in other. respects, except as

page_text: ++
herein-before specified, they are of the ordinary form and arrangement.
The knives also are of the ordinary proportions except that they are
widened at the base to correspond with the increased pitch of the
fingers, and thus the open angle already referred to is. obtained.
We claim the means of driving the knife substantially as described
by means of the crank B¹ on the inclined axis B and connecting rod C
jointed to the knife at a point beyond the first cutting blade D, omitting
the clearing blade E which cuts on the slade.
We also claim the method of proportioning the parts of the cutting
apparatus substantially as described in respect to Figures 13 and 14.
We also claim in the construction of a double throw knife making the
outermost blade with a broad point substantially as is shewn at H in
Figure 11.
.
Another part of our Invention relates to apparatus for raising the
crop when it tends to fall outwards into the track over which the wheel
of the machine is to travel. When the crop is heavy a lifter has
heretofore in some cases been provided at the outer end of the machine,
this lifter is usually fixed or jointed to the stay which connects the main
frame with the finger bar.
Our improvement is shewn at Figures 15 and 16, of which the former
is a side view, and the latter a front view of a portion of the machine.
a is the carrying wheel; b, the pole; c, the main gear frame; d, the
finger bar; e, the stay; f, the sheet-iron lifter heretofore employed. In
form it somewhat resembles the mould board of a plough; f¹ is a sup-
porting prong attached to the lifter. Now according to our Invention
we mount a roller g at the leading edge of the lifter f to prevent breakage
of the straw when it happens to become bent around the edge of the
lifter; this roller is of wood; its axis at the lower end is carried in a
light casting f, fixed to the lifter, and at the upper by the projection ƒ³.
We claim the arrangement of roller lifters substantially as described.
Another part of our Invention relates to mowing machines, and is
illustrated in part by Figure 17, which is a longitudinal section.
In two wheeled machines intended more especially for mowing, we
adopt the following construction:-The pole a is carried by a bridge
piece 6 (see also Figure 18) between the wheels c, the bridge piece b
has an arm projecting from it, and to the under side of of this the pole

page_text: is bolted; the same bolts secure to the upper side of the arm b¹a
wooden bearer d extending to the rear and carrying a low seat e for the
driver. When thus placed the driver can lift the fingers for ease them
over soft places and inequalities by placing his foot at g¹ upon the
frame 9 which carries the finger bar. As in other respects Figure 17
shews a machine of well known construction further description of it
is unnecessary.
When a two-wheeled machine is provided with self-acting raking
apparatus the seat may very conveniently, as is shewn at Figure 18, be
bracketted out from the axle on the outer side of the outer wheel, the
driver when thus placed balances the machine.
We claim the method of combining the bridge picce, pole, and seat
of a mowing machine substantially as described in respect to Figure 17.
We also claim the arrangement substantially as shewn at Figure 18,
in respect to the application of a seat to a two-wheeled self-raking
mowing machine.
Another part of our Invention relates to the starting gear, and is
illustrated by Figures 17 and 19 as heretofore..
The first motion pinion a* is caused to slide on its axis 6*, to withdraw
it from its clutch c*, and so to throw the machine into and out of gear.
According to our present Invention the fork d* of the pinion is jointed
to a lever e*, which turns on a fixed stud f*, there is a peg or tooth e**,
on the lever ex, which, when the lever is at the end of its stroke drops
into one or other of two recesses g*, the lever is able to slide on its
stud axis f*, and there is a coiled spring f**, around the axis which
presses the lever along the axis in a direction to cause the tooth to
drop into the recess when it comes opposite to it.
We claim the arrangement of the starting gear substantially in the
manner shewn and described.
Another part of our Invention relates to the gear for lifting the cutting
apparatus, and is illustrated by Figure 20. As in Figure 17, a is the
pole, 6 the bridge piece with its arm 6'; to this arm is jointed the
lever handle d, which by the chain e lifts the cutting apparatus; the
handle d moves to and fro in a slotted latch plate e, jointed to the
arm of the bridge piece, there is a notch e¹ at one end of the alot to
retain the lever d when the cutting apparatus is raised.
end of the slot is a spring e³, which holds the lever & when the cutting
At the other

page_text: apparatus is lowered and prevents it playing to and fro as the machine
passes over uneven ground, the spring is easily overcome by the driver
when he draws back the lever to lift the cutting apparatus.
We claim the arrangement of the lifting gear for raising and lowering
the cutting apparatus substantially in the manner shewn and described.
Another part of our Invention relates to apparatus for sharpening
the knife. In order to sharpen the knife, we employ a circular file
mounted and used in the same way as the grindstones now used for
this purpose, and as is described in the Specification of a former Patent
granted to two of us, and dated June 16th, 1869, No. 1851. The
arrangement of this apparatus is shewn at Figures 21, 22, 23, and 24;
a is a frame with a seat 6 upon it, c is a treadle, d a connecting rod
driving the wheel e, from which a band rotates the spindle ƒ, on which
is a wooden or other block carrying the circular or ring file f¹; g in
Figure 23 is a portion of the knife shewing the position in which it is
held whilst being sharpened.
We claim the means of applying a circular file for sharpening the
knives of mowing and reaping machines substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hornsby, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Second day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
DICHARD HORNSRY