Improvements in the Sheaf Packing and Binding Mechanism of Reaping and other Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mr., 1993-Accepted, 37th May, 1.93
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Sheaf Packing and Binding Mechanism of
Reaping and other Machines.
We, JAMES HORNSBY, JOHN INNOCENT, and ISAAC TROLLEY, all of Spittlegate
Iron Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In many respects the sheaf packing and binding mechanism in its general features
is similar to mechanism before used for these purposes.
The packers we employ are of the ordinary construction and have motion given
to them as is usual by cranks on a continuously revolving crank shaft.
The packers compress the crop which is to be bound up into a sheaf against a
compressor jaw in the ordinary way-when sufficient crop for forming a sheaf has
in this way been gathered into a bundle the knotter spindle is automatically put
into gear through interposed gearing with the packer spindle and caused to make
one complete revolution.
This movement of the knotter spindle causes a string to be carried around the
bundle by a needle and the ends of the portion of the string which goes around the
bundle to be then tied together by a knotter the string cut and the bound sheaf
cjected.
According to our present invention we cause one complete turn to be given to
the knotter spindle at the proper time in the following manner.
The packer spindle we prolong to the front end of the frame and place loosely on
its end a bevel pinion.
To cause this pinion to revolve with the spindle at the time when the knotter
spindle is to be caused to make a complete turn we use clutch mechanism similar to
that before used by us.
The pinion called the shipping pinion carries a driving pawl acted on by a spring
which tends to turn it into a position for a driver on the spindle to come against
and thereby cause the pinion to turn with the spindle. When the knotter spindle
has made one complete turn an arm on the driving pawl comes against the end of a
lever called the shipping lever and by it is turned out of the way of the driver so
that the pinion is no longer revolved by the spindle.
The bevel pinion we cause to gear with a bevel pinion on the lower end of an
inclined shaft which at its upper end has upon it another bevel pinion that gears
with a ring of bevel teeth on the face of a disc which is fast on the knotter spindle.
To move the shipping lever out of the way of the driving pawl above mentioned
at the proper time that is when sufficient crop for forming a sheaf has been gathered
bundle we fix the shipping lever on to the front end of the spindle of the
needle by which string is passed around the bundles-so that if the needle be lifted
the shipping lever is lifted with it. To lift the needle a distance whenever the
pressure against the compresser jaw exceeds a certain amount we form the lever
which carries the compresser jaw with a tail piece which comes below the needle
and which when the compresser lever is depressed raises the needle a distance.
into a
In order to obtain a good compression of the sheaf at the time when a string is
being tied around it-in place of making the compresser lever to turn around a fixed
pivot we make it to turn on a pin which is carried by and is eccentric to the needle
spindle in such a way that as soon as the needle spindle commences to make its
rocking movement the compressor jaw is drawn towards the packers. In this way
we are enabled to obtain good compression when at the same time we use the
needle spindle for carrying the shipping lever.
When the pressure against the compressor jaw forces downwards the compressor

page_text: lever and lifts the recdle as above explained and the needle continues to rise the
compressor lever drops on to an arm which stands out from the compressor spindle
and is thereby supported until the sheaf is to be ejected.
When the time arrives for ejecting the sheaf the compressor spindle is rocked to
allow the compressor lever to drop, the compresser spindle being then rocked by a
cam on the knotter spindle in the ordinary way.
The needle has its rocking movement given to it from the knotter spindle in the
ordinary way-a crank arm on the needle spindle being coupled by a connecting rod
with a shorter crank arm on the knotter spindle.
The knotter in many respects we construct as described in the Specification of a
former l'atent No. 4461 of 1890- but in place of the knife for severing the string
being carried by an arm to which a swinging movement is imparted as described in
the Specification of that Patent we carry it by an arm which extends out from a
sleeve that surrounds the spindle of the gripper disc and we give to it a step by
step turning movement by teeth and locking surfaces on the knotter cam plate in
the same way that the gripper disc and knotter previously received movement from
this cam plate.
The parts are arranged to act in the following manner.
When the needle has
laid its thread across the knotter and into one of the notches of the gripper disc,
the knife spindle has a partial turn given to it to carry the knife past the string
before the needle commences to make its return movement-about the same time
the knotter spindle begins to turn and when it has made a complete turn and the
knot is completed the knife spindle has a second turning movement given to it
which carries the knife against the strings which lie between the gripper and
knotter and severs them and then brings the knife to the position from which it
first started. The strings are supported as the knife comes against them by a
projection rising up from the presser plate-the knife edge passes close to the edge
of the projection and the strings are cut between them.
When the strings have been severed and the knot is to be drawn off from the
knotter we allow the knotter spindle to make a slightly backward turn so that the
knotter jaws incline in the direction in which the sheaf is to be ejected and not at
right angles to this direction, this allows the knot to be more readily drawn off'
from the knotter jaws.
To allow the knotter spindle to make this partial backward turn the locking
surface which kept it from turning is cut away or reduced in height for some
distance.
In order to keep the knotter jaws closed together whilst the knot is being
drawn from them, we cause the moveable jaw to open and close in the following
manner.
When the knotter has made a partial turn a tail end of the moveable jaw comes
against a fixed cam plate which turns the jaw into its open position and as the
knotter continues to turn the tail end of the moveable jaw passes along below this
cam plate and the jaw is so kept open until the portion of the string which is to
come between the jaws has been received between them-the tail end of the
moveable jaw then passes the end of the cam plate and a spring acting against the
tail end causes the moveable jaw to close.
When the partial backward movement of the knotter takes place the moveable
jaw having been turned into its closed position its tail end is no longer in position
to pass below the cain plate but passes close up against its side edge and in this
way the jaw is kept from opening.
When the knot has been drawn off from the knotter an inclined rise in the
locking surface causes the knotter to turn back to its original position at right
angles to the strings and into position for commencing to make another knot.
In order that when the strings are laid across the knotter jaws they may be laid
across them close up to the knotter spindle we make the slot in the fixed knotter
guard plate up through which the string needle rises, to curve aside from the plane
of the needle to the rear of the knotter spindle--and to be continued around the

page_text: knotter spindle far enough for the strings to remain in the groove until they have
been seized by the knotter jaws.
Dated this 27th day of June 1892.
JAMES HORNSB1.
JOHN INNOCENT.
I. TROLLEY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Sheaf Packing and Binding Mechanism of
Reaping and other Machines.
We, JAMES HORNSBY, JOHN INNOCENT, and ISAAC TROLLEY, all of Spittle-
gate Iron Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In many respects the sheaf packing and binding mechanism in its general
features is similar to mechanism before used for these purposes.
The packers we employ are of the ordinary construction and have motion given
to them as is usual by cranks on a continuously revolving crank shaft.
The packers compress the crop which is to be bound up into a sheaf against a
compressor jaw in the ordinary way-when sufficient crop for forming a sheaf has
in this way been gathered into a bundle the knotter spindle is automatically put
into gear through interposed gearing with the packer spindle and caused to make
one complete revolution.
This movement of the knotter spindle causes a string to be carried around the
bundle by a needle and the ends of the portion of the string which goes around the
bundle to be then tied together by a knotter the string cut and the bound sheaf
ejected.
According to our present invention we cause one complete turn to be given to
the knotter spindle at the proper time in the following manner.
The packer spindle we prolong to the front end of the frame and place loosely
on its end a bevel pinion.
To cause this pinion to revolve with the spindle at the time when the knotter
spindle is to be caused to make a complete turn we use clutch mechanism similar
to that before used by us.
The pinion called the shipping pinion carries a driving pawl acted on by a spring
which tends to turn it into a position for a driver on the spindle to come against and
thereby cause the pinion to turn with the spindle. When the knotter spindle has
made one complete turn an arm on the driving pawl comes against the end of a
lever called the shipping lever and by it is turned out of the way of the driver so
that the pinion is no longer revolved by the spindle.
The bevel pinion we cause to gear with a bevel pinion on the lower end of an
inclined shaft which at its upper end has upon it another bevel pinion that gears
with a ring of bevel teeth on the face of a disc which is fast on the knotter
spindle.
To move the shipping lever out of the way of the driving pawl above mentioned
at the proper time that is when sufficient crop for forming a sheaf has been
gathered into a bundle we fix the shipping lever on to the front end of the spindle
of the needle by which string is passed around the bundles-so that if the needle
be lifted the shipping lever is lifted with it. To lift the needle a distance when-
ever the pressure against the compresser jaw exceeds a certain amount we form
the lever which carries the compresser jaw with a tail piece which comes below the
needle and which when the compresser lever is depressed raises the needle a
distance.
In order to obtain a good compression of the sheaf at the time when a string is

page_text: being tied around it—in place of making the compresser lever to turn around a
fixed pivot we make it to turn on a pin which is carried by and is eccentric to the
needle spindle in such a way that as soon as the needle spindle commences to make
its rocking movement the compresser jaw is drawn towards the packers. In this
way we are enabled to obtain good compression when at the same time we use the
needle spindle for carrying the shipping lever.
When the pressure against the compressor jaw forces downwards the compressor
lever and lifts the needle as above explained and the needle continues to rise the
compressor lever drops on to an arm which stands out from the compressor spindle
and is thereby supported until the sheaf is to be ejected.
When the time arrives for ejecting the sheaf the compressor spindle is rocked to
allow the compressor lever to drop, the compresser spindle being then rocked by a
cam on the knotter spindle in the ordinary way.
The needle has its rocking movement given to it from the knotter spindle in the
ordinary way a crank arm on the needle spindle being coupled by a connecting
rod with a shorter crank arm on the knotter spindle.
The above improvements are shown on Sheet 1 of the drawings annexed.
Figure 1 is a perspective view.
Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 shew some of the details.
Figure 1 is an end view of the binder frame with the gearing and other parts.
1 is the binder frame, 2 the spindle that operates the knotter, 3 the spindle on
which the needle is fixed, 4 is the crank arm that operates the needle, 5 is the
needle, 6 is the compressor spindle, cranked at the end 7, 8 is a lever fixed on the
opposite end of the compressor spindle, this lever holds up the compressor jaw in
its proper position, and drops the jaw during the time the sheaf is being discharged,
9 is the compressor lever which is jointed at 10 to the heel of the needle, 11 is the
compressor jaw mounted on the lever 9, the lever 9 extends under the needle and
touches the needle at 12 for tripping, 13 is the packer spindle which is driven con-
tinuously as is usual, 14 is the shipping pinion mounted loose on spindle 13 to which
is jointed the shipping pawl 15, 16 is the joint pin of the shipping pawl, 17 is the
spring and rod to rock the shipping pawl on its joint pin, 18 is the driver for the
shipping pawl mounted on the end of the packer spindle 13, 19 and 19" are two
drive rolls mounted on the fixed studs 20 and 20, 21 is a pinion fixed on the lower
end of the spindle 22 which is carried by bearings in the bracket 1. 23 is the
pinion fixed at the upper end of the spindle 22. This gears with a wheel 24 which
is fast on the knotter spindle 2, on the wheel 24 is a cam path 25, which operates
a rocking lever 26, at about the middle of its length, this lever is mounted on a
stud 26 fixed in the bracket 1, the extreme end of the lever carries a roller 26°
which is operated by the cam 25, and through the spring rod 27 rocks the spindle 6
and holds up the lever for compressing or dropping the lever 9 with the com-
pressor 11 for the sheaf to be discharged, to the wheel 24 is fixed a crank pin 28,
to which a rod 29 is connected, a trip lever 30 is mounted on the spindle 3 or on
the boss 31 moving the usual rod and trip spring.
This tripping is performed in the following manner the packers force the cut
crop against the compressor jaw 11 forcing it backwards and causing the trip
jaw 11 with the lever 9 and the needle (which are all carried by the spindle 3)
to rock the spindle 3, and lift the lever 30 aud put the binding mechanism into
gear. Figure 2 shows the lever 30 placed against shipping pawl 15, in this position
the binding mechanism is out of gear. At Figure by the action of the rocking
spindle 3 the trip lever 30 is lifted and the binding mechanism is put into gear by
the spring 17 pushing the heel 15³ of the shipping pawl 15 outwards so that the
rollers 19 or 19 engages with it. Figures 4 and 5 both show the roller 19 in
contact with the shipping pawl, the binding mechanism being in gear, and Figure 2
shows the lever 30 in contact with the shipping pawl 15 and the spring 17 com-
pressed and the heel 15 of the shipping pawl rocked inwards and clear of the
path of the driving rolls 19 and 19 which rolls have a continuous movement.
The knotter in many respects we construct as described in the Specification of a

page_text: former Patent No. 4161 of 1890-but in place of the knife for severing the string
being carried by an arm to which a swinging movement is imparted as described in
the Specification of that Patent we carry it by an arm which extends out from a
sleeve that surrounds the spindle of the gripper disc and we give to it a step by step
turning movement by teeth and locking surfaces on the knotter cam plate in the
same way that the gripper disc and knotter previously received movement from this
cam plate.
Figure 6 shews the general arrangement of our knotting, gripping, and cutting
mechanism, 31 is the knotter operated by the pinion 32, and the segment 33. The
gripper is a circular disc 34 fast with the spindle 35 and is operated by the
pinion 36 and the segment 37, the locking surface 38 being in contact with one of
the flat sides on the pinion 36 thus holding one or other of the notches of the disc 34
in position for receiving the string to be retained between the moving disc 34 and
the fixed disc 39, 40 is the knife that cuts the string fixed to a revolving sleeve 41
carried by a bracket mounted on the gripper spindle 35, the string knife being
operated by the pinion 42 and the segments 43 and 44. Figure 7 shows a section
of Figure 6 through the dotted line A. Figure 8 shews the method in which
the sleeve 41 may be mounted and secured in position. 45 shews the lower part
of the bracket that carries the knotter gripper and cutter 46 shews a cap secured
to that bracket by bolts 47 and 48. The normal position of the string knife is
shewn by Figures 9 and 10. When the needle has laid its thread across the
knotter and into one of the notches of the gripper disc, the knife spindle is caused
to make a partial turn by the segment 43 coming in contact with the pinion 42
which causes the kuife to move under the needle from the position shewn at
Figure 10, to the position shown at Figure 12. The needle then commences to
make its return movement, about the same time the knotter spindle begins to turn
and when it has made a complete turn and the knot is completed the knife spindle
has a second turning movement given to it by the segment 44 which carries the
knife against the strings which lie between the gripper and the knotters and severs
them and then brings the knife to the position from which it first started. The
strings are supported as the knife comes against them by a projection 39° rising up
from the fixing plate 39. The knife edge passes close to the edge of the projection
and the strings are cut between them.
Figures 13 and 16 shew the parts in the positions they are in just as the knife is
about to cut the string.
Figures 17, 18 and 19 shew the parts in the positions they are in when the string
has been cut and the knot just drawn off from the knotter.
Figures 20 and 21 shew the knife and the sleeve that carries it.
When the strings have been severed and the knot is to be drawn off from the
knotter we allow the knotter spindle to make a slightly backward turn so that
the knotter jaws incline in the direction in which the sheaf is to be ejected and nc
at right angles to this direction, this allows the knot to be more readily drawn off*
from the knotter jaws.
To allow the knotter jaws to make this partial backward turn the locking
surface 45 which kept it from turning is cut away or reduced in height for some
distance at the point B see Figures 6 and 7.
In order to keep the knotter jaws closed together whilst the knot is being drawn
from them we cause the moveable jaw to open and close in the following manner :-
When the knotter has made a partial turn a tail end of the moveable jaw 46*
comes against a fixed cam plate 47 (see Figures 11 and 22, 23 and 24) which turns
the jaw into its open position and as the knotter continues to turn the tail end of
the moveable jaw passes along below this cam plate and the jaw is so kept open
until the portion of the string which is to come between the jaws has been received
between them the tail end of the moveable jaw then passes the end of the cam plate
and a spring acting against the tail end causes the moveable jaws to close.
When the partial backward movement of the knotter takes place the moveable
jaw having been turned into its closed position its tail end 46 is no longer in position

page_text: to pass below the cam plate but passes close up against its side edge as shewn in
Figure 24 and in this way the jaw is kept from opening.
When the knot has been drawn off from the knotter an inclined rise in the locking
surface 45 causes the knotter to turn to its original position at right angles to the
strings and into position for commencing to make another knot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. The combined arrangement of mechanism substantially as described with
reference to Figure 1 for bringing sheaf binding mechanism into action at the
proper time.
2. The combination of the packer spindle prolonged to the front-the pinion loose
upon it the clutch mechanism for locking this pinion to the spindle when a sheaf is
to be bound and then giving motion through an inclined shaft and pairs of bevil
gear wheels to the knotter shaft-the crank pin on the knotter shaft giving a
rocking motion to the spindle on which the needle is fixed-the compresser jaw
carried by a lever jointed to the heel of the needle and when forced back lifting
the needle and the trip mechanism on the rocking needle spindle for holding the
clutch mechanism out of action until the needle has been somewhat raised by the
pressure against the compresser jaw substantially as described.
3. The combination of the trip mechanisin mounted on the rocking needle spindle
and the compresser jaw carried by a lever jointed to the heel of the needle and
lifting the needle when forced back substantially as described.
4. In combination with the gripper disc the employment of a knife capable of
being revolved around the disc to sever the string at the proper time substantially
as described.
5. The combination of the knotter, the gripper disc the knife capable of being
revolved around it and the cam plate with teeth in three concentric rings and three
locking surfaces for controlling the movements of the knotter, gripper disc and
knife substantially as described.
6. Cutting away a portion of the locking surface used for controlling the move-
ments of the knotter in such a way as to allow the knotter to make a slight back-
ward turn at the time when the knot is being drawn off from it substantially as
described.
7. The construction of the knotter with a fixed cam plate passing partly around
it for the tail end of the moveable jaw of the knotter to bear against at the time
when the knotter makes its partial backward turn and so keep the jaw closed whilst
the knot is being drawn off from the kuotter substantially as described.
8. The construction of the knotter mechanism substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 28th day of March 1893.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.