IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Brenton, of Polbathic, in the County
of Cornwall, Agricultural Implement Manufacturer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brenton at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th September 1878.
I, WILLIAM BRENTON, of Polbathic, in the County of Cornwall, Agri-
5 cultural Implement Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN-REAPING MACHINES," to be as follows,
that is to say :-
This Invention consists of improvements in the apparatus for delivering
the cut corn from reaping machines, for which Letters Patent were
O granted to me, and dated the Twelfth day of August 1864, No. 2006.
In using the said apparatus difficulty has been experienced in getting
the corn away from the inner end of the delivery roller, and the object
of my present improvements is to obviate this defect and to facilitate the

page_text: delivery of the cut corn at the side of the machine. For this purpose I
shorten or place the roller moved by the vibrating lever so that its innor
end shall be about twelve inches further from the framing of the
machine, and I fix in the space thus formed a rack tip platform, hinged
to the front piece of the machine. A suitably placed spiral spring keeps 5
this rack on a level with the roller, but allows it to fall from the weight
of the sheaf, thus facilitating the work of the rakeman.
I also employ a conical roller, placed vertically at the end of the plat-
form, and revolving on a spindle fixed to the finger bar or otherwise. In
front of the roller is fixed a projecting board, which prevents the grain 1
from falling in against the rakeman's leg, and the ears of corn from
being cut off by the inner end of the knife; it also serves to conduct the
grain towards the said vertical roller, so as to facilitate its delivery.
The said conical roller with its board may be applied to any roaping
machine, and will allow of the machine cutting the full width all round 1
the crop.
The shape and position of the roller may be varied.
The large platform of the machine may also be fixed on a bar, so as to
tip-inwards from the weight of the sheaf at delivery, a spiral spring or a
halanen weight haing analied thevote to halonan the platfoum
☑
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Brenton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BRENTON, of Polbathic, in the County of Cornwall, Agricultural Imple- 2
ment Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, 3
give and grant unto me, the said William Brenton, Her special
liconce that I, the said William Brenton, my executors, administra.

page_text: tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Brenton,
'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 William Brenton; my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 Brenton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say :-
This Invention consists in improvements in the apparatus for
delivering the cut corn from reaping machines, for which Letters Patent
were granted to me, and dated the Twelfth day of August One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four, No. 2006.
In using the said apparatus much difficulty has been experienced in
getting the corn away from the inner end of the delivery roller, and the
object of my present improvements is, firstly, to obviate this defect;
and, secondly, to facilitate the delivery of the cut corn at the side of the
machine.
To carry out the first part of my improvements; I employ a conical
roller, placed vertically at the end of the platform, and revolving on a
spindle fixed to the finger bar or otherwise. In front of the roller is
fixed a projecting board, guide, or ear protector, which prevents the gräin
from falling in against the rakeman's leg, and the cars of corn from
being cut off by the inner end or heel of the knife; it also allows of a
larger cut, and serves to conduct the grain towards the said vertical
roller; so as to facilitate its delivery.

page_text: The said conical roller, with its guide, guard, or car protector, may be
applied to any reaping machine, and will allow of the machine cutting
the full width all round the crop.
The size, shape, and position of the roller may be varied.
To carry out the second part of my improvements I shorten or place the &
roller moved by the vibrating lever so that its inner end shall be about
twelve inches further from the framing of the machine, and I fix in the
space thus formed a skeleton tip platform, hinged or otherwise connected
to the front bar of the machine. A suitably placed spiral spring or other
suitable appliance raises this rack on a level with the roller, but allows 1
it to fall from the weight of the sheaf, thus facilitating the work of the
rakeman.
The large platform of the machine or a portion thereof may also be
hinged so as to tip inwards from the weight of the sheaf at delivery, a
spiral spring, a balance weight, or other suitable appliance being applied 1
thereto to balance the platform.
To make my Invention better understood I will now proceed to more
particularly describe the same by reference to the accompanying
Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan of a reaping machine with my
improvements applied thereto, the large platform being fixed; Figure 2, 2
a similar view, shewing the large platform hinged; and Figure 3, an
clevation of the vertical roller with its guide or car protector. Similar
letters in all the Figures represent similar parts.
In Figure 1 a is the large fixed platform; b, the ordinary horizontal
roller, which is shortened as herein-before described; c is the hinged tip 2
platform or side delivery, which is balanced or kept in its proper place
by means of the spiral spring d; e represents the conical roller, which
revolves on its axis and is fixed on the wood behind the finger bar;
f shows the guide or car protector for conducting the grain, as herein-
before described.
3
In Figure 2 the large platform a is shown hinged so as to tip inwards,
and is also connected to the small tip platform c, the whole being
balanced or raised by means of suitably placed spiral springs, balance
weights, india-rubber, or other attachments answering the same purpose
(not shown in the Drawing). k represents a part of the large platform, 3

page_text: which is fixed; e is the vertical roller; and f, the guard or guide, as
herein-before described and shewn in Figure 1.
Instead of being connected with the small tip platform, the large
hinged platform may be employed alone.
Figuro 3 shews an elevation of the said vertical roller e detached, with
its guide or ear protector f._
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the best
means am acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, I wish it
to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein laid down, but what I claim is,—
Firstly. The application to reaping machines of a vertical conical
roller or its equivalent in combination or not with a suitably shaped
guide, guard, or ear protector, for protecting the grain, guiding the
same for delivery, allowing a larger cut for the knife than hitherto, and
preventing the grain becoming entangled with the rakeman's leg, as
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The construction and employment of the balanced skeleton
tip platform, arranged and acting as and for the purposes herein-before
described, and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The hinging and balancing the large platform or a part
thereof, to allow of the same tipping inwards, in combination or not with
the small tip platform, as herein-before described and represented in tho
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Brenton, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.