IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Nicholson, of Chaple House, Hensingham,
Whitehaven, in the County of Cumberland, Agricultural Implement
Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES."
Sealed the 21st February 1860, and dated the 8th September 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Nicholson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th September 1859.
I, JOSEPH NICHOLSON, of Chaple House, Hensingham, Whitehaven, in the
County of Cumberland, Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of lever
horse rake for hay, corn, stubble, or weeds, whereby the teeth of the rake are
balanced, so as to afford greater facility for emptying them of the collected
matter. In carrying out this Invention, it is proposed to apply to the inside
of the main framing of the rake a secondary frame, working on a transverse
bar or rod extending from side to side of the main framing. The heads of the
several teeth are carried by and work freely upon the front portion of the
inner frame, which is connected by a double-forked connecting rod to an over-
head hand lever, the back free end of which works in a segmental guide. By
depressing this lever, and engaging it into a catch or notch, the teeth will be
elevated from the surface of the land, and maintained so elevated until the

page_text: release of the lever again. A moveable catch fitted to the upper portion of
the segmental guide bar enables the lever to be maintained elevated and the
teeth depressed to any desired height, thus regulating the height of the teeth
above the ground. The inclination of the points of of the teeth is also capable
of being regulated by adjusting the height of the main frame in conjunction with
the greater or less elevation of the lifting lever, this adjustment of the frame
being accomplished by means of slotted quadrants and tightening-screws.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Nicholson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th March 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
NICHOLSON, of Chaple House, Hensingham, Whitehaven, in the County of
Cumberland, Agricultural Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Nicholson, Her special license that I, the said Joseph Nicholson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others -as I, the said Joseph
Nicholson, my executors, administrators, or 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
HORSE RAKES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Nicholson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Joseph Nicholson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of

page_text: lever horse rake for hay, corn, stubble, or weeds, whereby the teeth of the
rake are balanced, so as to afford greater facility for freeing them from the
collected matter. In carrying out this Invention it is proposed to apply to
the inside of the main framing of the rake a secondary frame, working on a
transverse bar or rod extending from side to side of the main framing. The
heads of the several teeth are carried by and work freely upon the front
portion of the inner or secondary frame, which is connected by a double-forked.
connecting rod to an overhead hand lever, the back free end of which
works in or against a segmental guide. By depressing this lever, and
engaging it into a catch or notch, the teeth will be elevated from the surface.
of the land, and maintained so elevated until the release of the lever again.
A moveable catch fitted on to the segmental guide bar enables the lever to be
maintained elevated, and the teeth raised to any desired height above the
ground. The inclination of the points of the teeth is also capable of being
regulated, by adjusting the height of the main frame in conjunction with the
greater or less elevation of the lifting lever, this adjustment of the frame
being accomplished by means of slotted quadrants and tightening screws.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
I shall refer to the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of my
improved horse rake; and Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same.
A is the main framing of the rake; and B, the inner or secondary frame
working on the transverse bar or rod C, which extends from side to side of
the main framing; D, D, are the teeth, the heads of which are carried by and
work freely upon a transverse rod E, which connects the two ends of the inner
frame. The front part of this inner frame is formed of angle iron, as shewn
at F, and this angle iron bar has connected to it the forked connecting rod or
link G, which is attached at its upper extremity to the lever H, working on a
fixed centre at I. The rear or free end of this lever is guided by working
against the side of the segmental guide bar K bolted to the back part of the
main framing. L is a moveable catch in the form of a clip, gripping the
guide bar, and capable of being fixed at any desired elevation thereon by
means of a set screw. This catch serves as a rest or support for the rear end
of the lever. A second catch or notch is formed at the bottom of the guide
bar, for the purpose of holding the lever down, and maintaining the teeth
elevated when the machine is not at work. By suitably adjusting the height
of the catch L, and regulating the height of the main framing A by the aid of

page_text: the two slotted quadrants M, which are jointed at N to the main framing, and
carry the axle O of the running wheels P, P, the teeth may be set to work
more or less on their points as may be desired.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of horse rakes, as herein-
before described.
Second, the attaching of the teeth of horse rakes to an inner frame, working
freely on centres carried by the main framing of the implement, as herein-
before described.
Third, the combination of an inner or secondary frame carrying the teeth
of horse rakes, with an overhead adjusting lever, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the mode or method of adjusting the inclination of the teeth of
horse rakes, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Nicholson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the 3rd day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.