Improved Means and Appliances for Controlling the Rakes of Reaping Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Appliances for Controlling the Rakes of
Reaping Machines.
We HUGH REID GRIFFIN and THOMAS CULPIN, both of 36 Worship Street,
Finsbury, London, Agricultural 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 :-
This invention relates to improved means and appliances for controlling the
rakes of reaping machines, the object being to prevent the possibility of collision
between the rake arm and the switch, and to dispense with the usual switch spring
and yet make the controlling action positive after the appliances are sett for the
desired number of rakes and of dummy blades by the attendant according to
lightness or heaviness of the crop.
The invention is represented on the annexed drawings of which
Figure 1, is a plan of cam with the moving parts in the position it is preferred to
place them.
Figure 2 a part front elevation showing portion of the cam and the hand lever
by which the setting can be effected.
Figure 3, side elevation with part of sector broken away to show paul S.
Figure 4, represents the interior of the sector.
Figure 5, is a diagram of the sectors position governed by the hand lever.
Figure 6 is a plan on an enlarged scale of the switch cap and details shown in
Figure 1.
For the purpose of this invention a lever A is fitted on the vertical shaft B and
one end C of it has a toothed quadrant D for gearing into the cap E mounted
loosely on the switch spindle F. The opposite end of the lever A is flattened
outwardly from both sides and has a serrated face for a plate H with corresponding
serrations to engage when adjusted and be fixed by a bolt I at the requisite angle,
the end of the bar A being slotted to enable this to be done. The outer end of
the plate H fits loosely in a slot J of a bracket K depending from the cam race L
on which the bowls of the arms travel, and a pin or stud M fitted in this bracket K
carries a toothed sector N the A teeth of which project above the cam race L
to be pushed along in succession by the bowls while they travel on the cam L.
The sector N has a tail piece P, which, after a certain amount of motion, comes
against and forces the end of the plate H along and in contact with the lower end R
of a paul S to take its point out of the recess T formed within the sector N and
which recesses correspond to the number of teeth U against which the bowls act.
The paul S serves as a stop to any back movement of the sector N except when
the switch is open when it is then held out of gear by the changed position of the
lever, shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.
The sector N falls back until arrested by the stud in the lever V; dummies will
then follow until the last tooth of the series is moved which again produces a
rake.
The pin or stud M on which the sector N is fitted has a handle V projecting to
be within reach of the driver and he can shift it into any notch in the edge face W
of the bracket K according to the number of dummies he wishes to pass between
the rakes.
The handle V has a short lever X with a pin Y projecting at right angles from
it and passing through a slotted hole Z in the bracket K the end of the pin pro-
jecting beyond to be within range of a lump a forming the weight by which the
sector N when the stop paul S is released, returns to its adjusted position determined
by the handle.

page_text: The cap E is in a piece with a slotted segmental plate 6 from the upper part of
which a pin c projects into the path of the rake bowl on the opening of the switch G
so that as it, .e., the rake bowl passes, pushes the pin c out of its way and closes
the switch G returning the lever A. to its normal position.
Beneath the slotted plate 6 of the cap E and firmly fixed to the square end of
the spindle F of which the switch G forms a part, is a plate d with a stud e which
passes up through the slot of the cap plate 6 to which it can be clamped so that the
switch G cap E and plate 6 move as one. The slot in the cap plate b is for the
purpose of fixing them in either one of two positions relatively to each other
i.e., whether the switch G is to be controlled by the sector N or whether it
be independent, which would fix the switch G open for all the blades to act as
rakes, the pin c being then out of the path of the bowls.
It may be observed that when this last described motion is to be had the plate H
is loosened from the arm A to move it out of reach of the sector tail P.;
fis the guard or fence for holding down the bowls upon the cam race.
It will be observed from the foregoing that the whole of the controlling apparatus
forms part of the cam whereas in other controlling gears it forms parts of and are
attached to the body of the reaper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. In a reaping machine head, the several appliances arranged substantially as
herein before described and substantially as shown on the annexed drawings,
2. Controlling the rakes and blades of a reaping machine without the use of the
usual switch spring, substantially as set forth.
3. In a reaping machine the employment of a toothed sector capable of movement
by the travelling bowls of the rake arms and the means for converting a dummy
blade to a rake blade from the movement of the sector substantially as described.
Dated this 19th dow of Ionuary 1802
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said H. R. Griffin and T. Culpin.