IMPROVE- MENTS IN SHEAF BINDING AND TRUSSING MACHINES
Year: 1886

page_text: We, JAMES HORNSBY and JOHN INNOCENT, both of Grantham, in the County of
Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHEAF BINDING AND TRUSSING MACHINES to be as follows:-
The objects of our present invention are to improve the construction and to
increase the efficiency of machinery for cutting crops and binding the straw into'
sheaves or trusses.
The first part of our invention relates to an improved arrangement for guiding
the string that ties up the sheaf or truss on to the knotter, this knotter is of the
type generally known as the Appleby Knotter. The extreme end of the string
that ties up the sheaf or truss is usually held by a notched disc wheel and U shaped
lever, as the string passes from this notched wheel or gripper to the knotter, we
by preference pass the string over a fixed guide placed between the gripper and
the knotter, this guide serves to hold the string in position for the knotter when
making the knot. To this fixed guide mounted between the gripper and the
knotter we attach another fixed guide which comes between the knotter and the
sheaf or truss, thus making a double guide, one on either side of the knotter to
hold the string on and not allow it to pass under the knotter as the needle returns
to its normal position after a sheaf or truss has been tied. We do not confine
ourselves to make the two string guides in one piece. The guide that is placed
between the knotter and the sheaf or truss may be made in one piece with any
convenient fixed part, or it may be made separate and attached to any fixed part
of the mechanism. The novelty of this part of our invention is a fixed guide
between the knotter and the sheaf or truss to guide the string on the knotter.
Another part of our invention relates to the gear or main frame of the harvester
which we sometimes make of wrought iron, or other tubes placed on either or
both sides of the main or drive wheel, such tubes to be held in position by wrought
iron bars, malleable or cast iron brackets, or wood bars; suitable brackets for
raising or lowering the machine and for carrying the gear that drives the knife,
aprons, binder &c may me mounted on, or attached to, the tubes. In place of tubes
we sometimes use angle, T, or channel shaped iron.

page_text: Improvements in Sheaf Binding and Trussing Machines.
We JAMES HORNSBY and JOHN INNOCENT, Engineers, both of Grantham in the
County of Lincoln, England do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEAF BINDING AND STRAW TRUSSING MACHINES and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
Our invention. is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1
is a side elevation of a knotter bracket with the different parts attached: Figure 2
shews a plan view partly in section of the same: Figure 3 shews an end elevation
of one method of constructing our improved tubular frame: Figure 4 shews. a
plan view of the same: Figure 5 is an end elevation shewing another method of
constructing our improved tube frame: Figure 5A shews a detached view of the
same Figure 6 shews a plan view of the same: Figure 7 shews an end elevation
of another method of constructing the frame: Figure 8 shews a plan of the same.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
In Figure 1, A is the knotter bracket on which is mounted the mechanism for
tying the knot, retaining & cutting the string &c: B is the retainer wheel that
holds the extreme end of the string C is the bar or guide across which the string
is laid this bar or guide serves a twofold purpose, first to assist in holding the
string on the knotter hook, and second to hold the string a proper height for it to
come between the knotter jaws as they revolve to tie the knot; D is the knotter
consisting principally of the upper & the lower jaws which tie the knot; "D' is the
pinion which operates the knotter being caused to revolve by suitable gear not
shown E is the pin on which is mounted the lever E on which the string knife
is fixed at the proper time by suitable mechanism this lever is caused to vibrate
thus cutting the string between the sheaf & the string retaining mechanism, also
pulling the completed knot off the knotter D so that the sheaf may be discharged.
In practice we found that when the extreme end of the string was retained by the
wheel B and passed over the guide C the string would be slack & frequently pass
beyond the extreme end of the knotter jaw D so that the string would be on the
under instead of the upper side of the jaw & thus miss tying the knot. To prevent
this we mount the guide F by preference attaching it to the guide C but it may be
mounted on any convenient part thus forming two fixed guides one on each side
to keep the string in a proper position on the knotter The novelty of this part
of our invention is placing two fixed guides one on each side of the knotter, to keep
the string in a proper position on the knotter.
Another part of our Invention relates to the main or gear frame of sheaf binding
harvesters which we make of wrought iron or steel tubes, these tubes may be of
any shape desired, either round, square, oval, or other shape as may be approved.
Figures 3 & 4 shew a frame composed of 6 tubes H, with wood cross bars I, with
the finger beam J, and the back bar L bolted to the tubes. Figures 5 and 6 shew
another method of making a tube frame by placing 4 longitudinal tubes H and
two cross tubes M. one at the back another at the front of the frame, between these
tubes we place brackets N of suitable shape to clip the tubes and hold them at

page_text: right angles with each other the tubes with the brackets between them being
fastened together by bolts. By preference we sometimes make these tubes square
or nearly so as shewn at Figure 54. At Figures 7 and 8 we shew another method
of our making our tube frame by placing the longitudinal tubes in holes or sockets
of metallic cross pieces O and fasten the tubes in their sockets by suitable bolts,
rivets, pins, or keys. The metallic ends O may be of a different shape to those
shewn, hollows may be made on one side of the bars to receive the tubes instead of
holes through the bars, & the tubes secured in position by bolts or other suitable
The quadrants for raising & lowering the machine also the gearing for
driving the various parts of the machine may be mounted on the frame in any
convenient or suitable manner.
means.
Having thus described the nature of our invention and the manner of performing
the same we would have it understood that what we claim is:-
First: In sheaf binders or straw trussing machines placing a fixed string guide
on that side of the knotter opposite to the string retainer as shewn and described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
.
Second: In sheaf binding harvesters making the longitudinal parts of the main
or gear frame marked H, H, H, H, in the drawings of steel or wrought iron tubes.
Third In sheaf binding harvesters the combination of parts forming the gear
or main frame as shewn and described with reference to Figures 3. 4. 5. 5. 6. 7
and 8 of the drawings.