IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HORSE RAKES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edward Jeffery, of the Firm of Jeffery and Black-
stone, of Stamford, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers and Agricultural
Implement Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF HORSE RAKES."
Sealed the 28th January 1879, and dated the 3rd September 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward Jeffery at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd September 1878.
GEORGE EDWARD JEFFERY, of the Firm of Jeffery and Blackstone, of Stamford,
in the County of Lincoln, Engineers and Agricultural Implement Makers.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HORSE RAKES."
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the adjustment of the tines or teeth of
horse rakes to suit varying circumstances. Thus, when the rake is required to work
in the bay field, the tines may be adjusted to trail on the ground, and when used
in corn fields, to act clear of the ground.
The frame of the implement is constructed of a pair of side plates connected
together by transverse bars, the binder one of which will constitute the stop bar
for the tines. These side plates are formed with segment-shaped slots to receive
blocks, which carry stud axles, to which the travelling wheels are fitted. These
blocks are secured in place by clamping nuts and quadrants, which latter are pierced
with holes to receive adjustable pins, which connect the quadrants with the side
plates.
The tine bar to which the tines are fitted forms a portion of an inner frame,
which is hinged to the main frame of the implement.
By adjusting the position of the stud axles vertically, the tines may be caused to
trail upon the ground and yet be clear of the stop bar. This position of the parts
will allow of the tines (when the implement is at work) dropping below the
general level of the ground into any hole or furrow, and thereby gathering up
portions of the crop that would otherwise be passed over by the implement.
[Duine Sdl

page_text: The tine bar frame is capable of being rocked so as to lift the tines clear of the
ground; this may be effected either by a hand lever actuated by the attendant or
automatically by gearing set in action by the attendant.
In the machine provided with the hand lever, this lever is cranked at its inner
end to the form of a bell-crank lever, the angle of which is jointed to links which
are attached to a fixed bracket at the front of the main framing. The freo end of
this bell crank is jointed to one arm of a rock lever, which has for its fulcrum the
fulcrum rod of the rocking frame before mentioned, and the other end of the rock
lever is secured to the line rod. When therefore the hand lever is depressed, the
rock lever will be tipped on its fulcrum and the line rod will be depressed. This
depression of the line rod will cause the tines to rise, and thus they may be held
clear of the ground, either at an elevation suitable for working in a corn field or at
an elevation which will take them out of action.
These varying positions of the tines may be secured by any approved contrivance
for fixing the swinging frame in its depressed position.
It should be remarked that the connection of the hand lever with the links is
made by a knuckle joint, which will prevent the links from dropping out of
place.
For depressing the swinging frame automatically to clear the teeth of the collected
crop, the rotary motion of the travelling wheels is transmitted through gearing to
a countershaft mounted in the main framing. This countershaft carries at its
centre a spur pinion for gearing a vertical rack pivotted at its lower end to the
rocking frame which carries the tine bar. The normal position of this rack will be
out of gear with the pinion, but when thrown into gear by pressure applied to the
back thereof through a rock lever actuated by the foot of the attendant, the pinion
will by its rotation depress the rack and thereby force down the tine bars and lift
the tines from the ground.
The rack terminates in a block, which, coming in contact with the pinion, will
free the rocking frame from connection with the pinion and allow the tines to fall
to the ground.
As an improvement in the tines or teeth, I propose to make them of iron or steel
rolled to a V shape in cross section, which will ensure great strength with the use
of a comparatively small amount of metal.

page_text: March 1879.
GEORGE EDWARD JEFFERY, of the Firm of Jeffery and Blackstone, of Stamford,
in the County of Lincoln, Engineers and Agricultural Implement Makers. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HORSE RAKES."
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the adjustment of the tines or teeth
of horse rakes to suit varying circumstances. Thus, when the rako is required to
work in the hay field, the tines may be adjusted to trail on the ground, and when
used in a cornfield, to act clear of the ground.
This Invention relates,-
Firstly. To means for adjusting the drop or dip of the tines of horse rakes in
order that they may, for example, trail upon the ground, as is the custom when
gathering up hay, or when used in a corn field, act clear of the ground.
And, Secondly. To an arrangement of mechanism for lifting the tines out of work
by motive power derived from the travelling wheels.
In the accompanying Drawings, —
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved horse rake; and Fig. 2 is a partial
plan view of the same..
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation shewing the tines raised from the ground, and
the change of position of the lifting mechanism requisite to produce this lifting
of the tines.
In these Figures A, A, are the travelling wheels mounted on adjustable stud
axles; B, B, are the tines; and C, the shafts or draught irons secured firmly to the
main framing of the implement. This framing consists of a pair of end plates D, D,
connected together by cross bars D', D', at back and front, which bars are stayed
by means of the bars D at different points of their length. The end plates D are
cast with slots to receive shouldered squares e, (see the detached view, Fig. 4,) through
which the stud axles E severally pass. The inner ends of these stud axles aro
threaded to receive a clamping nut e', which fixes them in their adjusted position.
In order further to support the stud axles, their inner ends are 'run through a
segment plate e, which is pendent from the upper part of the frame D, and secured
thereto by a removable pin, which can be inserted into any one of a series of pin
holes formed in the plate e².
It will now be understood that the stud axles E on which the travelling wheels A
are mounted can readily be adjusted in the frame D by slackening the binding
nuts e¹, and disconnecting the plates e³ from the frame Ď. The frame will then
drop, or it may be lifted to suit the requirements of the work, and then fixed to the
stud axles as before. The effect of this adjustment will be to raise or lower the
dip of the tines, and thus to adapt the implement to the special work in hand.
I will now explain the means whereby the attendant can lift the tines out of
work by the power derived from the travelling wheels. The tines B, B, are hung
upon a round bar f, which forms a portion of a rocking frame F. This frame has
for its fulcrum a round bar f', which has its bearings in the tie bars D³, and in lugs
forming a portion of the main framing D.
The central bars F of the rocking frame extend rearwards and upwards to carry
a pin, which couples them to link rods G, G, which are connected by a knuckle
joint to a curved link bar G¹, that has for its fulcrum a cross pin g carried by
bracket arms standing up from the front of the main frame D.
The central bars F are formed with lugs on their under sides to receive a pivot
pin, which connects them with a vertical sector rack H. This rack is capable of
being raised and lowered to put it into or out of gear with the pinion H, which
pinion is keyed to a transverso shaft carrying at its opposite ends a pinion H³. In
gear with these pinions, as shewn best in the plan view, Fig. 2, is a spur wheel A'

page_text: mounted loosely on the hub of the wheel A, and connected therewith by means of
pawles pivotted to the hub, and taking into an internal ring of ratchet teeth. When
therefore the travelling wheels are advanced, their pawles will drive their respective
spur wheels A, and thereby transmit motion through the pinion H' to the pinion H¹,
which is or may be in gear with the sector rack H. When the rack is in gear with
this pinion, it will be lifted, and thereby caused to depress the rocking frame, and
thereby raise the tines to any desired height from the ground. This depression of
the rocking frame and consequent lift of the tines may be maintained by means of
a bolt, drag chain, or equivalent contrivance. In order, however, to permit of this
motion of the rocking frame it is necessary first to throw up the knuckle joint of
the links G, G¹, which joint serves to fix the framing in position, and at the same
time to raise the rack H into gear with the pinion H'.
For this purpose a treadle arrangement under the control of the attendant is
provided. This consists of a pair of links I, which are pivotted at i to the forward
extremity of the frame D. These links embrace the forward turned up end of the
link bar G', and they carry a friction bowle which bears upon the link bar, and also
a treadle for the attendant's foot to act upon. These links I are jointed to a pair
of links, which carry between them a bowle that bears on the under side of the
rack H, and they are jointed to radius rods, which are pivotted to the main
framing D. When therefore the attendant depresses the troadle, ho will first trip the
knuckle joint of the links G, G', (thereby releasing the rocking frame), and he will
then lift the sector rack H into gear with its pinion H. The further traverse
therefore of the implement will lift the tines out of action as already explained.
The tines I propose to make of iron or steel rolled to a V shaped section, as
shewn in the detached view, Fig. 5, the object being to secure lightness with
strength.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Horse Rakes," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,―
First. The means above described for adjusting the drop or dip of the tines for
different kinds of work.
Secondly. The arrangement above described for lifting the tines from the ground
by the power derived from the running wheels.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edward Jeffery, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
QE JEFFERV