IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Agars Walker, commonly called John George
Agars Walker, of Manor House, Sutton, near Retford, in the County of
Nottingham, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Agars Walker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1881.
GEORGE AGARS WALKER, commonly called JOHN GEORGE AGARS WALKER, of
Manor House, Sutton, near Retford, in the County of Nottingham. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR GATHERING AND BINDING CUT
CROPS."
This Invention has for its object the gathering and binding of sheaves after an
ordinary reaper, or the binder may be otherwise applied. The said Invention
relates to means or apparatus for gathering the sheaves from the ground and
binding them, which is done in the following manner :-
The machine has two wheels carrying an oblong frame, and to the front beam is
hung attached at each end a trailing rake reaching to the backward part of the
machine; this rake runs underneath the sheaf to be bound, and meets all
irregularities of the ground by working or lifting on the centre forward, as above
described. An intermittent revolving axle passing across or near the centre
lengthwise of the frame, carrying projecting arms of such a length as to clear the
ground as near as possible lifts, the corn up the trailing rake to be bound about on
a level with the top of frame.
The intermittent revolving rake is carried at each end by short cranks; the
pinion on this axle lifts round-its driving cog wheel hanging on the same centre
by the short cranks referred to, thus allowing the intermittent revolving axle to
lift in case the arms should strike the ground while revolving.
The intermittent revolving motion is transmitted from the road wheel by
suitable gearing, namely, the driving cog wheel is only partially cogged sufficient
to turn the aforesaid pinion (which is on the intermittent revolving axle) exactly

page_text: once round; when out of gear this pinion is held firmly in one position by a
runner fixed on its side, against which comes into contact a plate on the side
of the driving cog wheel; this plate is of greater diameter than the wheel itself.
Again on this driving cog wheel is fixed a crank pin which works through a
connecting rod a pair of levers that drive the binding needle which has a
reciprocating motion, and is supported in a tube for that purpose; the said levers
are fixed to ordinary bevel cog wheel segments, and the lever of the second bevel
segment is connected to the binding needle by another connecting rod, thus
obtaining the required sliding to and fro motion. The said tube is placed in about
the centre of the front beam to which it is fixed, and projects rather more than
half way across inside the frame; it has a lug on its upper surface which rests.on
the cross intermittent revolving axle, and partially takes the weight of the tube
and needle.
The back beam of this frame about its centre and directly opposite the tube and
needle has fixed a suitable stop, against which the needle comes in contact and
completes the binding of the sheaf.
The stop with which the needle comes in contact has a light spring let in across
its centre, so that the string or wire ends which are compressed against it whilst
being knotted shall not be trapped too tightly; the whole pressure of the binding
needle is against the stop outside this spring.
I will now proceed to describe the binding operation.
The reciprocating needle consists partly of a pair of pincers which hold the string
end; the string is fixed at the rear of the machine under the needle-stop, and is
supplied as required from a tension device and take up arrangement. The needle
draws the string across the frame when reciprocating forward, and has such
relation to the intermittent revolving axle or rake that this rake in <revolving
forces the sheaf against the string as it crosses its path, so that both are lifted
together (the sheaf and the string), and on the needle-returning the sheaf is forced
off the intermittent revolving arms, which are now stationary for this purpose by a
forked arm reciprocated with the binding needle; the string ends are brought
together underneath and round the sheaf, at the same time coming in contact with
the suitable stop on the back beam, thereby compressing the sliding part of
binding needle (hereinafter described) and completing the knot, the sheaf passing off
bound and behind the machine. The binding needle consists of pincers to hold the
string, a revolving hook looper, knotting rod, and guard piece. The needle stop is
suitably shaped for the above needle, also has a spring arrangement into which the
knotting rod places the string ends after forming the knot; the guard piece on the
return stroke of the needle draws the knot tight and the string ends out of this
spring, thus completing the tying operation.
The said spring arrangement consists of a projecting piece of iron or steel against
which is arranged the pressure of a flat-spring; the iron or steel piece is rounded off
at the edge facing the binding needle, and the spring coiled in the opposite
direction, making a V or leading entrance for the end of the knotting rod. The
revolving book looper is fixed in bearings on a slide bar working within the needle
casing this slide bar is that part of the reciprocating needle which, comes in
contact with the needle stop, thus causing it to be compressed against a spiral
spring, the remaining part of the needle continuing the motion. The hook looper
is revolved by a stud fixed into the-needle casing, the stud taking into a worm or
groove in the looper, and as the slide bar is compressed taking the looper with it,
the stud being fixed in the needle casing and continuing the forward motion,
traverses the worm or groove and gives suitable. motion to the hook looper. The
slide bar has a plate at its leading end which is underneath the looper, and in this
plate is a nick for the string ends to lead up to be knotted; when this slide bar
comes in contact with the-needle stop the string ends are forced together against
the hook looper, which at the same time commences revolving and catches the
strings, wrapping them round the looper end; the strings by the continued
compression of the slide bar are-forced through the loop by the knotting rod

page_text: (which is a fixed rod in the needle casing working through the centre of the hook
looper, round in shape till near its end, where it becomes flat and slightly hollowed
at the end, to allow the string ends to rest in it while being tucked through the
hooked looper), and into the spring of the needle stop, as before described.
The pincers cut and retain the string during the time of forming the knot; they
are kept shut by a spring and are opened by the slide bar whilst compressing,
a part of which bar leads against the moving jaw of the pincers, and strains it open
to release the old string end and cut and retain the continuous string.
The entire length of looper is several inches; it has a spiral groove rather more
than once round extending through about half its length, when the groove is
continued about one quarter straight; the end piece is so constructed that a hook
gathers the string ends at the commencement of revolution, and carries them
round with it. The string proceeding from the hook to the sheaf works round a,
partial spiral or coil in order to avoid wrapping round any substance whilst
revolving, and thereby taking string from the sheaf and producing unnecessary
tension (this partial coil connects the hook to the main grooved part); the ends
of the, string for knotting are on the other side of the hook, and are wrapped
round the extreme nose continued from this hook, and flanged to insure the string.
going in one position and being crossed; the whole of the looper is hollow through
the centre line, allowing the passage through this centre of the knotting rod as the
hook looper is compressed. In wrapping round the nose which continues the hook.
the string ends follow the flange till almost completely wrapped and crossed,
when the nose of looper being cut more than half way through allows them to
pass across its centre hole, and the string ends are immediately, pushed through
the loop thus formed by the knotting rod, which here passes some distance.
through the hook looper and into the spring on the needle stop.
I prefer the machine to be thrown in and out of gear by a clutch worked by the
foot, the driver putting the clutch into gear to bind when required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Agars Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th November 1881.
GEORGE AGARS WALKER, commonly called JOHN GEORGE AGARS WALKER, of
Manor House, Sutton, near Retford, in the County of Nottingham. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR GATHERING AND BINDING CUT
CROPS."
Figure 1 is a side clevation, Figure 2 is an end elevation, and Figure 3 is a plan
of machinery or apparatus constructed according to my Invention for gathering and
binding cut crops; Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 are elevations partly in section showing
the binding mechanism in four different positions, and drawn to a larger scale than
Figures 1, 2, 3, and Figure 8 is a plan of such parts.
The Invention has for its object the gathering and binding of sheaves after an
ordinary reaper, or the binder may be otherwise applied, that is to say, it may be
attached to a reaper.
The machine has two wheels m, n, carrying an oblong frame A, to the front beam
of which is hung, supported at one end, a trailing rake s reaching to the backward
part of the machine. The teeth of this rake run underneath the sheaf to be bound,
and the rake meets all irregularities of the ground by working or lifting on the
forward centres T. An intermittent revolving axle B passing across or near the
centre lengthwise of the frame A carries projecting arms K of suitable length, which
lift the corn to be bound up the trailing rake s about to a level with the top of
frame A. This intermittent revolving axle B may be carried at each end by short
cranks w. The pinion c on this axle lifts round its driving cog wheel R, hanging
on the same centre by the short cranks w, w, thus allowing the intermittent
revolving axle B to rise in case the arms K should strike the ground while
revolving.
The intermittent revolving motion is transmitted when desired from the road
wheel m by suitable gearing as follows:-On the same centre as the road wheel m
is carried a cog wheel E; it is made to revolve freely on the inside boss of the road
wheel m, and has clutches p which take into corresponding clutches on the wheel m.
By means of a lever U the cog wheel E is moved sideways into or out of gear with
the road wheel m. The cog wheel E drives the wheel G on an axle H, which latter
carries at its opposite end a partially toothed wheel R, which is toothed sufficiently
to turn the pinion c on the intermittent revolving axle B nearly once round. When
out of gear this pinion c is held firmly in one position by a pulley or runner L on
its side, against which comes into contact a plate F fixed on the side of the driving
cog wheel R. This plate F is of greater diameter than the wheel carrying it.
On the wheel R is also a crank pin D, which works by means of a connecting
rod I a pair of levers that drive the binding needle A¹, which has a reciprocating
motion and works in a-tube o. The said levers are fixed to bevel toothed segments,
and the lever V of the second bevel toothed seginent V is connected to the binding
needle A¹ by another connecting rod B¹, thus obtaining the required motion. The
first lever is shown attached to the bevel segment x, see Figures 1 and 3. The
said tube o is placed in about the centre of the front beam, to which it is fixed,
and projects rather more than half way across inside the frame; it has lugs on it
at o¹, which rest on the cross intermittent axle B, and partially take the weight of
the tube O and the needlo A¹. The back beam of the frame A, about its centre
and directly opposite the tube o and needle A', has fixed a suitable stop piece x³,

page_text: against which the needle A¹ comes in contact at the end of its stroke and completes
the binding of the sheaf. Attached to the needle A¹ is a forked arm m³, which
pushes the sheaf off the rake into position to be bound.
The operation of the machine in binding a sheaf is as follows:-When sufficient
corn is collected to form a sheaf the machine is put in gear, thereby causing the
rake B, K, to elevate the sheaf from the trailing rake 8 above the top of the stop
piece on the back beam of the frame A; here the rake B, K, stops, and it is held
in such position by the plate F on the wheel R bearing on the pulley or runner L
on the pinion c until the forked arm m³ attached to the binding needle A¹ pushes
the sheaf off the rake B, K, and above the stop³; here the binding takes place,
and when the knot is formed the sheaf passes off the machine at the back thereof,
a sheaf being bound at each revolution of the wheel R.
I will now describe the knotting mechanism which is represented at Figures 4,
5, 6, 7, and 8; Figure 4 represents the reciprocating binding needle A¹, and the
fixed stop on the back beam, also the position of the string when drawn across
the space m² which is made to enable the sheaf to be clevated through it. The
reciprocating binding needle A¹, consists partly of a pair of pincers c which hold
the string end, a revolving book looper E, a knotting rod K, and guard piece st.
The string is fixed at the rear of the machine under the needle stop as from which
place it is supplied to the binder from a tension and take up device of a similar
character to that described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted
to me, dated 28th June, 1878, No. 2595. The needle A¹ draws the string across
the space m² when reciprocating forward, and has such a relation to the intermittent
revolving axle or rake B, K, that this rake in revolving forces the sheaf against
the string across the space m² so that both are lifted together (the sheaf and the
string), and on the needle A' returning the sheaf is forced off the arms of the
rake B, K, which is now stationary for that purpose by a forked arm m³ recipro-
cating with the binding needle A'. When the rake B, K, raises the sheaf, the string
passes into the space 82 of the guard pieces (Figure 8) at the end nearest the
pincers c, the string at the other side of the sheaf passing into a similar long slot
in the plate x of the stop piece ³; the string ends are brought together underneath
and round the sheaf (see Figure 5) at the same time coming in contact with the
stop piece on the back beam, thereby compressing or forcing inwards the sliding
part A20, of the binding needle A', and completing the knot as will be readily
understood by reference to Figures 6 and 7, the sheaf passing off bound and behind
the machine.
The needle stop a³ is suitably shaped to receive and act in combination with the
binding needle A¹, and it has also a spring nipper arrangement 20 into which the
knotting rod or needle K₁ places the string ends after passing the same through
the loop and thereby forming the knot as represented at Figure 7.
The guard piece 8 on the return stroke of the needle A¹ draws the knot tight
and the string ends out of the spring nipper 20, thus completing the tying
operation. The said spring nipper arrangement 20 consists of a projecting piece
of iron or steel x10 against which a flat spring is caused to press; the iron or steel
piece is rounded off at the edge facing the binding needle, and the spring leads
in the opposite direction, making a V or leading entrance for the end of the knotting
rod or needle, as shown at Figure 7.
The revolving hook looper F is fixed in bearings X on the slide bar A20 working
within the needle casing A50. This slide bar A20 is that part of the binding
needle A¹ which comes in contact with the needle stop ³, thus causing it to be
stopped and compressed or forced against a spring in the needle casing A00, which
latter portion continues its motion forwards. The hooked looper E* is revolved by
a stud y fixed in the needle casing A50, such stud y taking into a groove or worm g¹
formed in the looper shaft E, and as the slide bar A20 is pressed within the
casing A50.it takes the looper E* with it, the stud y being fixed in the needle
casing A50, as before stated, and continuing its forward motion traverses the worm

page_text: or groove g¹ and gives suitable rotary motion to the hook looper E*: The slide
bar A20 has, a plate A? at its leading end which is underneath the looper E; and
in this plate is formed a nick or narrow slot s², see Figure 8, to guide the string
ends with, the help of the guard piece S into such a. position that when this slide
bar A20 comes in contact with the needle stop 3 the string ends are forced together
against the hook looper E at Z, as shown at Figure 5,, which looper at the samé
time commences, to revolve, when the hook E5 catches the strings and wraps them
round the end of the hook looper, as shown at Figures 6 and 7; the string ends
by the continued pressing inwards of the slide bar A20, and consequent advance of
the casing A with the needle or knotting rod K are forced through the loop by
the said knotting rod K', which latter is a, fixed rod in the needle casing A50 and
works through the centre of the hook looper E. The knotting rod K' is flattened
towards its end and slightly hollowed to allow the string ends to rest more
securely against it whilst being tucked through the looper E and loop thereon, and
into the spring nipper 20, 10, of the needle stop a³, as before described.
The pincers c cut and retain the continuous spring during the time or space the
slide bar A20 is forced, within the casing A50 by the advance of the latter; these
pincers c consist of a fixed jaw and a hinged jaw, which jaws are kept shut by a
spring c and are opened by the slide bar A20, a part A0 of which, while the slide
bar A is being pressed into the casing A50, acts against the stud cs of the moving
jaw of the pincers c¹ and forces it open to release the old string end, and when
passing off the part A the nippers by the cutters c³ carried thereby cut, and the
jaws thereof retain the continuous string by the action of the spring c6 which closes
the jaw c³ again.
The hook looper has a spiral groove g¹ extending rather more than once round
its shaft and through about half its length when the groove is continued straight.
The end piece or looper is so constructed that a hook E thereon gathers the string
ends at the commencement of its revolution and carries them round with it; at
Figure 5 the string ends which require to be knotted are shown resting against a
flauge or shoulder extending rounding round the nose of the looper and across the
hook E. The string proceeding from the hook E5 to the sheaf works round a partial
spiral E20 or coil in order to avoid wrapping round any substance whilst revolving,
and thereby taking string from the sheaf and producing unnecessary tension.
This partial coil E20 connects the hook and flanged nose to the main grooved
part or shaft.
The ends of the string for knotting are trapped underneath the hook E³ at X².
In the needle stop, see Figures 4 and 5, is a small spring compressing piece x³ let
in across its centre, which prevents too great a pressure being put on the string
ends which are compressed against it, and which are required to be wrapped on
the nose of the looper E. The whole pressure of the binding needle is against
the stop outside the spring piece ³.
The strings are wrapped round the extreme nose and against the flange Z which
continues from the hook E³. The flange is to ensure the string going in one
position and being crossed at m³. The whole of the looper E is hollow through
the centre line, thereby allowing the passage through the centre thereof of the
knotting rod K+ as the hook looper E is pressed against the stop piece ³ In
being wrapped around the nose of the hook the string ends follow the flange Z till
almost completely wrapped and crossed, when the nose of the looper being cut
through more than half way allows, the string ends to pass across its central hole,
and they are then immediately pushed, through the loop thus formed (see Figures 6.
and 7) by the knotting rod K4, which here passes some distance through the looper,
as shown at Figure 7, and into the spring nipper 20, 20, on the needle stop x³.
The pincers care hinged to the needle casing at y³.
The spring at the back of the slide bar A2 and inside the needle casing A50
forces the slide bar A20 outwards, into its normal position as the pressure is released
from the stop piece on the retiring motion of the binding needle A₁₁,

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,
First. The peculiar combination and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for
gathering and binding cut crops, substantially as herein shown and described; and
Second. The peculiar construction of hook looper E* and its combination with
the slide A20, stop 3, knotting rod K, cutting nippers c, spring piece x², and
spring nipper 20, 240, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Agars Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
J. G. A. WALKER. (L.S.)