IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Creaser, of the City of York, Builder, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Creaser at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
June 1860.
I, HENRY CREASER, of the City of York, Builder, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING.
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
These improvements are applicable, firstly, to that class of reaping and
mowing machines which are drawn forwards by a horse or horses harnessed to
shafts or a pole at one end or side of the machine.
And, secondly, to such reaping and mowing machines as are propelled or
pushed forwards by a horse or horses harnessed to shafts or a pole placed at
the back of the machine, and on either side.
In both classes of such machines the principal working parts consist of,
firstly, the dividing apparatus and gatherer; secondly, the cutting apparatus;
thirdly, the driving and running gear; and fourthly, the delivering apparatus.
The dividing apparatus is formed of a half cone of wood or other suitable
material fixed over one or both of the wheels in a slanting direction, the point
of the cone being forwards and downwards. The gathering reel is mounted on
a spindle of iron tubing, and is carried or supported at one end only.

page_text: The cutting apparatus consists of two sets of fixed fingers (formed of steel
plates sharpened on the edges), through or between which oscillates a cutter or
saw formed of one continuous steel plate, and sharpened in a W form. The
fingers are to be fixed to a moveable bar with spring, so as to rise up and down
to suit the ground, and the driving rod is to work under the first platform.
The driving gear consists of a wheel running on the ground (forming also
one of the running wheels of the machine), and communicating motion to the
moving parts by means of spur or bevil gearing, or both. One or both of the
running wheels is or are dished upon the inner face in order to allow
the end of the cutter to oscillate within the rim of the wheel when the machine
is at work, and to be fixed in a line with the fingers in order that the working
up and down of the shafts shall not interfere with the distance of the fingers
and cutter from the ground.
The delivering apparatus is formed of two parts, the first consisting of two
or more raised rollers of a cruciform, fluted, or other transverse section, and
either plain, serrated, or pegged longitudinally. These rollers extend across
the machine inmediately over and behind the cutters, being driven by the
machinery, and lift up the corn as soon as it is cut, and pass it backward to the
second platform or side delivery. This apparatus may be so arranged as to
deliver the corn at either or both sides of the machine, and consists of a plat-
form having straps or other similar contrivances passing transversely over it;
the straps are furnished with pegs or projections, and are driven by means of
pulleys, over which they pass, the said pulleys being so arranged and driven
that the last strap shall travel quicker and longer than the first one, so as to
carry round the ears of corn, form it into a proper swathe, and leave it on the
ground at one or both sides as the machine proceeds. The machine is also
provided with racks and spring bar so arranged as to throw the implement out
of gear when it is moved backwards, and into gear when it is moved forwards.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Creaser in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th 30
December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CREASER, of the City of York, Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord 35
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,

page_text: did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,. the said.
Henry Creaser, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Creaser, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry.
Creaser, my executors, administrators, and 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 REAPING AND
MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Creaser, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Henry Creaser, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:-
These improvements are applicable principally to that class of reaping and
mowing machines which are drawn forwards by a horse or horses harnessed to.
shafts or a pole at one end or side of the machine.
But they may readily be so modified as to be applicable to such reaping and
mowing machines as are propelled or pushed forwards by a horse or horses har-
nessed to shafts or a pole placed at the back of the machine and on either side.
In both classes of such machines the principal working parts consist of,
firstly, the driving apparatus and gatherer; secondly, the cutting apparatus;
thirdly, the dividing and running gear; and, fourthly, the delivering apparatus.
The dividing apparatus is formed of a half cone of wood or other suitable
material fixed over one or both of the wheels in a slanting direction, the point
of the cone being forwards and downwards. The gathering reel is mounted on
a spindle of iron tubing, and is carried or supported at one end only.
The cutting apparatus consists of two sets of fixed fingers (formed of steel
plates sharpened on the edges), through or between which oscillates a cutter or
saw formed of one continuous steel plate, and sharpened in a W form. The
fingers are to be fixed to a moveable bar with spring, so as to rise up and
down to suit the ground, and the driving rod is to work under the first
platform.
:

page_text: The driving gear consists of a wheel running on the ground (forming also
one of the running wheels of the machine, and communicating motion to the
moving parts by means of spur or bevil gearing, or both. One or both of the
running wheels is or are dished upon the inner face, in order to allow the end
of the cutter to oscillate within the rim of the wheel when the machine is at
work, and to be fixed in a line with the fingers, in order that the working up
and down of the shafts shall not interfere with the distance of the fingers and
cutter from the ground.
The delivering apparatus is formed of two parts, the first consisting of two
or more raised rollers of a cruciform, fluted, or other transverse section, and
either plain, serrated, or pegged longitudinally; these rollers extend across the
machine immediately over and behind the cutters, being driven by the
machinery, and lift up the corn as soon as it is cut, and pass it back to the
second platform or side delivery. This part of the apparatus may be so
arranged as to deliver the corn at either or both sides of the machine, and
consists of a platform having straps or other similar contrivances passing trans-
versely over it; the straps are furnished with pegs or projections, and are
driven by means of pulleys over which they pass, the said pulleys being so
arranged and driven that the last strap shall travel quicker and longer than
the first one, so as to carry round the ears of corn, form it into a proper swathe,
and leave it on the ground at one or both sides, as the machine proceeds. The
machine is also provided with racks and spring bar so arranged as to throw the
implement out of gear when it is moved backwards, and into gear when it is
moved forwards.
Such being the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to describe more
in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, and in order that the same may be perfectly understood, I
have annexed hereunto a Sheet of illustrative Drawings, and have marked the
same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing represents a side view of my improved
reaping and mowing machine, with the divider and delivery platform removed;
and Figure 2 is a plan or horizontal view of the machine complete, as seen
from above.
Figures 3 and 4 represent end views of two different forms of divider and
delivering platforms.
A, A, is the framing of the machine, to which the drawing shafts B, B, are
connected; this framing is carried by the running wheel C, C, mounted on an
axle D, D, on which are also fixed two spur wheels E, E, and F, F. The spur

page_text: wheel E, E, drives the gathering reel G, G, by means of two spur wheels II, H,
and at the same time actuates the side delivery and the cutting knife, by means
of the bevil gearing I, I.
The wheel F, F, drives the first delivering roller K, K; L, L, is the divider,
the form of which may be either a half cone, as represented at Figure 4, or of
the form represented at Figure 3. This end of the machine may be supported
either by a dished wheel M, as represented at Figure 4, or by a roller M, as
shewn in the other Figures. The gathering reel G, G, has projecting pieces at
the end of each rail for dividing and gathering the corn, and is mounted on a
hollow or tubular spindle N, N, which is only carried at one end of the machine,
as shewn at Figure 2, so as not to interfere with the delivery of the corn.
The cutting apparatus 0, 0, is actuated by the crank P, P, driven by the bevil
gear I, I. The cutting apparatus may either be formed as shewn (about half size
in plan view and section) at Figure 5, or as shewn in similar views at Figure 6.
In Figure 5, a, a, are upper and lower fixed finger plates sharpened at
the edge and screwed to a wooden sill 6, 6, which extends across the machine;
c, c, is the W-shaped steel cutter, which is formed of one continuous plate
(also sharpened at the edges), and which moves backwards and forwards through
or between the finger plates a, a.
In Figure 6, a, a, is the wooden sill, to which are screwed the fixed notched
steel plate b, b, sharpened at the edge, and the brackets c, c, between which the
W-shaped continuous steel cutter d, d, works. The corn as it is cut by this part
of the machine is pressed by the reel into the first delivering roller K, K, the
form of which is clearly shewn in the Drawing, and above described, and is
thence carried backward to the side delivering apparatus by means of other
similar rollers K, K, as shewn at Figure 4, or by an endless travelling cloth
Q, Q, with transverse ribs or projections thereon, as shewn at Figures 1,
2, and 3.
The side delivering apparatus consists of a platform R, R, having two or
more straps U, U, (furnished with pegs or projections) travelling across it.
These straps are actuated by pullies of different sizes keyed upon the same
spindle, and so arranged that the second strap travels faster than the first, and
so on, so that the ears of corn are carried round in a slanting direction, and
laid in a proper swathe at the side of the machine as it progresses. S, S, is a
sliding bar provided with a handle and spring, and attached to the drawing
wheel C, C, (see Figure 2) acting against the teeth of the ratchet wheel T, T,
so as to keep the machine in gear when it is moved forwards, and throw it out
of gear when moved backwards. This sliding bar may be used to move

page_text: through the wheel C, C, or through the wheel E, E, in either case effecting the
same object.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for im-
provements in reaping and mowing machines, together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
wish it to be distinctly understood that I claim as my Invention, the general
construction and arrangement of the machine, as above described and shewn
in the Drawings, and especially I claim,―
Firstly, the method of mounting the gathering reel on an iron tube supported
at one end of the machine only.
Secondly, the form and construction of the cutting knives, as shewn and
described.
Thirdly, the rollers and travelling cloth immediately over and behind the
cutter to carry the corn to the delivering platform.
Fourthly, the use of the delivering straps, each running quicker and further
than the preceding one, so as to carry the ears of the corn round and deliver
the corn in a slanting direction, and in a proper swathe at the side of the
machine.
And, fifthly, I claim the sliding bar with spring and ratchet for putting the
machine in and out of gear when required, as herein-before particularly
described and shewn in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Creaser, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
HENRY CREASER. (L.S.)