STRUC REAPING & MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander McGregor at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st September 1876.
ALEXANDER MCGREGOR, of Leigh, in the County of Lancaster
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF REAPING & MOWING MACHINES."
"IMPROVEMENTS
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing machines,
and the first part relates to the construction of such harvesting machines as are
known as
side delivery" reapers, having only one driving wheel in which the
grain is discharged from the platform by means of self-acting rakes or beaters
which are mounted either on an inclined axis or are guided by a cam or cams
The improvements consist in constructing theso machines in such a manner that
the whole of the gearing is contained in and partly enclosed by a main gear frame
combined with a vibrating or revolving circular axle plate, which for the purpose of
obtaining a simple and convenient means of readily adjusting the height of the
cutting apparatus from the ground, are connected and operate together in the
following manner -The main gear frame is made in one solid casting of a peculiarly
strong yet light construction, the form of the side nearest to the driving wheel being
that of a hollow cylindrical case or box, the side nearest the platform being closed
and having at its centie a long boss or bearing for receiving the end of the first
motion shaft; at the centre of the circular axle plate is formed another long boss or
bearing for receiving the other end of the first motion shaft. The periphery of the
vibrating or revolving circular axle plate is by preference turned perfectly true, and
fits accurately into an internal recess or groove also turned in the outer face or
flange of the hollow cylindrical case or box. When in its place it is firmly and
securely held in position laterally by clips or bolts, but is free to vibrate or revolve
around the first motion shaft, the boss or bearing for which is formed in the centre
of the revolving circular axle plate concentric with the other boss or bearing formed
in the centre of the cylindrical case or box. The first motion shaft is free to turn
in the bearings formed by the boss in the centre of the revolving circular axle plate
and that of the cylindrical case or box. The bevil wheel is keyed firmly on to the
first motion shaft, and together with the bevil pinion is enclosed (so as to be free
from dust, grit, and other extraneous matters) in the cylindrical case or box; the
closed side of this case or box has cast to it the bearings containing the bevil pinion
shaft, which has keyed to its rear end a small internal geared wheel; this wheel
gives motion to a spur pinion fixed to the end of the crank shaft, which through the

page_text: medium of a crank pin and connecting rod gives motion to the knife bar. The
crank shaft turns in a long tubular boaring or pipe, which together with the
brackets to which both the finger bar and the rake spindle are attached are cast
together and form part of the gear frame.
The main driving wheel turns freely on its axle, which axle is connected to the
circular axle plate at a point near its circumferenco
Cast or bolted to the arms or
boss of the main driving wheel is a ring of spur teeth which gears into and drives a
spur wheel on the end of the first motion shaft; this wheel is made to slide on
its shaft, and by means of a hand lever the gearing can at once be connected or
disconnected.
The revolving circular axle plate is formed with a ring of teeth near its periphery
into which is geared a small pinion This pinion is firmly fixed on a steel or iron
shaft which turns in a bearing cast upon the cylindrical case or box of the gear
frame; the other end of this shaft has fixed on it a small ratchet wheel, and a drop
pawl or catch is arranged to retain the ratchet wheel in any given position.
The axle of the small pinion projects a short distance through the pinion to the
other side; a hand lever is made to slip on or off this short projection of the shaft,
and having a side tooth or stud which gears with the teeth of the pinion it can be
revolved in either direction and with it the revolving circular axle plate.
In some cases I propose instead of a ring of plain spur teeth on the circular axle
plate to cast a ring of worin teeth and to employ a worm in place of the pinion, the
worin being turned by a hand wheel or otherwise; in this case the worm will hold
the circular axle plate in position and the ratchet wheel and pawl may be dispensed
with.