IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND BINDING " MACHINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harry Earl, of Melbourne, in the County of
Derby, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND BINDING
"
MACHINES."
Scaled the 9th October 1874, and dated the 11th August 1874.
=
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harry Earl at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th August 1874.
I, HARRY EARL, of Melbourne, in the County of Derby, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
AND BINDING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The finger bar of the reaping machine is constructed of angle iron,
and the cutter bar has the usual traverse from finger to finger, or an
additional traverse over two or more fingers. The cutter bar receives
its motion from a rocking lover under the platform of the machine,
tho-lovor being attached at one end by a pitman to the cutter bar, and
at the opposite end to a crank rod and wheel operated by an intermediato
wyheel driven by the main carrying wheel. Near-the front of the plat-

page_text: form aro-two or more rollers provided with carrying bands, movement
being given to the rollers from the crank rod wheel. Above the main
carrying wheel is a platform which receives the cut corn from the
carrying bands, and upon which tho sheaf is bound as the machine
travels. The machine is carried by a smaller wheel in addition to the 5
main carrying whccl..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Harry Earl in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HARRY:
EARL, of Melbourne, in the County of Derby, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
--Letters Patent bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
cight year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Harry Earl, Her special- licenco
that I, the said Harry Earl, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Harry Earl, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from timo 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, tho
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING AND BINDING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Harry Earl, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 monthis next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Harry Earl, do-hereby declare the
nature of the said. Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by

page_text: the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming a part of this Specification :-
The finger bar of the reaping machine is constructed of angle iron,
and the cutter bar has the usual traverse from finger to finger, or an
additional traverse over two or more fingers. The cutter bar receives
its motion from a rocking lever under the platform of the machine, the
lever being attached at one end by a pitman to the cutter bar, and
at the opposite end to a crank rod and wheel operated by an intermediate
wheel driven by the main carrying wheel. Near the front of the plat-
form are two or more rollers provided with carrying bands, movement
being given to the rollers from the crank and wheel. Above the main
carrying wheel is a platform which receives the cut corn from the
carrying bands, and upon which the sheaf is bound as the machine
travels. The machine is carried by a smaller wheel in addition to the
main corrving wheel
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2, a plan of my improved reaping
and binding machine, which consists of framing A, A, which carries
two vertical frames B, B', upon the lower rails of which are secured
bearings for the axle of a main carrying wheel C, and within the rim of
this wheel is a toothed wheel D secured to the wheel O or its axle, the
wheel D gears into a pinion wheel D' which has a grooved collar on its
inner side which groove receives the lower end of a lever D³, which rocks
upon a axle carried by the lower rail of the inner vertical frame B'. Tho
upper end of the lever forms a handle by which the driver of the machine
can throw the pinion in or out of gear with the wheel D, the pinion slides
upon a key on the outer end of an horizontal shaft carried by two bearings;
one on the lower rail of the frame B', and the other on a bracket beyond
the frame between the bearings, the shaft carries a toothed bevel.
wheel D³ which gears into and drives a toothed pinion wheel D³ on
the inner end of a shaft carried by two other bearings; one on the
bracket above named, and the other on the back rail, outside which
the shaft is provided with a disk or pulley D' round which a belt
is passed, which also passes round a pulley on the outer end of the
axle of one of two rollers E; round both rollers three bands E' are
passed and travel in the direction of the arrows. The rollers extend
from the back rail A to the front one, each of which are provided

page_text: with ledges, shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, which support a
light board E over and under which the bands travel; this board
can be raised at the back of the machine, and be readily drawn from
under the belts.
The back and front rails besides being framed to the side rails are
further strengthened by a wrought-iron plate F bolted to them, and shown
by dotted lines in Figure 2; this plate carries an axle for a rocking
lever G which is covered by the board E³; when in its place the lever G
has a to-and-fro movement given it by its back, and being attached to a
crank rod G³ by a ball-and-socket joint, by which the length of the crank
rod can be adjusted, the other end of the crank rod terminates in a ball-
and-socket joint operated by an axle in the disk or pulley D'. These
ball-and-socket joints can be readily adjusted as they wear, and the side
strains on the axle pins which cause them to frequently break when at
work is obviated, and considerable loss and time thus saved.
The front rail A carries a finger bar H which is constructed of
anglo iron; upon this bar the cutter bar I is traversed over two
fingers by the front end of the rocking lever G which lies between
two studs on the cutter bar. The two rails A are cut away the length
of the traverse of the lever G so as to form a level surface. The front
uprights of the frames B and B carry a seat B³ for a driver, and
both uprights carry an adjustable stop B³ which rest upon the shafts j,
which are hinged on the axle of the main carrying wheel C by means
of the stops. The finger and cutter bars can be adjusted at any
required height from the ground. The inner stop carries an axle on
which a double-ended hand lever B can be rocked by the driver, who
upon seeing a ridge, stone, or other obstacle, by pulling up or pressing
down the lever will raise the front of the machine so as to clear
the same, and thus avoid the frequent breakage of fingers and cutters
heretofore experienced.
The front uprights form bearings for and carry the axle K of a
four-armed reel, which is further supported by a bracket bearing K¹,
shewn in front view at Figure 3, secured to the upright of the
frame B. The axle K may be placed higher or lower according to
the height of the crop to be cut, and is caused to revolve by a belt
passed round a pulley secured on its axle lying between its bearings.
The said belt is operated by being passed round a second pulley K²

page_text: carried by the axle of the main carrying wheel. Between the vertical
frame B¹ and the roller E is a ledged board L, which is hooked into
two eyes in the front rail A, and has two short chains which are
hooked on the back rail. Upon this board the cut corn is deposited
by the carrying bands E¹ when it is intended to bind it in sheaves.
When the crop is not to be bound the board L is unhooked and taken
away, the crop as fast as it is cut will then be deposited in one con-
tinuous swath. Above the main carrying wheel is an hinged platform M
upon which the sheaf to be bound is laid as the machine travels, and
which can be folded up when the machine is not in use, or when the
crop does not require to be bound. Upon the right side of the
machine framing is hooked a footboard N upon which two binders stand
when binding; this board can also be lifted off when not required.
The left side of the framing is formed of a wrought-iron plate three
inches deep by five-eights of an inch thick, and is provided with an
axle for a smaller carrying wheel O.
The right end of the cutter bar rail A is carried by a wrought-iron
plate A¹³ bolted to it and to the vertical framing. When in uso, suppose
the crop is to be bound, two horses are harnessed to the machine, one
man stands on the board L to deliver a sheaf alternately to either of
two binders who stand on the footboard N, the three men with the
driver riding on the machine. As the machine proceeds the reel brings
the corn to be cut to the cutter bar, and being cut it falls upon the
carrying bands E¹ and is delivered on to the board L from which it is
lifted on to the binding table M.
In witness whereof, I, the said Harry-Earl, have-hereunto set my
· hand and seal, this Eight day of February One thousand eight
0 Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, O.E..
Nottingham.
HARRY EARL. (L.S.).