CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Reuben Sims, John Beard, and Robert Burns, of the
Firm of Picksley, Sims and Company, Limited, of Bedford, in the County
of Lancaster, Agricultural Implement Manufacturers, for the Invention of
Moi MACHINES
"
Sealed the 3rd August 1866, and dated the 7th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Reuben Sims, John Beard,
and Robert Burns at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 7th February 1866.
We, REUBEN SIMS, JOHN BEARD, and ROBERT BURNS, of the Firm of Picksley,
Sims, and Company, Limited, of Bedford, in the County of Lancaster,
Agricultural Implement Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES,"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates, first, to such reaping machines wherein a knife bar is
used carrying a series of cutters which move with a rapid lateral reciprocating
motion, and is designed to impart a rapid reciprocating movement to the knife.
And, secondly, the Invention relates to a novel construction of the knife
bar and knives.

page_text: The Invention consists, first, in the use and application of a wheel or disc
having an undulated or corrugated, or otherwise elevated and depressed
surface, which may be attached to the driving wheel or shaft, and which acts
upon and gives a vibratory or oscillating motion to the lever which is secured
about its centre on a shaft, which is thus caused to partake of its vibratory or
rocking movement, and such motion is transmitted by means of a lever and
one or more links or rods to the knife bar, and thus the reciprocating motion
obtained from the series of elevations or depressions as the wheel rotates is
applied to actuate the knife bar and cutters which has hitherto been effected
imperfectly by cranks.
The second part of the improvements consists in constructing the back plate
holding the knives or knife bar of sheet steel or other suitable metal, and
bending it so as to form two binding plates and a hollow back, thus ==,
the blades or cutters being placed between the two surfaces of the plates and
rivetted therein.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Reuben Sims, John Beard, and Robert Burns in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 7th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, REUBEN
SIMS, JOHN BAIRD, and ROBERT BURNS, of the Firm of Picksley, Sims and
Company, Limited, of Bedford, in the County of Lancaster, Agricultural
Implement Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Reuben Sims,, John Baird, and Robert Burns, Her special license
that we, the said Reuben Sims, John Baird, and Robert Burns, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Reuben Sims, John
Baird, and Robert Burns, our 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that we, the said Reuben Sims, John Baird, and Robert Burns, our
éxecutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of
our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describé
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 Reuben Sims, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :—
Our Invention relates, first, to such reaping and mowing machines wherein
á knife bar is used carrying a series of cutters which moves with a rapid
lateral reciprocating motion, and is designed to impart a rapid reciprocating
movement to the knife.
And, secondly, the Invention relates to a novel construction of the knife
bar and knives.
The Invention consists, first, in the use and application of wheel or disc
having an undulated or corrugated, or otherwise elevated and depressed
surface, which may be attached to the driving wheel or shaft, and which acts
upon and gives a vibratory or oscillating motion to a lever which is secured
about its centre on a shaft, which is thus caused to partake of its vibratory or
rocking movement, and such motion is transmitted by means of a lever and
one or more links or rods to the knife bar, and thus the reciprocating motion
obtained from the series of elevations and depression's as the wheel rotates is
applied to actuate the knife bar and cutters which has hitherto been effectected
imperfectly by éráiiks.
The second part of the improvements consist in constructing the back plate
holding the knives or knife bar of sheet steel or other suitable metal, and
bending it so as to form two binding plates and a hollow back, the blades or
cutters being placed between the two surfaces of the plates and rivetted
therein.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, we have Hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, being
made upon a scale of about thred inches to the foot, similar letters of reference
being marked upon corresponding parts of the apparatus.
Fig. i represents a side elevational view of the reaping or mowing machines,
shewn partly in section, in order that the position and arrangement of the

page_text: cam wheel and rocking lever giving motion to the knives may be clearly
seen; Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 represents a cross
section of the hollow knife bar, shewing (about full size) the construction
thereof, and the method of securing the knives therein; Fig. 4 represents a
plan view of the bar and two knives, each one being secured separately in the
said bar; Figs. 5 and 6 represent respectively (about half size) a plan view
and elevation of the rocking lever or beam; and Fig. 7 represents the
connection between the rocking lever and knife bar.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a, a, is the frame of the machine, which is supported and
carried by the driving wheel c and the leading or castor wheel d; the cam
wheel e is keyed or otherwise firmly secured on the axle of the driving
wheel c; this cam wheel has an undulating surface, against which the
bowls ff of the rocking shaft or beam 9 are in constant contact; this.
rocking beam is held in position by means of the spindle or shaft h, upon
which it oscillates during the forward motion of the machine by the action of
the bowls f, f, alternately rising and falling as they are acted upon by the
depression and elevation of the cam e. The friction bowl i presses ngainst
the back of the cam wheel, and is employed for the purpose of keeping the
cam up to its work when actuating the beam g; the arm k of this beam is
connected by means of the link with the knife bar m, which gives to the
knives during the oscillating motion of such beam the rapid reciprocating
motion necessary for cutting. The height of the cut or length of stubble left
is regulated by the hand wheel n and screw o. The bar or back plate m
holding the knives p (seen in Fig. is constructed of sheet steel, or other
suitable metal, and so formed as to have a hollow back with two front binding
plates; the blades or cutters p, p, (seen in Fig. 4) are placed between the two
inner surfaces of these binding plates and rivetted therein, by which means a
light and strong knife bar is obtained, requiring less power to drive it, and
any broken knife may be readily removed and replaced by a new blade.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be distinctly
understood that we claim,-
First, the novel employment and use of a cam wheel in combination with a
rocking shaft, beam, or lever, for giving motion to the knife bar.
Secondly, the use and application of vibrating links attached to the end of
the knife bar.
And, lastly, we claim the novel construction and use of a hollow knife bar
for holding the knives, the whole of which improvements are applicable to

page_text: reaping and mowing machines in general, and are herein-before described,
set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Reuben Sims, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witnessed by
JOHN L. DAVIES,
Office for Patents,
4, St. Ann's Sq., Manchester.
REUBEN SIMS. (L.S.)