IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Scott Underhill, of Newport, in the
County of Salop, Engineer, and John Smith, of Church Aston, in
the Parish of Edgmond, in the said County of Salop, Engineer, for
AL T
T
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Scott Underhill
and John Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 14th June 1869.
We, WILLIAM SCOTT UNDERHILL, of Newport,, in the County of
Salop, Engineer, and JOHN SMITH, of Church Aston, in the Parish of
Edgmond, in the said County of Salop, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING
MACHINES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
Our improvements more particularly refer to those parts of reaping
and mowing machines known as the platform, which we propose to

page_text: construct in such manner that upon being depressed to discharge the
sheaf or cut grain collected thereby a lateral or sideways movement is
effected, and the sheaf or cut grain delivered in such a position that
with the ordinary swathing or dividing board a sufficient space between
the cut and uncut grain is left for the machine to continue in motion
and cut the entire field, leaving the produce to be bound up or otherwise
disposed of at pleasure. This is effected by making each delivery bar
of the platform with a joint at the bottom and connected to a cross bar
placed parallel to the cutting knife so that the delivery bars move
freely sideways. At a short distance from the bottom row of joints is
placed another or second bar parallel to the cross bar, and also jointed
to each delivery bar, and from' this second bar extends a joint to which
is attached a connecting arm, or rod, or crank, the other end of such
rod or crank being attached to a firm part of the machine. The first
parallel bar may be made to move instead of the second if necessary.
By this arrangement when the platform is raised to gather the cut
grain the delivery bars are at right angles to the cross bars. When the
platform is lowered the connecting rod or crank causes the first or second
parallel bar, as the case may be, to move sideways and with it to a
certain extent the delivery bars also, thereby causing the sheaf or cut
grain to be delivered clear of the next track of the horses and machine.
The platform may be made and worked in other forms than as above
specified, the main object of our Invention being to impart a combined
diagonal, vertical, and lateral movement or double action to one and
the same platform, and which may be used either in conjunction with
the ordinary swathing or dividing board or without it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Scott Underhill and John Smith in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM 30
SCOTT UNDERHILL, of Newport, in the County of Salop, Engineer, and
JOHN SMITH, of Church Aston, in the Parish of Edgmond, in the said
County of Salop, Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said William Scott Underhill and
John Smith, Her special license, that we, the said William Scott
Underhill and John Smith, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said William Scott Underhill and John Smith,
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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Scott Underhill and John
Smith, by an instrument in writing under our 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 we, the said William Scott Underhill and
John Smith, 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 the following statement, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our improvements more particularly refer to those parts of reaping
and mowing machines known as the platform, which we propose to con-
struct in such manner that upon being depressed to discharge the sheaf
or cut grain collected thereby a lateral or sideways movement is effected,
and the sheaf or cut grain delivered in such a position that with the
ordinary swathing or dividing board a sufficient space between the cut
and uncut grain is left for the machine to continue in motion and cut
the entire field, leaving the produce to be bound up or otherwise disposed
of at pleasure.

page_text: Referring to the Drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the platform with
our improvements applied thereto, the parts of the machine not essential
to the Invention being omitted.
We form each delivery bar (a) of the platform with a joint or pivot
(a) at the bottom end and connected to a cross bar (6) placed parallel
to the cutting knife (c) so that the delivery bars (a) may move freely
sideways when requisite. At a short distance from the bar (6) is placed
another or second bar (d) parallel or nearly so to the cross bar (6) and
also jointed to each delivery bar (a) as at (d), and from this second
bar (d) extends a jointed arm (e) attached to a connecting arm, or
rod, or crank (f), the rod (g) being rigid with the arm (e) and working
in a vertical slot formed in a lug piece (h) attached to a firm part of
the machine, The first cross bar (6) may be made to move instead
of the second if necessary. (f) is a shield board fixed to the offside
of the machine to prevent loose grain from falling on the track whilst
the platform is delivering the sheaf. By this arrangement when the
platform is raised to gather the cut grain the delivery bars (a) are at
right angles to the cross bars (6 and d), as shewn in Figure 1, but when
the platform is lowered the consequent movement of the connecting rod
or crank (f) and the arm (e) causes the first or second cross bar, as the
case may be, to move sideways and take with it the delivery bars (a)
until they will assume the position shewn in Figure 2, thereby causing
the sheaf or cut grain to be delivered clear of the next track of the
horses and machine,
Figures 3 and 4 represent the parts for imparting motion to the
delivery bars (a) shewn to an enlarged size. The platform may be made
and worked in other forms than as above specified, the main object of our
Invention being to impart a combined diagonal, vertical, and lateral
movement or double action to one and the same platform, and which
may be used either in conjunction with the ordinary swathing or
dividing board or without it.
Having thus described the nature and object of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, we claim
without being limited to these precise details, the improvements in the

page_text: construction of platforms for reaping and mowing machines as herein
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Scott Underhill and
John Smith, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth
day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM SCOTT UNDERHILL. (L.S.)
JOHN SMITH.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within-named William
Scott Underhill, in the pre-
sence of
(L.S.)