IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS IN WHICH ENDLESS DELIVERING CHAINS ARE OR MAY
Year: 1866

page_text: DHCCLOT
Deveriey, TOR
wagon ompany, Limited,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES AND
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS IN WHICH ENDLESS DELIVERING CHAINS ARE OR MAY
Scaled the 21st May 1867, and dated the 28th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Norfolk at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th November 1866.
3
I, RICHARD NORFOLK, of Beverley, in the County of York, Managing
Director of the Beverley Iron and Wagon Company, Limited, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
MACHINES AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS IN WHICH ENDLESS DELIVERING
CHAINS ARE OR MAY BE EMPLOYED, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING SUCH CHAINS," to
be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to obviate the inconvenience experienced
through the delivering belts in general use taking up portions of loose corn
when in a wet state, and also, dirt, and depositing them on the sheaves over
which they pass until the diameters of the said sheaves are so increased as to
cause the delivering belts to break, thus causing stoppages for cleaning and
repairing.
In performing my Invention I make use of an improved form of chain
consisting of double links held apart by suitable pins and furnished with iron
[Price Sd.

page_text: fingers instead of the belts with cleats of wood fastened on them as heretofore;
this chain will deliver cut corn at either side of the machine as may be
desired, and from the mode of fixing it to run upon an iron rod and driving
it over a toothed wheel it will be self-cleaning, will take less power to drive,
and will facilitate the operation of reaping.
My Invention of machinery for making my improved chains consists in the
first place of a pair of dies of the required form, one of which is fixed in a
suitable bed plate, whilst the other is caused to approach it by means of a nut
and screw actuated by a hand wheel. The iron or other metal used to make
the links of the chain is first cut to the proper length and shape at the ends,
and then placed between the before-mentioned dies which bend it somewhat
into shape and turn down its ends to a slightly obtuse angle; it is then
removed to a second machine, which consists of a pair of spur wheels gearing
into each other and driven by suitable means from a hand wheel or otherwise;
into the faces of these spur wheels or discs driven by these spur wheels are
inserted pins, one in each centre of the spur wheels or discs, which pins remain
in the same place and maintain the same distance from each other, and also
one in each spar wheel or disc a little distance from the centre, which pins
approach each other as the spur wheels or discs partially revolve. When the
link in process of formation has been put on the second machine motion is
given to the spur wheels causing the pins mentioned as approaching each
other to bend the ends of the link around the pins in the centre of the spur
wheel or discs, thus finishing the link; the fingers are then attached in the
required places and the chain is put together by means of rivets shouldered
down to suitable distances from their ends.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Norfolk, in the Great Seal Patent Oflice on the
24th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
NORFOLK, of Beverley, in the County of York, Managing Director of the
Beverley Iron and Waggon Company, Limited, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Norfolk, Her special license that 1, the said Richard

page_text: Norfolk, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Richard Norfolk, 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 MACHINES AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
IN WHICH ENDLESS DELIVERING CHAINS ARE OR CAN BE EMPLOYED, AND IN MACHINERY
FOR MAKING SUCH CHAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that. I, the
said Richard Norfolk, 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 Richard Norfolk, 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 (that is to say):-
The object of my Invention is to obviate the inconvenience experienced
through the delivering belts generally used in reaping machines and other
agricultural implements taking up portions of loose corn when in a wet state,
and also dirt, and depositing them on the sheaves over which they pass until
the diameter of the said sheaves is so increased as to cause the delivering
belts to break, thus causing stoppages for cleaning and repairing.
In performing my Invention I make use of an improved form of chain
consisting of double links held apart by suitable pins, and furnished with iron
fingers or prongs instead of the belts with cleats of wood fastened on them as
heretofore; this chain will deliver cut corn at either side of the machine as
may be desired, and from the mode of fixing it to run upon an iron rod and
driving it over a toothed wheel it will be self-cleaning, will take. less power
to drive, and will facilitate the operation of reaping.
The second part of my Invention consists of improvements in the machinery
for making my improved chains.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying three
Sheets of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
On Sheet 1, Figure is an elevation of my improved chain which is

page_text: applicable to reaping machines and other agricultural implements in which
endless delivering chains are employed, and the toothed pulley and supporting
rod for the same; Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 a section. 4 is the chain
the links of which are jointed together by the pins or studs b, which are made
with shoulders to keep the links at the proper distance apart. To some of
the links of the chain a are rivetted or forged the fingers or prongs c, which
act as substitutes for the usual cleats of wood on the ordinary belts; the chain
a passes over and is driven by the toothed wheel or sheave d, which is placed
at the delivering side of the machine and is driven in the usual manner at
the other side of the machine, the chain passes over a plain sheave. The
lower part of the chain passes between the wood rails e, and rests upon and is
supported by the round rod of iron f, the object of which is to keep the chain
clean and prevent the accumulation of loose portions of corn or dirt on the
sheaves over which the chain passes. The rod is bent at each end to allow
the prongs of the chain to pass, and it is bolted to the framework of the
machine, as shewn in Figure 3, in which view represents the guide for the
cutters which are made in the usual manner.
On Sheet 2, Figure 4 is a front elevation, Figure 5 a plan, and Figure 6
a side elevation of a bending machine for partly making the links of the chain
a, shewn in the previous Figures; Figure 7 represents a partially formed
link. is a cast-iron foundation plate, which is secured to a strong bench or
other fixture; to the plate his fixed the bearing of the screw i, which is
screwed into the nut k, the end of which forms a die; the screw is turned
round by the hand wheel 1; to the plate his cast or fixed the mould m, at
each side of which is a stop piece n.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The pieces of round or other shaped
bar of which the links are to be made having been cut off to the required
lengths are placed by the attendant between the stop pieces n, the hand
wheel is turned round to force the die into the mould m, and as the inside
of the mould is shaped to correspond with the outside of the partially formed
link and the die is shaped like the outside of the same it is evident that the
tightening up of the screw will convert the straight rod into the partially
formed link shewn in Figure 7. By changing the shape of the die and
mould other shaped links may be produced.
On Sheet 3, Figure 8 is an end elevation, Figure 9 is a side view, and
Figure 10 a plan of a machine for bending the links of chains previously pre-
pared by the machine, shewn on Sheet 2. o is the foundation plate of the
machine, to the under side of this plate are cast or fixed bearings for the
shaft p, which is turned round by the hand wheel g; to the shaft p is keyed

page_text: the bevel pinion gearing in the wheels fixed on the shaft (, which revolves
in a bush cast to the plate p, to which are also cast projections for supporting
the table . To the shaft is also fixed the spur pinion
gearing into the
similar pinion : in the face of the pinions and are screwed or fixed the
pins which pass through segmental slots in the table u. and the pins y which
coincide with the axes of the pinions and serve to keep the links to the
required length.
The mode of operation is as follows: One of the partially formed links
from the machine, shewn on Sheet 2. is placed on the table u above the
pinions and c. as shewn in Figure 10, the back of the link bearing against
the projection of the table w, the wheel q is then put in motion, and by it
the pinions and . the pins in which then approach each other, and in so
doing bend the ends of the link over the pins . thus finishing the link as
shewn in Figure 11. When the links are thus finished the fingers or prongs c
are attached to the required number of links and the chain is then put together
by rivitting up the ends of the pins b.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First. substituting endless metal delivering chains for the endless bands
and cleats now employed in reaping machines of the description referred to.
Secondly, the improved delivering chain described, and the rod f for
supporting and cleaning the same, as shewn on Sheet. 1.
And, thirdly, the machinery described and shewn on Sheets 2 and 3 for
making the links of chains.
In witness whereof, I. the said Richard Norfolk, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May. One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
RICH. NORFOLK. (L.S.)