IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GATHERING AND BINDING CORN AND OTHER CUT CROPS INTO SHEAVES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Woolnough and Christopher Kingsford, both of
Kingston, in the County of Surrey, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR GATHERING AND BINDING CORN AND OTHER CUT CROPS
INTO SHEAVES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Woolnough and
Christopher Kingsford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 7th July 1881.
WILLIAM WOOLNOUGH and CHRISTOPHER KINGSFORD, both of Kingston, in the
County of Surrey. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GATHERING AND
BINDING CORN AND OTHER CUT CROPS INTO SHEAVES."
Our Invention relates to improvements on an Invention described in the
Specifications of Letters Patent granted to us and dated respectively October 18th,
1878, No. 4155, and April 7th, 1880, No. 1417.
It refers, in the first part, to improvements in the several parts appertaining to
the tying or knotting apparatus, the knot is formed as described in the Specification
of our previous Patents, our present improvements consisting in the form and
arrangement of the several parts of the apparatus; for instance, the ends of the
string or other binding material are held between plates or clamps acted upon by
an adjustable spring, which allows as much of the string to be drawn through
them as the knot requires; these plates supply the place of the oscillating nippers
described in the Specification of our former Patents.
The fork for twisting the string is of a new form, being that of a pair of hooks
arranged as a fork.
The nippers which pass through the loop, formed by a partial revolution of the
fork, are arranged so as to open and seize the strings when pressed against them,
closing on them by means of a spring and drawing them through the loop.
The knife is fixed in a holder moving on a pivot and cuts the strings when the
nippers have pulled the ends through the loop.

page_text: The spring or springs for wiping the knot off from the point of the nippers
and forcing it tight up against or near to the sheaf acts automatically.
We impart motion to the several parts by means of a suitable rocking shaft,
quadrant, and rack or quadrants, rack and pinion, and the twisting fork is made to
revolve by means of a spiral slot or by a worm and pinion. During the operation
of wiping the knot up to the sheaf the strings are held by a clamp which prevents
them being drawn out by the expansion of the sheaf until the knot is tight.
The second part of our Invention refers to improved manner of attaching a
machine for binding corn or other cut crops to a self delivery reaper.
Our improvements consist mainly in fixing the binder in the position ordinarily
occupied by the table or platform of a reaper, said table or platform having been
removed, so that the corn when cut falls direct upon the platform of said binder,
instead of having to gather the corn when delivered to it in sheaf quantities by
the rakes of a self delivering reaper, as described in our Specification of Letters
Patent, dated April 7th, 1880, and shewn at Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings
accompanying same. Behind the knife bar of the reaper we place one or
more revolving flyers, rollers, or pulleys carrying an apron or series of bands or
chains, our object being to deliver the butts of the corn as far on the platform as
may be required, according to the length of the crop, after which the corn is
carried by means of straps, chains, or an apron to the rear of the wheel of the
reaper, where it is tied and delivered. This alteration in position necessitates the
arrangement of the tying apparatus and gearing for driving the several parts being
suitably designed and adapted, otherwise the machine is substantially the same as
that shown at Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings accompanying the Specification of
our former Patent before referred to.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Woolnough & Christopher Kingsford in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 7th January 1882.
WILLIAM WOOLNOUGH and Christopher Kingsford, both of Kingston, in the
County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GATHERING AND
BINDING CORN AND OTHER CUT CROPS INTO SHEAVES."
Our Invention relates to improvements on Inventions described in the Specifica-
tions of Letters Patent granted to us, and dated respectively October 18th, 1878,
No. 4155, and April 7th, 1880, No. 1417, and our present Invention refers in the
first part to improvements in the several parts appertaining to the tying or knotting
apparatus. The knot is formed as described in the Specifications of our previous
Patents, our present improvements consisting in the form and arrangement of the
several parts of the apparatus.
The first part of our Invention will be best understood by reference to the
accompanying Drawings. Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of the tying
apparatus constructed according to our Invention. a, al, are plates or clamps
acted upon by an adjustable spring for holding the ends of the string or binding
material between them, and adjusted so as to allow the string to be drawn through
them according to the quantity required in forming the knot. The clamps take
the place of the oscillating nippers, described and marked with letter c in our
former Specifications, but the oscillating nippers may be here employed if required;
b is a quadrant working into a rack c, which carries the twisting fork f, said fork
being in the form of a forked double hook, the shank having a spiral groove or
slot cut in it, through which passes a fixed pin f2, thus a partial revolution of
the fork is made by each backward and forward movement of the rack; g shows
the nippers for drawing the ends of the string through the loop; these are arranged
so as to open and seize the springs when pressed against them, and they open and
release the strings when the end passes under a plate f³; the knife h is fixed in a
holder having a fixed pin working in a slot h' formed in the sliding rack, which
produces the required motion; for cutting the strings at the proper time; g³, g³, are
spring levers which clasp the nippers g and wipe the knot up to the shaft;
krepresents a sliding bar actuating a clamp 1, which embraces and holds the
strings and keeps the sheaf from expanding while the knot is being formed and
tightened up close to the sheaf by the spring wipers g², g³.
The operation is as follows:-
One end of the string being held in the clamps a, a', the bundle of corn or other
cut crop is laid into the string by means of a string carrying arm marked a, as
described in the Specifications of our former Patents, the doubled string, after
encircling the sheaf, is thus passed under the hooks of the twisting fork f whilst
said fork is at rest. On motion being imparted to the rack and quadrant, the fork
recedes and revolves at the same time, which operation forms the strings into a
loop; the nippers g then pass through the loop, press against the strings, seize and
close on them, as shown in Figure 1. On the return stroke the hooks untwist
themselves from the loop, the nippers draw the ends through, the knife severs the
strings, leaving the free end firmly held between the plates a, a'. As the nippers g
recede the spring wipers 92 advance, and after wiping the knot from off the nose of
the wipers, run it up to the sheaf, at the same time the nippers pull the ends in
an opposite direction. At the end of the stroke the tail of the nippers passes under
the plate, and the clamp 7 releases the strings on the slide bar k, coming in contact
with a pin on the quadrant.
The second part of our Invention refers to improved manner of attaching or
combining a machine for binding corn or other cut crops to or with a self delivery
1000R

page_text: .
"
Our improvements consist mainly in fixing the binder in the position ordinarily
occupied by the table or platform of a reaper, said table or platform being
removed so that the corn when cut falls direct upon the platform of said binder
instead of having to gather the corn when delivered to it in sheaf quantities by
the rakes of a self reaper, as described in our Specification of Letters Patent, dated
April 7th, 1880, and shown at Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings accompanying
same.
Behind the knife bar of the reaper we place one or more.revolving flyers, rollers,
or pulleys carrying an apron or series of bands or chains, our object being to
deliver the butts of the corn as far on to the platform as may be required according
to the length of the crop, after which the corn is carried by means of straps, chains,
or an apron to the rear of the wheel of the reaper where it is tied and delivered.
This alteration in position necessitates the arrangement of the tying apparatus and
gearing for driving the several parts, being suitably designed and adapted, otherwise
the machine is substantially the same as that shown at Figures 6 and 7 of the
Drawings accompanying the Specification of our former Patent before referred to. -
Figure 3 is as a plan of the machine as attached to an ordinary reaper.
Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line A, B, of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side view of the machine, and
Figure 6 is a perspective view of such a machine.
Similar letters of reference apply to like parts in these latter Figures.
Our improved machine for gathering corn as a reaper cuts it, and conveying the
same to the binding apparatus comprises two independent portions which
alternately come into operation; the first is an endless apron a or series of bands
or chains which receive the cut crop, and on being put in motion transfers the
same to the platform band chains c, c¹, c², to which motion is imparted as soon as
the first apron ceases to move, the apron a carries one or more cross boards or bars
fitted with rake teeth, the chains c, c¹, are provided each with two carrying
arms d, d, equidistant on the chains, so that at each half revolution the corn which
the apron a has thrown on to the platform is carried to the rear of the travelling
wheel A of the reaper where it is formed into a bundle, and by a partial revolution
of the string carrying arms e, e, e, is encircled by the binding material and held in
position to be tied; f is the case containing the tying apparatus, as herein described
in the first part of this Specification; g represents the mode of gearing adopted for
giving the requisite motions to the several parts; h, h, h, being mutilated gear
wheels, by preference divided into thirds of a revolution, but it must be understood
that said gearing necessarily must be designed and adapted to suit the require-
ments of each or some of the several reapers now in use; i is the compresser
described in our former Specifications, and is a chain wheel fitted with friction
'clutch, and which will be generally the most suitable manner of taking the power
from a reaper; by means of the friction clutch the driver of the reaper has full
control over the several parts of the binder, and as most of the modern reapers are
constructed, the lever which would otherwise be employed to control the rakes can
be utilized to put the binding machinery into gear, or one or more of the rake
arms appertaining to the reaper can be made to do so, in which case the cutting and
binding operations are made to work together in perfect accordance.
All the rakes must be fixed permanently as dummies. The corn falls on the
platform in sheaf quantities, the sheaf is tied near the ground and falls on the
delivery side of the reaper when bound. We also adapt our tying apparatus to
that class of reapers known as "The Bell Reaper," which delivers the cut corn by
means of bands to the side, the bands carrying the corn over the travelling wheels
of the reaper. In attaching our binding machinery to these reapers the endless
apron a can be dispensed with, as the corn would fall at once on to the platform.
The modes and means employed for connecting the binder to the knife bar or
beam of the reaper must necessarily be varied according to the machine to which
the binder is to be attached.
Having thus fully described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, we do not bind ourselves to apply the aforesaid tying apparatus
to the aforesaid gathering and collecting machines, as it may be applied to and
work in connection with other modes of gathering corn, either from off the ground
or delivered to it from a reaper; nor do we bind ourselves to employ the aforesaid
gathering and collecting machines exclusively in connection with the aforesaid
method of tying the knot, but we claim,―
Firstly. In machinery for gathering and binding corn and other cut crops into
sheaves, the employment of a new form of string holding clamp a, a new form and
new manner of giving motion to the twisting fork f, a new form of nippers g in
connection with the spring levers g, g³, for wiping off the knot and tightening the
same close to the sheaf, together with the several other parts described and shown,
all of which in combination form our new apparatus for tying a knot, all substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The combination of machines for binding corn or other cut crops with
a self delivering reaper substantially as set forth, whereby the position ordinarily
occupied by the table or platform is so arranged that either the reaper may be
worked with its proper table or the corn may be bound as soon as cut, the table
having been replaced by the collecting and binding machine.
Thirdly. In machines for gathering and binding corn and other cut crops
into sheaves the employment of two endless aprons, chains, or belts working at
right angles to each other, and provided with suitable boards, rake teeth, or carrying
arms for first conveying the cut crops from the knife of a reaper to the platform;
and secondly, from thence to the rear of travelling wheel, all substantially as
bereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Kingsford, for myself and on
behalf of the said William Woolnough, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand cight
bundred and eighty two.
CHRISTOPHER KINGSFORD.
(L.S.)