IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING MACHINES, ALSO APPLICABLE IN PART TO REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Helge Palmerantz, Civil Engineer, of Stockholm, in the
Kingdom of Sweden, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING
MACHINES, ALSO APPLICABLE IN PART TO REAPING MACHINES."
Scaled the 9th September 1876, and dated the 1st June 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Helge Palmerantz at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st June 1876.
HELGE PALMCRANTZ, Civil Engineer, of Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING MACHINES, ALSO APPLICABLE IN PART TO REAPING
MACHINES."
The driving mechanism of my new mowing or reaping machines consists in a whoel
with an undulated periphery and keyed fast to the main axle of the machine. Opposito
to the periphery of this wheel I place a double armed lever supported towards its
centre on a pin fixed in the framing of the machine. Each arm is provided with a
friction roller, and they are set at such a distance that when the undulated wheel
revolves one of the arms is repelled by the projecting undulations whilst the other
enters the depression existing between two such projections, thus imparting a
rocking notion to the double armed lever, which to-and-fro motion is transmitted
by intermediate parts, such as a horizontal coupling rod, a right angled lever, and a
connecting rod to the cutter bar in such a manner that every full stroke of the
coupling rod and crank arın produces two to-and-fro motions of the cutter bar.
The cutting apparatus consists in a finger bar in which the cutter bar moves to
and fro, and the latter is provided with as many cleansing prongs as there are
fingers on the former bar, and between each pair of cleansing prongs on the cutter
bar there is rivetted a stud which fits into a corresponding hole made in each knife.
Each knife is attached separately on the finger bar by means of a screw, and it can
oscillate either on the studs fixed in the cutter bar or on its attaching screw in the
finger bar.
The cutter bar imparts a simultaneous to-and-fro oscillating motion to the knives,
(the screws fixed in the finger bar constituting fulcrums), and consequently the
edges of the knives move against the fingers at a gradually decreasing angle.
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page_text: The cleansing prongs also participate in the to-and-fro motion of the cutter bar,
and thus the fingers are constantly kept free and clean.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Helge Pulmerantz in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
November 1876.
HELGE PALMORANTZ, Civil Engineer, of Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING MACHINES, ALSO APPLICABLE IN PART TO REAPING
MACHINES."
The object of this Invention is to improve the construction and the working of
mowing as well as reaping machines, and in order that it be clearly understood, I
will describe the same in detail conjointly with the six Figures of the accompanying
Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a plan of a mowing machine built in accordance with
the said improvements; Figure 2, a lateral elevation with the left hand wheel
detached; Figure 3, a plan and a lateral elevation both partially in section of the
cutting apparatus; Figure 4, a plan, a longitudinal, and a lateral elevation of the
cutter bar with cleansing prongs; Figure 5, a plan of a single knife constructed in
two different ways with certain detailed parts; and Figure 6, a lateral elevation of
the coupling rod in section showing how it is jointed to the crank arm which drives
the cutter bar.
All these Figures are drawn to a scale of one-sixth of the real size.
The general arrangement with regard to the driving wheels, the pole and the
balancing of the machine are essentially common to most similar machines, and
they fulfil all requirements as to strength and durability as well as to lightness of
draught.
ACTUATING MECHANISM.
Between the left hand driving wheel 1 which drives the axle 29 by means of the
pawl 33, and the ratchet wheel 3, and the frame 4, in which the said axle rotates
freely is keyed a cam wheel 2, which participates in the rotary motion of the axle
when the machine advances. Opposite the face of this cam or undulated wheel is
placed a two-armed lever 5, to which a rapid oscillating motion is imparted by the
rotating cam. This two-armed lever is hung on a pillow block 27, attached to the
frame, and which can be set up to the main axle and the cam by means of an
adjusting screw 30, it is also provided with two bearings placed one above the
other, the lower one carries the rod 37 of the double lever 5, and the upper one a
guide stud 35, connected with the axle by a plate 7. By means of a handle 8
which is in connection with the guide stud, the latter and consequently the double
lever 5 with its concomitant parts can be pushed towards the left, and disengaged
from the cam 2. Thus the driver is enabled in an easy and rapid manner to throw
out of gear the mechanism actuating the cutters, and consequently render it inactive
whilst the machine is moving forward. When the machine is working, the double
arm 5 is in permanent contact with the cam 2, by means of two rollers 6, fixed at
an equal distance from the axis of the said double arm 5. The rollers 6 rotate on
pins inserted in boxes which are attached by means of screws in holes made in the
face of the double arm 5. The position of the rollers 6 is proportioned in such a
manner that whilst the machine is working they run up and down alternatively on
the undulated periphery of the cam 2. This oscillating motion is transmitted to
the intermediate driving parts in the following manner :-The coupling rod 37
jointed to the lower extremity of the driving arm 5 is connected in a nearly
horizontal direction with a double jointed piece 9, the outer extremity of which is
jointed to the crank lever 10. The piece is made in two parts which screw

page_text: together in order to adjust accurately the two extreme positions of the crank lever
10, which imparts a to-and-fro motion to the cutter bar; at the junction of the
rod 37, with the crank 10, there is also jointed a rod 11 at right angle or nearly
right angle with the rod 37, the other extremity of which rod is jointed to the
cutter bar 16. Moreover the crank 10 is combined with the short coupling rod 37,
and the longer connecting rod 11 so as to describe in its two extreme positions
equal angles with reference to a centre line passing through tho axis of the crank
and the connecting rod 11, it follows that every entire stroke of the coupling rod 37
and the crank arın or lever 10 produces two backward and forward motions of the
cutter bar attached to the outer extremity of the connecting rod 11. The crank
arm 10 has finally its fulcrum on an adjustable conical tap placed on the left of a
floating bar 12, running across the frame in front of and underneath the same.
This floating bar 12 which serves to support the intermediate mechanism, forms
at the same time a support for the cutting apparatus and is suspended near the
crank arm by means of a bolt in a fork 31 on the frame whereby the turning of
this floating bar in a vertical direction is rendered possible. The setting back of
this floating bar out of line is avoided by a brace 28, projecting from the right side
of the frame; again, this brace being moveable on its point of attachment to the
frame does not prevent the lowering and the raising of the right end of the floating
bar, this is performed in the usual manner by means of a lever 24 attached to the
pole 23. The floating bar 12 is suspended by means of a chain running over a
Lauadrant from the inner or shorter and of the lever 24
This apparatus projects from the fore end of the machine towards the right, and
is attached in a shoe 15, which by means of the joint 14 is connected with the
right of the floating bar 12, and in front is provided with a leading wheel. The
finger har 20 is fixed in the shoe by means of rivets or screws, and the fingers or
guards 19 are each rivetted separately on the upper face of this bar. A slot is
formed in each finger, thus constituting a way or passage for the to-and-fro
horizontal working of the cutter bar 16, which motion is produced by the connecting
rod 11 to which it is jointed at 13. On the cutter bar 16 are rivetted at the same
distance one from the other as the fingers 19, cleansings prongs 17, the width of
which is regulated according to the motion of the cutter bar in such a manner that
the edges of these prongs meet with the edges of the fingers at the points of
inflexion of the cutter bar. Between the said cleansing prongs I rivet also on the
upper face of the cutter bar studs 39, which fit in corresponding holes made
in each knife 18.
For the purpose of fastening the knives 18 in the cutting apparatus each blade is
provided with two holes, the one above mentioned being closer to the point of the
knife, and a second one, which is situated nearer the back end of the knife, and
which is slotted open clear to the rear. As the knife is thus attached by two holes
it must necessarily rotate round one of them, and slide on the other; and, further,
this action may take place in two different ways, either around the stud 39 on the
cutter bar or around the bolt fixed to the finger bar. In the first case the hole in.
the knife corresponding with the stud is oblong, but the sliding motion takes place
on a collar or washer 40, see the detached view, Figure 5, which is provided with
two tap holes, and may consequently when worn at one end be turned about, and
thus used twice. In the latter case, on the contrary, the hole in the knife corre-
sponding with the stud 39 is round, and the one through the bolt passes is oblong
to admit of the aforesaid sliding motion. The knives are attached to the finger
bar by bolts passing through the back ends of such knives, and which constitute a
fulcrum for the knives. When the sliding of the knife takes place at the top of
the cutter bar the knife turns around a collar placed loosely on the attachment
scrow. On the other hand, when the knife is made to slide at the attachment
screw the nucleus of the latter has a different diameter at the part nearest the screw

page_text: WWWWWWW greatest case.
MODE OF OPERATION.
In order to render these improvements still clearer and comprehensible I annex
the following summary of the working of a mowing machine to which such im
provements have been applied. When the machine is propelled forward the rotation of
the driving wheels is imparted to the main axle, and consequently to the cam or
undulated wheel by means of the pawls and ratchet wheels above mentioned; the
driving arm, which is in contact by its rollers with the face of the undulated
wheel, receives from the latter a reciprocating oscillating motion, which is trans-
mitted through its lower arm by the coupling rod to the crank arm, which is thus
caused to move backwards and forwards describing an arc. The fore end of the
connecting rod, which is coupled to this arm, also participate in this rotary motion,
whilst its other extremity, which is jointed to the cutter bar, moves on the contrary
in a straight line, because the said bar is guided in the slots made in the fingers,
and is incapable of any other motion. Finally the rectilinear to-and-fro motion
of the cutter bar imparts a rotary reciprocating motion to all the cutting knives
either round the screws fixed in the finger bar or round the studs on the
cutter bar, which serve as fulcrumns and a rectilinear motion to all the cleansing
prongs, which latter passing through the fingers keep them constantly free and
clean.
Should any obstructions occur in the working the cutting apparatus can be raised
by pressing down in the usual manner the lever at the right hand of the driver.
For transportation over ordinary roads, through gates, doorways, etc., the cutting
apparatus can be turned up and folded over so as to rest on the pole.
Amongst many advantages due to the system of construction above described I
will mention the following:-
Firstly. All toothed gearings are avoided. Besides imparting greater solidity to
the machine the suppression of gearing reduces both the cost of manufacture and
the motive power required.
Secondly. The peculiar arrangement of the intermediate mechanism enables the
form of the undulated wheel to be extended to such an extent that a soft and
regular motion is transmitted by the same.
Thirdly. Any impact or shock which might arise in the working parts of the
cutting apparatus only affects indirectly the cam wheel, and consequently has no
injurious effect on the working of the machine.
Fourthly. These shocks are considerably reduced by the comparatively slow
speed which it has been possible to impart to the cutting in consequence of the
novel construction of the cutting mechanism.
Fifthly. The adjustment of the pillow block by means of a screw enables the driver
at all times to keep the driving arın close to the cam wheel, whereby clattering is
avoided.
Sixthly. In consequence of the very small amount of friction of the working
parts this machine drawn by one horse will cut the same width as any existing
machine drawn by two horses.
·
Seventhly. The cutting capacity of the knives is increased by the manner in
which their edges move against the fingers at a gradually decreasing angle.

page_text: Eighthly. The action of the cleansing prongs is such that no stoppage in the
movements of the machine can occur through the clogging of the fingers by an
accumulation of grass.
Ninthly. Each of the knives may be removed separately with the greatest case,
either for exchanging or grinding.
Tenthly. The grinding of the knives is facilitated, since each knife can be ground
separately instead of the whole bar.
Eleventhly. All the parts of the machine are readily accessible for oiling and
cleaning, and such parts which are most subject to wear can be easily repaired in a
farm, or replaced by new ones manufactured by any villago blacksmith.
Twelfthly. The machine is cheap, easily handled, of little weight, and great light-
ness of draught.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be put into practical operation,
I will observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and what
I claim is,
Firstly. The cam wheel secured to the main axle, and provided with an undu-
lated periphery consisting in a larger or smaller number of cams, substantially as
herein-before set forth.
Secondly. The driving arm working in combination with the cam wheol, and
suspended in the adjustable pillow block on the frame, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before set forth.
Thirdly. The intermediate mechanism and the way in which it has been arranged
in connection with the driving arm, in order to transmit the motion from the latter
to the cutting apparatus, substantially as herein-before set forth.
Fourthly. The arrangement of the cutting apparatus, whereby cach of the knives
separately cut against the fingers whilst the angle is being gradually reduced,
together with the cleansing prongs moving simultaneously and in combination with
the knives, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before set forth.
Fifthly. The manner in which the knives in combination with the above arrange-
ment of the cutting apparatus are fastened, whether sliding at the studs on the
cutter bar or at the attachment screws, substantially as herein-before set forth.
Sixthly. The application of the essential parts of this actuating mechanism not
only to mowers but also to reapers and combined mowing and reaping machines,
whether provided with the above described cutting apparatus or any other known
cutting apparatus.
Seventhly. The application of the above described cutting apparatus to mowers,
reapers, or combined inowers and reapers, whether such machines be provided with
the actuating mechanism above described or any other known actuating mechanism
which in the event of containing gearing need not be otherwise altered than by
placing the crank pin as near to the centre of the crank as is required by the slight
backward and forward motion of the cutter bar above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Helge Palmerautz, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six
HELGE PALMCRANTZ. (L.S.)
Witness,
NEU A. ELFWING.