IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE FORM AND CONSTRUCTION OF REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Hall at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th August
1860.
I, GEORGE. HALL (junior), of. Montrose, in the County. of Forfar, North
Britain, Corn Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE FORM AND CONSTRUCTION OF REAPING MACHINES," to
be as follows, that.is to say :-
My improvements.consit in the form, arrangement, and. construction of an
apparatus or machine to be used for cutting or reaping corn, or other such⚫
like crops, the body or framework of my machine consists of two parallel side
frames.sloping from the rear to the front, and tied together at their lower ends,
by means of a. traverse rail or bar, upon which are supported the ordinary
fixed projecting fingers, over, or' under, or against which the cutting blades act.
The main driving wheel, from which motion is given off to the principal motive
parts of the machine, has the bearings of its axle in one of the side frames, the
near or right hand one, a portion.of' which projects or overhangs at this part.
Another wheel of smaller diameter, which. acts simply as-a. bearing wheel, is
supported on the opposite side. The outer face of the main driving wheel has
formed either upon it or attached to it a bevel wheel, which gears into a pinion
placed at right angles to it; the spindle of this pinion, which is parallel to the
side frame, is connected by means of a coupling with a short angularly inclined
crank shaft, the crank pin of which works in. a slotted slide or guide within
the front rail. In the upper end of this slide is a loop or eye, which moves

page_text: on a transverse rod supported on the side frame, or the projecting or over-
hanging portion of the same. The sliding piece is attached to the cutting bar,
which has a reciprocating motion caused by slots in the projecting fingers.
The cutter bar has the usual cutting knives, which move over and in contact
.with the edges of the projecting fingers. The throw of the crank is such as to
cause the knives each to traverse over two of the projecting fingers at each
revolution. The cutter bar is thrown out and into gear by means of a hand
lever, which acts upon the coupling connecting the bevel pinion, spindle, and
the crank shaft. The gathering reel is formed with six radial arms connected
with transverse vanes, two of the arms are placed at a greater distance assunder
than the others, so that an interval takes place in the gathering action of the reel
during each revolution, by means of which the cut corn is delivered from the
platform in quantities sufficient for forming sheaves; it is driven either by
means of bevel gear, bands, or chains, communicating with the axle of the
driving wheel, its traverse shaft. is carried in adjustible. elongating rods, one
of which is fitted on the axle of the driving wheel, the other on a projecting
stud supported on a bracket from the opposite side of the frame. It is also so
arranged, that by means of a ratchet wheel and paul, or by elevating and
depressing screws, or similar devices, it may be raised or lowered to any required
height, the platform is hung so as to oscillate upon a diagonal-formed shaft, and is
retained by means of a lever having a stud and friction pulley on its extremity,
and worked by a cam-or tappet-on the axle of the driving wheel. This cam is
made double, and in the hollow between the two elevations the end of the lever
with the stud and pulley rests; a projection or bulge on the face of the cam
during each revolution comes in contact with the stud on the end of the lever,
and tilts over the platform, which is again brought to its normal position by
the action of the cam upon the lever. In the front of the machine is a guiding
wheel, which is provided with an adjusting screw for regulating the height of
the back part of the machine from the ground.