IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Douglas Gordon Williamson, of Bombie, in the County
of Kirkcudbright, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 20th February 1880, and dated the 26th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Douglas Gordon Williamson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August 1879.
DOUGLAS GORDON WILLIAMSON, of Bombie, in the County of Kirkcudbright,
North Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
"
The said Invention relates to improvements in reaping and mowing machines,
and has for its object to greatly reduce the friction in operating the knife, so that
the said machines are more easily worked, and at the same time the blades of the:
knife.can, be readily removed for grinding and replacing.
According to the said Invention the knife bar slides in a recessed or undercut
slot at the root of the fingers and under the cutting surfaces thereof, and has a
guide eye at its end consisting of a slot in which fits an anti friction roller mounted
on the boot or finger board carrier, so that the knife bar when either up or down,
thrust is put upon it, instead of running with great friction upon a plane surface,.is
passed easily over the roller. The knife is formed of a number of independent
blades vibrating upon centres on the finger board. In the upper part of the knife
bar are slots or recesses curved so as to allow of the movement of the blades upon
their centres, the blades at the parts where they pass through these recesses being
similarly curved. The blades are confined in their recesses. by a steel bar screwed
or bolted down over the said knives. The knife is operated by, mechanism which
may be similar to that employed in the ordinary machines, except that a shorter
stroke is required. As the machine is worked the blades of the knife oscillate
backwards and forwards upon their centres with but little friction. The centres of
the said blades are preferably formed of pins or nuts with confining heads, the part
of the stem upon which the blades oscillate, and also the hole in the blade which
engages with the stem is so cut or formed that when the pin or nut is turned
in one position, it and the hole in the blade present to each other a circular bearing
surface, but when the pin or nut is turned partially round, a cut away part of the
said stem thereof comes opposite a cut away part opening from the hole in the
blade, and any blade by this means may be readily withdrawn without disturbing
the other parts.
The hereinbefore mentioned-slot at the root of the fingers for the knife bar to
slide in may be applied to the ordinary knife..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Douglas Gordon Williamson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th February 1880.
DOUGLAS GORDON WILLIAMSON, of Bombie, in the County of Kirkcudbright,
North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
My said Invention relates to improvements in reaping and mowing machines,
and has for its object to greatly reduce the friction in operating the knife so that
the said machines are more easily worked, and at the same time the blades of the
knives can be readily removed for grinding and replacing.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to
the annexed Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,-
Figure 1 represents in plan, Figure 2, in back elevation, and Figure 3, in
transverse section a portion of a finger-board and knife sufficient to illustrate my
Invention. The finger-board is marked A; the boot or finger-board carrier B; the
fingers C; the knife bar D, and the knife blades E. The fingers C are bolted to
the finger-board by bolts c, the wing pieces c2 of the said fingers C being formed
with a recessed or under cut slot c³ (see Figure 3) at the root of the fingers and
under the level of the cutting edge thereof, which slots when the fingers are
placed side by side form a long groove in which slides the knife-bar D, which is
formed with a rib or feather d to fit into the said long groove. This groove may
be formed in the cast metal of the fingers, or may be formed by the lining or
cutting surface of the finger projecting to the requisite extent. The said knife-bar
has a slotted guide-eye F at its end in which fits an anti-friction-roller G mounted
in bearings g on the boot or finger-board carrier B, so that the knife bar when
either up or down thrust is put upon it, instead of running at this part with great
friction upon a plain surface, is passed easily over this roller G. The knife is
formed of a number of independent blades E vibrating upon centres formed by
studs or bolts e on the finger-board A. The knife sections pass-through slots in the
knife-bar so as to receive oscillation as the said bar is reciprocated.
In the
Drawing these slots or recesses are shewn as being formed by making the knife-bar
of two strips, upon the lower of which (being the strip which slides in the slots ens
in the fingers) are formed or fixed filling pieces , so curved as to allow of the
oscillation of the blades E upon their centres (the blades at the parts where they
pass between these filling pieces. being similarly curved). The second strip is a
bar d³ screwed or bolted down to these filling pieces d³, so as to confine the blades
in the recesses or slots between the filling pieces d. The knife is operated by
mechanism which may be similar to that employed in the ordinary machines,
except that a shorter stroke is required; f is the eye for attaching this knife
operating mechanism. As the machine is worked, the knife bar D being recipro-
cated, the blades of the knife oscillate backwards and forwards upon their centres.
with but little friction. The dot and pick lines at x, x, in Figure 1, shew the two
extreme positions of the centre line of one of the blades. The centres upon. which
the said blades turn may consist of ordinary screwed pins or bolts passed through.
boles in the knife sections and into the finger-board A, or they may, as shewn in the
Drawing, consist of pins or studs e.having a part of the stem cut away, as shewn
with regard to the two knife blades to the left of Figure 1, where the said pins are
sbewn in section respectively, in the positions for securing the blade and for
releasing it. The blade is formed with a slot e² running out from its stud hole.
When the pin or nut is turned in one position (as sliewn at y) it and the hole in
the blade present to each other a circular bearing surface, and the blade is confined
in position, but when the pin or nut is turned partially round, as at z, the blade

page_text: can be readily withdrawn as the slot e² passes the said stud when in this position.
Whether this or an ordinary bolt be employed, any blade may be readily with-
drawn without disturbing the other parts. The hereinbefore mentioned slot at the
root of the fingers for the knife-bar to slide in may be applied to the ordinary
knife.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of
my said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner, in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. Forming the knives of reaping and mowing machines in separate sections
or blades, arranged and operating essentially as bereinbefore described.
Second. The arrangement of slotted guide-eye (F) and antifriction roller (G),
essentially as and for the purpose herein before described.
Third. The construction or formation of the fingers of reaping and mowing
machines with a slot for receiving and guiding the knife-bar essentially as
described.
Fourth. The construction or formation of the knife sections with slots e in
combination with studs with partially cut away stems for readily connecting
either, or any of the said knife sections with or disconnecting them from the
machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Douglas Gordon Williamson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
D. G. WILLIAMSON. (L.S.)