IMPROVE- MENTS IN HARVESTING AND SHEAF-BINDING MACHINES."
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Miller at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 13th May 1881.
"
JOHN MILLER, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HARVESTING AND SHEAF-BINDING MACHINES."
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of harvesting and
sheaf-binding machines, designed to combine in a single portable machine an efficient
means of lifting the grain, straw, or grass fibre from the field, binding into a sheaf,
and tying it with twine or wire, and delivering it behind the machine.
The improved machine comprises a broad iron or wooden framing mounted on a
pair of large carrying wheels, and to which the actuating gearing or mechanism is
attached. The framing is continued forward at one side to form trams, to which
the horse or horses may be yoked, and a longitudinal platform is fitted over the
framing at this side, on which a seat is provided for the driver, the machine being
also supported and guided by a small steering wheel in front of the driver. Between
the longitudinal platform and the opposite side of the machine a strong transverse
bar or shaft is fitted in bearings in the framing, or in side standards carried up from
the framing, and on this shaft there are fitted or formed a set of curved prongs
extending forwards and downwards to the ground, and kept just out of contact
with it, or raised and lowered by a chain or cord attached to one of the prongs, or
by a lever on the shaft to which they are attached. A transverse horizontal plat-
form or table is also fitted at the back part of the framing behind the centre shaft
of the prongs extending across the machine, and on to which the sheaf is gathered
for binding by means of an oscillating rake in front, the teeth of which pass upwards
through the lower guide prongs. This rake is hung from centres formed in the side
frames, in which is fitted a long transverse bar or double crank. On the tilting or
revolving crank bar a hollow tube or shaft is fitted, and carries projecting brackets
to which the teeth of the rake are attached. A jointed link fixed to the tubular
rake spindle, and jointed to one or both side frames, prevents the rake teeth
revolving with their carrying spindle, and guides their motion up through the lower
stationary guide prongs, so that they lift the grain from the field up the surface of
these prongs, and throw it over on to the rear platform as a sheaf ready for binding.
The revolving motion of the crank centre on which the rake is hung is derived by
..

page_text: means of chain pulleys and a pitch chain or other gearing from the axle of the
carrying wheels of the machine. The wheels are fitted to run loose on this axle,
but a shifting clutch fixed on the axle is provided, which is put into gear with a
suitably formed clutch nave on one of the wheels to cause the axle to rotate with
the wheels.
"
The binding of the sheaf thus gathered on to the rear platform is effected by
means of a long bent binding arm or 'binder," fitted by a double or universal
joint to the framing, and is actuated so as to have both a vertical and a horizontal
motion. This binding arm is formed with an eye at its extreme free end through
which the binding twine or wire passes from a large reel carried on the seat plat-
form; guiding and tension devices being provided on the "binder" to keep the
requisite strain on the twine. The binding arm or binder in its motion descends
through a curved guiding slot in the rear or sheaf-binding platform, to a revolving
or reciprocating cutter below where the twine is cut, and the end held by friction.
The binder then ascends vertically through the slot in the platform, makes a rapid
backward motion (which throws or delivers the sheaves when bound behind the
machine), rises upwards and forwards in front of the new sheaf, which has mean-
while been gathered or laid by the rake on to the binding platform over the thread;
and finally the binder returns, pressing back the loose sheaf with the twine thus
led round it, and descends through the slot in the platform to the twine cutter
below where the twine is cut, the new end held and the portion cut off for the
sheaf freed. The twine or wire is caught during the descent of the binder by an
oscillating hook (worked by a cam and lever) which draws it to one side, and the
free ends of the portion round the sheaf are, when wire is used, gripped between
revolving nippers, and simply twisted; but when twine is used for binding, the
double part is caught by a
knotter or peculiar device which carries the twine
round to form a loop, then grips the free ends and draws them through the loop, or
allows the loop to slip over them to form a fast and and tight knot. The sheaf
bound and tied is delivered behind the machine by the backward throw of the
binder arm. The knotting device consists of two small gripping jaws oscillating or
rotating on a vertical centre, and which open to catch the free end of the twine,
and hold it by the power of a small spring which closes the jaws on the twine
while forming the knot. The rotation of the "knotter" may be continuous in one
direction; but to secure the desired action at the requisite time to form the knot,
the lower end or spindle of the knotter is fitted with a small toothed pinion driven
by a toothed segment or rack in the one direction for effecting the knotting operation,
and brought back to the starting point by the segment or rack for the succeeding
action. This segment or rack is actuated at the desired time by a jointed lever
arm with a pin working in a grooved cam on a counter shaft driven by gearing
from the axle or main shaft.
"
The twine cutter is preferably on the same centre as, but placed lower than the
knotter, so that the twine may be cut just when the knotter is about to form the
loop for the knot.
The binding arm or binder is formed with a lever arm beyond its double or
universal joint, and this arm is connected to levers acted on by grooved cams or
other equivalents, which impart to the binder the desired motion described for
enabling it to pass the wire or twine round the sheaf to bind it.