IMPROVEMENTS IN ELEVATORS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John William Billiatt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th September 1869.
I, JOHN WILLIAM BILLIATT, of Grantham, in the County of Lincoln,
5 do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ELEVATORS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
In
This Invention has for its object improvements in elevators.
order to raise a cut crop from off the land on which it lies on to a
wagon or cart I employ an apparatus at the side of the wagon or cart
O constructed in the following manner:-It consists of a framework
having at the front a number of prongs or teeth; these prongs or teeth
are jointed to the frame and rest on the land, so that their points are
always close to the surface. As the frame is drawn forward by a horse
in shafts at one side of the frame the crop rises up the prongs or teeth,
and it is taken from them by teeth carried by endless chains as in an
ordinary elevator. These teeth carry the crop back away from the
collecting prongs, and at the same time they raise it sufficiently to-dis-
charge it on to endless travelling chains, with bars or lats with teeth
upon them. The second set of chains carry the crop horizontally or

page_text: nearly so along the back of the frame for a distance equal to the width
over which the collecting prongs extend, and which is equal to the
width of the endless travelling surface, which takes the crop from them
and discharges it upon the second surface travelling at right angles to
the first. The crop having been in this way carried towards the side of
the frame, the endless chains are here caused to pass underneath guide
rollers, and from thence they ascend at a rapid incline until a height is
attained exceeding that of the load of the wagon or cart. At this point
the chains are supported by a top roller, and as they pass around this
roller the teeth deliver the crop, and it falls upon the wagon or cart,
which is immediately beneath, and is drawn by a horse walking at the
side of the horse in the shafts of the elevator, but with a space of some
feet between the two horses so as to allow sufficient freedom in turning.
The shafts of the wagon or cart and those of the elevator may be con-
nected by a bar, and also by cross chains to preserve a proper distance
between the horses. A third or gear horse is also employed connected
by draft chains with the inner shaft of each implement. The frame of
the elevator is supported on three wheels; the main wheel from which
the endless elevating chains are driven is behind the shafts on the inner
side of the frame; the second wheel, which is a pivot wheel, is at the
back of the frame towards its inner side; the third wheel is on the
outer side of the frame. The pivot wheel is so arranged that it can be
removed when it is required that the implement should pass through a
gateway. This wheel is then placed at the outer side of the frame,
which becomes the front, and the shafts are applied to the spindle of the
pivot wheel. The inner side of the frame, which now becomes the back,
is lifted somewhat, and has a pair of the extra wheels secured to it, on
which it runs whilst travelling from place to place when out of use.
The collecting prongs I make somewhat of av form; one arm is jointed
to the frame and is curved, so that the front may be carried just clear of
the surface; the other arm, which is shorter than the first, forms an
incline, up which the crop as it is collected rises, and it is taken off this
incline by the teeth of the first set of elevating chains which pass
between the inclined arms of the collecting prongs. The lats or cross
bars, in which the elevating teeth are fixed, are not rigidly attached to
the endless chains, but they are jointed to them, and the teeth are made
to stand at right angles to the chains whilst they are travelling over the
upper portion of their course by means of arms fixed upon the lats or

page_text: bars, and which rest upon guides on a supporting surface beneath. Pro-
jections fixed to the chains prevent the teeth from falling forward. As
the teeth return along the under portion of their course the arms on the
lats or bars are no longer supported, so that the teeth are free to turn or
fold back. By this arrangement the teeth in returning require less
space than would otherwise be requisite. In straw elevators I also
arrange the lats or bars carrying the elevating teeth so that they can
turn upon the chains which carry them, in place of rigidly fixing them
thereto as is usual; and I govern the teeth as they travel round by
applying an arm on each lat or bar, by preference with a friction pulley
upon it resting on a fixed guide course, and such a form is given to
this guide course as to cause the teeth as soon as they have taken the
straw to fold down upon it and hold it securely, so that the straw may
not be liable to be dispersed by the wind as now frequently happens.
In place of chains, bands or cords may be employed with the bars or
lats carrying the teeth jointed to them in a somewhat similar manner, so
that the teeth may be able to fold in the manner described.