Improvements in Grain Binders.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec.,
1899
Improvements in Grain Binders.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Bucking-
ham Street, Strand, W.C., Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, a communication to me from abroad by The Piano Manufacturing Com-
pany, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The first part of my invention relates to what is known as the gate, a latch
or trip which is employed to temporarily obstruct the needle slot in the breast
plate of a self binding harvester, especially in that class of machines in which
the tying bill rests in a position with its beak tending toward the cord holder.
In such constructions, it is necessary to have this temporary obstruction adjacent
to the tying bill in order that the holder strand may lay over the tying bill while
the gavel is forming. If this obstruction were not employed, and the cord were
free to move forward, the forming gavel would pull the cord off of the tying bill.
After the tying bill has been rotated and the knot formed, the gate is opened, or
the obstruction removed, so that the bundle may be discharged.
As these gates have been previously constructed, a spring has been employed
to hold them in position, and they have been moved against the stress of the
spring to open the gate by some part of the machinery positively contacting there-
with, such as one of the discharge arms. In this improved construction, the use
of the spring to hold the gate normally in position is entirely dispensed with,
and the pressure of the strand or strands of the cord is made to open the gate and
also to close it.
This first part of my invention is illustrated in the first four sheets of drawings,
in which the same letters of reference are used to designate identical parts in
all the figures, and in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tying mechanism in its normal position of
rest, and with a part of the breast plate broken away to more clearly disclose the
positions of the cord holder and tying bill:
Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, showing especially the position of the
needle slot, the gate, tying bill and cord holder at a position of rest, the same
as. that shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the needle advanced and with the
tying bill rotated through an angle of about 180 degrees from its position of rest;
Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the parts in the same position as
in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with the tying bill rotated still further
to nearly its position of rest, and with the cord holder rotated through an angle
of about 180 degrees;
Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but with the parts in the position shown in
Fig. 5;
i
Fig. 7 is a plan view similar to Fig. 6, but with the rotation of the tying bill
and cord holder completed, and with the cord cut, and the bundle ready to be
lischarged:

page_text: Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but only showing the tying bill and gate, and
with the bundle in the act of being discharged.
Fig. 9 is an elevation of the tying bill and gate, with the breast plate in
section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7; and
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the gate.
A is the shaft operating the binding mechanism suitably mounted in the custo-
mary S-shaped frame B. C is the customary disk having the bevel gear teeth D
and the delay flange E, co-operating with the bevel pinions F and G, which are
secured to the tying bill Hand cord holder J, respectively, the tying bill and
cord holder being of the customary construction and journaled in the customary
bearings in the S-shaped frame B. K is the breast plate, which has therein
the needle slot L, best shown in Fig. 7. The main portion of this slot L is
parallel with the line of the breast plate, and located a little to one side of the
axis of the shaft of the tying bill. As will be understood, the needle M is
brought up through the slot L to lay the needle strand over the tying bill and
the hook of the cord holder, as seen in Fig. 3. With the slot continued uniformly
as is the main portion, the cord would not be brought upon the tying bill in its
position of rest, so that the curved portion N of the slot is introduced, the curved
portion N resulting in the formation of the projecting portion of the breast
plate. This curve N necessitates the bringing of the cord nearer to the axis of
the tying bill, and consequently over the bill. To prevent the passage of this
portion or abutment () by the cord, which passage would result in the cord entirely
leaving the tying bill as it passed into the portion P of the slot, which is con-
tinued in the direction of the beak of the tying bill so as to permit the knot being
pulled off of the bill when the bundle is discharged, the gate or latch Qis pivot-
ally mounted at the tip of the abutment ). The general shape of this latch is
shown in the various figures and the perspective in Fig. 10. The nose R of the
latch, in the position of rest; as seen in Fig. 2, rests directly across the needle
slot, and the gate or latch is held in this position by the cord from the holder
passing thereover and pressing on the latch at the side of the pivot toward the
tail S of the latch, which passes through the slot T which may be formed in the
side of the breast plate to furnish the necessary play for the latch. As the gavel
is formed the pressure of the strand on the latch increases, so that when the needle
arm returns to place the needle strand across the tying bill and in the cord holder,
the latch is held very firmly in place by the tension produced on the cord by the
expensive action of the gavel, so that there is no possibility of the cord being
thrown off of the tying bill. The gate will remain in this position of rest until
the tying bill has made about one-half of its rotation, (to the position shown in
Fig. 4) when the twist given to the strands will tend to pull the cord off of the
nose of the gate, having pulled it past the central point at which it is pivoted.
Fig. 4 shows the position of the gate just at the moment that this tendency to
trip the latch becomes very pronounced, and the dotted line position of the gate
and of the gavel in the figure shows the position of the parts when the gate has
been moved sufficiently to permit the escape of the two strands therefrom.
the movement of the parts is continued to the position of Fig. 6, the strands are
entirely freed from the gate, which swings around to the position shown with its
tail S resting against the needle so as to prevent its swinging too far and possibly
getting the tail across the slot or the parts otherwise disarranged. Fig. 6 repre-
sents the tying bill after the cord has been gripped, and with the cord holder just
at the position when the needle strand is about to be clamped so as to secure the
strands and strain them over the knife U to cut the strands. In Fig. 7 the posi-
tion of the parts is shown after the movement of the tying bill and cord holder
has been completed, and the strands severed by being strained across the knife U.
The gavel, represented by the dotted lines, is now ready to be discharged by the
movement of the discharge arms, represented in section by the dotted lines at
VV, and as this movement takes place the knot is drawn to the position shown
in Fig. 8, where it is just about to be pulled off of the tying bill. As the further
As

page_text: movement of the discharge arms completely discharges the bundle, and the re-
treating movement of the needle carries its strand across the tying bill and gate,
as seen in Fig. 2 where the movement of the forming gavel presses the cord
sharply against the side of the gate toward the tail thereof so as to swing it from
the dotted line position of Fig. 2, back to the full line position, when the cycle
of movement is completed and the parts are ready for another operation.
The second part of my invention, illustrated in Sheets 5 to 7 of the drawings,
relates to the tripping mechanism, and especially to that class of tripping mechan-
isms in which a clutch is employed to connect the continuously rotating packer-
shaft with the intermittently rotating binding mechanism. This clutch is con-
trolled by the presser arm against which the forming gavel is compressed until
the pressure of the gavel serves to operate the clutch mechanism and cause the
binding mechanism to come into operation 'and bind the gavel. My improve-
ment relates more specifically to the trip stop, which is mounted upon the trip
rock-shaft carrying the presser arm, and which co-operates with the trip arm
upon the aforesaid clutch, and is concerned mainly with making said trip stop
adjustable in two directions, i.c., longitudinally and vertically.
In the description and drawings, I have shown and described only so much of
the mechanism as is necessary to make a disclosure of the operation of my
improvements, the general construction and operation of these tripping mechan-
isms being well known to those skilled in the art.
In the drawings illustrating this part of my invention, the same letters of
reference are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of which
Fig. 11 is a plan view of a portion of the binding mechanism, with some of
the parts omitted and with others broken away:
Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the same mechanism in section on the line 12-12
of Fig. 11, with some of the parts omitted to more clearly disclose the con-
struction;
Figs. 13 and 14 are a side elevation and plan view respectively of the trip stop
proper, showing the adjustments;
Figs. 15 and 16 are similar views of a preferred form of the trip stop: and
Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 12, but on a larger scale, and with a different
adjustment shown in the dotted line position.
A is the continuously rotating packer-shaft, which terminates at its right in
the bearing rod a, which is rigidly fastened to and rotates with said packer-
shaft. This shaft carries the clutch block M', which is of the shape shown in
Fig. 12, and the primary features of which are the oppositely disposed shoul-
ders M², with which the clutch member generally designated by the letter J
engages, to connect the clutch plate L¹ with the clutch block M. This clutch
plate L', on which the clutch member Jis pivotally mounted, is fastened to
the left-hand end of the sleeve a mounted upon the bearing rod a. The right-
hand end of this sleeve a carries the gear pinion 2, which meshes with the
internally-toothed gear wheel El rigidly mounted upon the binder drive shaft 2.
This wheel or dise E' carries upon its right-hand face the guide or controlling
flange e, with which co-operates the friction roller f carried by the crank-arm Fi
rigidly mounted upon the trip rock-shaft, which is suitably journaled in bear-
In addition to the crank-arm F
ings and extends parallel to the shaft A
mounted upon its right-hand end, this trip rock-shaft has rigidly fastened to
its left-hand end the crank-arm d, to which is pivotally attached the arm 11.
which is mounted as seen so as to be capable of swinging very slightly against
the stress of the strong coiled spring 12 without affecting the crank-arm and
thereby rocking the trip rock-shaft . Upon this same shaft d, and between the
crank-arms and F1, is mounted the trip stop H', which is substantially in the
plane of the clutch member J, with which it co-operates. At its outer end this
trip stop H has a lugh projecting into the plane of the lug which is custo-
marily in the form of an anti-friction roller, carried by the straight arm of the
clutch member J. This clutch member comprises also the arm carrying the

page_text: anti-friction roller , which co-operates with the shoulders M² on the clutch
block M. The third arm, j, of the clutch member has interposed between it
and the lug upon the clutch plate L', an expansion spring o', suitably secured
between said parts, and tending to hold the anti-friction roller in engagement
with one of the shoulders M² on the clutch block M¹ so that the sleeve a shall
be engaged to the packer-shaft A¹ so as to rotate therewith. When the anti-
friction roller is engaged by the lug h, as set out below, the clutch member J
is rocked so as to disengage the anti-friction roller from the shoulders of the
clutch block M', and thereby the sleeve a¹ is unclutched from the packer-shaft A¹
and held from rotation.
>
As previously constructed prior to my invention, the trip stop H₁ has been
made adjustable about the shaft d so as to be capable of angular movement rela-
tive thereto, and, so far as the operative position of the stop is concerned, capable
of what may be termed vertical adjustment. In the operation of the device as
set out below, there is a considerable amount of hammering and friction between
the lugs hand j, so that in course of time, owing to the natural wear of the parts
and other causes, the relative positions of the lugs and j which depend upon
the relations of a number of mechanisms, are likely to vary, and as a conse-
quence the trip stop fails to act in the desired manner. In order to overcome
this difficulty, the adjustment of the trip stop above referred to was made, out,
as before stated, owing to the form of mounting employed, it was only capable
of angular movement about the shaft d, or what may be called a vertical adjust-
ment. In order to enable me to get a perfect adjustment of the trip stop, it is
necessary to provide means for what may be called a longitudinal adjustment:
that is, an adjustment whereby the distance of the lug from the shaft d may be
changed as may be necessary to secure the required operative relation between
the lugs and j. I so construct the adjustments that as the trip stop is adjusted
longitudinally, it shall at the same time be adjusted vertically so as to keep the
lugs and in their proper relative operative positions. To secure this mode of
operation, I employ the construction to be described.
Referring especially to Figs. 13 and 14, I secure to the shaft d, a hub P¹ in-
tegral therewith or fixed thereto by any suitable means, as by a rivet p. The
hub P is provided with two lugs Q and Q, arranged at substantially right angles
to each other. The trip stop H is formed with a longitudinal slot g, adapted
to receive the lug Q and also a bolt R which passes through a suitable aperture
in the lug Q. The lug Q is apertured to receive a bolt S₁, which passes through
a second longitudinal slot in the stop H¹, the bolt S₁ carrying a nuts, by
which the trip stop may he secured in any desired position. The adjusting
screw T is set in the rearward end of the trip arm H' extending through the arm
and into the slot q, so that it may bear against the lug Q¹. A jam nutt, mounted
upon the bolt T¹, serves to effectually lock this bolt against rotation. A nut pl
carried upon the end of the bolt R binds the trip stop H' against the lug Q,
and thereby prevents its vertical displacement. The vertical adjustment of the
trip stop in connection with its longitudinal adjustment, is secured by means
of forming on the under surface of the lug Q2 the two surfaces Q³ and Q4, which
are inclined to each other so as to form a re-entrant angle at the point of their
intersection, and which co-operate with the surfaces H2 and H formed on the
upper side of the trip stop H', and which in their intersection form an obtuse
angle which is substantially complemental to the re-entrant angle formed on the
under surface of the lug Q. From the full and dotted line positions shown in
Fig. 13, it will be seen that as the trip stop H is adjusted longitudinally, it will
be given a certain vertical adjustment, and vice versa, the adjusting surfaces
being so arranged as to simultaneously furnish the exact vertical adjustment
which is essential to the change in the position of the lug h made by the longi-
tudinal adjustment.
In Figs. 15 and 16, I show a preferred form of bearing surfaces between the
lug Q and the trip stop H¹, the change being that in place of having the two

page_text: angularly disposed bearing surfaces on each member, I increase these bearing
surfaces to an infinite number so as to produce the complemental curves Q and
H*, which, as will be readily seen, operate on exactly the same principle as do
the bearing surfaces of the construction shown in Figs. 13 and 14, and these
curves, the same as the angularly disposed surfaces, can readily be designed so as
to simultaneously secure the relative vertical adjustment necessary in connection
with any longitudinal adjustment to maintain the lug h in its proper operative
position relative to the lug or anti-friction roller j.
and
In the operation of my improved tripping mechanism, the normal position of
the parts is with the anti-friction roller resting against the hook e of the
piece e, which is pivoted to the inner surface of the gear wheel E¹ as at e³,
which is normally held outward by the compression spring e carried upon and
secured by the bolt es fastened to the flange e. These parts last referred to are
conveniently shown in Fig. 12 in dotted lines. In this position of the controlling
crank-arm F, the lug h of the trip stop H¹ is directly in the path of the lug j
of the clutch member, and the engagement of these lugs and j serves to hold
the anti-friction roller out of engagement with the shoulders 2 of the clutch
block M, and thus the sleeve a¹ is held from rotation with the packer shaft A',
and the wheel or disc E¹ and its binding shaft F are held motionless. The pres-
sure of the forming gavel is transmitted to the presser arm D', and when the
gavel is sufficiently large, the pressure thereof overcomes the resistance of the
spring and the hook e yielding inward, the controlling crank-arm F¹ is also
permitted to swing inward and its movement rocks the shaft until the trip
stop H is moved sufficiently to disengage its lug h from the lug j of the clutch
member. As soon as this disengagement is effected, the spring of throws the
clutch member so as to connect the clutch block M and the clutch plate L' and
the wheel or disc is rotated by the ensuing rotation of the sleeve . In the
construction shown, it requires three rotations of the gear pinion a² to rotate
the gear wheel E¹ once, and during the first two rotations of the pinion ², or the
first two-thirds of the rotation of the gear wheel E, the pressure of the gavel
holds the anti-friction roller f upon the flange e, thus holding the lug h of the
trip stop H out of the path of the lug of the clutch member J', this position
being shown in the dotted line position of the trip stop in Fig. 12. During the
third rotation of the pinion a², the flange e not being present at the portion of
the periphery of the wheel adjacent to the anti-friction wheel f at this period,
the gavel, which has been bound, is discharged, the absence of the flange e at
this point permitting the controlling crank-arm to swing inwardly to allow
the presser arm to swing down to permit the discharge of the gavel. At the
close of the complete revolution of the gear wheel E, the anti-friction roller f of
the controlling crank-arm is engaged by the hook e of the gear wheel E¹
and the trip rock-shaft d, and its associated parts, are once more swung into their
normal position, in which the lug being in the path of the lug j, serves to dis-
connect the clutch and stop the operation of the binding mechanism until another
gavel is formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a device of the class described, the gate Q pivotally mounted at one side
of the needle slot and having the nose R adapted to obstruct said slot and the
tail S located in the path of the needle and cord whereby the position of the
gate is controlled.
2. In a device of the class described, the breast plate K having the needle
slot L therein with the curved portion N, the opposed projecting portion (),
and the gate Q pivotally mounted on the projecting portion 0 and having the
nose R adapted to obstruct said slot and the tail S located in the path of the
needle and cord whereby the position of the gate is controlled.

page_text: 3. In a device of the class described, the combination of the needle, with the
breast plate having the slot, the tying bill located at one side of said slot, the
cord holder co-operating therewith, and the gate Q pivotally mounted at the
side of the needle slot and having the nose R adapted to obstruct said slot and
retain the strands upon the tying bill, and the tail S located in the path of the
needle and cord whereby the position of the gate is controlled.
4. In a grain binder, the combination with the binder mechanism, of a drive
shaft, a clutch for engaging the binder mechanism with the drive shaft normally
in engagement; a longitudinally and simultaneously vertically adjustable trip stop
so disposed as to normally disengage the clutch, and mechanism for yieldingly
receiving the pressure of the forming gavel, such gavel receiving mechanism
and the trip stop being so connected that the yielding of the former disconnects
the latter from the clutch.
5. In a grain binder, the combination with the binder mechanism of a drive
shaft, a clutch for engaging the drive shaft with the binder mechanism, a yield-
ing trip arm for receiving the pressure of the forming gavel, a rock-shaft for
carrying the trip arm, and a longitudinally and vertically adjustable trip stop
secured to the rock-shaft and being so disposed as to disengage the clutch while
the gavel is accumulating, and to be thrown out of connection therewith as the
trip arm yields to the pressure of the gavel, the connections for adjusting said
trip stop securing its simultaneous vertical adjustment when it is adjusted longi-
tudinally.
6. In a grain binder, the combination with the binder mechanism, a drive
shaft, a clutch for connecting the binder mechanism with the drive shaft, and a
trip for automatically disengaging the clutch and comprising a rock-shaft, an
arm carried by the rock-shaft for receiving the pressure of the forming gavel and
a spring to resist such pressure, of an arm for controlling the clutch and having
a lateral stud at its end, and a longitudinally and vertically adjustable trip arm
secured to the rock-shaft and having a lateral stud at its end, said trip arm being
so held by the shaft while the gavel is forming that its, lateral stud intercepts
the lateral stud of the clutch controlling arm to disengage the clutch, the con-
nections for adjusting said trip stop securing its simultaneous vertical adjust-
ment when it is adjusted longitudinally.
7. In a grain binder, the combination with the binder mechanism, of a drive
shaft, a clutch for engaging the binder shaft with the drive shaft normally in
engagement, an adjustable trip stop so disposed as to normally disengage the
clutch, means for adjusting said trip stop vertically when it is adjusted longitu-
dinally and vice versa, and mechanism for yieldingly receiving the pressure of
the forming gavel, such gavel receiving mechanism and the trip stop being so
connected that the yielding of the former disconnects the latter from the clutch.
8. In a grain binder, the combination with the binder mechanism, of a drive
shaft, a clutch for engaging the drive shaft with the binder mechanism, a yield-
ing trip arm for receiving the pressure of the forming gavel, a rock-shaft for
carrying the trip arm, an adjustable trip stop secured to the rock-shaft and so
disposed as to disengage the clutch while the gavel is accumulating, and to be
thrown out of connection therewith as the trip arm yields to the pressure of the
gavel, and the co-operating bearing surfaces between said rock-shaft and the
trip stop arranged to adjust said trip stop vertically when it is adjusted longitudi-
nally and rice versa.