IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES AND OTHER WHEELED IMPLEMENTS
Year: 1885

page_text: We JAMES HOWARD of Bedford in the County of Bedford and GEORGE GIBBS
also of Bedford aforesaid Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES AND OTHER WHEELED IMPLEMENTS," to be
as follows:-
This invention relates firstly to a facile mode of attaching the tines of Horse
Rakes to the tine head piece, the object being to provide for a more ready removal
and replacement of the tines of spring tooth Horse Rakes, as well as a stronger and-
more durable head piece therefor.
Hitherto it has been the practice as for example in the well known " "Tiger"
Horse Rake, in which a wooden tine head piece is grooved longitudinally on the
upper face, to make transverse cuts therein to receive the tines, which are laid in
the cuts their bent over ends resting in the longitudinal groove. A covering piece
of corresponding width to the grooved face is then secured to the head piece, and
the tines are thus held in place. This arrangement offers difficulties of access
to the tines, inasmuch as the covers are attached to the head piece by the screw
bolts which also connect the metal clips of the tine head piece. Moreover this
arrangement renders the wooden head piece, through the cross cuts, liable to be
broken, from the strain put upon the tines.
In order to avoid these defects we rebate the tine head piece on its inner face,
and slot it longitudinally at the angle of the rebate, We then cut transverse slots
through the head piece to allow the insertion of the tines end wise into the head
piece, instead of sideways, as in the "Tiger" Rake. The bent over inner ends of
the tines will lie in the longitudinal groove and will be free to rock therein as
heretofore; and to secure the tines in place we make good the rebate in the head
piece by laths or filling pieces, which are held firmly to the head piece by screw
bolts provided for the purpose.
When it is required to replace an injured tine by a new one, it will only be
necessary to remove the lath which secures it, by withdrawing the attaching screws
therefrom, when access will be gained to the defective tine.
Instead of using wood for the tine head piece we sometimes use an angle iron
bar for the purpose, and in the face of this bar we make the necessary perforations
for the insertion endwise of the times. The bent-over inner ends of the tines we
secure by suitably shaped wooden or metal pieces which are attached to the angle

page_text: iron head piece or the inner face, the bent-over inner ends of the tines being
between the inner face of the angle iron head piece and the wooden or metal pieces
attached thereto, and between which they are allowed to rock.
The invention relates secondly to a novel construction of wheel for the Horse
Rake and kindred implements, the object being two fold, viz: to secure lightness
with strength, and to economize space in the packing of the implement for
transport.
To this end we adopt a modification of the "Cycle" wheel, which has a
suspended hub or centre, and a double set of inclined spokes.
The spokes we make with coned ends to fit coned seats in the tyre and their
inner ends we thread to receive binding nuts. For each set of the spokes we
provide a flanged ring the periphery of which is pierced to receive the inner ends
of the spokes, which we secure to the ring by binding nuts tightened up against
the outer and inner peripheries thereof.
Between the two flanged rings, one of which is made larger for the purpose, we
insert a flanged hub, upon one end of which may be cast a break flange drum, or
other device, required for raising the tines to discharge the load. This flanged
hub we secure at its opposite ends by bolts and nuts to the flanged rings of the
sets of spokes.
When it is required to unship wheels of this construction and to reduce their
bulk for packing, it will only be necessary to disconnect the flanged rings from
their hubs; the two rings may then be brought almost within the plane of the
wheel tyre.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Horse Rakes and other Wheeled Implements.
We, JAMES HOWARD of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, and GEORGE GIBBS,
also of Bedford aforesaid, Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates firstly to a facile mode of attaching the tines of Horse
rakes to the tine head piece, the object being to provide for a more ready removal
and replacement of the tines of spring tooth Horse Rakes, as well as a stronger
and more durable head piece therefor; and secondly, to a novel construction of
wheel for the horse rake and kindred implements, the object being two-fold, viz. ;
to secure lightness with strength, and to economize space in the packing of the
implement for transport.
Hitherto it has been the practice, as, for example, in the well known " "Tiger"
Horse Rake, in which a wooden tine head piece is grooved longitudinally on the
upper face, to make transverse cuts therein to receive the tines, which are laid in
the cuts, their bent-over ends resting in the longitudinal groove. A covering piece
of corresponding width to the grooved face is then secured to the head piece, and
the tines are thus held in plece.-This arrangement offers difficulties of access
to the tines, inasmuch as the covers are attached to the head piece by the screw
bolts, which also connect the metal clips of the tine head piece. Moreover, this
arrangement renders the wooden head piece liable to be broken through the cross
cuts, from the strain put upon the tines.
In order to avoid these defects, we groove the tine head piece longitudinally on
its front face instead of its upper face, as heretofore.-We then cut vertical slots
from the longitudinal groove through the head piece to the back thereof, to allow
of the insertion of the tines end wise into the head piece, instead of sideways, as in
the "Tiger" rake.-The bent-over inner ends of the tines will lie in the longitudinal
groove, and will be free to rock therein as heretofore; and, to secure the tines in
place, we cover the front face of the head piece by laths, which are held firmly
in place by screw bolts provided for the purpose.
In the accompanying drawings, we have shewn at
Fig. 1, a side elevation of a Horse Rake embodying both heads of our invention.
Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the same, the one travelling wheel shewn being
in section; and.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, of part of the Horse Rake,
taken at right angles to the travelling wheel axle.
Fig. 4 shews in front view a portion of the tine head piece with its tines in place,
the lath or covering piece being removed.
Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of the tine head; and
.
Figs. C shew in cross section the tine head, and the covering piece detached
therefrom.
A is the tine head, made preferably of wood, and in its front face a longitudinal
groove a, extending from end to end thereof, is cut to receive the ends of the
tines-B which are bent over as usual at right angles, as shewn at b.

page_text: C is a lath, which, when applied to the tine head, and secured thereto, will hold
the tines securely to the tine head.
Through the tine head, vertical slots a¹ are made, which extend from the back
face into the longitudinal groove a, the number of the vertical slots depending on
the number of tines intended to be applied to the tine head.
The tines are fitted in place by passing them endwise from front to back through
the vertical slots a¹, and the bent over ends of the tines are pushed home into the
longitudinal groove a.
When the tine head is fitted with the required number of tines, provision being
generally made for from twenty to thirty, the laths or covering pieces C are applied,
and secured in place by means of bolts and nuts c.-Bolted to the opposite ends
and to the middle of the tine head, are wrought iron brackets D, which are formed
with bearings D¹ D³, the one to receive the dead axle E, on which the travelling
wheels F are mounted, and the other a brake band axle G.-This axle, which
carries a treadle for rocking it in its bearings, has loosely attached to it, at its
opposite ends, steel or other metal brake straps g, which lap around brake
pulleys G¹ on the hubs of the travelling wheels, and are secured at their other ends
to short arms projecting from the brake axle.
This arrangement of brake straps, which is common to our well-known horse
rakes, is used to lift the tines from the ground when it is desired to clear them of
the rakings, the straps being tightened on to the brake pulleys by the rocking
of the brake axle.
Attached by bolts and nuts to the back of the brackets D, is the slotted guide
bar H, through which the tines are passed, and by which they are steadied
laterally. The length of the vertical slots in this bar is such as to allow of the
tines rising independently of each other, in case an obstruction is presented to
them when the implement is in use.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that when it is required to
replace an injured tine by a new one, it will only be necessary to remove the nuts
of the attaching bolts c, which secure it in place, in order to gain access to the
defective tine.
The tine may then be withdrawn, and a new one substituted therefor, and on the
lath or covering piece C being replaced, the rake will be ready for use.
Thus the disarrangement of the supporting parts of the implement heretofore
necessary to get at the tines will be avoided, and increased strength will be ensured
to the tine head, the necessity for the notches, which have hitherto served to
weaken it, being avoided.
We may remark, that instead of using wood for the tine head piece, we may use
an angle iron bar for the purpose, making through the vertical face of this bar the
necessary perforations for the insertion end wise of the tines.-The bent-over inner
ends of the tines will in this case be secured by suitably shaped wooden or metal
pieces attached to and forming the front face of the angle iron head piece, the
bent over inner ends of the tines lying between the inner face of the angle iron
head piece and the wooden or metal pieces attached thereto, and between which
they will be free to rock.
The improved construction of wheel, constituting the second head of our
invention, is shewn in side view at Fig. 1 and cross section at Fig. 2.-Its central
portion is also shown on an enlarged scale in transverse section at Fig. 7.
This wheel, it will be seen, is a modification of the " 'cycle" wheel, it being
formed with a suspended hub or centre, and a double set of inclined spokes.
་
The spokes f we make with coned ends to fit coned seats in the tyre F, and
their inner ends we thread to receive binding nuts. For the two sets of spokes
we provide the flanged rings f1 f, the peripheries of which are pierced to receive
the inner or threaded ends of the spokes, which we secure to the rings by binding
nuts tightened up against the outer and inner peripheries thereof.
Between the flanged rings f¹f we insert a flanged hub f³, making the opening
in the ring fª sufficiently large for the passage through it of the flange of the

page_text: hub. When adapting this wheel to Horse Rakes, we cast upon one end of
the bub f³ a brake pulley G¹, which is required for raising the tines to discharge
the load. This flanged hub we secure at its opposite ends by bolts and nuts
to the flanged rings fif, passing the coupling bolts, on one side of the wheel,
through holes in the flange of the hub f³, and through corresponding holes in the
flange of the ring f1, and passing the coupling bolts on the other side of the wheel,
through lugs carried by the ring f', and through corresponding holes in the side of
the brake pulley G¹.
When the spokes are tightened up, and the wheel is fitted in place on its axle E,
the outer ring f¹ is covered by a cap f*, which is keyed to the axle.
To unslip wheels of this construction, and to reduce their bulk for packing, it
will only be necessary to disconnect the flanged rings f1f* from their hub f³ (by
the removal of the coupling bolts), and the two rings may then be brought
almost within the plane of the wheel tyre, the spokes yielding for that purpose,
when released from the distending action of the hub.
In cases where no brake pulley is required, the wheel hub f³ will be cast with
a second flange, which will take the place of the side of the brake pulley, and be,
like it, pierced with holes to receive the coupling bolts of the ring f2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1st The application to Horse Rakes of a tine head having vertical slots through
which the tines are passed end wise from the front, to fit them to the head, and a
lath or covering piece forming the front face of the tine head for securing the tines
in position, such construction of tine heads permitting of the ready removal and
replacement of the tines, without the displacement of any supporting parts of the
implement.
2nd The construction, for use in Horse Rakes and other wheeled implements, of
wheels with a suspended centre composed of a pair of flanged rings secured to
a detachable hub in the manner and for the purpose above set forth.
Doted this 10th love of December TOOK
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.