IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF REAPING MACHINES, TO FACILITATE THEIR TRANSPORT BY ROAD OR FROM PLACE TO PLACE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Theodore Griffin, of 77, Upper Thames
Street, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENTS OF REAPING MACHINES, TO FACILITATE THEIR TRANSPORT
BY ROAD OR FROM PLACE TO PLACE."-A communication from abroad
by Walter A. Wood, of Hoosick Falls, New York State, in the
**United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Theodore Griffin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th April 1872.
I, JAMES THEODORE GRIFFIN, of 77, Upper Thames Street, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF REAPING MACHINES, TO FACILITATE THEIR TRANS-
FORT BY ROAD OR FROM PLACE TO PLACE," to be as follows:-
----
This relates to improved methods of arranging or fixing the platform
or delivery boards of reaping machines whereby the machines can be
moved along a road or from place to place in a more expeditious manner

page_text: than heretofore; and consists in arranging the main frame or supports
fitted thereon to receive the platform or delivery board in a vertical
direction fore and aft of the machine.
In the case of open wheeled machine I drill or otherwise form a
series of holes, in or on the inner rail of the main frame into which 5
the points of tho fingers can be inserted when the platform is detached
from the shoe or other supports at the side, the grain wheel being
previously removed and attached to the shoe, or a separate wheel may
be employed for the purpose of forming a road wheel and for supporting
the weight of the inner side of the machine, the weight of the outer 1
side being borne by the ordinary wheel.
I attach an arm or strut to the ring of the open wheel, which arm
engages into an eye on the platform, and is secured to hold the platform
in place by a nut or other contrivance. By this arrangement the
platform is carried with perfect safety on the machine itself, and does 1
not interfere with the driver's view when going along a road, it also
facilitates the passage of the machine through narrow gateways and
entrys, and enables the machine to be packed in a more convenient
shape for shipment than by any mode at present adopted.
When a separate support is fitted on the machine to carry the plat- 2
form, I shape the bottom of the support to take over the transverse tie
rail; by this means the platform and the support are prevented slipping
to shift the balance of the machine.
In the case of spoke wheeled machines, and also when more than
one main road wheel is used, I arrange the inner or the outer main 2
frame bars to receive the platforms in a similar manner, and hold them
in place by strut bars to prevent them moving or slipping from the
jolting or concussions produced by the unevenness of the roads over
which the machines may be travelling.
In most cases I prefer to arrange the platforms over the inner main 3
frame rails of the machines and to balance them in position so as not
to interfere with the draught of the horses, but where that cannot be
accomplished I arrange them upon the outer frame rails, or in the
case of two wheels upon the frame between the wheels, in every case
holding them vertically with the fingers downwards, and in apertures 3
provided for them in the main frame or in a support fitted upon the
main frame.

page_text: In other cases where the reel or rake arms are fixtures I arrange to
carry the platforms in a slanting vertical position, and fit the finger
supports at an angle to suit.
•
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Theodore Griffin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, James
THEODORE GRIFFIN, of 77, Upper Thames Street, in the City of London,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Theodore Griffin, Her special licence
that I, tho said James Theodore Griffin, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Theodore Griffin, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENT OF REAPING MACHINES, TO FACILITATE THEIR TRANSPORT BY ROAD
OR FROM PLACE TO PLACE," communicated to me from abroad by Walter
A. Wood, of Hoosick Falls, New York State, in the United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Theodore Griffin, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Theodore Griffin, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: !
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to improved methods of arranging or fixing the
platforms or delivery boards of reaping machines, whereby the machines
can be moved along a road or from place to place in a more expeditious 5
manner than heretofore, and consists in arranging the main frame or
supports fitted thereon to receive the platform or delivery board in a
vertical direction fore and aft of the machine.
In the case of open wheeled machines I drill or otherwise form a
series of holes in or on the inner rail of the main frame, into which the 1
points of the fingers can be inscrted when the platform is detached from
the shoe or other support at the side, the grain wheel being previously
removed and attached to the shoc, or a separate wheel may be employed
for the purpose of forming a road wheel, and for supporting the weight
of the inner side of the machine, the weight of the outer side being 1
borne by the ordinary wheel.
I attach an arm or strut to the ring of the open wheel, which arm
engages into an eye on the platform, and is secured to hold the platform
in place by a nut or other contrivance. By this arrangement the plat-
form is carried with perfect safety on the machine itself, and does not 2
interfere with the driver's view when going along a road; it also faci-
litates the passage of the machine through narrow gateways and entrys,
and enables the machine to be packed in a more convenient shape for
shipment than by any mode at present adopted.
When a separate support is fitted on the machine to carry the platforın 2
I shape the bottom of the support to take over the transverse tie rail;
by this means the platform and the support are prevented slipping to
shift the balance of the machine.
In the case of spoke wheeled machines, and also when more than one
main road wheel is used I arrange the inner or the outer main frame 3
bars to receive the platforms in a similar manner, and hold them in place
by strut bars to prevent their moving or slipping from the jolting or
concussions produced by the unevenness of the roads over which the
machines may be travelling.
In most cases I prefer to arrange the platforms over the inner main g
frame rails of the machines, and to balance them in position so as not

page_text: to interfere with the draught of the horses; but where that cannot be
accomplished I arrange them upon the outer frame rails or, in the case
of two wheels, upon the frame between the wheels, in every case
holding them vertically, with the fingers downwards and in apertures
provided for them in the main frame, or in a support fitted upon the
main frame.
In other cases where the reel or rake arms are fixtures I arrange to
carry the platforms in a slanting vertical position, and fit the finger
supports at an angle to suit.
The manner of arranging the platform upon a one-wheeled machine
is represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawings.
a is the platform removed from the shoe 6 and placed upon the main
frame c with its fingers & downwards, the fingers being fitted or dropped
into holes in a piece of timber e temporarily placed upon the frame.
The timber has a notch on its under side to take over the rib of the
transverse barf to prevent the platform slipping from its position while
the machine is travelling along a road, or being moved from one field to
another. The small wheel 7 having been previously removed from the
shoe of the off grain divider and fitted upon the pin j of a temporary
clip piece is secured to the shoe 6 as shown. The opening in the
point of the shoe h of the off grain divider is dropped over a lug i just
behind the fore transverse bar 7, and the nose or point of the shoe of the
off grain divider rests upon the upper face m of the pole regulator or
draught iron u to steady the fore part. I provide a strap or stay p to
the outer ring of the wheel q, so that its free end r can bo fastened to
the platform by a bolt. By this means the platform is held rigidly
to the frame, and is prevented from jolting during the travel.
The foregoing is only given as an example of arranging the platform,
consequently I do not limit myself to placing it in that position, nor to
arranging the perforated supporter e upon the frame as shewn, as these
can be varied to suit the construction of the framing, which in many
cases would necessitate the platform being fitted in a slanting position
from a vertical line.
Figure 3 shows the platform arranged upon a two wheeled machine,
and with all the fingers in the temporary piece of timber e instead of only
a few of them, as in the previous Figure, the stay bolt holding the
platform firmly in position by the nut s.

page_text: °
The small grain divider wheel g is in this case placed upon the front
portion of the shoe b, so as to be in advance of the main bearing
wheels t, t, and to bear any overhanging weight that may be occasioned
instead of the overhanging weight being upon the horses backs. This
small wheel may however be carried in the boot u, or it can be affixed at i
any other part of the framing.
In both of the machines shown I have represented the platforms as
upon temporary pieces of timber, but this is not essential, because the
fore and aft frames of the machines can be arranged as to height and
perforations for receiving the platforms.
What I claim in this Invention is arranging and fixing platforms upon
the main frames of reaping machines, substantially in the manner shown,
whereby the transport of such machines is facilitated as set forth.
Secondly. The employment of timber or metal frames for the reception
of the fingers of reaping machines when used for the purposes described.
Thirdly. The employment of lugs or supports for the grain dividers of
reaping machines to bear upon, substantially as described and shown.
And, fourthly. Carrying detachable platforms of reaping machines
upon the main frames in a vertical or nearly vertical manner, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Theodore Griffin, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JAMES T. GRIFFIN. (L.S.)