IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH REAPING MACHINES FOR CONTROLLING THE ACTION OF RAKES AND DUMMY OR REEL BLADES, ACCORDING TO THE CROP TO BE CUT
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Culpin, of No. 36, Worship Street, Finsbury, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED
WITH REAPING MACHINES FOR CONTROLLING THE ACTION OF RAKES AND
DUMMY OR REEL BLADES, ACCORDING TO THE CROP TO BE CUT."
Sealed the 5th March 1880, and dated the 27th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Culpin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1879.
THOMAS CULPIN, of No. 36, Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County of
Middlesex. ".IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH REAPING MACHINES FOR
CONTROLLING THE ACTION OF RAKES AND DUMMY OR REEL BLADES, ACCORDING
TO THE CROP TO BE CUT."
The object of this Invention is the employment of an auxilliary cam to act in
combination with one or more auxilliary rollers upon the rake bracket or brackets,
or arms of reaping machines, for the purpose of lifting the rake or rakes clear of
the cut grain lying upon the platform.
The Invention is especially adapted to machines which have the rakes coupled
together in pairs, but may be applied to reaping machines with independent
rakes.
This Invention consists of an auxilliary cam coinciding with that portion of the
ordinary cam which is opposite the rake when passing over the platform, the said
cam being fixed by a tightening screw to the ordinary cam. This auxilliary cam
acts upon rake arms provided with an extra roller or bowl on a projecting bracket,
so that the arms so fitted may ride over the edge or working face of the auxilliary
cam to lift their blades clear of the cut grain upon the platform, whereby they act
as dummy or reel blades for gathering the heads of the grain over and upon the
platform for the cutting operation in the manner well known.
The arms provided with these additional rollers or bowls and brackets, and also
the other or ordinary arms, are linked by rods which connect them in pairs; but
instead of making both pairs of arms with fixed links, one pair, namely, those to bo
actuated by the auxilliary cam are connected by a rod linked to one arm only, the
other end of the rod passing through and being free to slide within a socket fixed
on the opposite arm. A hole is formed in the rod for a pin to permit the travel of
the rod within the socket when the change of angle of the dummy arm is under
the control of the auxilliary cam. Another hole is formed near the end of the rod,
into which the pin before mentioned can be placed to make this rod a fixed link rod
when the blades of those arms are required to work as rake blades, the auxilliary
cam being then shifted by loosening the set screw so as not to act upon the extra
bowls, whereby those blades become rake blades, as well as the blades whose arms
have the fixed link.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Culpin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th May
1880.
THOMAS CULPIN, of No. 36, Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH REAPING MACHINES FOR
CONTROLLING THE ACTION OF RAKES AND DUMMY OR REEL BLADES, ACCORDING
TO THE CROP TO BE CUT."
The object of this Invention is the employment of an auxilliary cam to act in
combination with one or more auxilliary rollers upon the rake bracket or brackets,
or arms of reaping machines, for the purpose of lifting the rake or rakes clear of
the cut grain lying upon the platform.
The Invention is especially adapted to machines which have the rakes coupled
together in pairs, but may be applied to reaping machines with independent
rakes.
This Invention consists of an auxilliary cam coinciding with that portion of the
ordinary cam which is opposite the rake when passing over the platform, the said
cam being fixed by a tightening screw to the ordinary cam.
This auxilliary cam acts upon rake arms, each provided with an extra roller or
bowl on a projecting bracket so that the arm so fitted may ride over the edge or
working face of the auxilliary cam to lift their blades clear of the cut grain upon
the platform, whereby they act as dummy or reel blades for gathering the heads
of the grain over and upon the platform for the cutting operation in the manner
well known.
The arms provided with these additional rollers, or bowls and brackets, and also
the other or ordinary arms, are linked by rods which connect them in pairs, but
instead of making both pairs of arms with fixed links, one pair, namely, those to
be actuated by the auxilliary cam are connected by a rod linked to one arm only,
the other end of the rod passing through and being free to slide within a socket
fixed on the opposite arm. A. hole is formed in the rod for a pin to permit the
travel of the rod within the socket when the change of angle of the dummy arm is
under the control of the auxilliary cam. Another hole is formed near the end of
the rod, into which the pin before mentioned can be placed to make this rod a fixed
link rod when the blades of those arms are required to work as rake blades, the
auxilliary cam being then shifted by loosening the set screw so as not to act upon
the extra bowls, whereby those blades become rake blades, as well as the blades
whose arms have the fixed link.
My Invention is clearly represented in the annexed Drawings, in which Figures 1
and 2 are a detached edge and a plan view respectively of the auxilliary cam A
provided with a groove B that it may be moved vertically up and down the
feathered sleeve or boss C of the fixed cam D, and be held in the desired position 4
by the tightening screw bolt E, either to coincide with that portion of the ordinary
cam D which is opposite the rake when passing over the platform, and serving as
an extension of the ordinary or fixed cam D, as in full lines in Figure 3, or lowered
as in the dotted lines to be clear of the auxilliary rollers F, F, which are upon
the inner ends of the rake arms G, G, also shown in Figure 3, and detached in
Figure 4.
The auxilliary rollers F, F, are upon projecting brackets H, H, and the arms G, G,
which carry these auxillary rollers are connected in pairs by a rod I, one end of
which is loop jointed to one arm and passed through a swivel socket J of the other,
that it may slide or move to suit the varying positions from the changes of angles a
which the arms take while being moved round by the head K, which is rotated by
the central stem or shaft L through the usual gearing from the main bearing
wheel M.

page_text: N is a pin, which can be shifted from the position shown to that marked P, the
auxillary cam A is being then lowered to the position represented by dotted lines
in Figure 3, to be out of the line of travel of the rollers F, F, to permit the ordinary
rollers Q, Q, of the arms G, G, to follow and ride against the face of the ordinary
cam D when the blades S, S, of those arms are to act as rake blades in a manner
well known, the auxilliary rollers F, F, when cam A is in proper position, causing
those blades to be olevated to compel them to act as reel blades as they travel over
the platform. Instead of the auxilliary cam being arranged to move up or down
it may be made to move round under the dome of the cam D.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
An auxilliary and moveable cam on the fixed or ordinary cam, in combination
with second or auxilliary rollers on the arins of rake blades of reaping machines,
whereby said blades may be caused to act as reel blades when desired, as
set forth.
Secondly. I claim the particular arrangement of auxilliary cam A, auxilliary
rollers F, F, rod I, and swivel socket J, on or to a reaping machine, as shown in
Figure 3 of the annexed Drawings, the whole acting in the manner and for the
purpose described,
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Culpin, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
THO CULPIN. (L.S.)