IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wray, of Leeming Lane, near Bedale, in
the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th July 1871.
I, JOHN WRAY, of Leeming Lane, near Bedale, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in employing certain novel and improved
mechanical arrangements and combinations in the construction of
machines to be used for reaping corn and other standing crops, and is
designed to simpify such machines, and enable them to perform their
work in a better manner than heretofore.
The means by which I propose to accomplish the above objects are
as follows: The running wheel of the machine I form very broad, and

page_text: dish or hollow out one side thereof, and to the fixed side of the said
wheel and at the centre thereof I affix a bevil wheel, which takes into
a bevil pinion mounted below in a casting which is supported by a
horizontal rod or axle at its upper end passed through a hole formed
at the centre of the running wheel. At the bottom of the aforesaid
bevil pinion there is a spur wheel, which takes or gears into the teeth
of a smaller wheel mounted on an axis in the aforesaid casting, and at
the upper side of this small wheel I form a boss, in which is a hole at
one side of the centre of the said boss, and into this hole one end of a
short bent connecting rod takes, the other end of the said rod taking
into a hole in a boss fixed on the end of the bar that carries the knives
or cutters for imparting reciprocating motion thereto through the train
of wheels. The fingers through which the knife works are fixed to a
casting bolted by one end to the casting that carries the wheelwork
above described, and the other end of the casting to which the fingers
are fixed is fastened to a swathe board, the front part of which is
intended to rest on the surface of the ground occasionally, and at about
midway of its length the aforesaid swathe board is supported by a small
running wheel. There is a lever arrangement for lifting up the knife
and holding it at any desired height when the machine is either in or
out of use, also a moveable platform or side delivery at the back of
the machine to receive and discharge with the assistance of a hand rake
the corn when cut and a sufficient quantity has been collected to make
a sheaf. The aforesaid platform consists of a number of bars of wood
or metal attached loosely by one end to a flat rod, whose ends arc sup-
An
ported by and move in holes or recesses formed to receive them.
upright bar proceeds from the aforesaid flat rod and a flat plate is fixed
thereonto, on which the driver of the machine places his foot for the
purpose presently described. A short rod connects the aforesaid upright
bar with a lever arm attached to the casting that carries the wheelwork
of the machine, and another short rod by its hooked ends connects the
aforesaid lever arm and platform together, so that the driver pressing
his foot on the plate before mentioned causes the bars of the platform
to be lifted up and moved sideways towards the running wheel of the
machine, and thereby discharges the cut corn thereform by what is
known as the "side delivery."
'

page_text: therewith. The whole of the driving gear is enclosed, thereby leaving
the running wheel flush on its outside and keeping the working parts.
clean..
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Wray in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE. PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WRAY, of Leeming Lane, near Bedale,, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Wray,, Her special licence that I,
the said John Wray, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Wray, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN. REAPING MACHINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Wray, 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 John Wray, do hereby declare the
nature of my said 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 consists in employing certain novel and improved
mechanical arrangements and combinations in the construction of
machines to be used for reaping corn and other standing crops, and is-

page_text: designed to simplify such machines and enable them to perform their
work in a better manner than heretofore.
The means by which I propose to accomplish the above objects are
as follows:-The running or land wheel of the machine I form very
broad, and dish or hollow out one side thereof, and to the fixed side of
the said wheel and at the centre thereof I affix a bevil wheel which
takes into a bevil pinion mounted below in a casting, which is supported
by a horizontal rod or axle at its upper end passed through a hole
formed at the centre of the running wheel. At the bottom of the afore-
said bevil pinion there is a spur wheel, which takes or gears into the
teeth of a smaller-wheel mounted on an axis in the aforesaid casting,
and at the upper side of this small wheel I form a boss in which is a
hole at one side of the centre of the said boss, and into this hole one end
of a short bent connecting rod takes, the other end of the said rod
taking into a hole in a boss fixed on the end of the bar that carries the
knives or cutters for imparting reciprocating motion thereto through
the train of wheels. The fingers through which the knife works are
fixed to a casting bolted by one end to the casting that carries the
wheelwork above described, and the other end of the casting to which
the fingers are fixed is fastened to a swathe board, the front part of
which is intended to rest on the surface of the ground occasionally, and
at about midway of its length the aforesaid swathe board is supported
by a small running wheel. There is a lever arrangement for lifting up
the knife and holding it at any desired height when the machine is
either in or out of use; also a movable platform or side delivery at the
back of the machine to receive and discharge with the assistance of a
hand rake the corn when cut and a sufficient quantity has been collected
to make a sheaf.
The aforesaid platform consists of a number of bars of wood or metal
attached loosely by one end to a flat rod whose ends are supported by
and move in holes or recesses formed to receive them. An upright bar
proceeds from the aforesaid flat rod, and a flat plate is fixed thereonto
on which the driver of the machine places his foot for the purpose
presently described. A short rod connects the aforesaid upright bar
with a lever arm attached to the casting that carries the wheelwork of
the machine, and another short rod by its hooked ends connects the
aforesaid lever arm and platform together, so that the driver pressing
his foot on the plate before mentioned causes the bars of the platform

page_text: to be lifted up and moved sideways towards the running wheel of the
machine, and thereby discharges the cut corn therefrom by what is
known as the "side delivery."
The driver's seat is intended to be arranged over the centre of the
running wheel of the machine, and the shafts for the horses in a line
therewith. The whole of the driving gear is enclosed, thereby leaving
the running wheel flush on its outside, and keeping the working parts
clean.
And in order to explain my said Invention more clearly I will now
proceed to describe the means by which it may be effected, reference
being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings accompanying these
Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thercon, as follows:-
Figure represents a top plan view partly in section of my improve-
ments in reaping machines; Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1;
and Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 1 in transverse section on the
line A, B.
At cach of the above-mentioned Figures I employ similar letters of
reference to denote corresponding parts. A marks the land wheel of the
machine which I make very broad and hollow. The side B of the said
wheel A. I fix to the rim permanently, and to the inner side of B I fix
a bevil wheel C central with the short axis D of the wheel A. I also
fix another short axis E on the loose or adjustable side G. The axles D
and E revolve in the bearings in the framing H, and to the said framing
are fixed the driver's seat, a foot board b, and also shafts I for a horse to
draw the machine along. The bevil wheel C takes into a bevil pinion K
whose axis is on a pin c.fixed in the shoe or casting L; M is a spur
wheel fixed to K so as to turn therewith. The wheel M takes or gears
into another spur wheel N capable of revolving on a pin d fixed to the
casting L;e are fingers, and O is the knife bar held and guided in the
usual way; P is a rod for connecting the knife bar O and wheel N
together. The casting L extends across the width of the machine and
is fixed by one end to the framing H, and by its other end to a swathe
board Q supported by a small running wheel f; R is a lever for
lifting the fingers off the ground when desired; S is a movable platform
or 'side delivery connected by a rod g to levers h, i.
65
The lever i

page_text: has its fulcrum on a pin k in a lug fixed to or formed on the upright
part 1 of the shoe or casting. L, and the lever is connected by one
end to i, and by its other end to a casting S* whose lower end is fixed
to the hinged or rocking piece T to which the bars. of the platform S
are connected by one end. The upper end 2 of the piece S* is for the
driver to press upon with his foot at the proper time for discharging
the cut corn therefrom sideways, known as the "side delivery;" U, is a
casting for enclosing the wheels K, M, and rod P. By this Invention
the whole of the toothed wheelwork of the machine is enclosed, thereby
enabling it to work freely and last longer than when exposed as hereto-
fore practised. I propose to lubricate the axes of the wheels K and M
by dishing out the upper and under side of each wheel, also the casting
A, and placing oil in such dished or recessed parts, thus rendering these
wheels self-lubricating.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of
my said Invention for "Improvements in Reaping Machines," together
with the means by which it may be effected, I would remark in con-
clusion that I do not claim the exclusive use of any of the separate parts.
above mentioned, referred to, and represented except when the same
are employed in combination and for the purposes of my said Invention ;
and I hereby declare my Invention to, consist in, and I claim as.
follows:-
Making the shoe or casting L of one entire piece of metal in com-
bination with the gearing and the crank wheel N and spur wheel M
laid horizontally and enclosed in the land wheel A with box U and
metal plate L.
Also the manner of fixing the gearing without caps or bolts and
method of lubricating as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.