Improved Method and Appliance for the Treatment of Clover, Hay, and similar Crops to Facilitate Mowing or Reaping.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improved Method and Appliance for the Treatment of Clover, Hay,
and similar Crops to Facilitate Mowing or Reaping.
I, GEORGE WOOD, Agent for the Whitfield Estate, Tram Inn, R.S.O., in the
County of Hereford, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Hitherto farmers have found it difficult to cut heavy crops of clover or hay
satisfactorily by machinery or manual labour, which has been laid or battered
down by wind or storm. A heavy crop of clover is always laid more or less no
matter what the weather may be, and the cost of cutting heavy crops of hay or
clover is greatly increased when they are so laid by storm, besides they cannot
be cut so close, thus causing waste.
By the present invention however I can cut the crops with the greatest case
and at little expense, no matter whether the crops have been laid by storms of
wind or rain.
To effect this result, I make the crop grow in such a manner that the machine
will easily cut it no matter whether there are storms or not. To this end I pro-
vide an implement comprising a flat board preferably about the same length as
the machine sickle. This flat board is dragged broadside ways over the field,
the contrary way to that in which the mowing machine travels, preferably by a
rope fastened at each end to the ends of board by staples, or by light shafts
attached to the board, or by other suitable means. The result of this operation
is to evenly lay the crop all over the field in the opposite direction to that in
which the machine travels, so that it will be in the best possible position to be
cut by the machine, thus, instead of the hay or clover growing upright or being
laid in the wrong direction by storms, it will be laid all in one direction to meet.
the mowing machine sickle, and after the crop is thus laid in the direction
required it goes on growing as fast as before, but wind or storm will not alter
the direction it is laid in, but rather tend to maintain it in the direction required.
The apparatus described may be worked by hand power, or it may be constructed
so as to be pulled over the field by a horse or pony, in which case a greater width
can be done at a time and means provided whereby the board can be harnessed
to the animal. The best way to cut clover or hay crops by mowing machine
is to commence round the outside and finish in the middle, and if the machine
is intended to turn the corners at right, or nearly right angles, the board must
not be longer than the machine sickle, otherwise it would lay the crop at the
corners in the wrong direction for the machine to cut it. If the machine is
intended to turn the corners in a circular direction the board must also be drawn
in a circular direction, and may be as long as a horse can drag it and do the
work in a very short time.
By the present invention therefore I am able to cut the entire crop short at

page_text: the ground, and the great difficulty of a large quantity of the crop being wasted
by the machinery not being able to cut it closely will be entirely obviated.
Dated this 28th day of June 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Method and Appliance for the Treatment of Clover, Hay,
and similar Crops to Facilitate Mowing or Reaping.
I, GEORGE WOOD, Agent for the Whitfield Estate, Tram Inn, R.S.O., in the
County of Hereford, 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:-
:-
Hitherto farmers have found it difficult to cut heavy crops of clover or hay
satisfactorily by machinery or manual labour, which has been laid or battered
down by wind or storm. A heavy crop of clover is always laid more or less no
matter what the weather may be, and the cost of cutting heavy crops of hay or
clover is greatly increased when they are so laid by storm, besides they cannot
be cut so close, thus causing waste.
By the present invention however I can cut the crops with the greatest ease
and at little expense.
To effect this result, I make the crop grow in such a manner that the machine
will easily cut it no matter whether there are storms or not.
To this end I provide an implement shown in the accompanying drawing
comprising a flat batten A say about 16 feet × 7 inches x 3 inches or a plank
or the like. It is provided with hinges B so that the ends will fold to enable
it to go through a gateway. Care light shafts. I are handles, the latter for
lifting the implement when required, while the shafts take a bearing at the time
it is being lifted. E are sliding bolts to keep the hinged ends of the implement
down in place when at work. The implement is dragged over the field the con-
trary way in which the mowing machine travels, and it must be done before the
crop is laid by wind, storm or otherwise.
The result of the operation is to evenly lay the crop all over the field in the
opposite direction to that in which the mowing machine travels. so that it will
be in the best possible position to be cut by the machine. Thus instead of the
hay or clover growing upright or being laid in the wrong direction by stornis,
it will be laid all in one direction to meet the mowing machine sickle, and after
the crop is thus laid in the direction required, it goes on growing as fast as
before, but wind or storm will not alter the direction it is laid in, but rather
tend to maintain it in the direction required. The apparatus may be drawn
along by man power, or it may be pulled over the field by a horse or pony, in
which case a greater width can be done at a time. The best way to cut clover
or hay crops by mowing machine is to commence round the outside and finish
in the middle. The laying implement should always turn the corners in a
circular direction, and the mowing machine will cut the crop by turning the
corners either in a circular direction or turning at right angles. A man and a
small pony can easily do upwards of 20 acres in a day.
By the present invention therefore I am able to cut the entire crop short at
the ground, and the great defect that a large quantity of the crop being wasted
by the machinery not being able to cut it closely will be entirely obviated.

page_text: 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 connection with the mowing or reaping of hay, clover or other
crops, the method for facilitating the crop being cut at little expense and pre-
venting the deleterious effects of storms, which consists in drawing a batten,
plank or the like broadsideways over the field the contrary way to that in which
the mowing machine travels for the purpose of laying it in the best possible
position to be cut by the machine, whereby instead of the crop growing upright
or being laid in the wrong direction by storms, it will be laid all in the one
direction to meet the mowing machine blade, and after the crop is thus laid in
the direction required, it goes on growing as fast as before, but wind or storm
will not alter the direction it is laid in, but rather tend to maintain it in the
direction required, substantially as described.
2. In the mowing or reaping of hay, clover or other crops, an implement for
making the clover, hay or other crops grow in such a manner that the mowing
machine will easily cut it, which consists in a flat batten, plank or the like
adapted to be dragged broadsideways over the field the contrary way to that in
which the mowing machine travels, whereby the crop is laid evenly in one
direction all over the field, so that it will be in the best possible position to be
cut by the machine, and wind or storm will not alter the direction it is laid in,
substantially as described.
3. In an implement of the kind described, providing the batten or plank with
hinged ends so that they can be folded to enable the implement to go through a
gateway, in combination with bolts so arranged that when the hinged ends are
extended they can be fastened in the extended position, substantially as set forth.
4. In an implement of the kind described, the combination with the flat
batten or plank which is dragged broadsideways over a field, of shafts such as C
for the purpose of harnessing to a horse, and handles such as 1) to lift the imple-
ment when required, while the shafts take a bearing at the time it is being
lifted, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of March 1900.