Improvements in Conveyors and Elevators for Reaping and Binding Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 2nd June, 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Conveyors and Elevators for Reaping and Binding
Machines.
I, THOMAS HANRAHAN, of Bungaree, in the Colony of Victoria; Farmer, 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: —
The object of this invention is to provide improved means for conveying and
elevating the grain as it is cut by reaping and binding machines. I do not use
the ordinary canvas belts but in their place I employ a series of metal rakes
which are connected to endless chains the latter being so arranged and driven
as to carry the rakes continuously around fixed rigid platforms (usually one
horizontal and one inclined) leading to the point where the cut grain is to be
delivered. The said rakes have teeth which project a suitable height above the
platform upper surfaces and thereby carry or push the cut grain forward. The
novelties of this invention are comprised in the construction of the rakes and
the platform and will be understood from what follows, reference being made
to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a plan view of parts of a platform with my invention attached.
Figure 2 is a side elevation in section on the line XX in Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is an end elevation of parts in Figure 2. In these figures portions are
broken out and away to more clearly show other portions, and the rakes are
shown in different positions. Only three teeth are shown to each rake although
in reality the number of teeth would be much larger; and any number of
rakes may in practice be used, the closer they are to one another the less weight
of grain having to be sustained proportionately by each rake.
The invention will he understood from the drawings which show simply a
horizontal platform. The inclined platform and its elevating rakes would be
similar to that shown, but the rakes of the inclined platform would move the
grain upward from the point where the rakes of the horizontal platform delivered
it.
Assuming now that a grain cutting device is at the side Y of the platform
in Figure 1, the grain will then be deposited on the platform in any usual
manner. The platform is composed of any number of parallel strips A, A¹ between
which are slots as B, the centre slot being marked B. There is at each side an
endless chain G passing over sprocket wheels H and driven continuously by any
suitable means as a chain operating a sprocket wheel I) all the time the
is at work. These chains are con-
reaping or cutting device at Y
nected at intervals by the cross bars or heads D) of rakes as shown, and the teeth
of these rakes are marked, E, each of the latter being in the line of one
of the slots BB', so as to project through the same when the teeth are being
carried along the upper surface of the platform. The central tooth is marked
E Figures and 3. Each rake bar 1) is held down between the platform
strips A, A which lie above it and any suitable guide plates A² parallel to and
below some of said strips as A. There may be if desired a larger number of

page_text: guide plates A2, but I merely show two (one at each side) in dotted lines
Figure 1.
To each rake cross har D is also attached two or more slide blocks D¹, and
these are adapted to closely fit the channels between the upper strips A and
lower plates A³. The rake teeth are thereby held upright or substantially so
during work and cannot be depressed when at the upper side of the platform
and consequently they cannot fail to carry forward the cut grain which is dropped
in their path. The teeth assume the aforesaid position because they are at right
angles more or less to the blocks 1), and because these blocks are kept horizontal
so long as they are in the channels between the strips A. and plates A².
The device I use for causing the rake teeth to be turned down at one end of
the platform and up the other so that the rakes will follow the course of the
arrows in Figures 1 and 2 are as follows:-
The teeth will be drawn down naturally as the chains are carried round by
the sprocket wheels as soon as the blocks D₁ can escape from the channels
between the upper strips A and guide plate A³. In descending the teeth will
also turn to some extent. As shown however in the drawings, I make each
lower plate terminate at A3, that is, the channels end just at the point where
the sprocket wheels tend to cause the blocks D¹ to begin to take a circular path.
The rake teeth when under the platform will then take the position shown in
Figures 2 and 3 approximately, being retained in such position either by the
weight of the teeth themselves or if desirable by a strip of metal fixed at a
suitable distance under the slot B' and parallel thereto and secured to the
framing K said strip being shown by M in Figures 1 and 3 only and thus keeping
the teeth E from rising. To cause the teeth to again take a circular path prior
to entering the slots BB¹ I also make the lower guide plates short at the other
end A .c. shorter than the upper strips.
The ends A are in fact in such a position that at a certain stage that is after
travelling a little beyond the position illustrated in Figure 2, they will act as
stops to the blocks D₁ which will be thus dragged against and turned by the
said ends until the rakes take the upright position shown in Figure 2.
But, slightly before the slide blocks are brought against the said ends A+
(which are slightly curved or turned downward as seen in Figure 2), a central
tongue marked F which is affixed underneath the end of the central slot comes
into operation. This tongue acts as a stop to the central tooth E¹ (the teeth
are shown standing diagonally beneath bar D on the left edge of Figure 2) and
against the said tongue the central tooth E' of each rake presses or drags until
the rake bar is turned so far that the blocks D₁ come against the stops A as
aforesaid. On the left edge of Figure 2 the rake is shown somewhat further
in advance of the position seen in Figure 1 and the central tooth E (which
is hidden by the side tooth marked E) has ceased to drag against the tongue F
and has commenced to swing away from F towards its vertical position as shown
by an arrow,
The tongue F projects, it will be seen, a greater distance towards its end of
the platform, than do the ends A. K shows various parts of the framing of
the platform which is of a skeleton formation, and L is the axle of sprocket
wheels H only one set of these wheels is shown with an axle but in such details
as this any arrangement may be adopted which is found to be mechanically
suitable.
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 an apparatus of the class indicated, the combination with a platform
having an upper surface composed of strips A A¹ with slots BB, and guide
plates A beneath strips A, of endless chains G connected by transverse rakes D
having slide blocks Di and teeth E E¹ adapted to project vertically through the

page_text: slots B B and set at (or approximately at) right angles to the slide blocks which
are adapted to fit the channels between strips A and guide plates A² all substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In apparatus of the class indicated, the combination with a platform A A',
having slots B, B, of rakes D (having teeth EE and blocks ¹) carried by
endless chains G over sprocket wheels H; also plates A2 having ends A³ located
as described to enable the blocks 1) to be carried downward from the channels
beneath strips A and guide plates A2, said plates having also ends A, and the
platform having a plate F located and projecting beyond ends A' as
described; to enable the said blocks to be carried upward into the said channels
substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of the parts A, A1, A2, A3, A4, BB, DD, EE, and F, G, H
and M substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 27th day of December 1899.