IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING
MACHINES."-A communication from abroad by William Allen,
of the City of Auburn, State of New York, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 6th September 1869.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct reaping and. mowing
machines in such a manner that they will be more durable and less
liable to derangement and may be worked with less power than the
machines heretofore constructed. To this end all the teeth of the

page_text: toothed gearing are cut instead of being roughly cast, so that they will
work more smoothly than heretofore. All the toothed gearing moreover
is enclosed within a cast or wrought iron box provided with a lid so
that access may be obtained thereto when required. The running or
supporting wheels of the machine are mounted on an axle outside the
bearings, between which is mounted a driving wheel provided with
internal teeth. The cutting mechanism is driven from this wheel,
which drives a pinion on the end of the cross shaft or a bevil wheel
which drives a similar wheel on a short shaft, at the opposite end
of which is another internal toothed wheel, which drives a pinion on the
crank shaft whereby the cutter bar is actuated. Recesses are formed
in the cast-iron case and its cover to receive the shafts and the pro-
jecting parts of some of the wheels, and the irons to support the driver's
seat are inserted in sockets cast on or attached to the hinged cover of
the box or case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence
that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, 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 time 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 AND MOWING MACHINES," being a communication
to me from abroad by William Allen, of the Oity of Auburn, State of

page_text: New York, United States of America, 'upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 William Edward Newton, 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 by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
Previous to this Invention a great variety of mowing and reaping
machines have been used, but all have had certain radical defects, viz.,
liability to breakage, derangement, and loss of power by friction, which
render the ordinary reaping and mowing machines incapable of effectually
and economically serving the ends desired.
Now the object of this Invention is to construct reaping and mowing
machines in such a manner that they will be more durable and less
liable to derangement and may be worked with less power than the
machines heretofore constructed. To this end all the teeth of the
toothed gearing are cut instead of being roughly cast, so that they will
work more smoothly than heretofore. All the toothed gearing and
part of the mechanism moreover is enclosed within a cast or wrought
iron box provided with a lid, so that access may be obtained thereto
when required. The running or supporting wheels of the machine are
mounted on an axle outside the bearings and between which is mounted
a driving wheel provided with internal teeth. The cutting mechanism
is driven from this wheel, which drives a pinion on the end of the cross.
shaft of a bevil wheel which drives a similar wheel on a short shaft, at
the opposite end of which is another internal toothed wheel, which drives
a pinion on the crank shaft whereby the cutter bar is actuated.
Recesses are formed in the cast-iron case and its cover to receive the
shafts and the projecting parts of some of the wheels, and the irons to
support the driver's seat are inserted in sockets cast on or attached to the
hinged cover of the box or case.

page_text: to the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the
harvester; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the cover thrown
back to expose the mechanism to view; and Fig. 3 is an end view of the
machine.
A and B are the running and supporting wheels, which are securely
fastened to the main axle and driving shaft C. This shaft C is mounted
and perfectly fitted in its bearings, which are carried by the boxes d
upon the metallic case D, and upon it is keyed the main driving wheel a.
This wheel a is an internal spur gear which is accurately cut by suitable
gear cutting machinery, as are all the other wheels and pinions of the
machine. The metallic case D clearly shewn in the Figures is cast of a
suitable shape and size to contain or encase all the gearing and con-
nections, and is provided with a hinged side (or lid) D* so arranged that
the mechanism can be exposed for examination and adjustment of the
bearings at pleasure. The lid portion D of the case is cast with an
indentation to receive the upper half of the wheel a, as seen at b. The
lid may also carry sockets for supporting a spring driving seat. Within
the case D is mounted in suitable bearings a counter shaft h, on one end
of which is arranged a spur pinion E which gears into or engages with
the internal spur wheel a. This shaft his arranged parallel to the main
axle C, and is provided (in addition to the spur pinion E) with a bevil
wheel F which engages with a bevil pinion G that is fast on the rear
end of a shaft i. The shaft i is arranged in suitable bearings in a plane
at right angles to the axis of the other shafts, and is provided at its
forward end with an internal spur wheel H. This wheel H gears with
and drives the spur pinion ; of the crank shaft I. The shaft I is
arranged in suitable bearings, and its protruding end is provided with
the usual face plate and crank pin k, by which means the connecting
rod or pitman J drives the cutter bar l. It will be observed that the
cast-iron case D is formed with a recess or a depression running length-
wise for the accommodation of the crank shaft I. This recess
serves also the purpose of avoiding the breaking of the bottom of
the case in cooling, which would probably occur should the case be
cast with a plain bottom. The pinion E is arranged to slide on the
shaft h, and is moved by a "shipper" or clutch m, by means of
which it is thrown in and out of gear with wheel a at pleasure.

page_text: The "shipper" or clutch m is arranged around the main axle C (as
shewn best at Fig. 2), and its shaft or spindle portion passes through a
box at n, and is provided on its outer end with a handle O bearing
against a fixed cam on the case D, which at the will of the driver can
be caused to move and hold the pinion E out of gear with the wheel a.
p is a spiral spring, which is arranged to act on the "shipper" m, and
serves to throw it inward (so as to put the pinion E in gear with the
wheel a) when released by the driver; K is the pole to which the
team is harnessed in the usual manner, and which is secured in a
casting B bolted to the front portion of the case D or body of the
machine; L is the drag bar, which is connected at q (as shewn at
Fig. 2) to an arm M of the casting B. The lower end of the drag bar L
is attached to the finger bar N, which is provided with the usual guard
fingers » in which play the cutters 8, having a bar l, as usual, to one end
of which is connected the pitman J, through the medium of which the
proper reciprocatory motion is imparted to the said cutter. bar and its'
cutters from the driving crank at k. The drag bar L is provided at N
with a shoe cap, to which is coupled the hook brace P, and this hook
brace is provided with a chain Q, which passes from it up to and over a
pulley or "chain shive roller" R, and thence to a hook on the lower end
of the lever or bar S. This lever is hung on a suitable stud projecting
from the main frame or case at v (see Fig. 2), and is provided with a
ratchet pawl or finger to that catches into the notches of the lever
ratchet T. By means of this attachment the rear end of the drag bar
may be elevated and held up when requisite. The lid D' of case D may
be provided with a latch handle or lock. The case D is cast with
recesses to receive those wheels and parts of the mechanism that require
more space than exists within its general rectangular contour. U is
a shield arranged below the crank wheel k to protect it. The general
operation of the machine will be readily comprehended by those skilled
in the manufacture of this kind of machinery. The machine being.
adjusted for operation (as seen at Figures 1 and 2) is to be drawn forward
as usual, when the motion of the ground wheels A, B, will through the
medium of their axle C impart the necessary rotary motion to the main
driving wheel a which drives the pinion E and its shaft h, and through
the medium of the bevil gear F, G, impart motion to the shaft i, thereby
effecting the rotation of the internal spur wheel H on the latter, and
through pinion j and shaft I effecting the necessary motion of crank.
wheel k by which the pitman J is moved and the cutting mechanism.

page_text: driven. Whenever it is desired to travel without operating the driving
machinery or gearing and cutting mechanism the pinion E is thrown out
of gear by means of clutch m and handle O, and when desired the whole
cutting apparatus may be turned up as usual, as seen in dotted lines at
Fig. 1. The manipulation of the machine by the driver in mowing (or
harvesting) will be the same as required in the use of other machines;
and the improved machine may have applied to it the necessary attach-
ments ordinarily used with mowing machines and reapers, according to
the requirements of the work to be performed.
It will be seen that by the arrangement of driving gearing shown and
described, and its inclosure within the case D, the whole driving
machinery is not only perfectly protected and held in perfect adjust-
ment, but the whole machine may be rendered extremely light and
sufficiently strong and durable. The before mentioned recess in the
case D for the crank shaft I enables the shaft to be placed in the best
relative position with the other parts of the mechanism, and allows the
case D to be cast very light without danger of cracking in cooling. The
arrangement of the seat irons e, e, (as shown at Fig. 1,) in sockets c
cast in the lid of case D it will be seen enables the seat 9 and its
supports e and springs f to be made light and strong. The casting B³,
Fig. 2, serves the double purpose of holding the pole or shaft K and
forming the support for the forward end of the drag bar L.
Although the shape and proportions of the mechanism may be varied,
those illustrated in the accompanying Drawings are preferable for the
ordinary working machines.
Having set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Reaping and Mowing Machines," as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First. Two independent driving and supporting wheels and one main
internal spur wheel on the same axle, so arranged that the internal spur
wheel will revolve between and the supporting or ground wheels outside
of the journal boxes, substantially as described.
Second. The combination of three pairs of gear wheels for imparting
motion to the cutter mechanism, consisting of two internal spur gear
wheels and their pinions and an intermediate bevil wheel and its pinion,
arranged substantially as described.

page_text: Third. In combination with the arrangement of gearing as described,
the crank shaft arranged below and crossing the main axle, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. Forming a recess in the bottom of the case for receiving the
crank shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. Supporting the seat irons by means of sockets cast with the
hinged metallic lid of the case, substantially as described.
Sixth. The socket for receiving front end of the drag bar when cast
in one piece and combined with a metallic case, substantially as shown
and described.
Seventh. The combination of the cast-iron box or case with the system
of "cut gearing" arranged, supported, protected, and driven therein in
the manner and for the purpose shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
WE NEWTON (1.8)