Apparatus for Preventing the Cutting-off of the Ears of Corn in Mowing Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1896-Accepted, 11th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Preventing the Cutting-off of the Ears of Corn in
Mowing Machines.
I, OTTO BORCHARDT, of 16 to 20 Burgstrasse Pritzwalk, in the German Empire,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
Mowing machines as at present constructed cut off the ears of heavy corn which is
beaten down or has been deprived of support by the preceding cutting, the ears
therefore fall to the ground and are lost. The guard board generally provided at the
corresponding part of the machine cannot raise the overhanging stems in order to
bring them in front of the knife.
The object of this invention is to prevent the cutting-off of the ears of corn by
means of a device for raising the ears, combined with a wiper in such a manner that
the cutting off of the ears from the driving side is impossible. Further by changing
the position of the shaft the horses are prevented from going too near to the standing
corn and thus trampling down the ears, or interfering with the operation of the device
for raising the ears by carrying the latter with them.
In order that this invention may be the hetter understood I now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the
letters and tigures marked thereon.
Figure 1 shows the apparatus arranged on a mnowing machine.
Figures 2 to 4 show the operation of the device for raising the ears.
Figures 5 and 6 show a modification of such device.
Figures 7 and 8 show the shaft arranged at the side of the machine.
Figures 9 and 10 show two further modifications of the device for raising the
ears.
The raising device is arranged so as to project a considerable distance over the
mowing machine and is constructed so that its upper edge is not too slanting though
its length is considerable.
A wiper B is provided which fetches the overhanging stems on to the upper edge
of the raising device A. These wipers B are arranged movably on the raking arms,
so that they can reach far into the corn and raise the same before it. comes before the
cutter. The device B is prevented by the chain K from falling too far.
modification these raising devices may be constructed in the following forms.
As a
The wipers B may move on a cam ring, as is the case with the raking arms in
many machines. The advantage thus obtained is that the use of the chain K is
avoided because the devices are guided in a suitable manner by the before mentioned
ring.
Figures 5 and 6 show a further modification for mowing machines which are
drawn by oxen. The devices B, Figures 5 and 6, are hinged to the raking arms 8.
Neither the chain K nor the ring are required for their guidance. They hang
down quite free, as soon as they leave the raising device, until they lie on the
raking arm which carries them. As soon as the latter is in a vertical position-they
fall down and enter forwards into the standing corn. The wipers B are then

page_text: drawn on to the raising device and must be constructed so that they do not thresh
the corn when falling into the latter. This is prevented by their falling first on the
raking arms, whereby their movement is limited. The movement of the wiper
may be retarded by a suitable spring or similar device. Another modification may
be constructed, so that the wipers Bare fixed to the rakes direct. In such case the
rakes innst be provided with a support on which the wipers B come to rest when
falling forwards.
The wipers described before consisted of straight arms which are provided with
Inthis projecting at the side which engage with the mising device A. Instead of the
movable wipers a spring may be nsed, fixed to the raking arm, so that the elasticity
of the spring is substituted for the hinging of the arms."
Further, the wipers B, if for some reason, they cannot be arranged on the rakes or
raking arins, may be connected by separate arms with a rotating axle of the machine
and be thus set in motion.
The novelty of the invention is that the wipers B fall forwards into the corn as far
as possible in order to gradually raise it on to the raising device, before the corn
comes into contact with the cutter.
The raising device may he provided with an elevator, Figures 9 and 10. In the
construction shown it consists essentially of a sheet metal casing A, in which are
arranged the wheels A¹ A2 which serve for the operation of the elevator E2. In the
construction shown in Figure 9 the opemtion of the elevator E-must be effected by
the machine through the axle w; in the construction shown in Figure 10 the
operation must be effected by means of the wheel w. The axle serves to
maintain the chain in gear with the chain wheels while the roller v takes the
weight of the front of the device and allows a slight movement of the raising
device on the ground, so that the raising device may adjust itself to all irregularities
of the ground and is prevented from entering into the soil. For the latter purpose
the point of the elevator is somewhat bent upwards.
The cog wheel A1, Figure 9, is situated on an axle of the mowing machine
whereby the connection of the same is effected in the desired manner, so that
the elevator may move freely up and down in a vertical direction independently of
the machine.
In order to allow of the elevator being hung in front of any. mowing machine,
its operation can be effected by a special wheel Figure 10. The axle of this
wheel is connected to the mowing machine by iron bands fixed to the lower side of
the table which are movable vertically.
The table which collects from behind the knives the corn cut off, extends under
the cog wheel A¹ so that the elevator can move the corn on to the table.
The advantage of the last described modification is that this elevator in
combination with the raising device obviates the wiper and can be easily attached to
any corn mowing machine.
In all modifications the raising device A is connected with the machine in such
a manner that it can move in a vertical direction independently of the machine and
that it can adjust itself to the unevenness of the ground. For this reason its point
need only be slightly bent upwards to be able to catch the corn which lies down.
The protecting board which was usually provided in other mowing machines was
fixedly connected to the machine, its front point had therefore to be bent upwards
considerably to avoid its entering into the soil in case of unevenness of the ground.
However, in that form it was prevented from getting under the corn lieing on
the ground.
'
As in my mowing machine the point of the raising device A is only slightly
bent upwards, it is necessary that. the movement of the raising device vertically
is independent of the machine.
In order that the operation of the raising device of any form of construction shall
not be interfered with by the horses who tread down the over hanging corn or
who carry the corn away with them on their feet, the shaft D must not be
placed, as is usual, in front of the driving wheel C, but its position is changed

page_text: by means of the frame E F G H, Figure 7, so that is situated at the point where
the shaft is placed in old machines. I represents an iron plate with several holes
of which one is chosen so as to fix the draw bar X, Figure 8, in such a manner
that the more or less oblique pull of the horses will keep the shaft D, though at
the side exactly in the direction of travel of the machine.
Figure 8 shows the machine in combination with the draw bar X and the
parts y y of which the outer one is longer than the inner. The horses are
fastened so that the left traces of both horses are attached to the left yoke y
and the right traces of both horses are attached to the right hand yoke y¹ so that
hoth horses can move as freely as possible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. In a mowing or reaping machine, a device for raising the broken down
corn combined with a movable wiper adapted to fall forward into the corn and
gather it up for proper delivery to the cutter substantially as described.
2nd. In a mowing or reaping machine a sheet metal casing of tapering form
with slightly elevated point in combination with an elevating device substantially
as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3rd. The arrangement and construction of mechanism for raising the beaten
down corn and delivering it to the cutter so as to ensure proper cutting of the
said corn substantially as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1896.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.