IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING UP CUT CROPS AND STRAW INTO SHEAVES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Kearsley and Edwin Whitworth
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th February 1882.
GEORGE KEARSLEY and EDWIN WHITWORTH, both of Ripon, in the County of
York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING UP CUT CROPS AND STRAW
INTO SHEAVES"
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for making up cut
crops and straw into sheaves. The apparatus can be used not only in connection
with harvesting machines but also in separate sheaf binding machines and also in
connection with threshing machinery.
The object of this Invention is firstly to improve the division and separation of
the portions of cut crop needed to make a sheaf secondly by automatic mechanism
to approximately make the sheaf bunches of equal size thirdly to improve the
delivery of the bound sheaf, fourthly to improve the apparatus for retaining and
cutting the cord or binding material.
On a harvesting machine of ordinary type in which the corn is delivered
continuously to a hopper or shoot leading on to a binding table we place a
horizontal shaft extending over the binding table and parallel with the outer side
of the hopper.
The shaft which is driven continuously by means of chain gearing (or equivalent)
carries a curved arm or arms.
These curved arms, are for the purpose of dividing a portion of the cut crop as
it is on its passage to the table from the grain which is being delivered they enter
the hopper or shoot at the top through its outer side and recede from it at the
bottoni and in order to make a more effectual separation, these curved arms are
each provided with a supplementary arm pivotted to it near to the shaft and
acted on by a fixed cam in such manner that the points of the curved arms and
supplementary arms are together where they enter the top of the shoot or hopper
and as they descend the curved arm moves forward in advance of the supplementary
arm and thus causes a better separation of the sheaf bunches.
In order to make the sheaf bunches of nearly equal size by self acting mechanism,
wo place on the horizontal shaft four or more such curved arms each provided with
with its supplementary arm.

page_text: In operation these arms cause a separation of a small portion of the cut crop,
and the curved form of the arms, is such as to cause the portion of crop separated
to be thrust forward against a stop standing up from the binding table this stop
yields when a sufficient quantity of the crop has been collected to form a sheaf.
The fixed stop in yielding to the thrust of the grain acts on clutch mechanism
so as to throw out of action the gear by which motion was previously given to the
shaft carrying the dividing and compacting arms and puts into action another shaft
by which the binding apparatus receives its motion.
This shaft is allowed to make one revolution and then the position of the clutches
is again automatically changed so that the shaft carrying the dividing and
compacting arms again commences to revolve and the binding mechanism remains
at rest.
We also use the following method of obtaining a sheaf of nearly regular size
automatically.
We place on the shaft carrying the dividing arms a tube having a sector shaped
piece turning freely upon it and which projects into the hopper or shoot the end
of the sector carries a wheel, having arms radiating from it and this wheel is
rotated by suitable gearing from the tube, which itself receives motion from the
driving mechanism of the machine.
The sector shaped piece hangs downwards so that the wheel with radial arms is
at the bottom part of the hopper or shoot and as a portion of crop falls, the
rotation of the wheel moves it forward towards a stop and consolidates it, and as it
accumulates it causes the wheel and sector to rise, when enough has been collected
the sector strikes against a lever and by shifting a clutch sets in motion the shaft
carrying the dividing arms and the sheaf bunch is so separated and is then carried
off to be tied the sector and wheel is then again ready for the next bunch.
A stop lever is provided on the binding table against which the sector compresses
and compacts the cut crop, and the lever which actuates the engaging motion
setting dividing arms at work, also releases the stop, and when the sheaf bunch is
being bound the stop resumes its former position.
Also instead of using the above described methods of automatically determining
the size of the sheaf bunches, we make use of one of the properties of the epicyclic
train of gear.
One method of using this to attain the desired result is, to place on the shaft
carrying the dividing arms, a tube which carries a smaller fixed arm or arms,
(preferably curved,) this arm or arms acts behind a fence or outer side of the hopper
which only allows a portion of the arm to engage with the cut crop.
The tube carrying this arm is actuated by an epicyclic train through a chain
wheel, (or equivalent) which receives motion from the driving mechanism of the
machine.
The chain wheel has a slot in it across which passes a radial pin on the pin is
centred a bevil wheel. This wheel on one side gears with a bevil wheel on the
tube and on the other side with a bevil wheel loose on the shaft.
This latter outer wheel of the train carries a pin, which rests upon a lever which
starts and stops the binding gear and is by a spring or otherwise normally held in
one fixed position. The action of this mechanism is, that motion being conveyed
continuously to the chain wheel, causes the fixed curved arm to rotate, and the
falling cut crop is compacted and thrust forward by it, this goes on until a larger
quantity of the crop has accumulated beneath the arm and offers more resistance
to its motion, than is given by the pin on the outer wheel of train resting on the
lever, (the resistance of which is controllable) when this happens the arm is arrested
in its motion, and the lever is actuated which puts binding mechanism into motion,
and the sheaf, being removed, the curved packing arm (or arms), resumes its motion
as before.
We have described the above arrangements as being placed above the binding
table, but they can also be used beneath this table.
The instrument for retaining and cutting the cord or binding material, is a disc

page_text: having a central opening, radiating from which are several slots or recesses (5 in
this case).
The disc is mounted in a cell, in which it is capable of being rotated, and the
cell is also provided with a central opening, and one slot or recess at the top,
which coincides with one of the slots in the disc.
The point of the arm carrying the string, enters the central hole in the disc and
cell, and the cord enters into the slot or recess, and a pawl actuated by a cam or
otherwise engages with one of the recesses on the diametrically opposite side of the
disc, and as the disc is rotated for a space equal to the distance from one recess to
another, it pushes forward the cord between the walls of the cell; and a small
clearance being allowed on one side causes, the string or cord to be nipped between
disc and cell wall while the other side of cell and disc are provided with cutting
edges which cut the cord.
A small portion of cord is left in the instrument each time, which falls out
through an opening in the cell wall, as the disc rotates.
We are aware that a circular disc for the purpose of holding and cutting the
cord, has been in common use but in this the notches or recesses are arranged
around the periphery of the disc and the method of rotating the disc is not the
same as in the above arrangement, and we consider that it is more certain of
securing the end of cord in event of straw or impediment being in the way of cord.
In dealing with a crop where the straw is long or when it is tangled or weedy:
there is an uncertainty in getting the bound sheaf separated from the unbound
crop particularly at the butt end; this causes the bound sheaf to drag along, or to
remain partly disengaged from the machine.
To improve the delivery of the sheaf in this respect, we place a finger near the
ear end of grain, either suspended above the binding table or rising from beneath it
to offer a certain amount of obstruction to the movement of this end of the sheaf
and so act as a fulcrum to cause the butt end of the sheaf, to receive an accelerated
motion tending to free it from the unbound grain;
We prefer to make this finger or stop adjustable in position and either retracted
by a spring or receive its motion from the machine.