IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, THOMAS SOUTAR BISSET, of Balcairn, Blairgowrie, in the County of Perth,
North Britain, Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my
"to be as
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has principally for its object to construct and combine certain
parts of a reaping and mowing machine in an improved manner and so that the
cutting height or position of the cutter bar may be altered and adjusted in con-
nection with the small ground wheel which supports the inner end of the cutter
bar. This is done with facility and without stopping the machine, and in such a
way that although the height of the cutter bar may be frequently altered its weight
continues to rest on the ground wheel at the inner shoe, which wheel as arranged
in existing machines is only of service at one height of the cutter bar. The
mechanism for the purpose referred to has also parts combined with it for raising
the cutter bar and the wheel at the inner end of that bar sufficiently for the
convenient transport of the machine.
In carrying out the Invention a lever is arranged on the framing in a convenient
position for being handled by the attendant worker when seated on the machine.
The lever is fitted with a hand latch working in connection with a notched sector
for holding the lever in any desired position, and an extension of the lever below
its fulcrum is connected by a rod to a lever on a rocking shaft carried in the
framing. This rocking shaft has a kneed arm or crank at its inner end, and on
the end of this crank is mounted the running wheel which bears up the inner end
of the cutter bar. When the hand lever is moved so as to depress the crank of the
rocking shaft the effect is to raise the cutter bar, and vice versa.
The lower extension of the hand lever is connected by a hook and chain to a
diagonal bar of the movable frame connecting the cutter bar and its accessories to
the outer part of the framing to which the main carrying and driving wheels are
connected; and when the hand lever is turned into an extreme position it acts
through the chain on the movable frame so as to lift the cutter bar and its inner
running wheel sufficiently high for convenient transport.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: I, THOMAS SOUTAR BISSET, of Balcairn, Blairgowrie, in the County of Perth,
North Britain, Agricultural Implement Maker, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has principally for its object to construct and combine certain
parts of a reaping and mowing machine in an improved manner and so that the
cutting height or position of the cutter bar may be altered and adjusted in con-
nection with the small ground wheel which supports the inner end of the cutter
bar. This is done with facility and without stopping the machine, and in such a
way that although the height of the cutter bar may be frequently altered its weight
continues to rest on the ground wheel at the inner shoe, which wheel as arranged
in existing machines is only of service at one height of the cutter bar. The
mechanism for the purpose referred to has also parts combined with it for raising
the cutter bar and the wheel at the inner end of that bar sufficiently for the
convenient transport of the machine.
My improvements are applicable to various kinds of reaping and mowing
machines, and one example of their application is shown on an accompanying
sheet of explanatory drawings. In these drawings, figure, 1, is a perspective view;
and figure, 2, is a plan of the framing as with the cutter bar and its accessories
removed; whilst figure, 3, is an elevation corresponding to figure, 2, but with the
inner main carrying and driving wheel removed. The same reference numerals
are used in the drawings to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
In carrying out my Invention a lever, 4, is arranged on a part, 5, of the framing
in a convenient position for being handled by the attendant worker when on the
seat, 6. The lever, 4, is fitted with a hand latch, 7, connected by a rod, 8, to a
catch, 9, working in connection with a toothed sector, 10; and an extension, 11, of
the lever, 4, below its fulcrum is connected by a rod, 12, to a lever, 13, on a rocking
shaft, 14, carried by the framing. This rocking shaft, 14, has a kneed arm or
crank, 15, at its inner end, and on the end of this crank is mounted the running
wheel, 16, which bears up the inner end of the cutter bar, 17. When the hand
lever, 4, is moved so as to depress the crank, 15, of the rocking shaft, 14, the effect
is to raise the cutter bar, 17, and vice versa. The main shaft or tram, 18, to which
the horses are attached, together with the part, 5, on which the hand lever, 4, is
centered and which carries the seat, 6, is swung on the axle, 19, separately from
the other parts of the framing which are also carried on the axle, so that when the
running wheel, 16, is turned downwards by means of the rocking shaft, 14, the
parts of the framing immediately attached to the rocking shaft and the inner end
of the cutter bar, 17, which with its accessories is attached or connected to the same
parts, can rise by turning or swinging upwards on the axle, 19.
The lower extension, 11, of the hand lever, 4, is connected by a hook and
chain, 20, to a diagonal bar, 21, of the movable part of the framing connecting the
cutter bar, 17, and its accessories to the other part of the framing; and when the

page_text: hand lever, 4, is moved backwards into an extreme position it acts through
the chain, 20, on the movable part of the framing so as to lift the cutter bar, 17,
and the inner running wheel, 16, sufficiently high for convenient transport.
The running wheel, 16, is represented as carried on a centre pin formed on the
crank, 15; but if preferred it may be arranged like what is known as a caster
wheel, the fork or caster frame being swivel-jointed to the crank, 15.
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. The attaching of the running wheel bearing up the inner end of the cutter
bar of a reaping or mowing machine to a crank on a rocking shaft which can be
moved by means of a hand lever substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein before described.
2. The combination of the parts referred to in the preceding claim with a chain
connecting the hand lever to a bar of the movable framing substantially as and for
the purposes herein before described.