Improvements in Sheafbinding Harvesting Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1887
Complete Left, 13th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 1st June, 1888
Improvements in Sheafbinding Harvesting Machines.
We JAMES HORNSBY and JOHN INNOCENT both of Spittlegate Iron Works
Grantham in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, and ISAAC TROLLEY also of Spittle-
gate Iron Works Grantham in the County of Lincoln Mechanic do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the first part of our invention is to reduce the. total height of the
machine, which we effect by using a rotating conveyor to pass the cut crop from the
This rotating
elevators to the table on which the crop is bound into sheaves.
conveyor we mount just clear of the upper part of the main drive wheel and by
preference make it similar in shape to one of the rollers on which the canvas elevators
run-In section it may be a plain or fluted roller, or other shape as may be found
best. We cause the periphery of this conveyor to travel at a greater speed than the
elevator rollers so that the conveyor shall pass the cut crop quickly from the elevator
to the binder platform-If desired more than one rotating conveyor may be used.
We sometimes use two
Sometimes we fix spikes in the conveyor roll or rollers.
rollers with a travelling canvas to convey the cut crop from the elevators to the
binder platform.
Another part of our invention relates to preventing the straws winding on to the
spindles of the rollers which operate the various sets of canvases which convey
the cut crop to the binder platform. To do this we make the rollers longer than
usual and recess the timbers to which the bearings carrying the rollers are fastened
and pass the ends of the rollers into these recesses, the timber forming a hood for the
ends of the rollers. The ends of the rollers, may pass either a small distance into
these timbers or they may go quite through the timbers, the bearings for the spindles
being mounted on the outside of the timbers.
Another part of our invention relates to the travelling canvases which convey the
crop after it is cut towards the binder table.
To reduce the wear on the canvases we secure the canvases to light pitch chains
one chain under each side of the canvases the chains working on suitable chain wheels
mounted on the rollers which drive the canvases.

page_text: .
If desired one chain for each canvas may be used in place of two chains.
Sometimes we fit the chain nearest to the cutting apparatus with jointed L shaped
prongs similar to those described for passing the crop along the binder table.
Another part of our invention relates to passing the cut crop from the upper part
towards the lower part of the binder platform.
Sometimes when cutting crops with an undergrowth of weeds, or crops of corn with
clover, the crop passes sluggishly from the upper part of the binder table especially at
the stubble end of the cut crop.
At the upper part of the binder table and towards that end of the table which the
stubble end of the cut crop passes down wo mount a stirrer or rotating prong or
prongs which is carried by a horizontal axis working in a bearing supported by any
convenient part of the framework. These prongs are caused to revolve in a direction
to bring the cut crop from that part of the binder platform next to the elevators and
pass the crop along towards the place where the sheaves are bound. The stirrer may
be driven from any convenient part of the working mechanism.
We prefer to drive it by a pitch chain from the axis working the ordinary
packers.
In place of the above named stirrer we sometimes use an auxiliary packer or
packers mounted between the ordinary packer spindle and the elevators.
The packer or packers we carry on a crank arm mounted on a horizontal axis the
bearing of which is fixed to any convenient part of the framework. These packers
may be driven by a chain as before described, the packers being operated in the
direction to pass the cut crop away from the elevators towards where the sheaf is
bound.
In place of a packer we sometimes use a pitch chain or chains working on chain
wheels suitably mounted, the upper part of the chain working on a level with the
binder platform. Some of the chain links may have either fixed projections, or the
projections may be shaped and jointed to the links, the end trailing on a fixed
surface to hold the projection at about right angles to the travel of the chain, the
fixed surface on which the trailing part of the link travels being of such a length as
may be desired to pass the crop forward, the projections being at liberty to turn
backwards after leaving the fixed surface.
Another part of our invention relates to the formation of the sole or tyre of the
main or drive wheel our object being to make it get a better grip on the land and
more powerful in its action as a driver.
For this purpose we make the sides of the sole or tyre of the wheel waved or of a
zig zag shape.
That part of the wheel which travels on the land may be a plain surface or it may
have the usual gripping pieces as desired.

page_text: Improvements in Sheaf Binding Harvesting Machines.
We, JAMES HORNSBY, JOHN INNOCENT, and ISAAC TROLLEY, all of Spittlegate Iron
Works, Grantham, Lincolnshire, 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 :—
In order to prevent straw from winding on to the spindles of the rollers which
operate the various sets of canvases which convey the cut crop to the binder platform
we make the rollers longer than usual and recess the timbers to which the bearings
that carry the rollers are fastened and pass the ends of the rollers, into these recesses,
the timbers or framing forming a hood for the ends of the rollers, the ends of the
rollers may pass either a small distance into these timbers or they may go quite
through the timbers, the bearings for the spindles being mounted on the outside of
the timbers.
+
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate these arrangements a is the roller and a¹ its spindle-
bis the frame and c a metal bush for receiving the spindle. In Figure 1 the recess
for receiving the end of the roller only goes a short distance into the frame, in
Figure 2 it goes completely through.
J
Sometimes when cutting crops with an undergrowth of weeds, or crops of corn
with clover, the crop passes sluggishly from the upper part of the binder table,
especially at the stubble end of the cut crop, at the upper part of the binder table
and towards that end of the table where the stubble end of the cut crop passes down―
In order to remove this objection we mount a stirrer or rotating prong or prongs,
which is carried by a horizontal axis working in a bearing supported by any con-
venient part of the framework, these prongs are caused to revolve in a direction to
bring the cut crop from that part of the binder platform next to the elevators and
pass the crop along towards the place where the sheaves are bound.
The stirrer may be driven from any convenient part of the working mechanism, we
prefer to drive it by a pitch chain from the axis working the ordinary packers. In
place of the above named stirrer we sometimes use an auxiliary packer or packers
mounted between the ordinary packer spindle and the elevators.
The packer or packers we carry on a crank arm mounted on a horizontal axis, the
bearing of which is fixed to any convenient part of the framework. These packers
may be driven by a chain as before described, the packers being operated in the
direction to pass the cut crop away from the elevators towards where the sheaf is
bound. In place of a packer we sometimes use a pitch chain or chains working on
chain wheels suitably mounted, the upper part of the chain working on a level with
the binder platform, some of the chain links may have either fixed projections, or the
projections may be L shaped and jointed to the links, the end trailing on a fixed
surface to hold the projections at about right angles to the travel of the chain. The
fixed surfaces on which the trailing part of the link travels being of such a length as
may be desired to pass the crop forward, the projection being at liberty to turn

page_text: backwards after leaving the fixed surface, in place of the above a rotating disc with
pivotted fingers operated by a fixed cam may be used.
Figures 3 to 9 illustrate this arrangement.
In Figures 3 and 4 e is the crank axle of the ordinary packers f, f, whose ends are
pivotted to the ends of the swinging arms f, f, oscillating about a common centre f³ 5
and which also carry bearings to receive the crank pins e¹, e, on cranks on the axle e-
is the auxiliary packer for causing the stubble end of the cut crop to pass down the
binder table The packer g is driven by a crank pin g' on a crank on the auxiliary
shaft g2. This shaft is driven from the shaft e by means of a pitch chain h and chain
wheels as shown.
Figure 5 shows another arrangement-In this figure the ordinary packers are not
shown, but e, e, e¹, are the crank shaft and crank pins by which they are operated.
jis a two armed stirrer mounted on the auxiliary shaft g² and driven from the shaft e
by the pitch chain h as before.
Figure 6 shows an arrangement by which the stubble end of the cut crop is caused 1
to pass down the binder table by means of a pitch chain k which passes over chain
wheels, fixed beneath the table. and a chain wheel m upon the crank axis e by
which it is driven.
Figures 7 and 8 show the details of the chain.
Figure 9 shows another arrangement for effecting the same object which consists of
a wheel or disc n carrying pivotted fingers o whose tail ends are operated by the fixed
cam p. The wheel n is driven as before from the crank axle e by means of a pitch
chain h.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The recess in the framing to receive the ends of the rollers carrying the
canvasses for conveying the cut crop substantially as described.
2. The arrangement substantially as described and shown at Figures 1 and 2.
3. The stirrers or conveyers situated between the crank axle of the ordinary
packers and the top of the binding table for the purpose of passing down the stubble
end of the cut crop substantially as described.
4. The arrangement substantially as described and shown in Figures 3 and 4.
5. The arrangement substantially as described and shown in Figure 5.
6. The arrangement substantially as described and shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8.
7. The arrangement substantially as described and shown in Figure 9.
Dated this IZLI day of April 1000.
JAMES HORNSBY..
JOHN INNOCENT.
ISAAC TROLLEY.