IMPROVEMENTS IN HAY-MAKING MACHINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas William Wedlake, of the Firm of Wedlake
and Dendy, of Hornchurch, in the County of Essex, Agricultural
Implement Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAY-MAKING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 10th December 1861, and dated the 14th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas William Wedlake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th June 1861.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM WEDLAKE, of the Firm of Wedlake and Dendy, of
Hornchurch, in the County of Essex, Agricultural Implement Makers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAY-
MAKING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in means of causing the drum or frame
carrying the forks to rotate in a reverse direction, when required, to that in
which they are ordinarily driven, and in driving the drum by bevel gear,
substantially as hereafter explained. I effect this by fixing on the axle of the
bearing wheels a bevelled tooth wheel, and in placing upon a shaft, carrying
on one end a bevelled toothed pinion, two other bevelled toothed pinions
capable of being moved upon their shaft so as to bring one or other in gear
with the bevelled wheel on the axle of the bearing wheels. The pinion upon
the end of the movable pinions' shaft gears into a bevelled wheel upon the

page_text: shaft or axle of the skeleton drum or frame carrying the rakes or forks. By
causing one or other of the movable pinions to gear with the bevelled wheel
the drum or frame carrying the rakes or forks is driven in one direction or
in the other.
My Invention consists, secondly, in means of raising and lowering the drum
or frame carrying the rakes or forks farther from or nearer to the ground.
This I effect by connecting the box or frame, which carries the axle of the
skeleton drum or frame carrying the rakes or forks, by arms, one curved and
attached to the lower part of the box at one end and to the shafts at the
other, and the other straight, connected to the upper part of the box at one
end, and at the other to a box hollowed out and formed with a rack on the
inside; a pinion on a rod passing through the shafts works inside the box and
gears into the rack. A crank handle is fixed to the pinion rod, and by altering
the position of the pinion the upper part of the frame is drawn forward or
backward, and thereby the rake or fork drum or frame-is-raised-or lowered.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent; filed
by the said Thomas William Wedlake in the Great Seal Patent Oflice on
the 14th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WILLIAM WEDLAKE, of the Firm of Wedlake and Dendy, of Hornchurch, in
the County of Essex, Agricultural Implement Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas William Wedlake, Her special licence that 1, the said Thomas
William Wedlake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Thomas William Wedlake, 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 term 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 HAY-MAKING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas William Wedlake, 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,

page_text: 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 Thomas William Wedlake, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in means of causing the drum or frame
carrying the forks to rotate in a reverse direction, when required, to that in
which they are ordinarly driven, and in driving the drum by bevel gear,
substantially as hereafter explained. I effect this by fixing on the axle of the
bearing wheels a bevelled tooth wheel, and by placing upon a shaft, carrying
on one end a bevelled toothed pinion, two other bevelled toothed pinions capable
of being moved upon their shaft so as to bring one or other in gear with the
bevelled wheel on the axle of the bearing wheels. The pinion upon the end
of the movable pinions' shaft gears into a bevelled wheel upon the shaft or
axle of the drum or frame carrying the rakes or forks.
Figure 1 shows in vertical section, Figure 2 in horizontal section, and
Figure 3 in back view, so much of a hay-making machine as will be necessary
to illustrate the manner in which I carry my Invention into effect.
a, a, are the bearing wheels, one only of which is shown. This wheel is
mounted on an axle & carrying a toothed wheel c; d, d, are the toothed pinions,
free to slide with a double striking fork and lever f, f, on the shaft e; g is a
pinion on the end of the shaft e in gear with a toothed wheel h on the drum
i carrying the rake tines or forks k, k. By causing one or other of the
movable pinions d, d, to gear with the bevelled wheel c on the axle b, the
drum or frame i carrying the rake tines or forks k, k, is driven in one direction
or in the other.
My Invention consists, secondly, in means of raising and lowering the drum
or frame carrying the rakes or forks farther from or nearer to the ground.
This I effect by connecting the box or frame, which carries the axle of the
skeleton drum or frame carrying the rakes or forks, by arms, one curved and
attached to the lower part of the box at one end and to the shafts at the other,
and the other arm straight, connected to the upper part of the box at one end
and at the other end to a box hollowed out and formed with a rack on the
inside, and a ratchet or detent on its upper edge; a pinion on a rod passing
through the shafts works inside the box and gears into the rack. Z is the box
carrying the axle of the drum; m is the curved, and n is the straight arm;

page_text: o is the rack, and p is the handle for working the crank. By altering the
position of the pinion the upper part of the frame is drawn forward or back-
ward, and thereby the rake or fork drum or frame is raised or lowered.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in bay-making machines,―
First, causing the drum or frame carrying the rakes or forks to revolve in
one direction or in the contrary direction, and driving the drum or framo by.
bevil gear, as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second, raising and lowering the drum or frame carrying the rake tines or
forks, in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas William Wedlake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
THOMAS WILLIAM WEDLAKE. (L.S.)