Improvements in Mowing and Reaping Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 2nd June, 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mowing and Reaping Machines.
SAMUEL BRASSINGTON BAMFORD of the firm of Henry Bamford & Sons
Agricultural Engineers Uttoxeter, in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in making fingers for mowing or reaping machines
with two cross pieces the back cross piece being of a special form.
The frout cross piece is the same as ordinarily made and extends on each side
and abuts against the next fingers.
I now make the back cross piece fit up against the bevilled edge usually made
on finger bars.
The underneath portion of the cross piece is made flush with the underneath
surface of the finger bar. Thus causing no obstruction in going over grass ard
the top side of the cross piece. I prefer to bevil downwards from the top edge of
the finger bar towards the bottom edge of the knife bar. The outer ends of the
back cross piece also fit up against the adjoining fingers. Thus the fingers are all
locked one against ancther by the the front and back cross pieces being in contact
with each other.
The knife clips have an underneath projection which fits against the back of the
knife bar on the front side and the back part is bevilled to fit over the bevilled
edge of the back cross piece on the finger.
My second improvement consists in fitting a spring under the lifting quadrant
for raising the finger bar.
The spring is placed in such a position that the lifting lever is always pushed by
the spring as far towards the driver as the slack part of the chain will permit. I
prefer that it shall be a spiral spring placed under the quadrant with a stop on
the quadrant to press on the end of it.
Sometimes it may be desirable in conjunction with the said spring to have the
ratchet pawl on the lifting lever lifted up out of gear with the quadrant ratchet, so
that the lifting lever will be free and will not catch in the ratchet only when
desired.
For this purpose I fasten the handle that controlls the the pawl, which handle is
fixed on the top of the lifting lever. This can also be done by useing a stop on
the connecting rod of the lifting lever or on the pawl itself.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1890.
SAMUEL BRASSINGTON BAMFORD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mowing and Reaping Machines.
I, SAMUEL BRASSINGTON BAMFORD, of the firm of Henry Bamford & Sons,
Uttoxeter, in the County of Stafford, Agricultural Engineers, 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 :-
My invention relates to mowing and reaping machines and comprises an
improved construction of finger and the arrangement of a spring in connection
with the lifting quadrant for raising the finger-bar all as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of so much of a mowing machine as is
necessary to illustrate my invention:

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan, drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1, of a portion of the
finger-bar with two fingers constructed according to my invention; and,
Figure 3 is an end view of the same.
a, a indiente the fingers, and the finger-bar to which the same are secured.
According to my invention the back cross-bare of each finger fits up against
the bevelled edge of the finger-bar, as shewn in Figure 3, and is hevelled or
inclined on the top and bottom sides, also as shewn in the said figure, the bottom
surface being flush with the bottom of the finger-bar and the top surface oxtending
to the front edge of the said har.
d indicates a knife-clip which is provided upon its underside with a downward'y
projecting piece, the front side of which serves to support the back of the knife
whilst the rear side is bevelled to fit the upper bevelled edge of the back cross-bar
of the finger.
The advantage of bevelling the back cross-bars of the fingors, as hereinbefore
described, is that no obstruction is offered by the said bars when the machine is
moving over the grass.
indicates the quadrant to which is attached the chain for lifting the finger-
bar in a well known manner, and is the lever connected to the said quadrant.
is the spring arranged according to my invention and serving to press against the
said quadrant, the said spring, as shewn, being placed around a sliding bar and,
at one end, pressing against the head of the said bar and, at the other end, against
a bracket in which the said bar slides.
The advantage of this arrangement is that, when the finger-bar is right down
upon the ground, the chain will be held taut, notwithstanding the fact that the
catch on the quadrant-plate is not in engagement with one of its notches, whereby
the said handle is at all times in a position to be grasped by the person working
the machine.
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. In a mowing or reaping machine the employment of fingers having the back
cross-bars bevelled substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
ul' a
2. In a mowing or reaping machine, the combination with the lifting quadrant
a spring adapted to maintain the lifting chain taut and the said lever in such a
position that it can be readily grasped, substantially as described.
Dated the 1st day of June 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.