IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Johnston, of Brockport, New York,
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 11th January 1876, and dated the 1st November 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Johnston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st November 1875.
I, SAMUEL JOHNSTON, of Brockport, New York, United States of
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAR-
VESTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to harvesting machines, which may be used for
either reaping or mowing, and consists in various improvements, as
herein-after specified, whereby the efficiency of these machines is
generally increased.

page_text: I provide the machine with a main frame of wrought iron or other
suitable material, and furnish the said frame with bearings for the main
shaft or axle. The driving wheel turns loosely or independently on the
said main shaft or axle, and carries an internally toothed wheel or ring
geared with an adjustable pinion on one end of an intermediate or
countershaft, which is supported to turn freely in a sleeve bearing
attached to the main frame, and whose other end has on it a bevilled
gear wheel. The said adjustable pinion is fitted to slide on a feather on
the said shaft, and is adjusted by a lever to set the said pinion into and
out of gear with the driving wheel. The crank shaft is supported in a
sleeve whose front end is secured to the frame. The front end of the
said crank shaft has on it a bevil pinion which gears with the aforesaid
bevil wheel. The crank which is on the rear end of the shaft is
connected in the usual manner by a pitman or rod to the knife bar.
The driver's seat and footboard are attached to the frame or other con-
venient part of the machine. The shoe on the inner end of the said
finger bar is rigidly secured to the drag bar. The latter is supended
on a lever, and is guided and turns in a slotted hanger, and by means
of the lever and drag bar the finger beam may be adjusted to raise or
depress the points of the guard fingers.
When the said machine is to be used in reaping a grain platform and
suitable raking apparatus are attached to the said main frame. The
finger beam and platform are connected to the main frame by a
curved extension bar or plate. The said bar or plate is bolted or other-
wise rigidly attached to the inner shoe and finger bar, and is connected
to the said main frame by two hinges or joints; this device allows the
main frame to lie in a horizontal position, or nearly so, when elevated
above the finger beam.
A slotted bracket is attached to the main frame for holding the rear
end of the tongue, which is pivotted to the front corner of the main
frame. The said bracket is provided with a series of holes, and a pin
or bolt is passed through either of these holes as desired. By means of
the said pin and holes the platform when the main frame is tilted on
its pivot may be adjusted and held at any desired height.
A standard for supporting the rake is rigidly secured by bolts or
otherwise to the platform and finger beam. On the top of this standard
is mounted a cam, to this cam is attached a stud on which the rake
head is supported and revolves. Through the lower end of this stud is

page_text: passed a fixed pin or journal, on which a bevil pinion is fitted to turn
freely. This pinion has ears or lugs, between which is fitted a block
pivotted to the said cars, and also pivotted to the rear end of an
extensible shaft, thus forming a universal joint. This shaft consists of
an outer tubular part and an inner part fitted to slide within the said
outer part. This outer part may be formed of cast malleable iron, with
longitudinal grooves or channels at the sides, or it may be a tube with
longitudinal slots. In these grooves or slots slide feathers projecting
from the inner part of the said shaft. The tubular part of the shaft has
at its forward end cars or lugs, to which is pivotted a block which is
fitted and pivotted between lugs on a bevil pinion, thus forming a
universal joint similar to the one at the rear end of the said shaft, the
latter is geared into another pinion fixed on the main shaft. This
pinion is fitted to turn freely on a stud projecting from a collar which
is fitted loosely on the said main shaft. This collar is provided with a
lug or projection, to which is attached one end of a bar or rod. The
said bar extends to the rake standard or other convenient portion of the
machine, and serves to keep the said collar in its proper position while
allowing the main shaft to turn freely in it. The purpose of this
extensible shaft and its connections is to allow the platform and cutting
apparatus to be raised and lowered and adjusted into any required
position with regard to the surface over which it is travelling.
The said machine, constructed as above described, is adapted for the
automatic delivery of the grain without binding the same, but I
provide the said machine with an automatic binding apparatus, and an
important feature of this Invention is the employment in the said
automatic binding apparatus of cord or string for binding the sheaves
or gavels instead of metal wire, which has heretofore been used for this
purpose.
To render the said machine capable of delivering automatically the
grain bound in sheaves or bundles I further provide the same with the
following apparatus:-I combine with the platform of the said machine
a trough-shaped receiver constructed somewhat similar to that described
in the Specification deposited with my application for Letters Patent
the 16th day of Sepember, A.D. 1875, No. 3245. This receiver is
supported on a frame composed of two pieces of wood or other suitable
material hinged to the platform and to the main frame of the machine.
The said receiver frame is partly borne by a castor or roller which runs

page_text: on the ground. On the top of one piece of the said frame is bolted the
tube or sleeve which forms the bearing for the crank shaft, the outer
end of this shaft carries a chain wheel, from which passes a chain that
gears with the main shaft of the machine. To the rear of the frame is
bolted a piece that supports a swivelling eye, through which passes the
binder arm, that is to say, an arm which carrries the cord around the
sheaves to be bound, and to which is attached a pin whereon the rack
bar slides. The said rack bar gears with a pinion fixed on the end of
a tubular vertical shaft supported to move freely in bearings fixed on
the arm.
The lower end of the vertical shaft carries the cord twister,
which is cone shaped, or nearly so, and has a slot at its apex, wherein
is inserted the string or cord brought from a reel attached to the said
receiver. Inside the tubular shaft. is a hooked pivotted bar; this bar
has at its upper end a curved portion to act on a projection on the rack
bar, and its lower end is provided with a hook to hold the cord or string
during the operation of twisting the same to fasten it around the
sheaves. On the lower end of the said binder arm is a wheel supported
to turn freely on a stud attached to a bracket fixed on the said bar.
This wheel serves, in combination with a curved bar and knife, as a
string holder and cutter, and it receives an intermittent rotary motion
through a pawl on the vibrating bar, which is pivotted to the said bar
and is operated by a projection on the rack bar. The rack bar is
carried on the binder arm by a loop, which allows it to slide on the said
arm. The arm receives endwise motion from the crank, and the rack
bar moves with it until the end of the slot in the said bar strikes
the pin.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Samuel Johnston in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL 30
JOHNSTON, of Brockport, New York, United States of America, now
of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the 38
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and suc-

page_text: cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Johnston, Her special
licence, that I, the said Samuel Johnston, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Johnston, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
3 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 HARVESTING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Samuel Johnston, 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, 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 Samuel Johnston, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming a part of this Specification:
This Invention relates to harvesting machines, which may be used
for either reaping or mowing, and consists in the peculiar application to
a harvesting machine of automatic binding apparatus, and in various
other improvements as herein-after specified, whereby the efficiency of
these machines is greatly increased.

page_text: the main shaft or axle. A is the main frame; B, the tongue; C, C, are
the said bearings; D is the driving wheel; D', the main axle; E, an
internally toothed wheel; F, an adjustable pinion; G, a beviled gear
wheel; H, a lever for adjusting the said pinion; J, a sleeve, in which
the crank shaft is supported; K, a beviled pinion; L, the crank;
M, the knife bar; P, the inner shoe; Q, the finger beam or bar; R, the
drag bar. The other parts are herein-after described. The driving
wheel D turns loosely or independently on the said main shaft or
axle D', and carries on it the internally toothed wheel or ring E geared
with the pinion F, which is fitted on an intermediate bearer or counter-
shaft supported to turn freely in a sleeve attached to the main frame,
and whose other end has on it a bevil gear wheel G. The said
adjustable pinion is fitted to slide on a feather on the said shaft, and is
moved by the lever H to set the said pinion into and out of gear with
the driving wheel. The front end of the crank shaft sleeve J is secured
by the aid of a plate to the frame A. This end of the said crank shaft
has on it the bevil pinion K, which gears with the aforesaid bevil
wheel G. The crank L, which is on the rear end of the said shaft, is
connected in the usual manner by a pitman or rod L' to the knife bar M.
The driver's scat N and footboard are attached to the frame or other
convenient part of the machine in any suitable manner. The shoe P on
the inner end of the finger bar Q is rigidly secured to the drag bar R.
The latter is suspended on a lever T, and is guided and turns in a slotted
hanger U. By means of this lever and drag bar the finger beam Q
may be adjusted to raise or depress the points of the guard fingers.
When the said machine is to be used as a reaper a grain platform A'
and suitable raking apparatus are attached to it by bolting the main
beam A² of the said platform to the inner shoe P, and the divider B¹ to
the outer shoe Z. The beam A* extends inwardly beyond the shoe P,
and to its inner part is bolted the standard which supports the raking
apparatus. The finger beam and platform are connected to the main
frame by a curved extension bar or plate a. The said bar or plate is
bolted or otherwise rigidly attached to the inner shoe P and finger bar,
and is connected to the main frame A by two hinges or joints b. This
device allows the main frame to lie in a horizontal position, or nearly so,
when elevated above the finger beam Q.
A slotted bracket c is attached to the main frame for holding the
rear end of the tongue B, which is pivoted to the front corner of the

page_text: main frame as shewn at c', the said bracket is provided with a series of
holes, and a pin or bolt is passed through either of these holes and
through the tongue to hold the latter in any desired position in the
bracket c. By means of these holes the platform A', when the main
frame is tilted on its pivot c', may be adjusted to any desired height.
The standard d for supporting the rake is rigidly secured by bolts or
otherwise to the platform and finger beam. On the top of this standard
is mounted a cam e; to this cam is attached a stud, on which the rake
head is supported and revolves; through the lower end of this stud is
passed a pin or journal f¹, on which the bevil pinion g is fitted to turn
freely, the said pinion being geared with the pinion g³ on the rake head;
this pinion g has ears or lugs g', between which is fitted a block g³,
which is pivoted to the said cars, and is also pivoted at / to the rear end
of an extensible shaft i, thus forming a universal joint between the
machine and raking mechanism; this shaft i consists of an outer
tubular part and an inner part fitted to slide within the said outer
part. This outer part ♬ may be formed of cast malleable iron with
longitudinal grooves or channels at the sides, or it may be a tube with
longitudinal slots. In these grooves or slots slide feathers projecting
from the inner part of the said shaft; these feathers and grooves
prevent the turning of the inner part independently of the outer part of
said shaft.
The tubular part of the shaft i has at its forward ond ears or lugs
pivoted to a block ¹, which is fitted and pivoted between lugs on a
bevil pinion j, thus forming another universal joint similar to the joint
at the rear end of the said shaft. The pinion j is geared into another
pinion fixed on the main shaft D'. The pinion j is fitted to turn
freely on a stud projecting from a collar 1, which is fitted loosely on
the said main shaft. This collar is provided with a lug or projection *,
to which is attached one end of a bar or rod m. This bar m extends to
the rake standard d or other convenient portion of the machine, and
serves to keep the said collar in its proper position while allowing the
main shaft to turn freely in it. The purpose of this extensible shaft and
its connections is to allow the platform and cutting mechanism to be
raised and lowered and adjusted into any required position with regard
to the surface over which the machine is travelling.
The machine constructed as above described is adapted for the
automatic delivery of the grain without binding the same, but to render

page_text: the said machine capable of delivering automatically the grain bound
in sheaves or bundles I provide it with the automatic binding
apparatus, shewn in Figures 2 and 3, or with other suitable binding
apparatus, and an important feature of my Invention is the employment
of cord or string for binding the sheaves or gavels instead of metal wire
which has heretofore been used for this purpose.
In carrying into effect this part of my Invention I combine with the
platform A¹ of the said machine a trough-shaped receiver o constructed
somewhat in the same manner and connected with the said platform, as
described in the Specification of my former Letters Patent dated the
16th day of September, A.D., 1875, No. 3245. This receiver is sup-
ported on a frame composed of two bars or pieces of wood p, p', and is
hinged to its platform at o', o', and to the frame of the machine at o³.
The said frame is carried by a caster or roller at o³ which runs on the
ground. On the top of the bar or picce p is bolted a tube or sleeve q
which forms the bearing for a crank shaft q'; the outer end of this shaft
carries a chain wheel q³, around which passes a chain that passes around
and gears with another chain wheel on the main shaft D' of the
machine. To the rear of the bar or piece p is bolted a piece p³ for
supporting a swivelling eye p³ through which the binder arm passes,
and to which is attached a pin whereon the rack bar r³ slides, the said
bar having a long slot for this purpose. The rack bar r³ gears with a
pinions fixed on the end of a tubular vertical shaft & which is supported
to turn freely in bearings & fixed on the arm r. The lower end of the
shaft carries the twister which is cone shaped, or nearly so, and has
a slot at its apex 8' wherein is inserted the string or cord brought from
the reel which is attached to the said receiver, as shown at 8. Inside
the tubular shaft s¹ is a hooked bar t pivoted at t; this bar has at its
upper end a curved portion arranged to act on a projection »" on the
rack bar, and its lower end is provided with a hook to hold the cord
or string during the operation of twisting the same to fasten it around
the sheaves. On the lower end of the binder arm is a wheel u sup-
ported to turn freely on a stud u* attached to the bracket fixed on
the said bar, this wheel serves in combination with a curved bar u² and
knife u as a string holder and cutter. The wheel receives an inter-
mittent rotary motion by a pawl " on the vibrating bar u which is
pivoted at us to the bar r, and is operated by a projection on the rack
bar

page_text: As the machine advances over the ground motion is communicated to
the gathering and discharging rakes v by the above described extensible
shaft and gearing. At every revolution one of these rakes sweeps the
grain from the platform A' into the receiver o. The binder arm r and
rakes are so geared in relation to each other that at the time the grain
falls into the receiver the said binder arm will have reached the extent
of its stroke at the rear of said receiver, the cord or string being
attached to the holding wheel u will then lie at the bottom of the said
receiver and under the sheaf therein; the arm r is then carried upward
and forward by the movement of the crank q*, and then downward to
the front end of said receiver; thus passing the cord around the sheaf.
As the arm continues its backward movement the end of the cord which
is attached to the holder wheel and the portion of said cord lying
under the sheaf are by these devices brought together within the slit in
the twister 8³; the pin on the swivelling cyc p³ then strikes the
end of the slot in the rack bar. This rack bar is carried on the
binder arm by a loop which allows it to slide on the said arm. Tho
arm receives endwise motion from the crank q* and the rack bar
moves with it until the end of the slot in the said bar strikes the pin »¹;
then the rack bar stops the binder arm continuing its motion, moves the
pinion along the rack bar, thereby causing the rotation of said pinion,
as above described, and giving the required motion to the twister 8³.
The revolution of this twister doubles the cord around, and the twister
by reason of its conical shape throws the cord from it and twists the
two parts of the cord together. After a sufficient number of the twister's
revolutions the block strikes the bar u', causing the holder wheel u
to revolve and act in combination with the knife to sever the cord, and
also holds the end of the cord ready for the next sheaf. The twister
continues revolving until the projection on the bar comes opposite
the hooked rod t, and then the hook is thrown back to release the cord
ready for the next operation.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of

page_text: Second. The extensible shaft geared in combination with the main or
driving shaft and with the gathering and discharging rakes, and con-
nected with the same by universal joints, as herein set forth and for the
purpose specified.
carrying the 5
Third. The collar on the main shaft with its stud
pinion j connected with the extensible shaft i by universal joints or
combined with other suitable rake driving mechanism, and connected
by the bar or rod mu to the rake standard or other convenient part of
the machine, as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The binding, twisting, and cutting off mechanism whereby 1
the sheafs are automatically bound and tied with cord or string, con-
structed as shewn in Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawings, and operating as
set forth.
Fifth. The binding, twisting, and cutting off mechanism illustrated in
Figures 2 and 3, arranged and operating in combination with the said 1
receiver, as above described and for the purpose specified.
Sixth. The automatic binding of the sheaves or gavels with cord or
string in combination with the discharging rakes and receiver or suitably
constructed platform.
Seventh. The combination of the mechanism or apparatus shewn in 2
Figures 2 and 3 with the rakes, the rake driving mechanism, and other
essential parts of the machine shown in Figure 1 as above set forth and
for the purpose specified.
In witness whercof, I, the said Samuel Johnston, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in 2
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.