Improvements in Machines for Raking, Brushing, or Scraping the Ground.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Raking, Brushing, or Scraping
the Ground.
I, JAMES HENRY DUGDALE, of Rowney Abbey, Ware, Farmer, 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
-tatement :-
This my invention relates to improvements in hay rakes and other similar
appliances used either for raking, hoeing, scraping, or sweeping, and has for its
object the provision of a machine or apparatus that as nearly as possible shall
imitate the action of a rake when used by hand to rake into small or large rows in
a field, or in like manner the action of a hoe or scraping by hand, or, when the
motion is reversed, the action of a broom or brush as when used by the hand.
This invention consists in providing one or more rakes each of which are capable
of being freely suspended either directly from the end of a crank, or from a lever
connected with the crank, which crank revolves by means of gearing actuated by
the wheels which carry the apparatus or machine.
The shaft or handle carrying the rake is controlled in its motion either by
resting it on a pin or projection, fixed at a point below the centre of the crank,
upon which the rake handle slides reciprocally, or by reans of a chain or similar
appliance connected with the crank either directly or to a lever connected with it,
working in slides, in the manner to be hereinafter described, the path of the motion
thus described by the rake being elliptical or thereabouts.
The rake makes its raking stroke when hanging freely from the crank, or
connected levers, and after drawing the material in, the crank in its motion causes
the rake to rise and return on the elliptical path aforesaid for another raking
stroke.
The rakes are placed preferably so that their motion is at right angles or there-
abouts to the motion or travel of the machine, and sets of rakes can be arranged to
work behind one another simultaneously.
By an arrangement for shifting the position of the pin or projection and the
length of the rake handle, or by altering the adjustment of the connecting lever
and slide, the stroke ef each rake can be varied so that the hay or other material
may be pulled into larger or smaller rows as desired.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will describe the same
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 represents a plan of the hay rake having three separate rakes.
Fig. 2 is a back elevation, adapted to the plan herein before mentioned whereby
the rake handle rests on a pin or projection. Fig. 3 is a side elevation in like
manner.
Fig. 4 is a diagram of the pin arrangement, shewing the path of one of the
rakes.
Fig. 5 shows a modification of this invention, wherein the pin is substituted by a
vertical oscillating lever, having a slot, in which revolves the crank pin, the raku
handle being attached to the lower end of the lever, and connected to the crank by
chain or similar means of connection.
Fig. 6 represents a further modification, wherein the crank pin actuates the
ertical oscillating lever by means of a connecting rod, the chain in this case being
ttached to the connecting rod.

page_text: Fig. 7 represents a further modification also, in which the vertical oscillating
lever is dispensed with, and a horizontal slide is used, for transmitting the rotary
motion of the crank to the reciprocating motion of the rake, which is further
controlled by the chain attached to the rake handle and the connecting rod.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the same letters refer to the same parts in the several views,
a a a being the rakes suspended freely from the end of the cranks bbb respectively,
these cranks being worked by gearing actuated by one or both of the road
wheels cc. Pins ddd (with or without rollers) are fixed below the centre of the
cranks in a suitable position to give the desired path of travel to the rake head.
The rake shafts or handles rest on these pins, when the rakes are not on the
ground, and slide reciprocally as will be seen on reference to the diagram in Fig. 4,
the rake heads resting on the ground whilst collecting the hay or other material.
The road wheel c has a loose spur wheel e on its nave, on one side of which are
ratchet teeth f engaging with ratchet teeth cast on the nave of the road wheel c,
and so formed that when going forward the road wheel drives the spur wheel but
on backing, it cannot drive the spur wheel, a spring g on the other side of the
spur wheel keeping the ratchets in gear. A striking out arrangement can also be
fitted to be worked from the seat, for throwing the wheel e out of gear when
travelling on the road, or turning at the end of a field or journey. In Fig. 1 the
fiont crank is shown as being driven by spur and bevil wheel gearing, and the
other two cranks are driven from the front one by chain gearing, but all or any of
the cranks can either be driven by chain, rope or teeth gearing.
The paths of the rake heads may be modified and adjusted by altering the
positions of the pins ddd, or by using a cam path to guide the upper end of the
rake shaft or handle.
This machine may, when fitted with scrapers, hoes, brushes, or squeegees, instead
of rakes, be used for other purposes besides hay raking.
In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are shewn alternative plans whereby the aforesaid pins are
dispensed with, and the action of the rake is controlled by means of a chain, rope,
link, or other similar appliance. Fig. 5 represents an arrangement in which the
vertical oscillating lever is suspended from a point above the crank at j, and has
in it a slot k, in which works the crank pin of the crank b. The rake shaft or
handle of the rake a hangs freely from the lower end of the oscillating lever h,
but is connected to the crank pin by the chain m. The motion of the rake during
the revolution of the crank pin is shewn by the dotted lines.
Fig. 6 represents a modification of the arrangement shewn in Fig. 5, wherein
the oscillating lever h is actuated by a connecting rod n, worked by the crank 6 in
place of the slot as shown in Fig. 5, the chain m being attached to the connecting
rod. Fig. 7 shows another arrangement in which the connecting rod a slides at its
outer end along the slide bai o, the rake handle in this arrangement hanging freely
from the centre p of the connecting rod end, and the chain is attached to the rake
handle and connecting rod respectively. I do not however confine myself to these
details, the object of my invention being to provide a rake that shall work freely
on the ground during its raking stroke, but which shall be automatically raised
during the return stroke in the same manner as when a rake is used by the hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A machine for raking hay and other similar material, having a rake driven
by a crank at its upper end, and working transversely to the line of draught of the
machine, the said rake being suspended from the crank at one end of the rake shaft
or handle, the head of the rake at the other end of the handle resting freely on
the ground while raking but being raised after having made its raking stroke by
the crank in conjunction with a fixed pin on which the rake shaft or handle rests,
substantially as herein set forth and described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: 2. A machine for raking hay or other similar material, having a rake driven by
a crank, actuating either directly or by means of a connecting rod a vertical
oscillating lever pivotted at its upper end to a point above the path of the crank,
said rake being suspended from said oscillating lever at one end of the rake shaft
or handle, the head of the rake at the other end of the handle resting freely on
the ground while raking, but being raised from the ground after having made its
raking stroke, by means of a chain attached to said rake handle and the said crank,
substantially as herein set forth and described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
3. A machine for raking hay or other similar material, having a rake actuated
by a crank and connecting rod the outer end of said connecting rod working
reciprocally on a slide bar, and having pivotted to it one end of the rake handle
or shaft, the head of the rake at the other end of the handle resting freely on the
ground while raking, but being raised from the ground after having made its
raking stroke, by means of a chain attached to said rake handle and connecting
rod, substantially as herein set forth and described and illustrated by the accom-
panying drawings.
4. A. machine provided with two or more rakes each resting freely on the ground
during raking stroke, by either or any of the methods hereinbefore described, said
rakes working preferably in a transverse direction to the line of draught or travel
of the machine, substantially as herein set forth and described and illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
5. A machine as herein before described, but fitted with hoes, scrapers, brushes,
or squeegees, instead of rakes, and which may be driven in the same direction as the
rakes, or in the contrary direction (as when used for brushes or squeegees) to push
instead of to draw the rubbish or other material, substantially as herein set forth
and described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
6. The application of this invention to any form or kind of machine or apparatus,
used for the purpose of raking, hoeing, scraping, or brushing, said rakes, hoes,
scrapere, brushes, squeegees or other appliances resting freely on the ground
or other surface during the operation of drawing or pushing the material, but
being automatically raised for the return stroke, substantially as herein set forth
and described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of July 1895.
REGINALD W. BARKER,
Monument Chambers, London, E.C., Applicant's Agent.