Improvements in Grain Binding Harvesters.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grain Binding Harvesters.
I, GEORGE GATTON MELHUISH Hardingham, of 191, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication to me from Cyrus H. McCormick, of Chicago,
in the County of Cook, State of Illinois, one of the United States of America,)
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
.
The usual mode of handling grain in self-binding harvesters is to cut the stalk as
the machine is advanced upon it, and by suitable mechanism to cause the stalk to
be thrown upon an endless horizontal apron that travels on the cutting platform.
This apron as it advances delivers the grain to elevating devices which carry it over
the wheel and deliver it to the self-binding attachment, which encircles suitably
sized parcels of the grain with a band, and discharges the bound bundles from the
machine. It is desirable in machines of this type that the mass or stream of grain
be lifted as little as possible in order to get it over the wheel, and to allow it to
flow into the binding attachment. It is evident that the height to which the grain
is lifted could be lessened by decreasing the height of the main or driving wheel
over which the grain is carried. This, however, is not desirable, as in the rough
ground of the grain field a small wheel makes the machine of heavier draft and
less easy to handle.
Another difficulty resulting from the use of a low wheel and elevators of the
usual type is that the lower or delivery end of the binding attachment, in order to
give it the pitch necessary to ensure the grain sliding into it, is so near the ground
that the bundles in long and tangled grain are ejected with difficulty, the fall not
being sufficient to effect a separation of the grain stalks. This difficulty is greatly
increased when the bundle-carrying attachment (a device for receiving the bundles
from the binder and grouping them into convenient piles for shocking) is added to
the machine. In order to afford the binding attachment the pitch necessary to
ensure the free flow of the grain down its slanting deck or receiving board, it has
been usual to carry the delivery end of the elevators to such a height that they
extend over the face of the main wheel, and thus, with the binder deck extended to
meet them, form a cover to the wheel, resembling a roof with considerable_pitch.
In a certain type of machine heretofore made, the main wheel was placed at a
considerable distance from the inner edge of the cutting platform, so as to give the
elevators but little pitch, and thereby cause them to shoot the grain into the binding
attachment. This construction has been found unsatisfactory, as it widened the
whole machine, so that it was inconvenient for passing through gates and over
bridges, and also in opening the first swath of the field.
The objects of the present invention are to retain the main wheel at its usual
height, to decrease the height of the elevator, and still retain the delivery end of
the binding attachment at a sufficient height to enable a separation of the grain
when the bundles are delivered to the bundle-carrying attachment; to keep the
machine at its usual width; to increase the capacity of the elevator, so that it will
freely handle grain of any size and weight; and further to so form the elevator at
its delivery end that it will shoot the grain across the face of the main wheel, and
into position to be acted upon by the devices on the binding attachment, even
though the upper end of the elevator should not extend outward beyond the inner
edge of the main wheel, and the grain receiving platform of the binder be much
less steep than has heretofore been found necessary.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a rear view of so much of a grain binding harvester as is n:cessary to
illustrate the present invention.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, showing parts of the cutting platform, and of
the binding attachment, and the intermediate mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the improved elevator, the cutting platform being
shewn in section.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the elevator.
In Figs. 5 and 6 is represented a feathering star wheel placed at the delivery end
of the lower elevator apron, for the purpose of assisting the grain into the binding
mechanism.
The cutting platform A, and the main framework B, are similar to those
illustrated in the Specifications to Letters Patent Nos. 1507 and 1711, A.D. 1890,
granted to me. Cis the main or driving wheel; the machine being supported on
the axle C¹, and adjusted in the bridles C, in order to vary the height of cut in
any of the usual ways well known for this class of machines. The driving wheel C,
furnishes the power to operate the different devices upon the machine. The outer
end of the platform A, is of the usual construction and is supported in the
usual manner. Erected on the platform frame A, and the main framing B,
of the machine, is the superstructure that supports the elevators and other
parts to which the present invention has reference. From the platform A,
is extended diagonally upward a metal post or frame piece D, aud when to a
sufficient height for the adjustment of the platform and frame on the main wheel,
its direction is changed to nearly a horizontal one, and when to the outer side of
the main wheel, is carried downward and attached to the frame B. To this rear
frame piece D, is fastened the rear sheet metal side E, of the lower elevator, the
bottom end of which is fastened to the rear sill of the platform A. The side E, is
of the shape shown in the drawings and projects only far enough above and below
the path of the canvas F, to furnish a guide therefor. A metal frame post G,
similar to D, is located on the front of the machine. Its lower inside end, however,
rises from the foundation frame B, instead of from the platform A. This frame
post, assisted by the frame post H, and the horizontal brace bar I, furnishes a
support for the front sheet metal elevator guide J, the reel supporting frame K,
and the adjuster driving gear L. These vertical front and rear frames D. and G,
are bound together by cross ties, D', G², G³, and braced by suitable rods from the
foundation frame B, as, for example, the rod G³. The square metal pipe or
supporting bar O, which is rigidly attached at one end to the rear sill of the
platform A, rises therefrom and curves rearwardly, upwardly and inwardly, and
then extends nearly horizontally across the machine, and is attached at its front
end to the reel supporting post O' attached to the brace bar I, and to the front J
of the elevator. This bar, acts as a brace and support to the whole elevating
superstructure. The curving of this brace rearwardly allows very long grain to
pass up the elevator without the heads encountering any obstruction, even though
The stalk may be longer than the width of the elevator. The bar O also serves as
a support for the seat of the operator and for the reel controlling levers M, M',
thus placing the driver in a convenient position for overlooking the whole machine.
It will be noticed that the upper apron P of the elevator with its frame and rollers,
is formed of such a width as to allow room for the attachment of these parts to the
bar O. The bar O also serves as the sole rear support of the upper apron P of the
elevator with its frame, thus leaving the grain, if long, free to extend rearwardly
on the apron F, and beyond it if necessary. The width of the apron P can be
varied, but the better width is one that will, in the great majority of cases, allow
the apron to carry up the grain by pressing upon the butts of the stalk and not
upon the head; the latter tending to thresh the grain if too ripe. It will be
noticed that the bar O is at O' slightly curved downward, and that it passes beneath
the upper face of the apron P. The rearward loop of the bar O is thus made of
sufficient size to permit great masses of grain passing up the elevator without being
impeded, while its forward end being covered by the apron P, the grain as cut will
have nothing to hang upon as it falls back except the apron P, which will, in its
travel, tend to carry it downward upon the apron F, and then upward to the binding

page_text: mechanism. The front part of the framework for the apron P, is attached to the
front J of the elevator and consists of the upward guide p, which, with the front J,
forms a bearing for the forward end of the roller P, which is driven by the roller Q'
The lower roller or drum P' is flexibly mounted on hangers R, the support for which
at both front and rear is a block R', rigidly fastened to the supporting bar O. The
bearing for the roller P slides freely upon the down hanger R, and is pressed
against a cotter in the lower end of the down hanger by springs R², thus giving a
flexible tautness to the apron P. It will be noticed that the upward movement of
the down hangers R is limited by a stop on the blocks R', so that they cannot rise
to the plane of the upper side of the apron P. The apron, when drawn tight, tends
to keep the drum P, always in its lowernost position, which position is determined
by stops on the blocks R'. When there is a heavy stand of grain, or a large mass
upon the platform apron is presented to the elevator, the drum or roller P will be
lifted and the mass allowed to move up the elevator. The apron guide p, forming
the front of the frame for the apron P, and the guide p', which is also bolted to the
curved bar and forms the rear bearing for the roller P', are cut away so that a
large mass of grain will lift the apron P, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and
thus find room for itself while being moved up the elevator; the springs R³ at the
same time yielding and allowing the mass, however heavy, to be taken up.
The construction of the frame for the lower elevator apron F, together with the
position of the rollers and the form of the apron guides, are also essential features.
of the present invention. While the shortening of the elevator in itself would be
advantageous, nevertheless, as herein before stated, with the shorter elevator, the
grain would not be carried across the main wheel C, so as to be reached by the.
binding mechanism. In connection with the upper apron P and its frame,
the framework of the lower apron F has been specially constructed to accomodate
the grain, and to change the direction of its discharge at the upper end, so that it
will be shot over the wheel; its momentum towards the binding mechanism being
but slightly impeded by the deflector or cover S. To the rear side of the elevator E
is attached the guide E, and to the front side J, is attached the guide J'. These
guides, in conjunction with the sides of the elevator, furnish bearings for the
rollers Q, QQ; the latter being driven by means of suitable connections, from
the main wheel C. The guides E and J are hollowed out near their lower ends to
allow the apron F to yield for large masses of grain; but they rise until, at nearly
the upper third of their length, they are above the level the apron would reach
if only stretched over the rollers Q'Q. At this place, the roller Q' is inserted,
and so mounted as to be above the natural plane of the apron F. As the mass of
grain is moved up between the elevator aprons P and F, it is forced to rise over the
roller Q. The apron P is thus raised as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 4, and
the grain emerges from between the rollers P and Q at less obliquity to the grain
deflector S, and is carried across the nearly horizontal intervening space, over the
wheel C, to the devices upon the binder for grasping and moving it on. The
vibrating adjuster board T, fitted as it is with serrations or engaging teeth, tends to
trim and render even the butts of the flowing stream, as also to assist in moving the
grain onward into the reach of the binding devices. In Fig. 1 is shown a bar U of
a triangular description fastened to the cross girth G' and extending the full width
of the elevator. It is somewhat rounded on the side towards the elevator in order
that the grain may readily pass over; but on the side towards the binding attach-
ment, it is nearly perpendicular so as to prevent the grain sliding back on the
binder deck or receiving platform V, and being carried downward by the apron F.
In Figs. 5 and 6 is shewn a star wheel W, which is driven by the pinion P³, the
idle pinion P and the pinion P' mounted on the shaft carrying the roller Q'. This
star wheel W is partially encased in a shield W', and its arms are curved in a
backward direction as shewn, so as to leave the grain freely as the latter passes
over the shield. This method of carrying the grain towards the binder, and of
freeing it from the canvas F, so that it will not be carried back thereby may be
employed in place of the bar U hereinbefore referred to.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. In a grain-binding harvester, arranging the upper and lower canvas frames of
the elevator, their rollers and guides, substantially as herein described, whereby the
direction of flow of the stream of grain towards the discharge end of the elevator
becomes more nearly horizontal than that appertaining to the main pitch of the
elevator.
2. In a grain-binding harvester, an endless carrier elevator arranged substantially
as herein described and comprising the lower elevator apron carried on the upper
and lower rollers, a third roller intermediate between the two and located in a plane
above that of the top and bottom rollers, and a top endless apron whose guides are
cut away above the third roller.
3. In a grain-binding harvester, the combination, with the lower elevating
endless carrier of an elevator, of an overlying endless carrier revolving on rollers at
either end of the carrier frame, the lower roller being mounted in flexible bearings,
whereby the throat opening between the aprons is enlarged for masses of grain,
and being also mounted in spring-pressed bearings, so that the apron may yield to
change the direction in which the grain is discharged, substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
4. In a grain-binding harvester, the combination, with an elevator adapted to
change the direction of the flow of the stream of grain into the binding attachment,
of means to prevent the grain sliding back on the binding table and becoming
engaged by the elevator apron and drawn back on the return movement of the
apron, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
5. In a grain-binding harvester, the employment of a third roller, located in a
plane above that of the other two rollers in the lower frame of an endless carrier
elevator, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
6. In an endless carrier elevator for a self-binding harvester, supporting the upper
apron frame at its rear upon a rearwardly, upwardly curved, horizontal bar passing
between the plies of the apron, its lower roller being mounted in hangers, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein described.
7. In a grain binding harvester, the improved means for elevating and carrying
the grain to the binding devices, arranged and operating substantially as herein
described.
Dated this 5th day of September 1891.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM.