IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING AND COLLECTING HAY AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Newzam Nicholson and William Mather, both
of Newark-upon-Trent, in the County of Nottingham, Agricultural Engineers,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING AND
COLLECTING HAY AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Newzam Nicholson
and William Mather at the Oflice of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th
February 1880. .
WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATBER, both of Newark upon
Trent, in the County of Nottingham, Agricultural Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR MAKING AND COLLECTING HAY AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES."
The first part of our Invention has for its object improvements in what are
commonly called "self acting horse rakes," and for which Letters Patent were
granted to William Newzam Nicholson, on July 12th 1872, No. 2104. We mount
the carrying wheels in the usual manner upon the main axle of the rake, these
wheels being provided with ratchets on the inner side of the naves. A continuous
pawl bar is carried in bearings across the frame of the rake, which pawl bar has
upon its outer ends the pawls. These pawls are not fast upon the bar, but are
capable of partial revolution thereon, so that either pawl may override its ratchet
wheel without raising the opposite one out of gear. The movement of the pawls
round the bar is limited by stops, so that when the bar is in its normal position
both pawls are out of gear, and are so held by a spring attached to a short arm on
the bar. For putting the pawls into gear with their ratchet wheels when it is
required to lift the rake, we pivot a lever on the main lifting arm of the rocking
frame. This lever has two projections formed upon it, the lower one bearing upon
a short arm attached to the pawl bar, whilst the upper one projects so as to receive
a small amount of motion from the locking links when they are depressed to
unlock the rake, so that the pawl bar is then partially rotated, and the pawls
allowed to fall into gear with the ratchets, and so lift the rake by the onward
progress of the horse. The pawls are disengaged from the ratchets at the required
point by cams fixed on the main axle, and are returned and held in their normal
position by the spring on the pawl bar, the teeth falling and resuming their proper
position for raking.

page_text: The second part of our Invention is an improved method of attaching the ratchet
wheels to the carrying wheels of " self-acting rakes," and consists in mounting
such ratchets loosely on the naves of the carrying wheels, and providing them
with internal ratchets, into which pawls pivotted on the nave engage, so that the
forward motion only of the carrying wheels can be communicated to the ratchet
wheels.
The third part of our Invention is for an improved form of stripper, by which
the tendency of the hay to jam between the stripper bar and the wheels is avoided.
Instead of forming the stripper bar in the shape of a square cornered bow, and
attaching it to the axle or frame of the rake near to the wheels as has usually
been done, we use a straight bar, and attach it to a prolongation of the draught
arms or their equivalents. To this straight bar is attached the strippers which do
not run through to the axle in the ordinary way, but are made in the form
of loops, by preference, rigidly fastened to the stripper bar by their outer ends.
The fourth part of our Invention is for improvements in the construction of
horse rakes, whereby the friction of the teeth in their partial rotation round the
axle in the process of lifting is avoided. To effect this we make the fruine that
carries the tooth bar fast to the axle, and in lifting the axle itself is rotated by
means of suitable leverage appliances, carrying the frame and tooth-bar with it.
Thus all sliding or friction of the teeth upon the axle is avoided.
The fifth part of our Invention is for improvements in hay-making inachines,
and consists in a method of constructing and fixing screens or guards that are used
to prevent the hay accumulating on the machines in such a manner that they can
be adjusted to suit the condition of the hay, and the state of the wind whilst
working, and also to protect the working parts of the machine from rain when out
of use.
We make this screen or guard by preference in the form of a hood.
Attached to this hood are radius bars, which bars are pivotted to the frame of tho
machine, in such a way that the hood can be raised or lowered and fixed in the
desired place in any convenient manner. In some cases wo make the hood
collapsible as the hood of a carriage, or in segments arranged so that one will slip
behind the other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent_filed
by the said William Newzam Nicholson and William Mather in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th August 1880.
WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATHER, both of Newark upon
Trent, in the County of Nottinghamn, Agricultural Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR MAKING AND COLLECTING HAY AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES."
Figures 1, 2, and 3, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings illustrate the first
part of our Invention for improvements in self acting horse rakes. Upon the
main axle A of the rake we mount the carrying wheels B in the usual inauner,
these wheels being provided with ratchets C on the inner side of the naves.
A continuous pawl bar 1) is carried in bearings across the frame of the rake, which
pawl bar has upon its outer ends the pawls E. The pawls, which are shown in
detail and detached in Figures 2 and 3, are not made fast upon the bar D, but
are capable of partial revolution thereon, so that either pawl may over ride its
ratchet wheel without raising the opposite one out of gear.
The movement of the pawls E round the bar D is limited by stops F, so that
when the bar is in its normal position both pawls E are out of gear with their
respective ratchet wheels, and are so held by a spring G attached to a short arm on
the bar D. For putting the pawls into gear, we pivot a lever H on the main
lifting arm I of the rocking frame. This lever has two projections formed upon it,
the lower one bearing upon a short arm K attached to the pawl bar D, whilst the
upper one projects so as to receive a small amount of motion from the locking
links L when they are depressed to unlock the rake, so that the pawl bar D is
partially rotated, and the pawls E allowed to fall into gear with the ratchet C, as
shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and so lift the rake by the onward progress of
the horse. The pawls are disengaged from their ratchets at the required point by
cams M fixed on the main axle, and are retained and held in their normal position
by the springs G acting on the pawl bar D, the teeth of the rake falling and
resuming their proper position for raking.
The second part of our Invention is for an improved method of attaching the
ratchet wheels to the carrying wheels of self acting horse rakes, and is illustrated
by Figure 4.
It consists in mounting such ratchet wheel C loosely on the naves D of the
carrying wheels, and providing them with internal ratchets C, into which pawl E
pivotted on the naves D of the carrying wheels engage, so that the forward
notion only of the carrying wheels can be communicated to the ratchet wheels C.
The third part of our Invention is for an improved form of strippers by which
the tendency of the hay to jam between the stripper bar and the wheels is avoided,
and is illustrated in Figure 1.
Instead of forming the stripper bar in the shape of a square cornered bow, and
attaching it to the axle or frame of the rake near to the wheels as has been usually
done, we use a straight bar N, and attach it to a prolongation O of the draught
arms or their equivalent. To this straight bar N is attached the strippers P which
do not run through to the axle in the ordinary manner, but are made in the
form of loops, by preference, and rigidly fastened to the bar N by their outer
ends.
The fourth part of our Invention is for improvement in the construction of
horse rakes, whereby the friction of the teeth in their partial rotation round the
axle in the process of lifting is avoided. In our Provisional Specification we havo
described certain improvements to effect this, viz., "we make the frame that
carries the tooth bar fast to the axle, and in lifting, the axle itself is rotated by
means of suitable leverage appliances carrying the frame and tooth bar with it."

page_text: Since filing our said Provisional Specification, we find that the said parts are not
new, and we therefore make no claim to them.
The fifth part of our Invention is for improvement in hay making machines,
and consists in a method of constructing and fixing screens or guards that aro
used to prevent the hay accumulating in the machine, in such a manner that they
enn be adjusted to suit the condition of the hay and the state of the wind whilst
working, and also to protect the working parts of the machine from rain when out
of use; it is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. We make the screen or guard by
preference in the form of a hood; attached to this hood are radius bars B and B₁,
which are pivotted to the frame of the machine at band b¹ in such a manner that
the hood can be raised or lowered and fixed at any required height, or placed over
the top of the machine, as shown in dotted lines.
Figure 6 shows a method of making this hood in segments, so arranged that one
will slip behind the other, so that its size and position can be altered at pleasure.
Another method of effecting the same object consists in making the hood collapsable
like the hood of a carriage.
Having now described and ascertained our Invention, we would have it
understood that we do not confine or limit ourselves to the precise formes or details
represented, so long as the distinguishing features of our Invention are maintained,
what we claim and wish to protect by Letters Patent are,―
First. The method of constructing self acting horse rakes, substantially as
described in the first part of our Invention and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Second. The method of mounting ratchets wheels on the carrying wheels of self
acting horse rakes, substantially as described in the second part of our Invention
and illustrated in Figure 4.
Third. The construction and method of attaching the stripper bars to horse rakes,
substantially as described in the first part of our Invention and illustrated in
Figure 1.
Fourth. The methods of constructing screens or guards, and attaching the same
to hay making machines, substantially as described in the fifth part of our
Invention and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.
In witness whereof, wc, the said William Newzam Nicholson and William
Mather, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fifth day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
NICHOLSON