AN IMPROVEMENT IN HAY-MAKING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Beare, of Newton Abbot, in the County of Devon,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN HAY-MAKING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Beare at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd May 1876.
HENRY BEARE, of Newton Abbot, in the County of Devon. "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN HAY-MAKING MACHINES."
My Invention relates to an improvement in the machine for which I obtained
Letters Patent, dated September 2nd 1872, No. 2608, and consists in dispensing
with the hanging brackets and all other supports at the ends of the cylinder shaft,
and supporting the said shaft by a central bearing only extending transversely on
either side of a central longitudinal main frame mounted on the axle of the carrying
wheels, the whole of the frame, together with the wheel axle and cylinder shaft,
being in the same plane. Motion is communicated to the cylinder shaft by a
bevel wheel keyed on the wheel axle and gearing with a bevel pinion keyed on
a central longitudinal shaft mounted in the main frame and gearing at the rear
end by means of bevel gear with the cylinder shaft. This gear may be arranged
to impart motion in one direction only, or both a forward and backward motion
as desired. The bevel gear is enclosed in a spherical casing at the junction of the
longitudinal frame and the transverse bearing, the said casing and bearing being
cast in two halves and bolted together. The cylinder shaft bearing does not extend
beyond the bosses which carry the heads of the cylinders, and the heads work
close up to the central longitudinal frame, which is cylindrical in cross section, so
that all possibility of clogging is avoided. The tines are raised from the ground
when required to avoid any obstacle by means of a hand lever connected to the
main frame which is free to oscillate on the wheel axle, and another hand lever
connected to the longitudinal shaft serves to throw the cylinders out of gear when
desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Beare in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd November
1876.
HENRY BEARE, of Newton Abbot, in the County of Devon. "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN HAY-MAKING MACHINES."
My Invention relates to an improvement in the machine for which I obtained
Letters Patent, dated September 2nd 1872, No. 2608, and consists in dispensing
with the hanging brackets and all other supports at the ends of the tine cylinder
shaft and supporting the said shaft by a central bearing only extending transversely
on either side of a central longitudinal main frame mounted on the axle of the
carrying wheels, the whole of the frame, together with the wheel axle and cylinder
shaft, being in the same plane. Motion is communicated to the cylinder shaft from
the wheel axle by bevel gear and a central longitudinal shaft mounted in the
main frame and gearing at the rear end with the cylinder shaft. The gear may
be arranged to impart either a forward or backward motion if desired. The gear
is enclosed in a spherical casing at the junction of the longitudinal frame and the
transverse bearing, the said casing and bearing being cast in two halves and
bolted together. The cylinder shaft bearing does not extend beyond the bosses
which carry the heads of the cylinders, and the heads work close up to the central
longitudinal frame which is cylindrical in cross section, so that all possibility of
clogging is avoided. The tines are raised from the ground when required to avoid
any obstacle by oscillating the main frame on the wheel axle, which is effected by
a hand lever, another lever connected to the longitudinal shaft serving to throw
the cylinders out of gear when desired.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a side elevation of the improved hay-making
machine, the nearest wheel being removed in the latter Figure to show the parts
more clearly.
A are the heads of tines composing the cylinder carried by bosses B fixed on the
shaft C. The cylinder is divided at the middle of its length into two halves to
admit of driving the shaft C by bevel gear at the centro as usual. The shaft C is
supported by the middle portion only by a tubular bearing D extending between
the bosses B, and carried by a central main frame E. The ends of the shaft C are
thus left free, so that the tine cylinder can be extended any distance desired beyond
the width of the carrying wheels F of the machine. The main frame is made of
the form shown, and has tubular bearings G by which it is mounted on the axle H
of the carrying wheels F. The shaft bearing D is united to the main frame E by
a spherical box I to contain the gear, as herein-after described. The box I and
bearing D are divided horizontally into two halves bolted together, as shown
clearly in Figure 3, for convenience in fitting the gear. The lower half may be
cast with the main frame E, and the top half cast separately. The wheel axle H
turns with the wheels F, which are provided with clutch boxes connecting them
to the axle as usual to permit of the machine being turned. K is a large bevel
gear wheel keyed on axle H and received in an opening in the frame E. L is a
bevel pinion gearing with wheel K and mounted on a longitudinal intermediate
shaft M carried in a tubular bearing formed in the frame E. At the other
extremity of the shaft M there is a mitre wheel N in gear with another mitre
wheel O keyed on the cylinder shaft C, both these wheels being enclosed within
the box I so that they cannot possibly become clogged. The pinion L is connected
with the shaft M by a clutch operated by a clutch lever P to throw the tines in
and out of gear. By placing the wheel O on the other side of wheel N the
notion of the tine cylinder may be reversed. R is a hanger or shoe bolted
adjustably to the central frame É at the rear to take the weight of the frame
and cylinder when crossing deep gutters or other hollows in the ground. The

page_text: frame E is inclined downwards towards the rear to suit the diameter of the tine
cylinder, and it is free to be oscillated on the axle H to regulate the height at
which the tines work or to enable them to be raised altogether to avoid an
obstacle, which is effected by means of a cranked hand lever S pivoted to an
upright T fixed to the shaft, the short arm of the lever being connected by a link U
with an upwardly curved forward extension E¹ of the frame E. The extremity of
this extension takes under a pin or stop fixed in one of a series of holes in the
upright T to regulate the height of working of the tines.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is-
1st. Supporting the tine cylinder shaft C by a central bearing only, extending
between the bosses which carry the tino heads, as described.
2nd. The bearing D constructed with the spherical box I to contain the gear
and connect the bearing with the main frame E, as shown and described.
3rd. The combined frame E, box I, and bearing D arranged in the same plane
and constructed as described to carry the tine cylinder and the central gearing for
driving it, as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Beare, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
H. BEARE. (L.S.)