IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Worby, of Ipswich, in the County of
Suffolk, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 14th November 1862, and dated the 26th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Worby at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
May 1862.
I, WILLIAM WORBY, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to that class of reaping machines in which a
self-acting side delivery constitutes a principal feature, and have especial
reference to an Invention for which Letters Patent, bearing date the 1st day
of June, in the year of our Lord 1861, were granted to Robert Charles
Ransome, of Ipswich, and numbered 1379.
The object of these improvements is to enable the machine to be so con-
structed that the platform and cutting parts may be turned up, so as to allow
of the whole machine passing freely through an ordinary field gateway. This
plan has also another advantage, that when the platform and cutting parts are
turned down for use in the field, the joints upon which they move allow of
rise and fall according to the unevenness of the land, and thus relieve the
machine of undue strain..

page_text: The peculiarity of this Invention consists in the arranging the delivery
apparatus in such manner that the same may act in concert with the rise and
fall of the platform and the cutting mechanism. The rakes or rake-heads are
made to rise and fall as the platform rises or falls by means of suitable
mechanical connections between the platform and rakes or delivery apparatus,
so as to maintain their proper relative position with respect to the platform
surface, the rake arms having slots longitudinally to admit of the rake heads
which pass through them being governed by springs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Worby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WORBY, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Engineer, send greeting
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight.hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Worby, Her special licence that I, the said William Worby,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Worby, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, 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
REAPING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Worby, 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 William Worby, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
These improvements relate to that class of reaping machines in which a

page_text: self-acting side delivery constitutes a principal feature, and have especial
reference to an Invention for which Letters Patent, bearing date the 1st day
of June, in the year of our Lord 1861, were granted to Robert Charles
Ransome, of Ipswich, and No. 1379.
The object of these improvements is to enable the machine to be so con-
structed that the platform and cutting parts may be turned up so as to allow
of the whole machine passing freely through an ordinary field gateway. This
plan has also another advantage, that when the platform and cutting parts are
turned down for use in the field, the joints upon which they move allow of rise
and fall, according to the unevenness of the land, and thus relieve the machine
of undue strain. The rakes or rake-heads are made to rise and fall as the
platform rises or falls by means of suitable mechanical connections between
the platform and rakes or delivery apparatus, so as to maintain their relative
position with respect to the platform surface. The rake arms having slots.
longitudinally to admit of the rake-heads which pass through them being
governed by springs.
And in order that the manner of performing the Invention may be clearly
understood, I will proceed to describe the Drawings.
Figure 1 shews a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a back view of a.
reaping or mowing machine constructed according to the Invention; Figure 4
is also a back view, shewing the platform and cutting parts turned up so as to
allow of the whole machine passing freely through an ordinary field gateway;
Figure 5 shews the peculiarity of this Invention in arranging the delivering
apparatus in such manner that the same may act in concert with the rise and
fall of the platform and the cutting mechanism; Figure 6 shews the mode of
attaching the rake heads to the arms. In the different views the same letters
are used to indicate the same parts wherever they occur.
The general principle and construction of the machine shewn in the
Drawings being similar to that described in the before-mentioned Letters
Patent granted to Robert Charles Ransome, in the year of our Lord 1861,
and Nod. 1379, it will suffice to refer only to such parts as serve to illustrate
the nature of my present improvements.
The platform and cutting parts are fixed to a bracket a, which is hinged to
the frame of the machine, and has motion on the pin b. The platform and
cutting parts may thereby be turned up, as shewn in Figure 4, for travelling,
and are at liberty to accommodate themselves to the inequalities of the land
when in work. A lever c is attached to the bracket a in such manner that it
can be readily removed when the platform and cutting parts are to be turned
up for travelling. A second lever d having its centre of motion on a pin e

page_text: fixed to the frame of the machine, is connected by the link f with the lever c.
The cam ring g is hinged to the upright frame h, and has motion on the pins
i, i, (see Figure 1). A connecting rod-k is attached to the cam ring at 7 and to
the lever d at the point m, and has a swivel screw n for the purpose of
adjusting the tines of the rakes to a proper distance from the surface of the
platform. The rake heads o, instead of being rigidly fixed to the ȧrms p, have two
shanks q, which pass through slots in the arms p. A spiral spring r is inserted
between the shanks q inside the arms p, and is held in its position by a pin s;
t is a guard to give additional support to the long shank.
Having now described the nature of the Invention, and manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to the
mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise details so
long as the character of the Invention be retained; but what I claim as the
improvements in reaping machines, is,―
First, so constructing them that the platform and cutting parts may be
turned up so as to allow of the whole machine passing freely through an
ordinary field gateway, and when the platform and cutting parts are turned
down for use in the field, the joints upon which they move allow of rise and
fall according to the unevenness of the land.
And, secondly, causing a series of rakes, or other similar instruments, which
in their rotary action, by being brought in contact with a series of suitable cam
surfaces, are caused to act as an ordinary fly for laying the corn, and after-
wards removing it, when cut, at the sides of the platform in bundles, to act
in concert with the rise and fall of the platform and cutting parts by means
of suitable mechanical connections between the platform and rakes or delivery
apparatus, so as to maintain their proper relative position with respect to the
platform surface.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Worby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
JOHN FOREMAN,
of Ipswich,
(Accountant).
W. WORBY. (L.S.)