IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Anson Wood, of Hoosick Falls, and
State of New York, in the United States of America, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Anson Wood
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 31st December 1872, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
5 TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ANSON WOOD, of Hoosick Falls, and State of New York, in the United
States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING AND
REAPING MACHINES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the
true and first Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Anson Wood, do hereby

page_text: seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming
a part of this Specification, that is to say :—
My Invention of improvements in reaping and mowing machines 5
relates to means for raising the vibrating frame and the finger bar
connected with the said vibrating frame; for controlling the outer or
divider end of the finger bar; also to the manner of supporting the
driver's seat, whereby it is maintained in a uniformly horizontal position,
or substantially so, when the cutter frame is vibrated; and to means for 1
protecting the oil holes to the journal bearings from dust and dirt, and
consists :-
"
Firstly. In providing the "heel shank or pivot of the "shoe" to
which the "finger bar" is bolted with a sheave or segment rigidly
connected with the said shank or pivot, and connecting the said sheave 1
by means of a chain with either the lever or frame, or with both of them
(as herein-after described), in such manner that the chain may be made
to raise the outer end of the finger bar and also to act as a stop to limit
its downward movement when passing over dead furrows.
Secondly. In mounting the seat standard loosely on the axle and 2
connecting it by a link with the tongue or pole, or the tongue or pole
plate, in such a manner as to remove the weight of the driver from the
tongue or pole and at the same time to hold the seat in a uniformly
horizontal position independent of the movements of the tongue or pole
and vibrating frame.
And thirdly. In the employment of yielding and adjustable oil hole
covers over the journal bearings (substantially as herein-after described)
whereby the said bearings may be effectually protected from dust and
other obstructing matter.
2
But that my Invention may be fully understood I will proceed to 3
describe the same more in detail by aid of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: are detached views of parts of the same. In each of the views
similar letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts wherever
they occur.
A, A, represent the driving wheels; B, the axle; C, the metal main or
vibrating gear and cutter frame which is made rectangular or nearly so
in form, and provided at C' with sleeve bearings for the axle B, and at
C³, C³, with similar bearings for the counter or bevel wheel and crank
shaft, the latter extending longitudinally of the machine and being
provided at its forward end with a crank or crank wheel for driving the
cutters. The inner or grain side of the frame has pendant ears or lugs
c, c', formed upon it to which the inner shoe D through its rear
extension or shank D' is pivoted at d, d¹, in such manner as to be free
to rock or roll freely on its longitudinal axis.
The shoe D has the finger bar bolted to it in the usual manner and
the shank or shaft D¹ of said shoe is armed at its rear end with a
pulley or segmental shield D2 to which one end of the chain E is
connected for rocking the shoe, and raising or holding the outer end of
the cutting apparatus as herein-after explained; F is a pendant bracket
attached to the outer side of the frame C by means of an ear or lug f
and through bolt or other suitable means so that it may be readily
removed and substituted when desired by a shorter bracket F" (Figure 5);
the outer end of the chain E is connected to this bracket F (or F¹) and
when properly adjusted serves as a stop to limit the downward movement
of the outer or divider end of the cutting apparatus when passing over
dead furrows or other depressions in the ground; G is a lever plate to
which the lifting lever H is connected; this lever plate is mounted
loosely on the axle B by means of a sleeve G¹ and is provided with a
grooved segment G³ and at the opposite end of the sleeve G¹ with a
perforated cam lever arm G³ through which the chain E passes; by this
arrangement it will be seen that. the backward movement of the lever H
serves not only to take up the slack of the chain E, but also when desired
to rock or roll the shoe and thereby to raise the outer end of the cutting
apparatus for passing over obstructions or for transportation in a manner
that will be readily understood.
When preferred, the chain E instead of passing through cam arms G³,
and being connected with the bracket F, may be connected with the
I through the comment flot a and thus made to operate or look

page_text: the shoe in a manner similar to that above described. In this latter
arrangement the chain E passes from the segment, under a pulley I,.
underneath the inner side bar of the frame G. The lever H is held at any
required point of adjustment by means of a rack i on the frame, and a
pawl attached to the lever H, the pawl being released by a thumb
lever h¹ when desired. J is the tongue or pole, and J¹ is the tongue or
pole plate pivoted at ; to the frame G, at a point in front of the axle B,
and extending in the rear of the said pivot, is provided at its rear end
with lugs or ears j', in which is mounted a friction roller K in position
to be acted upon by the cam arm G³, which when operated by the
backward movement of the lever H serves to raise the rear end of the
tongue or pole, and therewith throughits pivotal connection j the forward
end of the frame C, vibrating the said frame or axle B and raising the
cutting apparatus.
The downward movement of the forward end of the frame G is limited
by means of a chain L connecting the frame with the tongue or pole,
and which may be set or adjusted as desired.
M is the seat support consisting of a sleeve M², through which it is.
mounted loosely on the axle B, and an upright socket piece to which the
spring seat standard N, N¹, and seat O are connected in any convenient
manner. The seat standard or socket M is connected by a link P with
the tongue or pole J at a point over or nearly over the pivotal con-
nection J of the pole plate J', with the frame G, the said link serving to
retain the seat support, and the seat mounted thereon in a suitable
position for the support of the driver. By this arrangement it will be
seen that the seat is disconnected from and rendered independent of the
movement of the vibrating frame, and also that the seat is made to
maintain the substantially uniform horizontal relations of the tongue or
pole without being supported thereby, thus relieving the neck yoke of
the team of the weight of the driver.
Figure 4 represents in section my improved oil hole cover, consisting
of the plate Q, conforming on its inner or lower face to the shape of the
box or bearing over which it is placed, and it is provided on its opposite
face with a cup or socket Q' in which is placed a spiral spring q,
surrounding the screw or bolt q' which fastens the cover to the box or
frame. The spring q is held in place by the head of the screw or bolt,
and scrves to hold the cover securely in place, but with a yielding

page_text: pressure which permits it to yield for the purpose of oiling the bearings
of the shaft. When it is desired to oil said bearings, a quarter turn,
more or less, is given to the plate Q, so as to uncover the oil holes o, o.
After the oil has been applied, the plate is returned to its former position,
and is then tightly held down by the spring q, and all access of dirt to
the bearings is effectually prevented.
In the practical operations of the machine embracing my improve-
ments above described where it is desired that the chain E shall act
simply as a gag or stiffener to the finger bar, or to give only a slight lift
to the outer end, I use the short bracket F¹ to which the chain passes
nearly horizontally across the frame of the machine, and consequently
whilst the said chain serves effectually to limit the downward movement
of the outer end of the cutting apparatus in the movement of the lever
as described, there is but slight deflection of the chain from a right line,
and therefore but a limited degree of elevation of the outer end of the
cutter apparatus; but when a greater elevation of the outer end of the
cutting apparatus is desirable for any cause the longer bracket F is
employed, thereby giving a greater deflection to the chain, or the chain
is connected directly with the lever segment G³, as described; and in
either case it may be so adjusted that the driver without leaving his seat
can raise the cutting apparatus from a horizontal or working position to
a vertical position for passing obstructions or for transportation, and in
this latter position the cutting apparatus may be retained by a spring
latch R.
In the operation of the lifting devices it will be seen that in the back-
ward movement of the lifting lever H as described, the first effect will be
the vibration of the main frame on the axle through the action of the
cam lever G³, on the rear extension of the tongue or pole, as explained,
thereby lifting the inner end of the cutting apparatus sufficiently to pass
ordinary obstructions. The lever G³ at the same time taking up the
slack in the chain E, and gagging the outer end of the finger bar.
After the vibration of the frame is effected as above, the form of the
cam G³ is such (as shown in Figures 1 and 3) as to permit it to pass the
roller K in the tongue or pole plate without further relative movement
of the vibrating frame and the tongue or pole, and by this continued
movement of the cam the chain E is deflected and made to raise the
outer end of the cutting apparatus to any desired extent.

page_text: Those parts of the machine which are not particularly referred to and
described may be constructed in any usual manner.
Having thus described my Invention and means by which the same
may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact details shown and described, as the same may
be varied without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention,
but what I do claim is,-
Firstly. The arrangement and construction of mowing and reaping
machines substantially as shown and described.
Secondly. I claim the sheave or segment D³ on the shoe D, in
combination with the chain E, arranged and operating substantially
as described.
Thirdly.. I claim the lifting lever H provided with a cam arm G,
operating upon the rear extension of the tongue or pole substantially as
described.
Fourthly. I claim the cam arm G³, applied to the lever H in combin-
ation with the heel extension of the tongue or pole, and the lifting chain
E, arranged and operating substantially as set forth.
Fifthly. I claim the seat support mounted loosely on the axle and
connected with the tongue or pole by means of a link, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
Sixthly. I claim the yielding and adjustable oil hole covers Q, con-
structed and operating substantially as described.
I witness whereof, I, the said William Anson Wood, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.