IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to William McIntyre Cranston, of 36, Worship Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
IN MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES." Partly a communication from abroad
by Walter Abbott Wood, of Hoosick Falls, State of New York, United States
of America.
| Sealed the 11th August 1876, and dated the 24th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William McIntyre Cranston at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1876.
WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of 36, Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES." Partly a
communication from abroad by Walter Abbott Wood, of Hoosick Falls, State of
New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in mowing and reaping machines, and
consists, firstly, in fitting on the side of the draught frame a link or bar, which is
adjustable as to height. This link has at its lower end a connecting bar projecting
towards the front of the machine, and is curved and pinned to the main frame, so
that when the lift lever is acted upon to raise the main shoe a lug on the inner side
of the shoe comes into contact with the connecting bar, thus locking and causing
the outer end of the knife bar and parts adjacent to lift clear of the ground.
The second part of the Invention consists in a combination of the link motion
first referred to, with a flat spring arranged transversely across the machine, and
having one free end to bear upon the back portion of the inner shoe to press it
down and keep it in contact with the ground while the machine is cutting,
The third part of the Invention consists in making by casting a bell or dome,
with slots and lugs at intervals, the slots for the passage of the inner end of the
rake and dummy blade arms of self-raking reapers, and the lugs for supporting or
hinging the arms to, that they may rise and fall in the usual manner. The lower
face or edge of the dome has teeth upon it for the pinion from the main driver to
gear into and so rotate the dome and the blades. The blade arms may be connected
in pairs by tie rods on the outside of the dome, so that when one is being lifted the
other of the pair is falling or being depressed for taking over the platform under the
action of a single cam, or the under ends of the blade arms may ride between the
[Price Gd.]

page_text: faces of a double cam, and the outer or blade ends be actuated thereby, a plan
enabling the tie rods to be dispensed-with.
The fourth part of the Invention consists in making the cam single or double,
and also the pinion shaft bearing in a piece with the standard by which the bell-
shaped dome is carried, and in fixing a vertical pin in the casting for the bell-shaped
dome to rotate upon.
The fifth part of the Invention consists in constructing a distinct frame with a
head and the blade appliances in a complete form, that it can by disconnecting the
usual bolts of the inner shoe of a mowing machine be fixed to the main frame in
order to convert a mowing machine into a self-raking reaper, the knife bar and plat-
form being connected to the outer end of the distinct frame, which is provided with
bolt holes corresponding to those on the inner shoe. The pinion of the bell-shaped
dome would in this construction have its axle so set as to receive its motion by
chain gearing from the main wheel axle, or in some other convenient manner. The
front side of the platform would be extended to the main shoe, thus strengthening
the connections between the cutter bar, the intermediate frame, and main shoe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William McIntyre Cranston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th August 1876.
WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of 36, Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES." Partly
a communication from abroad by Walter Abbott Wood, of Hoosick Falls, State of
New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in mowing and reaping machines, and,
firstly, in fitting on the side of the draught frame a link or bar which is -adjustable
as to height. This link has at its lower end a connecting bar projecting towards
the front of the machine, and is curved and pinned to the main frame, so that when
the lift lever is acted upon to raise the main shoe a lug on the inner side of the shoe
comes into contact with the connecting bar, thus locking and causing the outer end
of the knife bar and parts adjacent to lift clear of the ground.
This first part of the Invention is clearly shown in the accompanying Drawings,
Figures 1 and 2, also in detail views, Figures 3 and 4. A is the draught frame
having the link B attached to an ear a that it depends freely therefrom. This link
has at its lower end another loose bolt attachment to one end of the bar C, which
projects towards the front of the machine. The said bar C may be straight or it
may be curved, as desired; its front end D is pinned to the main frame Ĕ of the
machine in the manner shown in order that when the lift lever F is thrown over a
given distance by the attendant the quadrant G draws up the chain H, and with it
the inner shoe I, to which the chain is also attached (either direct or through the
intermediation of the hook J) to lift the finger and knife bar K clear of the ground
at that, i.c., the inner end. A further travel or depression of the hand or lift lever F
into the position shown in Figure 1, and also in Figure 5 (which is a front perspec-
tive view of a mowing machine), causes the lug h to impinge against the connecting
bar C, where it acts as a point of leverage and causes the front portion of the above
to ride upwards diagonally through the forward circular travelling action of the
lower end of the main frame consequent upon the lift from the draught frame,
whereby the inner shoe becomes canted through the contact. of the lug b with the
bar C, being arranged out of the fore-and-aft line of the shoe centre, from which the
lift takes place, whereby the outer shoe L and its attachments, as also the finger and
knife bars, are lifted bodily clear of the ground. The link and connecting bar
mechanism just described are so arranged that through the chain and quadrant lift
the lower end of the link goes to the rear and causes the main frame to rock upon
the axle in a different plane to that of the draught frame, whereby a combined

page_text: action takes place which enables the cutting mechanism to be lifted with ease and
certainty.
I claim in this first part of the said Invention, which relates to mowing machines,
the employment of a depending link or its equivalent on or to the draught frame
when used in combination with a bar having an attachment to the main frame and
a lug upon the shoe, as and for the purposes described, and substantially as shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
The second part of the Invention relates to a combination of the link motion first
referred to, with a flat spring arranged transversely across the machine, and having
one free end to bear upon the back portion of the inner shoe to press it down, and
keep it in contact with the ground when the machine is cutting.
This second part of the Invention is represented in Figure 5 as applied to a
mowing machine, and in Figure 6 as applied to a reaping machine, the first
described improvements being also shown in the two Figures as illustrations of its
adaptation for either mowing or reaping machines. M is a flat (single or compound)
spring fastened to the under side of the main frame E at N, so that it lies trans-
versely and at an angle with its free end P, bearing upon the back portion of the
inner shoe I to keep it well down and yet with a yielding tendency upon the
ground. The spring as shown is not new in itself, but when used in combination
with the link B and bar C mechanism, as described, constitutes a novelty which is
important, the spring so arranged being the best medium for retaining the inner
shoe down upon the ground, as in Figure 2, or in a raised position as in Figure 5.
I therefore claim as the second part of the said Invention, the employment of a .
flat spring (of single or of superposed plates) set transversely as described, when
used in combination with the first herein-before mentioned link and bar arrange-.
ment, as and for the purpose set forth, and substantially as represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
The third part of the Invention relates to constructing a distinct frame with a
head and the blade appliances of a reaping machine in a complete form, that it can,
by disconnecting the usual bolts of the inner shoe of a mowing machine, be fixed to
the main frame in order to convert a mowing machine into a self-raking reaper, the
knife bar and platform being connected to the outer end of the distinct frame, which
is provided with bolt holes corresponding to those in the inner shoe. The pinion on
the sleeve of the bell-shaped dome or head would in this construction, if one be
used, have its axle so set as to receive its motion by chain gearing from the main
wheel axle, or in some other convenient manner.
This third part of the Invention is clearly represented in Figure 6, in which the
usual finger and knife bars and platform are attached to a separate and distinct
frame, apart from the main frame of the mower, the separate and distinct frame
having a kind of table or surface upon which an upright or standard R is fixed
rigidly. Into this standard is stepped or keyed and fixed the lower end of a shaft S,
carrying the sleeve with its chain wheel T and a head U, to which the gathering
blades and rake blade or blades, are pinned in the usual manner for gathering the
crop on to the knives, and for raking the cut crop off the platform in a manner well
known. The chain V which actuates the wheel T and lead U receives its motion
from a whelp W on the main driving or bearing wheel ✗, two. others, Y and Z,
serving as "lead on " and "lead off" wheels to prevent kink or slip in the chain
while at work.
According to the foregoing description it will be understood that the frame Qis
attached to the inner shoe by the same bolt holes as the ordinary finger bar would be
when the machine is to be used as a mower, and that the platform so fitted would be
extended at the back to the main or inner shoe, which would strengthen the con-
nection materially, which is necessary from the additional width of the machine
when used as a reaper after its conversion from a simple mower. By this improve-
ment the same main frame of a mowing machine can have its cutter and its finger
bars removed and the reaper portion affixed for reaping purposes, thereby saving
to the former the cost of the second main frame and its necessary gearing.

page_text: What I claim in this third and last part of the said Invention is,-
The attachment of reaping appliances (borne by a separate and distinct frame)
with the main frame or vehicle of a mowing machine, when the ordinary finger and
knife bars are removed from the inner shoe of such mowing machine, as described,
and substantially in the manner represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. Under this third head of improvements I claim the special construc-
tion of mowing machine frame with the parts in combination, as described and as
shown in Figure 6, and the special construction of reaping reel mechanism on a
separate and distinct frame, as described and also shown in Figure 6, when the two
are used in combination and as one machine, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William McIntyre Cranston, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Sixteenth day of August One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.
W. M. CRANSTON. (L.S.)