IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William McIntyre Cranston, of 36, Worship Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Agricultural Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by Walter Abbott Wood, residing at Hoosick
Falls, New York, United States of America.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William McIntyre Cranston
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st November 1877.
WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of 36, Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County
of Middlesex, Agricultural Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH
MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES." (A communication from abroad by Walter
Abbott Wood, residing at Hoosick Falls, New York, United States of America.)
This Invention relates, firstly, to a special arrangement of parts forming a com-
plete mowing or a reaping machine of exceedingly light weight and graceful appear-
ance, the parts being so fitted that a perfect balance of the pole and rider's seat is
obtained at whatever position they occupy relatively to the height of the cutter
apparatus above the ground, or when turned up to reduce the width of the machine
such as when it has to be moved from place to place, and the cutting appliances are
out of action.
The machine, as constructed, has a main axle on which the travelling wheels are
fitted loosely, but caused to turn therewith by paul and ratchet mechanism upon
the inner faces of same when the machine is moved forward ouly.
The main axle is enclosed in a sleeve or hollow casting whose exterior upper
portion at the rear has lugs, to which another casting is secured by a couple of pins
as a double hinge joint.
This second casting has a recess in its upper face for the reception of the rear end
of the pole or tongue, and a socket for the stem of the driver's seat, the lower part
of which becomes jammed by the close fit of the pole.

page_text: The lower front portion of the sleeve has a projection or leg at an angle towards
the front, where a plate of curved form is attached, within which the pitman or
balance wheel rotates the upper part, having a hoop strap or shield to prevent the
entry of grass or other material that would tend to block or retard the working of
the machine in the field. The fore end of this projection or leg has a flat plate
bolted to it, that the plate lies at right angles thereto, or transversely across the
framing, its opposite end being jointed to the main or inner shoe, where by the aid
of a tie bar set at an angle the inner shoe is held to the framing. This tie bar also
serves as the draught bar, the draught or pull chain being fitted either to a loop in
it or to a slider upon it, which slider can be adjusted if desired.
The projection or leg is hollow, and has a shaft within it for carrying the shaft
of the pitman or balance wheel, and also the bevil pinion by which it is driven.
This pinion receives its motion from a bevil wheel, mounted loosely upon the main
axle, which also carries loosely the power or master wheel under the control of a
clutch, whose hand lever is arranged within reach of the rider's foot.
The clutch wheel is a spur, and gears into a corresponding pinion on a separate
shaft, this having also a spur wheel upon it in gear with a spur pinion, which is in
one piece with the bevil wheel before referred to. This train of wheels is enclosed
in a box partly formed in the casting of the main frame and partly by a hinged
lid, which can be thrown open easily to admit of the parts being lubricated when
desired.
The front end of the curved plate has a bar bolted to it to lie parallel with the flat
plate before referred to, and its front end is looped or jointed to the shoe in advance
of the line of the cutters. The loop enables the shoe carrying the finger bar to be
turned up as upon a hinge joint, in conjunction with the joint upon the flat plate
in the ordinary manner for the purposes before explained.
The bolt connecting the inner shoe to the flat plate has a long link fitted; it is
attached to the lift chain, the chain itself being attached to the finger bar and its
upper end fitted to a grooved quadrant whose lever is within reach of the rider
in the ordinary manner. The chain and link alone bear the weight of the
finger bar and parts adjacent, also the knife sections, when the finger bar is
turned up.
The inner shoe end of the flat plate has a knuckle joint bar attached, which,
through the intermediation of another bar jointed to the pole socket causes the
socket to travel in a circular direction to the rear of the main axle, with a dropping
motion, whereby the perfect balancing of the machine is adjusted after the finger
bar has been raised beyond a given height.
Several of the parts of this machine can be used in combination upon mowing
and reaping machines of known types, and some of the parts in detail can be
adapted alone to other mowers and reapers, which combinations and details form
special features in this Invention.
Firstly. The combination of the curved plate with its hoop strap, and front stay
or tie bar for producing rigidity between the main frame and the finger bar in the
front part of the machine is a novelty.
Secondly. The combination of the flat plate and the front tie bar, parallel thereto
as before referred to, is a novelty.
Thirdly. The particular train of wheels before referred to in a mower or reaper
machine is a novelty when acting in the manner and for the purposes described.
Fourthly. The long link to take the weight of the finger bar and parts connected
when the same are turned up, is a novelty.
Fifthly. The adjustable draught attachment, with angled stay or tie bar, is a
novelty.
Sixthly Hingeing the pole socket and seat support upon the main frame that
they have a motion to the rear of main axle when the front of the frame is raised by
the lift lever. By this means the whole weight of the driver and the pole is thrown
to the rear of the main axle.

page_text: 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
21st May 1878.
WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of 36, Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County
of Middlesex, Agricultural Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH
MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Walter
Abbott Wood, residing at Hoosick Falls, New York, United States of America.
The nature and object of this Invention is to construct a mowing machine with
such an arrangement of parts as to produce an exceedingly light machine, and so
arranged that the driver can manage the same with ease, and that his weight shall
so be placed on the machine while driving as to make his weight effective upon
the driving wheels while the machine is cutting, and also to render the elevation
of the cutting apparatus easy for himself and the team. Also in combining with a
flexible draft or tongue frame a vibrating gear frame, which is hinged to the axle
on which the main wheels are mounted underneath the pole or draught frame. To
said vibrating frame is connected the cutting apparatus by means of an inter-
mediate spring plate. This spring plate forms a part of the vibrating frame, and is
braced by a diagonal plate or rod extending from near the inner shoe end diagonally
towards the outer wheel of the machine, and fastened at the outer end to the
vibrating frame. Also in securing a brace attached to the main shoe at or near the
line of cut, and extending in a direction in line of the line of cut upwards, and
nearly parallel to the pitman to the shield in front of the balance wheel in order to
prevent the falling back or sagging of the cutting apparatus, and which said brace
acts as a shield for the pitman in the progressive movement of the machine.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my Invention I will proceed
to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, making a
part of this Specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the same; Figure 2
is a side elevation; Figure 3 is a front elevation; and Figure is a side elevation
showing the outline of one driving wheel, its axle tongue plate and tongue, seat
standard and seat, connected thereto.
Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts.
C is the main axle, on which are mounted the two driving wheels A, A, which
turn loosely thereon. On the inside of each of the driving wheels A, A, and upon
the shaft Care fixed the two ratchet wheels D, D, and each of the driving wheels
A, A, is provided with two pawls fixed upon the inside plane of the spokes thereof,
which engage into the teeth of the said ratchets, and which pawls are provided
with a spring to keep them in connection with the teeth of the ratchet wheels D, D,
while the machine is drawn forward, and being thus in connection with the
teeth of the ratchets will give motion to the axle and thereby gives motion to the
train of gears, and through them to the crank shaft, and by means of the pitman
connection to the cutters.
It is apparent that each of the wheels A, A, is independent, and when the
machine is backed, the pawls will be disconnected from the ratchet wheels D, D,
or one of them when the machine is turned in either direction, will not engage.
Hinged upon the axle is the frame O, which consists of a sleeve which embraces
the axle, forms the under portion of the encasement of the gears extending forward,
and encases the crank shaft, and also has a lip on it at its forward end; to this lip
the spring plate K is bolted, which spring plate extends towards the main shoe
and is hinged to the main shoe at the rear end thereof, just behind the cutters, as
shown at t. A short distance from the hinge t is fastened the brace rod W, which
extends backward, and is bolted to the under side of the vibrating frame O. Fast
to the main axle C is the gear wheel c, which communicates motion to the pinion u,
which is fastened to the larger gear wheel a. The pinion and wheel a turn
loosely on the shaft a¹, mounted in the frame O. The gear wheel a meshes into the
small pinion e, which is fast to the bevel wheel i. The bevil wheel i and pinion e

page_text: turn loosely on the main axle, and the bevil wheel i communicates motion to the
bevil pinion b, which is fast upon the crank shaft, on the forward end of which
is fastened the crank balance wheel I, which through the pitman S gives motion to
the cutters.
The arrangement of this gearing is distinctly shown in Figure 1, in which
figure the cover J is turned back to show the gearing; this cover J is hinged to the
main frame in order to enable the operator to open it to oil the gearing, and it is
closed, as shown in Figure 2, while the machine is in operation, to keep the dust
and dirt from getting into the gearing.
The tongue or draught pole H is bolted fast to the tongue plate B, which tongue
plate is hinged to the rib u projecting from the sleeve part of the main frame,
which encloses the axle, and which lip or rib extends upwards and backwards from
the axle, as shown at Figure 4. A seat standard F is inserted at the rear of the
pole, and in a socket cast in the tongue plate B for its reception, which extends
diagonally backwards and at a sufficient height to make a convenient and easy seat
for the driver. At the right-hand side of the tongue plate B is hinged an adjustable
lever h, within easy reach of the driver, which lever is connected by a chain / to the
rear of the inner shoe, by means of which lever and connection the driver in his
seat can at will raise the cutting apparatus. From the inner shoe a brace rod R
extends to the front of the shield D', which shield protects the crank from cut grass.
The lower end of the brace rod is hinged to the shoe, and its upper end is bolted
fast to the shield. From the draft iron B is bolted the down hanger f, as shown in
Figure 2, at v, at the lower end of this down hanger f is hinged at 11 a bar g,
which is hinged to the spring brace bar K, and at the back of the spring brace bar
K, and rigidly fastened to the rear of the inner shoe back of the brace bar K is an
arm g¹ extending towards the outer wheel of the machine, in order that when the
driver wishes to raise the cutting apparatus this bar will strike against the bar g
and raise the outer end of the finger bar.
An adjustable rod V is attached at its lower end to the spring bar K, or it may
be to the brace rod W, and extends diagonally upwards through a loop U on the
under side of the pole, and is provided at its upper and forward end with a hook,
to which the whiffle-trees are attached to draw the machine.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-When the machine is drawn forward
the pawls on the driving wheels convey motion to the ratchets fast upon the axle,
and thereby motion to the axle and through the motion of the axle communicates
motion by means of the gears and crank shafts to the cutters.
If the driver wishes to raise the cutting apparatus to pass obstructions he can by
means of the lever h raise the same at any desired height, and the peculiar arrange-
ment of the seat being fastened above and behind the axle the movement of his
body in a backward direction gives him the advantage of his own weight to assist
him in raising the cutting apparatus.
It is not necessary to enter into details of the construction of the cutting appa-
ratus and other minute parts of the machine, as they are already well known at
this state of the art. The peculiar arrangement of the vibrating frame and its con-
nection with the cutting apparatus through the intervention of the spring bar K,
the diagonal brace rod, and the brace bar R makes of this machine a perfect floating
finger bar machine, and combines ease of management, simplicity, and durability
with the least possible amount of material. It has all the benefits to be derived
from what are known as radius bar machines, as well as vibrating and loose tongue
machines combined in one.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is,-
First. The combination in a mowing machine of a gear frame vibrating on the
main axle, between the wheels, and a vibrating tongue or draught pole frame which
supports the driver, hinged to the said gear frame above and back of the axle, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described.

page_text: Secondly. The combination in a mowing machine of a gear frame vibrating on
the main axle between the wheels, a vibrating tongue or draught pole frame which
supports the driver hinged to the said gear frame above and back of the axle, and
a lifting lever, cord, or chain, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
Thirdly. A vibrating triangular-shaped gear frame hinged to the axle, and which
supports the cutting apparatus, the front side of which frame is made of a spring
plate substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fourthly. The rod or brace which is hinged to the main inner shoe at its lower
end, and extends upwards and rigidly attached to the shield, which protects the
crank and pitman, and parallel, or nearly so, to the pitman, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
Fifthly. The combination of the flat spring plate and the rod or brace parallel
thereto, as described and shown.
Sixthly. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
"Improvements in and connected with Mowing and Reaping Machines," as herein-
before described, and substantially as shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William McIntyre Cranston, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight.
W. M. CRANSTON. (L.S.)