Improvements in Portable Horse. Rakes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1893-Accepted, 10th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Horse. Rakes.
I, JOHN HUXTABLE, of Filleigh, in the County of Devon, Agricultural
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present invention refers to improvements in that type of portable horse rakes,
for which a Patent was granted to me the 9th June 1881 No. 2511, in which
invention the teeth are expanded by means of "lazy tongs; " but there always
has been a difficulty with the irons which come. back between the teeth from the
main axle or angle piece, because they come in contact with the teeth when they
are expanded or are contracting; now one object of my invention is to overcome
this defect.
According to my invention I employ what I call portable cleaners placed at
intervals. between the teeth for the purpose of keeping down the load when the
teeth are lifting for emptying the same.
For this purpose I place at or near the axle or framework of the. rake any
number of irons as cleaners coming back between the teeth and as the teeth lift
for discharging their load these cleaners act as a comb to clean them. To allow
of the teeth expanding or contracting I make these cleaners of a portable form so
as to allow of the teeth occupying their proper position at whatever "pitch" they
may be set, and the cleaners adapt themselves, or are capable of being adapted
thereto, and of such a collapsible form as shall allow the said cleaners to be put
quite out of the way of the teeth when in the act of expanding or contracting the
rake, tension can be given to the cleaners to keep them in the desired position by
spring washers or other suitable means, and also to the teeth themselves if desired
to prevent them from becoming slack with long.wear.
The portable "cleaners" can be moved aside or folded inside the bows of the
teeth when in. process of winding while they have such movements as shall enable
them to be adapted to the various pitches of the teeth and of such a portable con-
struction as shall enable the operator to put,, them in such position as to allow the
teeth to be expanded or contracted to any degree.
I support and give rigidity to the lazy tongs and keep them in a parallel line
throughout by means of an independent frame consisting of two parallel bars fixed
at the desired distance apart, on which the lazy tongs rest, and 'slide, while the
rake is being expanded or contracted. These bars are connected at each end to
transverse pieces by bolts or otherwise and are made with enlarged bosses of
spherical shape and are capable of turning on the collars or eyes fixed on the axle
or framework of the rake together with the two parallel bars connected therewith.
The transverse pieces are also furnished with arrangements for giving rigidity to
the outside arm which supports the outside ends of lazy tongs.
To prevent the teeth from lifting when in work before it is desirable that they
should do so, I provide a pawl or catch which locks the rocking frame when in
work, but is capable of being released by the foot or hand of the attendant,when
sufficient load has been gathered for, emptying.
Dand this 14th day of Jul 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Horse Rakes.
1, JOHN HUXTABLE, of Filleigh, in the County of Devon, Agricultural
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:
My present invention refers to improvements in that type of portable horse
rakes for which a Patent was granted to me the 9th June 1881, No. 2511, in which
invention the teeth are expanded by means of "lazy tongs; "but there has always
been a difficulty with the irons which come back between the teeth from the main
axle or angle piece, because they come in contact with the teeth when they are
expanded or contracting; now one object of my invention is to overcome this
defect.
I will describe my said invention with reference to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 being a plan view of so much of a horse rake with my improvements applied
thereto as will be necessary to explain same, Fig. 2 being an end view of same.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the parallel bar frame (hereafter described)
drawn to a larger scale than the previous figures, and Fig. 4 is a vertical cross
section of same on the line X Y of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 shew in elevation and plan
one of the pivoted stands or lifting legs (detached), by which the travelling wheels
are raised from the ground when contracting or expanding the teeth of the rake.
Figs. 6 shew detached views of a spring catch pin for retaining the pivoted stands
Figs. 5 in a raised position.
According to my invention, I employ what I call "adjustable cleaners" A,
placed at intervals between the teeth B for the purpose of keeping down the load
when the said teeth B are lifted for emptying the same, the said cleaners normally
extending backwards between the teeth, and as the teeth lift for discharging their
load these cleaners act as a comb to clean them. To allow of the teeth B of the
rake expanding or contracting, I make these cleaners A capable of being moved
radially or otherwise so as to allow of the teeth B occupying their proper position
at whatever "pitch" they may be set, and the cleaners A. adapt themselves, or are
capable of being adapted thereto, the said cleaners being put quite out of the way
of the teeth B when in the act of expanding or contracting the rake.
The fitting
of the cleaners A is clearly shewn at Fig. 4, being formed with pivot ends passing
through lug parts C on the framework; tension can be given to the cleaners A
to keep them in the desired position, by spring washers or other suitable means,
and also to the teeth themselves if desired to prevent them from becoming slack
with long wear.
The cleaners can be moved aside or folded inside the bows of the teeth when
winding or closing up the machine. The dotted lines at Fig. 1 shew the cleaners A
when folded against the axle, this being one position they may occupy when the
rake is adjusted to its extreme limits, and the cleaners are enabled to be adapted
to the various pitches of the teeth so as to enable the operator to put them in such
position as to allow the teeth to be expanded or contracted to any degree.
Preferably I may employ the methods before described for adjusting the cleaners
radially, but I do not bind myself absolutely to this, as they are capable of
modification and can be jointed so as to move in various positions to clear the
teeth without departing from the main object of my invention.
I support and give rigidity to the lazy tongs D and keep them in a parallel
line throughout by means of an independent frame consisting of two parallel
bars E F fixed at the desired distance apart, on which the lazy tongs D rest, and
slide, while the rake is being expanded or contracted. These bars are connected

page_text: at each end to transverse pieces G by bolts or otherwise, and are made with
enlarged bosses J, and are capable of turning on the collars or eyes Figs. 1, 3, and 4,
fixed on the axle of the rake, together with the two parallel bars E F connected
therewith. The transverse pieces G and parallel bars E F support sliding guide
bars G for giving rigidity to the outside arms K, which latter carry the outside
ends of lazy tongs D, the parts K being adjustable with respect to, and in the ends
of, the independent frame E F G. The cross pieces are shewn at Fig. 1 in
position, supported by the parallel bars.
-
To prevent the teeth from lifting, when in work, before it is desirable that they
should do so, I may provide a pawl or catch, of suitable construction, not shewn
in the drawing, to lock the rocking frame when in work, and capable of being
released by the foot or hand of the attendant when sufficient load has been gathered
for emptying.
The pivoted stands or lifting legs L upon which the travelling wheels are raised
from the ground when contracting or expanding the rake are provided with spring
bolt catches, which will be understood by reference to Fig. 6, whereby when the
studs are not in use the latter are retained in a raised position by the catches taking
into the framework L'.
The means I employ for expanding the rake is somewhat similar to that
described in my previous Patent Specification hereinbefore referred to, that is, by
means of racks M and worms M¹, whereby the wheels and teeth with their parts
are expanded, the independent frame E F G always remaining the same width,
being as aforesaid hung on the eyes or collars H fixed on the main axle, so that
the transverse pieces G, which form the ends of independent frame E F G, turn
on the outside of the eyes or collars at J, and the square sliding bars N go through
the centre of same.
It will be understood that the outside support K which is shewn at Figs. 1 and 3,
is connected to the sliding bars N by two bearings turned on the said bars, and as
the axles expand and contract, the outside support K goes with them and the
lazy tong devices D being connected to this outside support, these also expand,
while the independent frame remains stationary as far as width is concerned, but
only supports the lazy-tong devices to prevent them bending downwards with their
weight and that of the teeth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In portable horse'rakes provided with a jointed lever arrangement or "lazy-
tongs" for contracting or expanding the teeth, the combination therewith of
adjustable cleaners mounted on the frame or equivalent part, and capable of being
moved radially or otherwise for adjustment to allow the teeth to occupy their
proper positions at whatever pitch they may be set, all substantially as and for
the purposes described with reference to the accompanying drawings, or any merc
modifications thereof.
2. In portable horse rakes provided with a jointed lever arrangement or "lazy-
tongs" D, the independent frame mainly composed of two parallel bars E to
support and give rigidity to the aforesaid "lazy tongs," the bars E F being
connected by transverse pieces G with enlarged bosses, collars or eyes fixed to
the axle of the rake, also the arms K to support the outside ends of the "lazy-
tongs together with the several parts connected with the before inentioned devices,
all constructed and acting substantially as shewn and described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
3:
3. In portable horse rakes, the independent frame composed of parallel bars EF,
transverse pieces G, bosses J, crosspieces D and parts connected therewith, in
combination with the "adjustable cleaners" A mounted on the frame or equivalent
part and capable of radial or other adjustments, means for giving rigidity to the
parts, together with the construction of pivoted stands L and catches therefor, and

page_text: the general arrangement and construction of the machine, all substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.
D
101 1
c
1009
:
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.