REAPING ALL KINDS OF CORN
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Brinsmead, of the Parish of Saint
Giles in the Wood, in the County of Devon, Machine Maker,
DATO ARE ENDS OF COPY
Sealed the 9th April 1858, and dated the 24th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Brinsmead
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th January 1853.
I, HENRY BRINSMEAD, of the Parish of Saint Giles in the Wood, in
the County of Devon, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
my Invention for "REAPING ALL KINDS OF CORN " to be as follows:-
For cutting the corn it contains three circular cast steel plates, each
about twenty-one inches in diameter, divided into a number of knives
The whole
overlapping each other about five inches to admit of wear.
is driven by a gutta percha rope running in frogs mouth pullies in a
serpentine manner, thereby turning the two outside plates one way and
the centre plate the opposite way, rovolving about three hundred times
per minute and cutting with great case.
In front is a fence, similar to two combs placed horizontally one on

page_text: the other, with the teeth joined at the points but apart from each other
backward. In this parting or opening the cutters act, the teeth holding
the corn until it is cut and securing the cutters from injury. The corn,
when cut, falls on a table of. sheet iron, standing at an angle of about
45 degrees, with several openings cut in it horizontally. Underneath
the table are revolving belts, on which are rivetted pegs protruding
through the spaces of the sheet iron. These pegs carry the cut corn
to another set of belts and pegs, by which it is conveyed up an inclined
plane and deposited in the sheaver. This part of the machine consists
of a shaft standing nearly at the same angle as the inclined table;
on this shaft a number of arms are fixed on each quarter, and at
the lower end of the shaft is also fixed a circular piece of sheet
iron about three feet six-inches-in-diameter,-divided into four quar-
ters, corresponding with the arms against which the ends of the
cut straw rests. The pegs on the belts before described deposit the
corn in one of these quarters until a sheaf is accumulated. On
the right hand side of the driving wheel gearing is placed, which
acts upon the sheaver; turning it a quarter of the circle and then
dropping the sheaf upon the ground. This action can be regulated in
an instant by means of a lever shifting a pinion on a horizontal bar
into wheels of different diameters that will act upon the sheaver, and
make the sheaves of the same size whether the corn be thick or thin.
The machine is drawn by one horse walking in front by the side of the
standing corn, and one man walks behind, holding the reins and con-
ducting the whole process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Brinsmead in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY BRINSMEAD, of the Parish of Saint Giles in the Wood, in the
County of Devon, Machine Maker, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth. year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give.and grant unto me, the said Henry Brinsmead, Her
special licence that I, the said, Henry Brinsmead, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the "said. Henry Brins-
mead, 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
"REAPING ALL KINDS OF CORN," upon, the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Brinsmead, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Henry Brinsmead, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say):
The corn is cut by three or any other number of circular cast steel
plates divideil into any number of cutters, or by cast steel blades
screwed or rivetted on to circular pieces of sheet iron; the cutters
overlap each other and revolve with great rapidity, being driven by a
gutta-percha rope, running in frogs month pullies. in a serpentine
manner, or by gearing, thereby turning the two outside plates one way
and the centre plate the opposite way, and cutting with the greatest
facility.
In front is a fence or muzzle, similar to two combs placed horizontally
one on the other, with the teeth joined at the points but apart from
cach other backward. In this opening the cutters act, the teeth
holding the corn until it is cut and securing the cutters from injury.

page_text: The corn, when cut, fulls on a table of sheet iron, standing at an
angle of about forty-five degrees, with several openings cut in it
horizontally. Underneath the table are revolving belts, on which are
rivetted pegs protruding through the spaces of the sheet iron. These
pegs carry the cut corn to another set of belts and pegs revolving on
bands or cranks, by which it is conveyed up an inclined plane and
leposited in the sheaver. This part of the machine consists of a shaft
standing nearly at the same angle as the inclined table. On this shaft
are fixed a number of arms on each quarter, and at the lower end of
the shaft is also fixed a circular piece of sheet iron about three feet six
inches in diameter, divided into quarters corresponding with the arms
against which the ends of the cut straw rest. The pegs on the belts
before described deposit the corn in one of these quarters until a sheaf
has accumulated. On the right hand side of the driving wheel gearing
is placed, which acts upon the sheaver, turning it a quarter of the circle
and then dropping the sheaf upon the ground. This action can be
regulated in an instant by means of a lever shifting a pinion on a bar
into wheels of different diameters that will act upon the sheaver, and
make the sheaves of the same size whether the corn be thick or thin.
The machine is drawn by one or more horses walking in front by the
side of the standing corn; one man walks behind, holding the reins
and conducting the whole process.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Brinsmead, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
HENRY BRINSMEAD. (L.S.)