IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd January
1866. A communication from abroad by Edouard François Fossey, of
Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO MOWING MACHINES," a communication to me from abroad by
Edouard François Fossey, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer, to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
reaping machine, parts of such improvements being also applicable to
mowing machines, and has reference more particularly to an improved
self-acting rake for removing the cut corn from the platform and depositing
it in sheaves or bundles at regular intervals upon the ground, whilst it also
forms a portion of the reel, and operates therewith in laying the corn upon
the platform the moment it is cut.
Another improvement has reference to a peculiar mode of driving or
actuating the cutter, whereby the ordinary crank or eccentric and connecting.

page_text: rod heretofore employed for imparting a rectilinear reciprocating motion
thereto are dispensed with.
The general arrangement of the machine consists of a stout framework,
one portion of which carries the actuating mechanism herein-after referred to,
whilst the other supports the platform and cutting mechanism. The first
portion of the framing carries a pair of upright standards, which support the
greater portion of the mechanism. This mechanism consists of a broad
driving wheel mounted upon an axle carried in bearings secured to cross bars
in each standard. Inside the rim of this wheel are spur, which gear into a
spur pinion fast on a second motion shaft, on which is keyed a crown wheel
or cam, the actuating edge of which is made undulating with a view to
imparting the necessary reciprocating motion to the cutter. For this purpose
the end of the cutter bar is fitted with an antifriction roller, which is kept in
contact with the undulating surface of the cam by a helical spring surrounding
a portion of the cutter bar, and having a bearing against one of two guiding
brackets secured to the main framing. As the cam revolves by the action of
the driving wheel, on traversing the machine along the ground its undulations
in conjunction with the counteracting force of the spring impart the requisite
rectilinear reciprocating motion to the cutter. When the machine is being
simply transported from place to place the cutting action is thrown out of
gear by means of a lever which holds the autifriction roller on the end of the
cutter bar out of contact with the cam. The platform upon which the cut
corn falls is provided with raised sides, and describes a horizontal curve inwards
towards the rear of the machine of a quarter of a circle, the self-acting rake
being made to sweep along this platform in a horizontal curvilinear course,
and clear it of the cut grain at each passage, which it discharges at
the hinder portion of the platform in the rear of the machine in sheaves
or bundles at regular intervals. The rake after sweeping horizontally along
the platform, as above described, makes a revolution in a vertical plane in
company with the three arms which form the reel, the rake itself forming
the fourth arm. These peculiar movements are all derived from an overbead
shaft working in bearings on the tops of the two standards or uprights, such
shaft deriving its motion from a chain pulley keyed on to the first motion or
main driving shaft, gearing into an endless chain, which again gears into a
second chain pulley running loose upon the overhead shaft, which I shall
herein-after term the reel shaft, as it carries the reel itself. A sliding clutch
box on this shaft worked by a clutch lever serves to throw the chain pulley in
or out of action, and thus to arrest the motion of the reel and rake when
required, as, for example, when the machine is travelling along a roal or is

page_text: .
being used as a mowing machine. To the extreme end of the reel shaft, which
projects beyond the inner one of the two standards, there is keyed a cast-iron
socket piece for the reception of the three arms of the reel, which are disposed
at such an angle to the shaft as will admit of the pallets at their outer
extremities revolving over or in the plane of the cutter bar and platform.
Upon this end also of the reel shaft, and between the standard and the socket
piece above referred to, there is placed loosely a collar bearing, which is
suspended freely from the reel shaft by means of two lugs cast on the side
thereof at its upper end, through which lugs the shaft passes and revolves
freely therein. Between these two parallel lugs or jaws there is situate a
helicoidal wheel or segment, which is keyed firmly on to the reel shaft, and
gears into corresponding helicoidal teeth formed on the upper end of a short
spindle contained in the collar bearing above mentioned. This spindle carries at
its lower end a metal socket which receives the arm of the 'rake, and when it is
caused to make a quarter of a revolution by the action of the helicoidal gearing.
it carries round the rake a quarter of a revolution in a horizontal plane, causing
it to sweep along the surface of the platform., Beneath this last-mentioned
spindle there is situate an arm or stop, the face of which is slightly convex,
secured to a vertical stud working in a bearing fixed to a cross bar in the
inner standard, and this arm or stop is maintained in its normal position by a
coiled spring attached to its axis. After the rake, described its vertical
revolution in company with the other arms of the reel it comes in contact with
the arm or stop above referred to, which by yielding slightly by the action of
the coiled spring serves as a species of buffer to prevent any unpleasant shock
being imparted to the rake. As the rake describes its course over the surface
of the platform its socket, by bearing against the face of the spring arm,
carries it to yield, and so soon as this socket clears the arm the latter is
returned again to its original position by the coiled spring above referred
to. A helical spring surrounds the rake-actuating spindle, the upper
end of this spring being secured to one of the before-mentioned lugs
of the collar bearing, whilst the lower end is attached to the socket
of the rake, its object being to bring back the arm of the rake to
its normal position as herein-after described. The arm of the rake
accomplishes its double function as follows:-Having arrived over the fore
part of the platform its socket bears against the face of the spring arm, which
deadens the shock by yielding slightly; then the rake ceases its vertical
rotatory movement by reason of the resistance which it encounters, and turns
horizontally, following the curve of the platform. It is then that the
helicoidal wheel keyed on the reel shaft actuates the helicoidal teeth on the

page_text: rake-actuating spindle, and thereby imparts a partial rotatory motion thereto
round its own axis, carrying with it the socket containing the rake arm, and
causing it to sweep horizontally over the curved platform and gather together
and remove in one bundle the cut corn thereon. The helicoidal gearing
having completed its movement the helical spring berein-before referred to
brings back the rake arm to its first position at the moment it escapes the
spring arm or stop, which has also described a quarter of a revolution
horizontally, this escape being brought about by. the rotation of the reel. As
the reel carried round by the rotation of the reel shaft continues to turn, and
as a projection on the helicoidal wheel comes against the loose collar bearing,
the rake arm brought back to its normal position by the helical spring com-
mences, in company with the mechanism immediately connected therewith,
to describe a vertical-rotatory motion to be followed by a repetition of the
previous movements. The spring arm is then returned to its place by its
coiled spring in order to again serve as a stop or buffer at the next revolution.
The horizontal movement of the rake may be produced by substituting for
the helicoidal gearing suitably disposed bevel gearing. The height of the
cut is capable of adjustment by means of a screw spindle and nut which
alters the angle of the machine in relation to the shafts, which latter are
connected by bolts or pins to the main framing. The driver's seat is placed
immediately over the main driving wheel, so that his weight shall bear
directly upon such wheel and assist its adhesion to the surface of the
ground.