Improved Construction of Inner or Main Shoes, and Means for Carrying the Cutter Bars, and for Altering the Angle of the Fingers and Knives of Mowing Machines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improved Construction of Inner or Main Shoes, and Means for
Carrying the Cutter Bars, and for Altering the Angle of the
Fingers and Knives of Mowing Machines.
I WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON of 36 Worship Street, Middlesex, Agricultural
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which is communicated
to me from abroad by the Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine
Company, of Hoosick Falls, New York, United States of America to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is, to so make the inner or main shoes of mowing
machines that an independent circular oscillatory motion can be given to one part
i.e. that which carries the finger bar and cutters distinct from any motion that can
be imparted to the other part or shoe proper whereby the cutting apparatus or the
points of the guards can be oscillated up or down without disturbing the main
portion of the shoe which can run in the same plane irrespective of the position of
the cutting apparatus also whether the pitman be connected to the cutter or knife,
or to the crank pin, by ball and socket joint which would permit of the free
oscillatory movement of the cutting apparatus.
By this invention the finger bar and cutting apparatus can be tilted or turned in
the line of its length and on a line or nearly so with the pitman and knife back
so that no,cradle motion or vertical motion of the whole cutting apparatus can
take place the driver having control of the cutting apparatus to accomodate the
cutters to different conditions of crop and the surface of the field over which the
machine is drawn.
For the purpose of this invention the inner or main shoe is made in two parts
one being within the other and supported at top and bottom by segmental bearings
the upper bearing being formed from segments of circles of different diameters from
the bottom or side bearing the two points or bearings co-acting to resist strain
from any cause.

page_text: Fingers and Knives of Mowing Machines.
I WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON of 36 Worship Street, Middlesex, Agricultural
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has been commu-
nicated to me from abroad by The Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine
Company of Hoosick Falls, New York, United States of America, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is, to so make the inner or main shoe of mowing
machines that an independent circular oscillatory motion can be given to one part,
i.e. that which carries the finger bar and cutters distinct from any motion that can
be imparted to the other part or shoe proper whereby the cutting apparatus or the
points of the guards can be oscillated up or down without disturbing the main
portion of the shoe which can run in the same plane irrespective of the position of
the cutting apparatus also whether the pitman be connected to the cutter or knife
or to the crank pin, by ball and socket joint which would permit of the free
oscillatory movement of the cutting apparatus.
By this invention the finger bar and cutting apparatus can be tilted or turned
in the line of its length and on a line or nearly so with the pitman and knife back
so that no cradle tootion or vertical motion of the whole cutting apparatus can
take place the driver having control of the cutting apparatus to accomodate the
cutters to different conditions of crop and the surface of the field over which the
inachine is drawn.
For the purpose of this invention the inner or main shoe is made in two parts
one being within the other and supported at top and bottom by segmental bearings,
the upper bearing being formed from segments of circles of different diameters from
the bottom or side bearing the two points or bearings co-acting to resist strain
from any cause.
The Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings
in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the inner face of the shoe.
Figure 2 a top or plan view.
Figure 3, a cross section through the shoe on line x, x, of Figure 1.
Figure 4, a side elevation of the movable section of the shoe, showing the
inside face.
Figure 5, a top or plan view of the movable section of the shoe.
Figure 6, a longitudinal section on line y, y, of Figure 4.
Figure 7, a side elevation showing the outer face of the shoe.

page_text: Figure 8, a side elevation showing the inner face of the shoe with the removable
section removed.
Figure 9, a top or plan view of the shoe with the movable section removed.
Figure 10, a horizontal section on line z, z, of Figure 8.
Figure 11, a side elevation showing such parts of a machine as required, to
illustrate the devices for working the shoe, and showing also, a portion of the
devices for lifting the shoe as a whole.
In the drawings -
A represents the circular main portion or body of the shoe, having, as shown, on
its exterior face, strengthening flanges a, and having at its lower end, side
extensions A' on the inside of the shoe united by a cross piece A¹¹, so as to leave an
open space below the round portion outward from the cross piece A¹¹, as shown in
Figure 10, and this circular portion or main body of the shoe, has a forward exten-
sion A³ with a bearing a³, for the axle or bolt which supports the wheel carrying the
forward end of the shoe, and the body portion has a rearward extension A', for the
attachment of the supporting bar of the main frame of the machine,—the bar
having at its end located between the ears a¹ and at, and being held in place by a
pin or bolt passing through a hole in the ears as usual, and, as shown, the forward
end of the main portion of the shoe is provided with a bearing a¹ to receive the end
of a guard or brace rod running to the main frame or other portion of the machine
not shown. The curved portion A, of the main part of the shoe has an interior wall
or face, which terminates at the bottom with the opening formed by the cut away
portion, and, as shown, the inner wall or face of the cross piece A", is provided
with a curved recess all, the circle of which is of less diameter than the circle of
the hole formed by the inner wall of the portion A, but the centre of which
corresponds with the centre of the hole of A.
B, is a circular or bearing portion of the secondary part of the shoe, which when
the parts are together, has its exterior wall or face fitting the interior wall of the
part A, and the end or bottom of the part B, is united by a web or plate B¹,
formed therewith, which plate extends out beyond the line of the side of B,
as shown at B, this extension B comes within the space between the side
extensions A¹, and crosspiece A". The end face or wall of the extension B", is
provided with a circular flange or rib 61, which, when the parts are together, fits
into the recess a¹, and, as shown at the front and rear of the extension B", are
flanges 61, the exterior face of which is curved to fit the curved face on the walls
of the extensions A¹, and form a bearing between the extensions B", and the walls
of the extension A¹, and, as shown, the flange or rib b, extends across the full
width of the bottom B', and extension B, and the plate formed by B', B¹¹, fits the
opening left in the bottom of the main portion of the shoe. The bearings for the
secondary portion of the shoe, are furnished by the interior of the curved portion A
and the recess all, and flange or rib b¹¹.
This bearing between the parts A and B being formed on one side of the shoe
by the extension and interior surfaces, and which extend throughout the entire
surface of contact, and on the other side of the shoe, by the flange or rib 6,
moving in and confined by the are all of the smaller circle, the two pairs of circles
being concentric and separated from each other by the entire width of the shoe,
a firm support is given to the secondary part B on the primary part A of the shoe,
and will withstand all strains from any direction to which it may be subjected.
C, is an arm, the lower end of which is secured by bolts c, or in any other firin
manner, to the inside face of the circle B, and the body of which extends up and
lies in contact with the inside face of the circle A, and its upper end which
projects above the upper face of the circle A, is provided with a head C¹, to receive
a connecting rod or link. As shown, a stop c¹ is cast or formed on the face of the
ring B, to engage with the rear edge of the arm C, and a stop c³ is cast or formed
on the face of the ring A to be engaged by a flat or stop face c² on the front edge
on the arm C, the stop c¹ acts as a brace to take the strain from off the bolts c and
the stop c³, in connection with the stop face c¹¹, furnishes the means for limiting

page_text: the forward throw of the arm C, and consequently the forward movement of the
ring B, and downward movement of the plate or bottom portion of such ring.
D, is a rod or link attached at one end to the head C¹, the attachment in the
form of construction shown, being by means of nuts d, which can be adjusted
forward and back on the rod to adjust the movement of the arm C, this rod or
link D, runs back and is attached at its other end, to a lever operated by the
driver of the machine.
E, is a guide clip attached at one end by a bolt e, to the circle B, and extending
around the inner edge of the circles A, B, and over the top of the circle A, as
shown in Figures 2 and 3, and forming a stop against end movement of the
secondary part of the shoe, and a guide for the rocking movement or oscillation of
the ring or circle B, within the ring or circle A, and this guide clip E, in con-
nection with the arm C furnishes one of the means by which the two parts of the
shoe are locked together, so as to leave the secondary part free to turn in the main
part without liability of any great amount or degree of end play.
F, is the bar to which the guard fingers F¹, are attached in the usual manner,
this bar at its inner end being secured by bolts f, or otherwise, at the rear side of
the bottom or plate portion of the secondary part of the shoe between the walls of
a recess formed in the upper face of such bottom or plate portion back of the rib
or ledge b.
G, is a cutter bar to which the cutters or knives are secured as usual. This bar
is located forward of the bar F and lies within the recess therefore in the guard
fingers to bring the knives or cutters in proper relation with the fingers to operate
as usual.
This cutter bar G, has at its inner end, as shown, an eye at the point G¹,
for connecting with the driving pitman, which eye has its centre in line with the
centre of the circle of the bearing or ring portion B, of the secondary part of the
shoe, so that the centre of motion of such part and the point at which the sickle or
knife is driven, is a common one, by which means points of the fingers and cutters
or knife can be oscillated or worked up or down without destroying the connection
between the cutter or knife and its driving pitman, and it will also be seen, that
the two centres being at a common point, the pitman is free to act irrespective of
the position of the cutting apparatus.
H, is a lever pivotted at , to the frame of the machine, and extending up to a
point where its upper end will be within reach of the driver, and having attached
to its lower end, the rear end of the rod or link D, as shown in Figure 11. At the
upper end of this lever H, is a bell crank lever connected with a rod ", which
in turn is connected to a sliding catch h³ moving in guides *, on the side of the
lever.
1, is a segmental plate attached to the frame of the machine to co-act with the
lever H, the upper edge having notches i to receive the end of the sliding catch h³,
and lock the lever H, forward or back, or in any position desired to hold the
arm C in a forward or backward or other position as required for the position of
the cutting apparatus. The dotted lines in Figure 11, show the position of the
parts when the cutting apparatus is up, and the full lines, the position of the parts
when the cutting apparatus is down.
J, is a support for the shoe, made in two parts hinged together and pivotally
connected to the shoe and the frame, and a lifting lever, by which the shoe and
cutting apparatus can be raised bodily as usual, the cutting apparatus having a
hinged connection as usual, with the shoe, by which it can be folded up to travel
from place to place, such construction however, forming no part of this invention,
and being therefore not shown.
The feature of supporting and carrying the cutting devices by the oscillating
secondary part of the shoe, is an important one in the construction of Mowers, as
it enables the cutting apparatus or the points of the guards to be oscillated up or
down without disturbing the main portion of the shoe which can run in the same
plane, irrespective of the position of the cutting, apparatus, and this benefit will
accrue to the construction, if the pitman is connected to the cutter or knife or to

page_text: the crank pin, in the usual manner, by a ball and socket joint, which joint will
permit of the oscillation of the cutting apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. An inner or main shoe for a Mowing Machine consisting of two parts one
within the other, the inner part supported at the top and bottom on the outer part
by segmental bearings, the upper bearings being formed on segments of circles of
different diameter from the bottom or side bearing whereby the two points of
bearing are co-acting to resist the strain in raising the cutter bar, and the strain
from the thrust of the cutting apparatus, substantially as and for the purposes
specified.
2. A circle or ring A, side extensions A¹, and cross bar A", having a recess a",
in combination with the circle or ring B, bottom B¹ and extension B₁, having
tongue for supporting the cutting apparatus, substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
3. The circle or ring A, and circle or ring B, in combination with the arm C,
and guide clip E for maintaining the rings against end movement, substantially as
specified.
4. A main shoe of a Mowing Machine composed of two segmental parts, one part
working within the other and held together by the arcs of two pairs of rings or
circles concentric with each other, one pair of arcs being located on one side of the
shoe and the other pair on the opposite side of the shoe substantially as and for
the purpose described.