IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William James Burgess, of Brentwood, in the County
of Essex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND
MOWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 24th November 1865, and dated the 1st June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William James Burgess
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st June 1865.
I, WILLIAM JAMES BURGESS, of Brentwood, in the County of Essex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
In mowing machines, as usually constructed, the framing of the machine is
supported on a pair of wheels mounted on an axle, the cutter bar projects out
from one side of the frame, and a to-and-fro motion is. transmitted to the
knife from this axle. Now, in constructing mowing machines according to
my Invention, I place the gearing for transmitting motion from the axle to
the reciprocating knife on the outer side of the wheel on that side of the
machine from which the knife projects; by placing the gearing on the outside
of this wheel it will when the machine is at work pass over the same line of
ground as that over which a track board or clearer at the outer end of the
cutter bar passed when the machine was cutting the previous width of grass

page_text: or other crop, thus there will be no cut crop lying on the ground below the
gearing, and hence the crank which gives the to-and-fro motion to the knife
may be placed closer to the ground than could otherwise be the case, and so
the connecting rod which connects the knife with the crank pin will be
brought inmore nearly into a line with the knife, and the friction consequent on
working the knife will thus be reduced. The gearing I arrange as follows:-
The wheels on which the machine runs turn in one direction with their axle,
but when they move in the opposite direction they turn on the axle by a
ratchet movement. The axle is made to project beyond the wheel on the side
of the machine from which the knife projects, and on this projecting end of
the axle is fixed a toothed wheel. On this end of the axle is also hung an
arm or frame carrying a pinion that gears with the toothed wheel on the axle.
When the machine is at work the frame is held so as to bring this pinion
below the axle of the running wheels, and somewhat in front of it. Pivotting
on the axis of the pinion is another frame, which passes towards the back of
the machine, and to the rear end of this frame is hinged the cutter bar; this
latter frame also carries a short axis, on one end of which is a crank for
giving motion to the knife, and on the other end a bevil pinion. This bevil
pinion gears with a bevil wheel which is fast on the axis of the pinion that
gears with the toothed wheel on the axle. When the machine is at work the
frame to which the cutter bar is jointed is by preference allowed to turn freely
on the axis of the pinion above mentioned, so that the cutter bar may rest
on the ground, and follow its inequalities; it might, however, if preferred, be
bolted to the frame which is carried by the axle, so as to retain the knife at
any fixed distance from the ground. The frame which turns on the axle is
provided with an arm, by which it can be turned around the axle, so as to
raise or lower the pinion carried by it, and by this means the fingers of, the
cutter bar can be caused to point more or less, upwards from the ground as
desired. Provision is also made for lifting the. frame to which the cutter bar
is jointed, so as to raise the cutter bar entirely off the ground when desired.
The above described arrangement of mechanism for transmitting. motion
from a running wheel to the cutting knife is also a very convenient arrange-
ment for giving motion to the knife of a reaping machine, as by this arrange-
ment the crank which gives motion to the knife can be brought, very close to
the ground, enabling a short connecting rod to. be, employed, and thus. the
imachine may be made of less width than heretofore usual.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William James Burgess in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, WILLIAM
JAMES BURGESS, of Brentwood, in the County of Essex, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William James Burgess, Her special licence that I, the said William
James Burgess, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William James Burgess, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William James Burgess, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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 William James Burgess, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement thereof, that is to say :-
In mowing machines, as usually constructed, the framing of the machine
is supported on a pair of wheels mounted on an axle, the cutter bar projects
out from one side of the frame, and a to-and-fro motion is transmitted to the
knife from this axle. Now, in constructing mowing machines according to my
Invention, I place the gearing for transmitting motion from the axle to the
reciprocating knife on the outer side of the wheel on that side of the machine
from which the knife projects; by placing the gearing on the outside of this
wheel it will when the machine is at work pass over the same line of ground
as that over which a track.board or clearer at the outer end of the cutter bar

page_text: passed when the machine was cutting the previous width of grass, or other
crop, thus there will be no cut crop lying on the ground below the gearing,
and hence the crank, which gives the to-and-fro motion to the knife, may be
placed closer to the ground than could otherwise be the case, and the con-
necting rod, which connects the knife with the crank pin, will be brought
more nearly into a line with the knife, and the friction consequent on
working the knife will thus be reduced. The gearing I arrange as follows:-
The wheels on which the machine runs turn in one direction with their axle,
but when they move in the opposite direction they turn on the axle by a
ratchet movement. The axle is made to project beyond the wheel on the side
of the machine from which the knife projects, and on this projecting end of
the axle is fixed a toothed wheel. On this end of the axle is also hung an
arm or frame carrying a pinion that gears with the toothed wheel on the axle.
When the machine is at work the frame is held so as to bring this pinion
below the axle of the running wheels, and somewhere in front of it.
Pivotting on the axis of the pinion is another frame, which passes towards
the back of the machine, and to the rear end of this frame is hinged the
cutter bar; this latter frame also carries a short axis, on one end of which
is a crank for giving motion to the knife, and on the other end a bevil pinion;
this bevil pinion gears with a bevil wheel, which is
pinion that gears with the toothed wheel on the axle.
fast on the axis of the
When the machine is
at work, the frame to which the cutter bar is jointed is by preference allowed
to turn freely on the axis of the pinion above mentioned, so that the cutter
bar may rest on the ground and follow its inequalities; it might, however, if
preferred be bolted to the frame which is carried by the axle, so as to retain
the knife at any fixed distance from the ground. The frame which turns on
the axle is provided with an arm, by which it can be turned around the axle
so as to raise or lower the pinion carried by it, and by this means the fingers
of the cutter bar can be caused to point more or less upwards from the
ground as desired. Provision is also made for lifting the frame to which the
cutter bar is jointed, so as to raise the cutter bar entirely off the ground when
desired.
The above described arrangement of mechanism for transmitting motion
from a running wheel to the cutting knife is also a very convenient arrange-
ment for giving motion to the knife of a reaping machine, as by this arrange-
ment the crank which gives motion to the knife can be brought very close to
the ground, enabling a short connecting rod to be employed, and thus the
machine may be made of less width than heretofore usual.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and readily

page_text: carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, to
describe the means I employ in performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 a back view of a mowing machine
constructed according to my Invention.
a is the main axle, to which motion is given when the machine is being
drawn in a forward direction by the drivers 63, carried by the wheels b, b¹.
taking into the teeth of the ratchet wheels a¹ on the axle a, but when the
wheels b, b', move in a reverse direction the drivers 6 will slip over the ratchet
wheels a', thereby leaving the axle a in a state of rest; motion is communicated
from the axis a to the cutter bar in the following manner :-A toothed wheel c
keyed fast on the axis a gives motion to a toothed pinion d', keyed fast on the
axis d; this axis d carries a bevilled wheel d, which gives motion to the.
bevilled pinion e' on the crank axis e, the crank & thereon being connected by.
the connecting rod e³ with the cutter bar f. In order to give facility for
throwing in and out of gear the apparatus for giving motion to the cutter,
bar f, the bevilled wheel d* is loose on its axis d, but is capable of being.
caused to move therewith by means of the clutch d³, which revolves with the
axis d, but is capable of being locked with the bevilled wheel d³ by means of
the clutch lever g, which may be fixed in one or other position by the pin g¹.
The finger bar f¹ is hinged at f' to the frame h in such manner that it can.
be turned up entirely off the ground when travelling along the road, but when
in work the cutter bar is allowed to rest upon the ground, as shown in the,
Drawing, and is free to follow the inequalities thereof; but when it is desired,
to raise the cutter bar f over any impediment, or for travelling from one part
of a field to another, the attendant will do so by means of the lever handle i,
which, as is shown, turns on a pin i¹ carried by the frame k, and is connected
with the lever f³, which is pin-jointed at f* to the axis of the finger bar f¹;
and in order that the lever handle i may not fall down and out of reach of tho
attendant on the seat 1, it is by means of the chain 2 connected to the
spring m, which will, however, allow of sufficient motion to the lever handle i
to allow of the cutter bar following the inequalities of the ground, and yet
retain the lever handle i in a suitable position for the attendant to act thereon
when necessary; it will be seen that the frame k is capable of being turned
on the axis a, and of being fixed in any desired position by means of a bolt k¹
passing through one or other of the holes in the quadrant n' carried by the
pole n. The frame is also capable of being turned on the axis & carried by
the frame k, in order to raise or lower the cutter bar f; the frame h may be

page_text: fixed at any suitable height on the frame k, as desired; a track board or
clearer is connected to the outer end of the finger bar f¹, in such manner that
the cut crop shall be placed in such a position that when the machine is at
work, the wheel b¹ thereof will pass over the same line of ground as the track
board or clearer previously passed over when the machine was cutting a
previous width.
When using the machine as a reaping machine the levers i and f³ will be
removed, and the frame h fixed at a suitable height on the frame k by means
of a chain, one link of which would be fastened to the eye h² on the frame h,
whilst another link thereof would be passed over the pin i¹, on which the
lever handle i is fixed; when using the machine as a mowing machine, the
outer end of the finger beam will then be supported by a small wheel, and a
shoe or divider will be applied, as is usual in reaping machines; a tilting hand
delivery platform may be fixed to the finger beam, and in that case the seat
would require to be placed in a position nearly over the wheel 6', in order that
the attendant may be in a suitable position to rake off the cut crop and lower
the platform as desired. This gearing, it will be understood, is readily appli-
cable to other forms of reaping machines, and a competent mechanic will, by
aid of the description before given, make such modifications as will be found
necessary.
What I claim is the arrangement of the gearing of a mowing machine, and
of a combined mowing and reaping machine, on that side of one of the pair
of wheels where the cutter bar is situated, as herein described; and I also
claim the combination of the frames h and k, with the gearing herein
described, when applied to reaping machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said William James Burgess, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.