IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I ADAM CARLISLE BAMLETT of Thirsk, Yorkshire Agricultural Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING
MACHINES" to be as follows:-
In order to facilitate the removal of the sickle I mount the rocking lever upon a
moveable centre (which is held in working position by a bolt) to allow it to be
drawn back when it is required to remove the sickle. I prefer to mount this
rocking lever near to one end of the cutter bar and between the two last clips.
This allows the sickle to be withdrawn by removing only one clip. Or I construct
the end clips to allow the knife eye to pass through.
To bring corn of any length to the knotter so that it shall be encircled by the
band in the proper place I employ a board set on an edge and provided with a
pitch chain mounted upon a pulley at either end. This chain runs parallel or
nearly so with the board and at right angles with the butt ends of the corn, and is
fitted with carrying prongs.
These prongs are either masked or made to feather
at the delivery end, and the whole is pivotted at the receiving end to allow the
other end to be moved nearer to or farther from the knotting mechanism to suit
long or short corn.
To vary
the size of the sheaves without stopping the machine I mount the starting
prongs (against which the sheaf is packed) on a spindle having on its other end a
crank plate loosely fitted and provided with holes, also an arm which may be
centred on the same shaft, this arm or crank is provided with a spring bolt and
holes to alter the position of the starting prongs thereby increasing or diminishing
the size of the sheaf. I actuate the starting prongs through a connecting rod
(having a spring to allow for any over compression of the sheaf) which is attached
to a short lever which is pivotted to the frame at one end and is provided with a
roller at the other end which is guided by a cam on the spur wheel upon the
knotter shaft. This cam has a recess at the point which comes under the roller
when the knotter is thrown out of gear to give sufficient play for tipping which is
accomplished in the following manner. On the face of the cam wheel is mounted
a small bent lever pivotted about the centre and having a projection at one end
which comes under the roller-this lever has a limited movement and is held up in
position to allow the projection to come close under the roller by an adjustable
Spring and the other end of the Lever is so shaped and arranged to come into

page_text: contact with a clutch for throwing the knotter out of gear. The action is as
follows sufficient corn to form the sheaf having been pressed by the packers
against the starting prongs the end of the small bent Lever (which is in contact
with the clutch) mounted upon the cam wheel is tripped by the roller acting upon
the projection at the other end this allows the clutch to fall into gear and the
knotter wheel to make a complete revolution before it is again in position to act
upon the clutch.
In binding the Sheaf I employ an improvement on the Appleby System of
knotting which system consists of the knotter frame and spindle with its fixed and
moveable jaws, the swinging frame carrying the circular string retainer, the string
placer for placing the string under the knotter jaws, the string guide and knife for
guiding the string over the knotter jaws, which also cuts the string when the knot
is formed on the knotter jaws and then pulling the knot out of these jaws.
My improvement dispenses with the swinging frame and the string placer by
giving the string guide a lateral motion preferably by a separate cam towards the
knotter spindle to give slack to form the knot and I allow the hook to make a part
of a revolution backwards at the time the bound sheaf is being discharged to open
the jaws and to bring the hook into a better position for slipping the knot this is
accomplished by forming a recess on the cam for holding the knotting hook pinion
in position.
And I can further simplify the construction and working of the knotting hook
by replacing the spring cam which has hitherto been used for closing the knotter
jaw by a fixed one.
Sometimes to vary the size of the Sheaves I employ a set of prongs or a spindle
under the binding table these prongs can lie flat on the binding table or be raised
above it thus diminishing the depth of space in which the Sheaf is packed and
consequently the size of bundle, the other end of the spindle being provided with
a suitable Lever placed within reach of the driver and held in position by a spring
catch.
For better discharging the bound Sheaf I mount a bracket on the binder.
spindle this bracket carries a supplementary discharging arm which is longer
and has greater range than the ordinary discharging arms, and is driven by
gearing from the binding spindle.
I attach the reel by a double hinged piece to the machine giving it both a
vertical and horizontal adjustment, it is drawn by chain gear held in tension by
bridle connections.
Dated this second day of January 1884.

page_text: hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING
MACHINES "and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object improvements in harvesting machines and these
improvements are illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Figure 1 shews in plan a portion of the platform of a harvesting machine, the
surface covering of the platform is omitted to expose the mechanism below.
Figure 2 is also a plan of a portion of the platform and shows the parts
somewhat differently arranged.
Figure 3 is a plan showing especially some parts of the apparatus connected with
binding the cut crop into sheaves.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, and
Figure 5 is an end elevation showing like parts.
Figure 6 is a plan of the binding table with some of the parts in connection
therewith.
Figure 7 is a rear elevation partly in section; it shows some of the binding
parts and the elevator by which as is usual the cut crop is raised from the platform
of the machine and delivered to the binding mechanism.
Figure 8 shows to a larger scale some of the parts which appear in Figure 5
with some others.
Figure 9 is an end elevation and
Figure 10 is a side elevation of some of the parts of the knotter and shows
especially the means which I provide for imparting movement to the string guide.
Figures 11. 12. 13 and 14 are sectional plans of the string guide and the knotting
hook showing these parts in various positions.
Figure 15 shows a section through the cutter bar and the sickle, also one of the
fingers and the end clip for holding the sickle in place.
The first part of my invention has for its object to facilitate the removal of the
sickle.
In order to facilitate the removal of the sickle I mount the rocking lever upon a
moveable centre (which is held in working position by a bolt) to allow it to be
drawn. back when it is required to remove the sickle. I prefer to mount this
rocking lever near to 'one end of the cutter bar and between the two last clips.
This allows the sickle to be withdrawn by removing only one clip. Or I construct
the end clips to allow the knife eye to pass through.
A is the rocking lever mounted upon a movable centre a¹ carried between two
plates a which are mounted on the frame a' and held in position by bolts. A slot
hole at a allows the lever A to be drawn back when required. The dotted
position in Figure 1 shews the rocking lever drawn back thus disconnecting the
driving part a from the sickle. The sickle can then be drawn out by removing
clips a
Or by making the end clip of a bridge form as shewn in Figure 15 the
sickle can be drawn out without removing the clip. In Figure 2 the centre a¹ of
lever A is drawn back along a slot a² in the plates a³. These plates are fixed to
both top and bottom sides of the frames at and a³. I prefer to mount the rocking
lever A near to one end of the cutter bar and between the last two clips.
Another part of my invention relates to means for adjusting the apparatus to the
length of the crop so that the band by which the sheaf is bound may be applied in
the proper position whether the crop be long or short.

page_text: To bring corn of any length to the knotter so that it shall be encircled by the
band in the proper place I employ a board set on edge and provided with a pitch
chain mounted upon a pulley at either end. This chain runs parallel or nearly so
with the board and at right angles with the butt ends of the corn and is fitted
with carrying prongs. These prongs are either masked or made to feather at the
delivery end. And the whole is pivotted at the receiving end to allow the other
end to be moved nearer to or farther from the knotting mechanism to suit long or
short corn.
B is the butting board, it is set on edge and in such a position that the crop is
delivered by the elevator so that its ends come against the board.
At its upper
end the board B is pivoted and it can be set and secured in a more or less inclined
position. It is provided with a pitch chain 61 mounted upon pulleys 62 and 68
having prongs b which are provided with a mask 65 or these prongs are made to
feather at the delivery end. The whole is pivoted at the receiving end 66 and
driven by a universal joint on the shaft b7 seen in Figure 3. In Figures 6 and 7 it
is shewn driven by peg and skew gear. This allows the delivery end to be moved
nearer or farther from the knotting mechanism to suit both long and short corn.
Another part of my invention has for its object to provide means to vary the
size of the sheaf without stopping the machine. For this purpose I mount the
starting prongs (against which the sheaf is packed) on a spindle having on its
other end a crank plate loosely fitted and provided with holes. I also provide an
arm on the same shaft-this arm is provided with a spring bolt which can be
caused to enter one or other of a series of holes to alter the position of the starting
prongs thereby increasing or diminishing the size of the sheaf.
Care the starting prongs, they are mounted on a spindle c' having at its end a
crank plate c² loosely fitted and connected as hereinafter described with the starting
mechanism. c, c³, are holes in the crank plate. is a spring pin or bolt carried
on the arm upon the spindle c² to alter the position of the starting prong to
increase or diminish the size of the sheaf.
Sometimes to vary the size of the sheaves I employ a set of prongs m on a 3
spindle under the binding table o. These prongs can lie flat on the binding
table or can be raised above it thus diminishing the depth of space in which the
sheaf is packed and consequently the size of bundle. The other end of the spindle
is provided with a suitable lever placed within reach of the driver and held in
position by a spring catch.
Another part of my invention relates to an improved trip arrangement.
3
I connect the starting prongs through a connecting rod (having a spring to allow
for any over compression of the sheaf) to a short lever which is pivotted to the
frame at one end and is provided with a roller at the other end which is guided by
a cam on the spur wheel upon the knotter shaft. This cam has a recess at the 4
point which comes under the roller when the knotter is thrown out of gear. The
tripping is accomplished in the following manner. On the face of the cam wheel
is mounted a small bent lever pivotted about the centre and having a projection at
one end which comes under the roller-this lever has a limited movement and is
held up in position to allow the projection to come close under the roller by an 4
adjustable spring. The other end of the lever is so shaped and arranged as to come
into contact with and to actuate a clutch arm for throwing the knotter out of gear.
When sufficient corn to form the sheaf has been pressed by the packers against the
starting prongs the end of the small bent lever, which is in contact with the clutch,
is moved away by the roller acting upon the projection at the other end. This 5
allows the clutch to fall into gear and the knotter wheel to make a complete
revolution. The lever then again comes into position to act upon the clutch arm
and it moves the clutch out of gear. In Figure 8 d is a connecting rod having a
spring d¹ to allow for any over compression of the sheaf. This rod is attached to
a short levere which is pivoted at e¹ to the frame f. The lever, e is provided with 5
a roller e³ at the other end which is guided by a cain g. The spur wheel / to
which the cam is fixed is keyed upon the knotter shaft h³. The cam g has a recess

page_text: at which comes under the roller e² when the knotter is thrown out of gear
j is a small lever pivoted at 1 upon the wheel; it has a projection at one end
which also comes under the roller c. The lever j has a limited movement and is
held up by spring K. When sufficient corn having been pressed by the packers
against the prongs c they are forced back to position shewn dotted the roller e³ is
drawn down into the recess gl and against the lever j; the end of this lever is
thus removed from the clutch arm and the clutch falls into gear. When the
revolution is completed the lever j coming against throws the clutch out of gear.
Another part of my invention is an improvement relating to the Appleby system
of knotting. The Appleby knotter consists of the knotter frame and spindle with
its fixed and movable jaws; the swinging frame carrying the circular string
retainer; the string placer for placing the string under the knotter jaws; the
string guide and knife for guiding the string over the knotter jaws which also cuts
the string when the knot is forined on the knotter jaws and then pulls the knot
out of these jaws.
My improvement dispenses with the swinging frame and the string placer by
giving the string guide a lateral motion preferably by a separate cam towards the
knotter spindle to give slack to form the knot and to bring the hook into a better
position more under the centre of the knotter.
This improvement will be clearly understood on reference to the drawings.
The Figures 11. 12. 13 and 14 are to a larger scale and show the successive
positions of the string and the knotting hook as they form the knot. E is the
string guide and e¹ is the knife fixed thereto H is the knotter spindle and F is
the cam from which the string guide receives such movements as to admit of the
swinging frame being dispensed with. The form of the cam is clearly seen in
Figure 10.
Figure 11 shows the position of the string guide for receiving the string. Before
the hook begins to revolve the string guide is moved to the position indicated in
Figure 12. In the course of the revolution the knot is formed the string is cut by
the knife and pulled away from the knotter in the usual manner.
Another part of my invention relates to means for the better discharging of the
bound sheaf.
For this purpose 1 mount on the frame a bracket through which the binder
spindle passes; this bracket carries a supplementary discharging arm which is
longer and has greater range than the ordinary discharging arms and is driven by
gearing from the binding spindle. K in Figures 3 and 8 indicates the bracket
and is the supplementary discharging arm. The arm receives motion from
n chain wheel 2 on the binder spindle h' it is geared with the chain wheel k³ on
the pivot of the arm k¹ by the endless driving chain k¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
(1). The method of providing for the removal of the sickle consisting in mounting
the rocking lever on a centre which is movable so that the driving end of the lever
may be drawn back out of the sickle eye.
(2). Making the end clip or clips which hold the sickle of a bridge form so that
the sickle eye may be able to pass beneath as the sickle is drawn out.
(3). Providing a pivoted butting board carrying an endless travelling chain with
prongs for bringing the sheaf into place so that the band may be put around it in
the proper position.
(4). The method of varying the size of the sheaf consisting in connecting the
starting prongs with the starting mechanism by a spring bolt which can be shifted
to alter the relative positions of these parts.
(5). The method of varying the size of the sheaf consisting in providing prongs
or parts within the receiving cavity which can be raised to reduce the capacity of
the said cavity.

page_text: (6). She mechanism for tripping or starting and stopping the binding mechanism
described in respect to Figure 8.
(7). The improvement in the Appleby knotter consisting in dispensing with
the swinging frame and string placer and giving to the string guide a suitable
movement and such as to give slack to form the knot.
(8). The improved means for discharging the bound sheaf consisting in a
discharging arm carried upon a bracket and geared with the binder spindle.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1884.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.