IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND BINDING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Post Lawrence, of Worship Street, Finsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING AND BINDING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by
William Robert Butler, of Windsor, Nova Scotia, Dominion of Canada,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Post Lawrence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th August 1879.
JOHN POST LAWRENCE, of Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND BINDING MACHINES." [A communi-
cation from abroad by William Robert Butler, of Windsor, Nova Scotia, Dominion
of Canada.]
The object of this Invention is the construction of an improved reaping and
binding machine, the nature of which improvements is embodied in the following
description and explanation.
I commence with the driving wheel, which carries on the right face a complete
circle of bevelled cogs of convenient radius, and upon the left face a friction rim
of convenient radius covered with some material suitable to the increase of friction
between surfaces in contact.
Working in combination with the cogs upon right face of driving wheel is a
pinion connected by means of a short shaft with another cogged wheel of suitable
radius; this latter works in combination with a pinion attached to the main
working shaft of the reaping apparatus. This shaft is placed in a position parallel
to the face of the driving wheel, and carries at its rear end the pinion just
mentioned together with a single or double chain pulley, as the case may require,
(these pulleys are connected with the arrangement for giving motion to the
travelling canvas platform and elevator, of which I shall speak shortly), and at the
forward end a wheel or crank for giving motion to the knives; upon this shaft
also turns a roller, one of those upon which the travelling platform moves.
The knives, knife, and cutter bars are the same as in ordinary use. The knife
bar may be worked from the crank or wheel by means of a pitman, as is the
common practice, or I reserve to myself the right of doing away with the pitman,
and working the knife bar directly from the crank or wheel, allowing for the,

page_text: vertical motion of the crank or connecting pin of the wheel by means of a slotted
vertical piece at end of cutter bar.
The chain pulley beforementioned at rear end of main shaft works by means of
chain band a roller at summit of elevator, and if necessary may be made to work
another roller at extreme right of travelling canvas platform; the latter (platform)
together with the elevator form an endless canvas belt, constructed in one or more
longitudinal sections, and furnished with transverse slats or rows of points for
retaining the grain in position; motion is communicated to it by means of the
roller or rollers hereinbefore mentioned, such travelling platforms and elevators are
in common use in connection with reaping machines.
Upon the outside of grain platform (i.e. at the extreme right of the machine) is a
ground wheel of convenient size carrying upon outer face a chain pulley; the reel
or beater is carried by two slats working upon hinges at the rear of the platform.
In the same straight line with the axes of these hinges and upon the right side of
the platform is another double chain pulley working by means of chain band with
the pulley upon outer face of ground wheel, and in its turn working by means of
chain band a wheel affixed to the axle of the reel or beater, thus the slats which
are made to move in guides carrying the reel or beater, may be elevated or
depressed without in any way interfering with the revolution communicated to the
reel or beater by means of the ground wheel before mentioned. The elevation or
depression of the reel or beater may be rendered necessary by the different heights
of grain that the machine is called upon to cut, and it is effected by means of a
shaft carried by two uprights affixed near the rear of the platform. The shaft
carries a roller or pulley at each extremity; over these rollers or pulleys chains
pass that are attached to the slats carrying the reel or beater. The shaft is turned
by means of a lever working in a rack, which lever is under the control of the
driver.
The desired height of cut is obtained by means of a tilting lever which is in
combination with a rod, which rod is again in combination with a second lever,
attached to the latter is a table carrying a castor wheel; this wheel runs upon the
ground, and the height of its axle of course regulates the elevation of the forward
part of the machine; thus, the height of the cutter bar above the ground is
regulated, at the same time the cant necessary to be given to the knives, &c., to
make them work in a horizontal plane is communicated to them by means of a rod,
working in combination with the said tilting lever, and with the shoe in which the
cutter bar, &c., rests: The tilting lever is under the power of the driver.
I now proceed to explain the working of the binding apparatus.
this
The grain falls from the elevator into a rack placed immediately below the same
and over the binding platform; one side of this rack (the left) works upon a pivot,
and is retained in position for receiving the grain by means of a spring catch. The
binder, who has bis seat at the side of the binding platform, releases the catch
either by hand pressure upon a lever placed for that purpose and connected with
the catch, or by the pressure of his foot upon a treadle similarly connected;
allows the grain to fall upon the binding platform between two pivoted curved
arms suitably placed, and also upon the upturned teeth of a rake, which can be
made to slide towards the rear end of binding platform along a slot which is made
in the latter; upon further pressure of said lever or treadle a friction roller is
pressed by means of combined levers and sliding axle box (thus, or otherwise),
against the before mentioned friction rim of the driving wheel. Connected with
this friction roller by means of a shaft are a drum and ratchet, to the drum are
fastened chain bands which are attached to the horizontal bars or elbows by which
the curved arms beforementioned are terminated upon the other side of their pivots,
the revolution of the drum caused by the contact of the beforementioned friction
roller and rim, and the consequent winding of the chain bands draws down
the horizontal bars or elbows, and the curved arms are pressed with great force
around, and upon the grain lying within them, thus forming it into a tightly
compressed sheaf.

page_text: The right hand curved arm carries near its extremity a block through which is
run a cord of manilla or some suitable binding material, which is drawn from a
bobbin or from a ball contained in a box fixed near the curved arms, the end of this
cord is retained constantly in the hand of the binder, and in this way the cord is
under the sheaf when the latter has fallen from the rack. The curved arms are
retained in their positions of pressure upon the sheaf by means of the before-
mentioned ratchet (note, the friction rollers, and most of the machinery connected
with them, lie underneath the binding platform).
After the binder has knotted the cord over the sheaf and severed it upon a knife
placed for that purpose upon or near one of the curved arms, a slight pressure upon
a second treadle or lever releases the ratchet, and the curved arms are caused to
spring back to their positions of rest by means of suitable springs attached to
them; a further pressure upon the last mentioned treadle brings another friction
roller by means of levers, chain, and sliding box (thus, or otherwise), into contact
with friction rim of driving wheel; this friction roller works in combination with
a drum to which is fastened a chain attached under the binding platform to the
beforementioned rake; the revolution of the friction roller and consequent winding
of the chain around the drum carries the rake, dragging the sheaf with it, to the
rear end of the binding platform, where the sheaf either tips over upon the ground
or may be conveyed thither by means of an inclined plane; the rake is made to
run in a slot formed in the binding platform, and upon the release of the treadle by
the binder and the consequent freedom from contact of the friction roller, the rake
is drawn back to its first position by means of a suitably acting spring.
The butting board which closes the forward end of the binding platform is
capable of adjustment to suit grain of any height, by means of a screw or rack
giving its lower extremity a motion inwards, this will also serve to insure the
band of the sheaf being central.
From the foregoing explanations it will be seen that the size and degree of
compression given to the sheaves are within the control of the binder, also, that
in working by means of the treadles, the only operation that he has to perform
with his hands is that of tying the knot, and that the only other movements
necessary for completing and throwing off the sheaf are, first, two successive
pressures upon the left treadle with the left foot followed by two successive
pressures upon the right treadle with the right foot.
Instead of attaching the whole of the binding apparatus to the reaper I reserve
to myself the right of attaching if desirable such portions of it as shall suffer the
sheaf to fall upon the ground unbound, the mechanism for opening the rack before
mentioned will then be placed under the control of the driver.

page_text: i
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jolin Post Lawrence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
February 1880.
JOHN POST LAWRENCE, of Worship Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND BINDING MACHINES." A communi-
cation from abroad by William Robert Butler, of Windsor, Nova Scotia, Dominion
of Canada.
The object of the Invention communicated to me is the construction of an
improved reaping and binding machine, and the nature of the improvements will
be fully understood from the following description, aided by reference to the accom-
panying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 a front view, Figure 3 a
back view, and Figures 4 and 5 end views of a reaping and binding machine con-
structed according to this Invention. Similar letters in all the Figures represent
similar parts.
I will first describe the driving wheel A, which carries on the right face a
complete circle of bevelled cogs a of convenient radius, and upon the left face a
friction rim b of convenient radius, such rim being covered with some suitable
material for increasing the friction between the surfaces in contact.
Working in combination with the cogs a upon the right face of the driving wheel
A is a pinion c, connected by means of a short shaft d with another cogged wheel e
of suitable radius. This latter wheel e works in combination with a pinion fattached
to the main working shaft B of the reaping apparatus; this shaft B is placed in a
position parallel to the face of the driving wheel A, and carries at its rear end the
pinion f, herein before described, together with the chain pulleys g, g'; these pulleys
are connected with the arrangement for giving motion to the travelling canvas
platform and elevator, as hereinafter described.
The said shaft B carries at its forward' end a wheel or crank h for giving motion
to the knives, which are of the ordinary construction, and are not therefore shewn
in the Drawing. Upon this shaft B also turns the roller i, which is one of those
over which the elevator E moves.
The knife and cutter bars as well as the knives are the same as those in ordinary
use. The knife bar D is worked from the crank wheel h, preferably by means of
the slot ; on the end of the knife bar D (or the ordinary pitman may be used), the
said vertical slot ; allowing for the vertical motion of the pin of the crank
wheel h.
The chain pulley 9, before described, at the rear end of the main shaft B works
by means of the chain band k and the pulley la roller m at the summit of the
elevator E, and the pulley g¹ works, by means of the pulley G, another roller F at the
extreme right of the travelling canvas platform C. This latter platform, together with
the elevator E, may if desired form an endless canvas belt, constructed in one or
more longitudinal sections, and furnished with rows of points n (or transverse slats)
for retaining the grain in position. Motion is communicated to it by means of the
rollers herein before described, such travelling platforms and elevators being similar
to those now ordinarily used in connection with reaping machines.
Upon the outside of the grain platform C (ie., at the extreme right of the
machine) is a ground wheel H of convenient size, and carrying upon its outer face
a chain pulley o. The reel or beater I is carried by the slats J, J, working upon
hinges at p at the rear of the platform, as shewn. In the same straight line with
the axis of these hinges, and upon the right side of the platform, is another double
chain pulley q, working by means of the chain band r with the pulley upon the
outer face of the ground wheel H, and in its turn working by means of the
chain bands a wheel t fixed to the axle K. The slats J, carrying the reel or
beater I, move in the guides u, and may thus be elevated or depressed without

page_text: in any way interfering with the revolution communicated to the reel or beater I
by means of the ground wheel H. The elevation or depression of the reel or
beater I may be rendered necessary by the different heights of grain that the
machine may be required to cut, and this elevation or depression is effected by
means of the shaft L carried by the two uprights M, M, fixed near the rear of the
platform C. This shaft L carries a roller or pulley v, v, at each extremity. Over
the rollers or pulleys v pass the chains w, such chains w being attached to the slats J
carrying the reel or beater I. The shaft L is turned by means of the lever
working in a rack y, the said lever x being placed. under the control of the
driver.
The desired height of cut is obtained by means of the tilting lever N, which is in
combination with the rod z, which rod z is again in combination with a second
lever a', attached to which is a table b¹ carrying a caster wheel c'; this wheel c¹
runs upon the ground, and the height of its axle will regulate the elevation of the
forward part of the machine, and will thereby regulate the height of the cutter
bar D. At the same time the cant necessary to be given to the knives and other
parts, to cause them to work in a horizontal plane, is communicated to them by
means of the rod P working in combination with the said tilting lever N and with
the shoe in which the cutter bar D rests. The tilting lever N is under the
power of the driver.
I will now proceed to describe the construction and working of the binding
machine attached to the hereinbefore described reaper.
•
The grain falls from the elevator E onto a rack Q, which is placed immediately
below the same and over the binding platform R. The left hand side of the rack Q
works upon a pivot f1, and is retained in the position shewn in the Drawing for
receiving the grain by means of a spring catch arrangement h², h³. The binder,
whose seat S is fixed at the side of the binding platform R, releases the catch h¹ by
the pressure of his foot upon a treadle on the lever j' connected with the catch h¹
(or a hand lever may be employed).. The rack being thus released the grain falls
upon the binding platform R between the two pivoted curved arms T, T¹, placed as
shewn, and also upon the upturned teeth of a rake k¹, which can be made to slide
towards the rear end of the binding platform R along a slot shewn in dotted lines
in Figure 1 in the platform R. Upon further pressure of the said lever j', or the
treadle, a friction roller l' is pressed by means of a combination of levers m³, m³,
m³, m, operating the rod or chain n', which pulls the sliding axle box o¹ against
the hereinbefore described friction rim 6 of the driving wheel A. Connected with
this friction roller by means of a shaft p¹ are a drum q' and a ratchet r¹ and catch ².
To the drum q' are fastened chain bands 8¹, 82, which are attached to the horizontal
bars or elbows t¹, to, by which the hereinbefore described curved arms T, T', are
terminated upon the other side of their pivots. The revolution of the drum q¹
caused by the contact of the said friction roller land rim b, and the consequent.
winding of the chain bands 84, 88, draws down the said horizontal bars or elbows,
and the curved arins T, T', are pressed with great force around and upon the grain
lying within them, thus forming it into a tightly compressed sheaf.
The curved arm T carries near its extremity a block U, through which is run a
cord u¹ of manilla or some suitable binding material, which is drawn from a bobbin
or from a ball: contained in a box v¹ fixed near the curved arms, as shewn. The
end of this cord is retained constantly in the hand of the binder, and in this way
the cord is under the sheaf when the latter has fallen from the rack. The curved
arms are retained in their positions of pressure upon the sheaf by means of the
herein before described ratchet r' and catch . It will be noticed that the friction
rollers and most of the machinery connected with them lie underneath the binding.
platform.
;
After the binder has knotted the cord over the sheaf and secured it the cord is
cut upon a knife placed for that purpose upon or near one of the curved arms, a
slight pressure upon a second treadle or lever.w releases the ratchet r¹, and the
curved arms T, T¹, are caused to spring back to their position of rest (shewn in

page_text: the Drawing) by means of suitable springs x1 attached to them, a further
pressure upon the treadle w brings another friction roller y¹, by means of a
chain and sliding box 22 (or by any other suitable arrangement) into contact
with the friction rim b of the driving wheel A; the friction roller y¹ works in
combination with a drum V, to which is fastened a chain W, attached under the
binding platform to the before mentioned rake ; the revolution of the friction
roller y', and consequent winding of the chain W around the drum V, carries the
rake (dragging the sheaf with it) to the rear end of the binding platform R,
where the sheaf either tips over upon the ground or may be conveyed thither by
means of an inclined plane. The rake k¹ is made to run in the herein before described
slot in the binding platform, and upon the release of the treadle w¹ by the binder,
and the consequent freedom from contact of the friction roller y¹ the rake is drawn
back to its first position by means of a suitably acting spring.
The butting board X, which closes the forward end of the binding platform R,
is capable of adjustment to suit grain of any height by means of a suitable
arrangement, such as a screw and rack, giving its lower extremity a motion
inwards, this will also serve to insure the band of the sheaf being central.
Figure 6 shews a plan of a modification of the arrangement for operating the
binding mechanism, which I sometimes employ. In this Figure A is the driving
wheel, on the hub of which is a bevelled cog wheel a, in which gears a horizontal
wheel B; c is an upper projection on the wheel B; d is a spring in combination
with a rod e and a cord f, passing under the roller J.
.
When the projection c on the wheel B presses against the spring d the said
spring will draw the rod e a short distance back, and thus by means of the cord f
running under the roller g will release the hereinbefore described ratchet (which
prevents the rack from tipping) from its catch, and also will bring the screw nut
on the rod e against the shoulder on the sliding box o¹. As soon as the rack has
tipped the spring d is further pressed by the broader part of the projection c, thus
drawing the box c' in a backward direction and pressing the friction roller Z¹
against the friction rim b the drum q¹ is thus turned, and the arms are brought
over the unbound sheaf and held there by means of the ratchet and catch 2
before described; after the projection c has passed the spring d the said spring d
comes back to its forward position. The horizontal wheel B revolves until the lower
projection c¹ on the wheel B presses the spring d' (which is in combination with
the rods k and i) in a forward direction; when the narrow end of the projection c¹
presses against the spring dit disconnects the pawl and the ratchet on the drum,
thus letting up the arms which press the sheaf.
When the spring d' is further pressed by the broader part of the projection c¹ it
draws the rod k in a forward direction, thus bringing the friction roller y' and
the rim b together, the band wheel V is thus turned, and the sheaf is thrown off
by means of the rake and the band.
The size of the sheaf is regulated by means of a slide under the horizontal wheel
with tooth and roller on the end of the slide, and fitting in a groove in the clutch
marked x, Figure 6; the spring d¹ is lower than the spring d, so that the pro-
jection c may pass over the spring d' without touching it.
From the preceding description it will be seen that the size and degree of com-
pression given to the sheaves are within the control of the binder; also that in
working by means of the treadles the only operation that he has to perform with
his hand is that of tying the knot, and that the only other movements necessary
for completing and throwing off the sheaf are, first, two successive pressures upon
the left treadle with the left foot, followed by two successive pressures upon the
right treadle with the right foot.
Instead of attaching the whole of the binding apparatus to the reaper I reserve
to myself the right of attaching, if desirable, only such portions of it as shall allow
the sheaf to fall upon the ground unbound, the mechanism for opening the rack
before mentioned will then be placed under the control of the driver.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention communicated to me, and the

page_text: best means with which I am acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein laid
down and shewn in the Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing
from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I do claim is,―
Firstly. The friction rim on the left face of the driving wheel, as and for the
purposes herein before described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The main working shaft of the reaping apparatus running through the
platform roller as hereinbefore described, and working the cutter bar directly from
the pinion wheel, either with or without the use of a pitman, substantially as
hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The application and employment of the crank or wheel on the forward
end of the main shaft for communicating horizontal motion directly to the cutter
bar by means of the slotted vertical piece thereon, substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Fourthly. The application of the ground wheel upon the extreme right of the
machine and the machinery connected with it and the reel or beater, as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing.
Fifthly. The combination of mechanism connected with the tilting lever for
regulating the height of the cut and the cant of the cutter, substantially as herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Sixthly. The general arrangement and construction of the apparatus for
collecting, binding, and throwing off the bound sheaf, as hereinbefore set forth,
and also the arrangement for dropping the sheaf upon the ground, all substantially
as herein before described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Post Lawrence, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
0 Witness,
J. F. REDFERN,
Patent Agent,
4, South Street, Finsbury,
London.
JOHN P. LAWRENCE. (L.S.)