IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I, SYDNEY PITT, of Sutton, Surrey do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES which invention has been commu-
nicated to me from abroad by Palmerantz and Company of Stockholm in the
Kingdom of Sweden to be as follows:-.
This invention has for its object improvements in reaping machines.
The fly by which the crop is laid towards the cutter is driven from the axle of
the main wheels by a pair of bevelled pinions giving motion to an upright
telescopic shaft with universal joints and another pair of bevelled pinions at the
upper end of the shaft; one of these latter pinions is on the axis of the fly. The
bearing for the axis of the fly is carried on a standard which is in two parts
sliding one on the other and adjustable in height by means of a rack and pinion.
The pinion has two pins serving as teeth and is self locking.
The standard is jointed to the inner shoe of the knife apparatus and is held
upright when in use by a stay or strut and is locked by means of an eccentric which
sets the strut down fast against the shoe.
.
The fly has two pair of arms and the arms of each pair are connected by a cord
which serves as a beater. The boss of the fly is so connected with its axis that it
can be released and turned at right angles to the axis for the purpose of reducing
the space occupied by the machine when out of use and arranged for travelling.
The crop as it is cut is received on to an inclined platform or cradle consisting
of parallel bars fixed to the under side of a cross bar which is pivotted behind the
cutting apparatus.
13'
The cradle is supported by a link bar from the longer arm of a bell crank lever.
A spring connected with the shorter arm of the lever operates to raise the cradle.
The cradle is moved to deposit the sheaf by a treadle to which a partial rotary
motion is imparted by the foot; an arm fixed to the treadle and connected by a
link with the shorter arm of the bell crank lever transmits the movement of the
treadle to the lever and so causes the cradle to descend. When the cradle is up the
joint' connecting the treadle arm with the link passing to the bell crank lever is in
.
な

page_text: the line of thrust, or nearly so, and the cradle is then supported independently of
the spring.
In machines in which the height of the cutter bar from the ground is adjustable
a joint is provided at the foot of the upright which supports the fly to give the
requisite freedom of movement, and a stay is provided passing from near the top
of the upright to the shafts. In such machines also the divider is formed with a
guide embracing the outer finger but allowing it to move up or down whilst the
divider rests on the ground. Stay apparatus is provided to secure the parts when
the machine is folded for travelling.
Improvements in Reaping Machines.
I, SYDNEY PITT of Sutton, Surrey do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (a Communication to me from abroad by Palmerantz and Company of
Stockholm in the Kingdom of Sweden) 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 reaping machines.
The fly by which the crop is laid towards the cutter is driven from the axle of
the main wheels by a pair of bevelled pinions giving motion to an upright
telescopic shaft with universal joints and another pair of bevelled pinions at the
upper end of the shaft; one of these latter pinions on the axis of the fly. The
bearing for the axis of the fly is carried on a standard which is in two parts sliding
one on the other and adjustable in height by means of a rack and pinion. The
pinion has two pins serving as teeth, and is self locking.
The standard is jointed to the inner shoe of the knife apparatus and is held
upright when in use by a stay or strut and is locked by means of an eccentric
which sets the strut down fast against the shoc.
The fly has two pair of arms and the arms of each pair are connected by a cord
which serves as a beater. The boss of the fly is so connected with its axis that it
can be released and turned at right angles to the axis for the purpose of reducing
the space occupied by the machine when out of use and arranged for travelling.
The crop as it is cut is received on to an inclined platform or cradle consisting
of parallel bars fixed to the underside of a cross bar, which is pivotted behind the
cutting apparatus.

page_text: The cradle is supported by a link bar from the longer arm of a bell crank lever.
A spring connected with the shorter arm of the lever operates to raise the cradle..
The cradle is moved to deposit the sheaf by a treadle to which a partial rotary
motion is imparted by the foot; an arm fixed to the treadle and connected by a
link with the shorter arm of the bell crank lever transmits the movement of the
treadle to the lever and so causes the cradle to descend. When the cradle is up the
joint connecting the treadle arm with the link passing to the bell crank lever is in
the line of thrust, or nearly so, and the cradle is then supported independently of
the spring.
In machines in which the height of the cutter bar from the ground is adjustable
a joint is provided at the foot of the upright which supports the fly to give the
requisite freedom of movement, and a stay is provided passing from near the top
of the upright to the shafts. In such machines also the divider is formed with a
guide embracing the outer finger but allowing it to move up or down whilst the
divider rests on the ground. Stay apparatus is provided to secure the parts when
the machine is folded for travelling.
.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed
αρματων Banged IOT WORK.
Figure 2 is a side view partly in section of the same.
Figure 3 is a front view of the machine arranged for transport.
Figure 3 represents the attaching screw of the fly.
Figure 4 is a section on the line a. b. (Figure 2).
Figure 4b is a side view of the key for the rack.
Figure 5 is a section on the line c. d. (Figure 2).
Figure 6 is a front view of the lower part of the standard.
Figure 6b is a section on the line g. h. (Figure 6º).
Figures 7 to 14 represent the principal dispositions to be made when the grain
depositing apparatus is applied to a reaping machine with stubble regulating
apparatus where the knife apparatus is pivotted on the centre of a supporting
wheel situate behind it.
Figure 7 is a front view of the standard with foot fixed on the inner shoe of the
knife apparatus.
Figure 8 is a side view of the same.
Figure 9 is a side view of the standard stay.
Figure 10 is a plan of the same.
Figure 11 is a side view of a stay serving to support the standard and knife
during transport.
Figure 12 is a plan of the same.
Figure 13 is a side view of the straw divider and
Figure 14 is a section of the same on the line e. f. (Figure 13).
The automatic grain depositing apparatus consists of two main parts, the fly
and the cradle or platform with the treadle mechanism. The former when revolv-
ing lays the grain towards the platform, which, when it has received the quantity
determined by the driver is caused to deposit it on the ground by a simple treadle
mechanism.
The fly is put in motion in the following manner; The driving ratchet on the
right side of the machine viewed from behind is on the inner side provided with a
conical pinion 1 gearing with a corresponding pinion 2 on a shaft which runs in a
bearing 3. This shaft is by means of a universal coupling 4 connected with the
hollow shaft 5 which receives the inner shaft 6.

page_text: The parts 5 and 6 are connected by a groove and feather. 'Another universal
and the axis 9 of the
coupling 7 connects the shaft 6 with the conical gearing
fly. The axis 9 is supported by the bearings 10 projecting from and cast together
with the rack bar 11. The bar 11 is able to slide upon the standard 12 mounted
on the inner shoe of the knife apparatus. The rack may at pleasure be raised or
lowered by means of a key 13 which is so disposed, that the rack always remains
at the height to which it is set. The standard 12, is locked in its place and made
to stand erect upon the knife apparatus by means of the stay 14 and its strut 15,
so that, if for instance a stone or such like raises the knife apparatus at the outer
end, the shaft of the fly nevertheless remains parallel with the knife apparatus.
As the machine advances. the fly 16 revolves in the same direction as the driving
wheel of the machine. This fly 16 is provided with two pair of arms and these at
their outer ends are connected by cords or like flexible connections which are less
likely to beat out the grain from the ears than boards or like rigid connections.
The cradle or platform with the treadle mechanism works in the following
manner.
The cradle 17 has its outer pivot 18 fixed in the straw divider 19 which in its
turn is fixed upon the outer finger 20 of the knife apparatus and upon the attach-
ment 21. The inner pivot 22 is supported by an ear or bearing on the shoe.
Against the inner pivot of the cradle and parallel with the bars of which the
cradle is composed there is a bar 23 on which a vertical guard 24 is fixed. To the
lower edge of this screen is fixed on a pivot a link-bar 25, and the opposite end of
it is jointed to the bell crank lever 26. This has its fulcrum on a bearing 27 and
it maintains the cradle always at a suitable angle to the knife apparatus. The
lever 26 is supported by means of a spring 28 one end of which is secured at the
short arm of the bell crank lever and the other to the stay 29 of the draught shaft.
The treadle mechanism consists of the link 30 projecting from the short leg of the
bell crank lever and the intermediate link 31 jointed to it and fixed to the
treadle 32 which latter is pivoted on the treadle attachment 33. When the back
end of the treadle is brought downward by the foot the treadle turns about the joint
connecting it with the treadle support 33 and carries with it the link 31 which is
fixed to the treadle. The link 30 which is jointed to 31 then pulls upon the short
arm of the lever 26 and extending the spring 28 moves the lever about its fulcrum
lowering the end to which the link 25 is attached and so it lowers the cradle
towards the ground. Similarly when after lowering the cradle the fore end of the
treadle is brought downward the cradle is raised from the ground.
As the longitudinal bars of the cradle contrary to those used before are fixed
.upon the underside of the cross bar, they get very close to the ground whereby the
deposition of the sheaves is facilitated." The cradle cannot unless the treadle is
moved fall to the ground whatever the weight of the corn collected upon it, because
when the cradle is raised the joint between the links 30 and 31 is beneath the line
connecting the centres of the end of the links and this point of junction must find
be raised above the said line by means of the treadle, before the cradle is able to
move automatically.
The rack 11 will always remain at the wanted height when not put in motion
by the key 13. because as is seen in Figure 4 the weight of the rack 11 is sup-
ported by the pins a and b of the key and these pins in consequence of the pressure
of the teeth upon them tend simultaneously to move to the left. But this is
impossible as they can only move by the rotation of the key and they are on
opposite sides on the centre. The. simultaneous tendency of the pins to move in
the same direction prevents all motion of the rack, until the key is turned by hand
to the right or to the left :according to the direction downwards or upwards
required to be given to the rack.
The strut 14 of the standard 12 operates thus; the lock piece 15 of the strut is by
its pivot secured to the standard 12 and on the other side of the standard' provided
with an eccentric pin on which the strut 14 titself is secured. When the löck

page_text: piece 15 is brought upwards the strut 14 is raised from the shoe and when brought
downwards the strut is pressed against the shoe as seen in Figure 6º.
When the apparatus is folded for transport the lock piece serves to support the
standard in Figure 3º.
The grain depositing apparatus works in the following manner. When the
reaping machine is made to move forward with the cradle. raised from the ground,
and the knife apparatus and the fly working, the grain is by the fly laid towards
the knife and as it is cut it falls upon the cradle on which it remains until the
driver judges the sheaf to be of sufficient size; he then deposits it on the ground
by means of the treadle.
The sheaf will then owing partly to its weight and partly to the aid received
from the stubble pass from the cradle to the ground during the continued forward
motion of the reaping machine.
The cradle when clear of the sheaf is again raised by the driver by means of the
treadle and a new sheaf is formed.
When transporting the reaping machine to and from the field the automatic
grain depositing apparatus is folded up in the following manner.
1st The fly is raised to its highest position.
2nd The strut 14 of the standard is removed from the shoe.
3rd The knife apparatus is raised in the usual manner by means of its lever 34
.so that the pawl of the lever enters the second notch of the ratchet 35 the knife
apparatus when folded upwards is secured by means of the knife stay 36.
4th The attachment screw 37 of the fly is loosened so much as to permit the
lump below its head to escape from the oblong hole in the boss of the fly, the
latter is then drawn outwards clear of a little pivot 38 on the outer end of
the shaft and is folded down as shewn in Figure 3 and this being done the
screw 87 is again tightened.
Figures 7. 8. 9 and 10 represent arrangements for the application of the grain
depositing apparatus to a machine provided with a stubble regulating apparatus.
As the knife apparatus is pivotted on the centre of the supporting wheel 40 and
as this wheel is situated behind the knife apparatus the standard 39 is provided
with a foot 41 united with the standard, by the bolt 42. The standard is pivotted
on this bolt. The standard is also provided with a stay 43 engaging with the
pivotted eye 44 at the top of the standard. The stay 43 is also secured to the
shaft of the machine by means of the attachment 45.
If the stubble height be altered by turning the knife apparatus upwards or
downwards the fly nevertheless retains its position with respect to the knife
apparatus because the standard 39 is pivotted on the bolt 42 and because the
stay 43 maintains the top of the standard in its right place.
The strut 46 is by means of a pivot united by the lock picce 47 and this by
means of a pivot is secured in the foot 41. The lock piece 47 at its fore end enters
into a hole in the shoe of the knife apparatus and in this position the lock piece 47
serves also to clear the crop from the shoe. The strut and the lock piece constitute
as shown in the drawings, a toggle the intermediate joint of which lies when.
locked a little beyond the line through the centres.
Figures 11 and 12 represent a stay mechanism to be used when travelling. The
object is that the standard 39 after its strut 46 has been folded up, may be
supported till the knife apparatus is folded up. This stay is for this purpose
secured at one end 48 to the shafts whilst the hook 49 is secured to the ear 50 of
the standard see Figure 8 then the knife apparatus is folded up and secured by
means of the tenon 51 and the key 52.
Figure 13 represents the divider viewed from the side and Figure 14 is a section
of the same on the line ef Figure 13. As the knife apparatus is pivotted on the
centre of the supporting wheel the divider is provided with a guide-53 Figure 14
enclosing the point of the outer finger of the knife apparatus. The divider thus
can always follow along the ground irrespective of the raising or lowering of the
knife apparatus.

page_text: 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
First. A reaping machine provided with a fly 16 receiving its motion from two
pair of bevilled pinions connected by a telescopic and jointed coupling shaft.
Second. A reaping machine with a By so arranged as to be unlocked from its
shaft and then folded down to be out of the way for travelling.
Third. A reaping machine provided with a fly the arms of which are connected
by cords or other flexible material of like nature.
:
Fourth. A reaping machine the fly of which can be raised and lowered by a
rack 11 and a key 13 with only two teeth.
Fifth. A reaping machine the fly shaft of which is supported by a standard 12
jointed to the knife apparatus and kept upright therein by a stay or strut.
:
Sixth. A reaping machine provided with a cradle 17 the longitudinal bars or
lats of which are secured to the underside of the cross bar of the cradle.
Seventh. A reaping machine with a cradle which may be raised lowered and
locked by a treadle 32 in combination with the lever apparatus and link bar.
Eighth. A reaping machine the divider of which has a guide 53 embracing the
outer finger and which guide permits the divider to remain on the ground whilst
the knife apparatus is raised or lowered.
Dated this 16th day of April 1886.-