Improvements in Reaping and Mowing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 24th May, 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reaping and Mowing Machines.
I SAMUEL BRASSINGTON BAMFORD of the Firm of Henry Bamford and Sons of
Leighton Iron Works Uttoxeter in the County of Stafford Agricultural Engineers do
hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention has reference to such reaping and mowing machines as are commonly
called enclosed gear machines and my said invention consists of the construction and
arrangement of the parts hereinafter described of the gearing of the said machines
and adjuncts connected with the said gearing.
By my improvements the train of wheels of the gearing is so arranged that the
crank shaft from which the knife or cutter is worked is parallel or nearly so with the
finger bar and the first motion wheel can be keyed on the main or driving axle with
an ordinary key and access to the said key readily obtained. Further the last pair of
wheels that is the bevil wheel and crank shaft pinion are situated underneath the main
axle instead of on the same level as the said axle whereby the excessive friction
caused by the bevil wheel rotating at a high speed on a large shaft like the main axle
is wholly or mainly prevented.
In carrying my invention into effect I place the whole of the gearing for working
the machine in a trough or box shaped casting called the main bracket which is
mounted at or near the middle of the main axle between the road wheels the said axle
working in sleeves on the said bracket. The front side of the main bracket carries
an inclined forward extension which supports the crank shaft and the hinge bar. The
hinge bar stay also pivotted to the said bracket under the main axle. The first
motion spur wheel is keyed on the main axle at one side of the trough shaped recess
or box or main bracket the open space on the other side of the said box or recess
affording sufficient room for the ready withdrawal of the key. Behind the first
motion spur wheel and on the same level as the main axle is a spur pinion which
gears with the first motion spur wheel. Cast solid with this spur pinion is the second
motion spur wheel. Underneath and gearing with the second motion spur wheel is
placed another spur pinion which has a bevil or third motion wheel cast solid with it.
This third motion bevil wheel is geared with the crank shaft bevil pinion which is
situated under the main axle. The crank shaft carries at its forward end a crank by
the movement of which a reciprocating motion is communicated to the knife in the
ordinary way,
The second motion spur pinion is mounted upon a shaft having an eccentric at each
end. One end of the said shaft projects beyond the gearing box or bracket and has a
foot lever keyed upon it. By the driver of the machine giving a half rotation to the
said foot lever the pinion gearing with the first motion spur wheel is ungeared from
that wheel and the whole mechanism thereby thrown out of gear with the main axle.
When the first motion spur pinion is by the action of the eccentrics and lever
described thrown out of gear with the first motion spur wheel the second motion spur
wheel being east solid with it also partakes of the same motion but this motion not
being to any extent a vertical movement it does not lift the second motion spur wheel
gear with the third motion spur pinion underneath it. The advantage obtained
by the-arrangement of gear constituting the essential part of my invention is that
only one set of wheels is required to be thrown into and out of gear instead of two
sets as in enclosed gear machines of the ordinary kind in which the second motion
pinion is placed on the main axle of the machine. The second and third motion
out of

page_text: wheels if mounted on hollow shafts with oil holes at their outer ends can be lubricated
from outside the gearing box without removing the cover of the said box which is
necessary in ordinary enclosed gear machines.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1889
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reaping and Mowing Machines.
I SAMUEL BRASSINGTON BAMFORD of the Firm of Henry Bamford and Sons of
Leighton Iron Works Uttoxeter in the County of Stafford Agricultural Engineers do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention and the manner in which the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention has reference to such reaping and mowing machines as are commonly
called enclosed gear machines; and my said invention consists of the construction and
arrangement of the parts hereinafter described of the gearing of the said machines
and adjuncts connected with the said gearing.
By my improvements the train of wheels of the gearing is so arranged that the
crank shaft from which the knife or cutter is worked is parallel or nearly so with the
finger bar and the first motion wheel can be keyed on the main or driving axle with
an ordinary key and access to the said key readily obtained. Further the last pair of
wheels that is the bevil wheel and crank shaft pinion are situated underneath the main
axle instead of on the same level as the said axle, whereby the excessive friction
caused by the bevil wheel rotating at a high speed on a large shaft like the main axle
is wholly or mainly prevented.
In carrying my invention into effect I place the whole of the gearing for working
the machine in a trough or box shaped casting called the main bracket, which is
mounted at or near the middle of the main axle between the road wheels the said axle
working in sleeves on the said bracket. The front side of the said bracket carries a
forward extension which supports the crank shaft and the binge bar. The hinge bar
stay is also pivotted to the said bracket under the main axle. The first motion spur
wheel is keyed on the main axle at one side of the trough shaped recess or box or
main bracket, the open space on the other side of the said box or recess affording
sufficient room for the ready withdrawal of the key. Behind the first motion spur
wheel and nearly on the same level as the main axle is a spur pinion which gears with
the first motion spur wheel. Cast solid with this spur pinion is the second motion
spur wheel.
Underneath and gearing with the second motion spur wheel is placed
another spur pinion which has a bevel or third motion wheel cast solid with it. This
third motion bevil wheel is geared with the crank shaft bevil pinion which is situated
under the main axle. The crank shaft carries at its forward end a crank by the
movement of which a reciprocating motion is communicated to the knife in the
ordinary way. The second motion spur pinion is mounted upon an eccentric part of
a shaft the concentric ends of which turn in bearings in the gearing box. One end of
the said shaft projects beyond the gearing box or bracket and has a foot lever keyed
upon it. By the driver of the machine giving a half rotation to the said foot lever
the pinion gearing with the first motion spur wheel is ungeared from that wheel and
the whole mechanism thereby thrown out of gear with the main axle. When the
second motion spur pinion is by the action of the eccentric part of the shaft and lever
described thrown out of gear with the first motion spur wheel the second motion spur
wheel being cast solid with it also partakes of the same motion but this motion not
being to any extent a vertical movement it does not lift the second motion spur wheel
out of gear with the third motion spur wheel underneath it. The advantage obtained

page_text: by the arrangement of gear constituting the essential part of my invention is that
only one set of wheels is required to be thrown into and out of gear instead of two
sets as in enclosed gear machines of the ordinary kind in which the second motion
pinion is placed on the main axle of the machine.
I will now describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation and Figure 2 in plan an enclosed gear mowing
or reaping machine containing my improvements; Figures 3, 4 and 5 represent,
drawn to a larger scale, the gear by which the motion of the main or driving axle
and 4
is transmitted to the crank shaft for working the knife or cutter; Figures
representing elevations of the gear taken in planes at right angles to one another
(with the main bracket trough or box and cover in section) and Figure 5 a plan of the
same with the cover removed: Figures 6 and 7 represent the eccentric shaft of the
gearing in its two positions.
The other Figures represent details of the machine as hereinafter described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
a a are the road or travelling wheels of the machine turning loosely on the ends of
the main or driving axle & the said axle turning in sleeves c, c carried by the main
bracket trough or gear box d in which the gearing for working the machine is
situated is the cover of the gear box. The spokes of the road or travelling
wheels a a may either be made of cylindrical rods or of H shaped bars as represented
in Figure 8.
The loose road or travelling wheels a, a of the machine are geared to the main
axle on the advancing motion of the machine by spring pawls e, e of the kind
represented in Figure 9 carried by the said loose wheels engaging with ratchet teeth
in the boxes fƒ fixed on the main axle b. The ratchet boxes ff which I use have
internal teeth of a V shape as represented in Figure 9 for the pawls e e to engage
with or slip over.
When the road or travelling wheels a, a are advancing in the direction of the arrow
represented in Figure 9 the pawls e, e engage with the shoulders of the V shaped
teeth of the ratchet boxes and carry with them the said boxes and the axle & fixed
to them.
The travelling or road wheels a a are thus locked to and drive the axle b during the
advancing motion of the machine.
When the pawls e, e rotate with the road or travelling wheels in a direction contrary
to that indicated by the arrow in Figure 9 the said pawls retire from and slip over the
teeth of the ratchet boxes and the road or travelling wheels are no longer geared to the
driving axle b.
It will be seen by an examination of Figures 1 and 2 that the main bracket, trough
or gear box d supports the driver's seat g and also carries at its front side a forward
extension which supports the crank shaft i and the hinge bark; is the hinge bar
stay pivotted to the inain bracket under the main axle b; m is the finger bar and m³
the fingers and n is the knife or cutter of the ordinary kind.
The gearing for working the machine from the main axle 6 contained in the bracket
or gear box d and cover d² is constructed and operates as follows:-
p is the first motion spur wheel which is keyed ou the main axle at one side of the
trough or main bracket d. It will be seen by reference to Figure 5 that the open
space on the opposite side of the trough to that occupied by the wheel p affords
sufficient room for the ready insertion and withdrawal of the key by which the said
wheel
is fixed to and released from the main axle b. The said first motion spur
wheel
gears with a spur pinion g turning loosely on the eccentric part 2 of the
shaft q, q³ the said shaft being parallel with and nearly on the same level as the main
axle b; is the second motion spur wheel cast solid with the spur pinion q. The second
motion spur wheel gears with the spur pinion s beneath it on the axle s² the said

page_text: ..
pinions having a bevil' or third motion wheel 'cast solid with it. The third motion
bevil wheel gears with the bevil pinion u on the crank shaft passing tinder the main
axle b. The crank shaft i carries at its forward end the crank by the movement of
which and its crank rod a reciprocating motion is communicated to the knife or
cutter n in the usual way.
By driving the crank shaft i from the bevil wheels t, u' situated at a lower level
than the first and second motion spur wheels p, q as represented the said crank shaft
from which the cutter is worked is situated in a plane parallel or nearly so to the
finger-bar m of the machine instead of being considerably inclined thereto as usual and
greater freedom of working thereby obtained.
For the purpose of throwing the pinion.q of the second motion spur wheel rout of
gear with the first motion spur wheel p on the main axle b-I adopt, the arrangement of
parts represented in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. That is to say; the second motion
spur pinion is mounted loosely with its spur wheel r upon the part 2 of the
shaft g, the part 2 being eccentric to the larger ends 93, 93 of-the said shaft, the
said larger ends 7, 93 turning in bearings d³, d³ in the gearing box'd and its cover d² (see
Figure 4). One end of the shaft has a foot lever keyed upon it projecting beyond
the gearing box'd. When the pinion g is in gear with the spur wheel p the eccentric
part of the shaft and its foot lever a are situated on one side of the concentric or
enlarged ends q³ ³ of the shaft as illustrated in Figures 3, 5 and 6. By the driver of
the machine giving a half rotation to the foot levere in the direction of the arrow in
Figure 3, the enlarged or hearing ends q, q3 of the shaft turn in their bearings and
the eccentric part 2 of the shaft is moved over to the opposite side of the centre
line of the concentric parts of the shaft and occupies the position represented in the
separate view. Figure 7 the said eccentric part of the shaft carrying with it the pinion q
and spur wheel the said pinion 'q. and 'spur wheel' taking the positions indicated
in dotted lines in Figure 3.
'In taking this position the pinion g is' ungeared from the first motion spur wheel p
and the mechanism driving the knife or cutter n is thrown out of gear with the main
axle b. It will be seen by an examination of Figure 3 that when the first motion spur
pinion is by the action of the eccentric part of the shaft and-foot lever thrown
out of gear with the first motion spur wheel p the second motion spur wheel is not
thrown out of gear with the third motion spur pinion s beneath it as the motion for
ungearing the pinion y from the wheel p is principally a laterai motion the vertical
motion given to the said pinion 9 being insufficient to remove the second motion spur-
wheel r out of gear with the third motion spur pinion's as will be understood by an
examination of Figure 3. Thus by the use of this arrangement of gear only one set of
wheel's is required to be thrown out of gear instead of two sets as in enclosed gear
machines of the ordinary kind.
The second and third motion wheels-if mounted on hollow shafts with 'oil holes
at their outer ends can be lubricated from outside the gearing box d without
removing the cover d² of the said box, which is necessary.in ordinary enclosed gear
machines.
:
. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention.
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that claim as
my invention of "Improvements in reaping and mowing machines," :-
⚫. The construction and arrangement of the parts of the gearing of enclosed gear
machines herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings by
which gearing the motion of the main or driving axle is transmitted to the crankshaft
for working the knife or cutter of the machine; that is to say, arranging the second
motion spur pinion (gearing with the first motion spun wheel) and the second motion
spur wheel on an axis parallel to the main or driving axle the said pinion and second
motion spur wheel being connected together or, cast solid and arranging underneath
the said second motion'spur wheel and gearing therewith a second motion, spur pinion

page_text: which has a bevil or third motion wheel cast upon or fixed to it the latter wheel
gearing with the crank shaft bevil pinion, the said arrangement of gearing being
combined with an eccentric shaft for throwing the second motion pinion into and out
of gear with the first motion spur wheel, the several parts being combined and acting
for the purposes and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated the 22nd day of May 1890.
SAMUEL BRASSINGTON BAMFORD.