IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Hellard, Ironmonger, of Taunton, Somerset
for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Hellard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th March 1859.
I, ROBERT HELLARD, Ironmonger, Taunton, Somerset, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
⚫ 1st, for the better raising than heretofore of laid or beaten down corn, and
bringing it up towards the knives or cutting apparatus, and thus placing it in
a more favorable position to its being cut, and further correctly disposed of, by
the useing a feathered knife guard, the point of which being always in advance
of the knife brings it up in a position to be cut.
..
2ly, to bind the corn on the machine with its own material by employing
a leaver dividing rake or other suitable apparatus, and placing a platform on
the side or part on which the corn is bound, by persons riding on the same
for that purpose: The corn being brought to the side or platform by useing
an endless band or bands travelling on rollers, arid with an extra band for
delivering in a continuous swathe.
3ly, revolving steel rods to act as vanes suspended over the knives from the
machine for the purpose of causing the corn or grass to lean towards the knives
and back part of the machine, so as more readily to fall in a proper direction
when cut.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Hellard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
HELLARD, Ironmonger, Taunton, Somerset, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Hellard, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Hellard, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as the said Robert
Hellard, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND
MOWING MACHINES," upon the _condition (amongst others) that I, the said
'Robert Hellard, 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 Robert Hellard, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
i The object of my Invention is to effect a better raising than heretofore of
laid or beaten down corn, and bringing it up unto or towards the knives or
cutting apparatus of the machine, and thus placing it in a more favorable
'position to its being cut, and further correctly disposed of by the employment of
'creepers made of iron or other suitable substance. I prefer the creepers some-
thing the shape of a common plough coulter or an unground carving knife
blade, the points of which are to be in advance of the knives, reaching near
the ground, and extending the hinder part in a rising direction back over the
knives or cutting apparatus, or the useing of a feathered fingered knife guard,

page_text: .
the point or which being always in advance of the knife, brings it in a better
position to be cut.
My Invention also consists in preventing short ears being cut off by placing
a machanical roller with two, three, or four wings behind the knives adapted
for long or short crops.
My Invention also consists of binding the corn on the machine with its own
material by employing a lever dividing rake, and placing a cradle platform on
the side or part on which the corn is bound, by persons, riding on the same for
that purpose, or removing the cradle and leaving the corn as divided by the
rake in sheaves on the ground, ready to be tied up. The corn being brought
to the side or platform by useing an endless band or bands of canvas or other
suitable material travelling on rollers and with an extra band for delivering
a continuous swathe. The canvas being kept in its proper travelling position
by iron or other rods fixed to chains attached to the canvas.
I also claim the use of steel or metallic rods to act as real vanes suspended
over the front part of the knives from the machine, for the purpose of causing
the corn or grass to lean towards the knives and back part of the machine, so
as more readily to fall in a proper direction when cut.
Figure 1st is a prospective view of a reaping machine with my lever
dividing rake A, winged roller C, featherd fingered knife guard D, matalic
reel rod E, vanes with the rods F, chains G, for working the travelling band H.
The whole of the machinery is worked by the mean driving wheel I, which
when drawn forward rolls on the ground, against which wheel is placed a bevil
wheel, annexed to which is a cranked arm that drives the knives.
Figure 2nd is the cradle platform for binding the corn, which, when used, is
fixed to the machine behind the rake A, proximately to the roller B, for
receiving the corn in sheaves.
Figure 3 is one of the feathered fingered knife guards, of which any number,
size, or shape might be used, and that may be suitable for all reaping and
mowing machines, provided the principle of the creepers or feathered knife
guards be retained.
Figure 4 is a two winged roller to be employed behind the knives to prevent
the short ears being cut off, the same as C in Figure 1.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the employment of creepers or feathered fingered knife guards for the
purpose of raising laid or beaten down corn.
Second, the constructing of winged rollers in reaping and mowing machines
in such manner as herein-before described.

page_text: Third, the binding of corn on the machine with its own material, by em-
ploying a lever dividing rake or other suitable apparatus, cradle, platform, and
bringing the corn to the same or side of the machine, as before described.
Fourth, the use of steel or matalic rods for reel vanes to be employed in
reaping or mowing machines, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Hellard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
ROBERT HELLARD. (L.s.)