IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Charles Ransome, of Ipswich, in the County
of Suffolk, Agricultural Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING MACHINES." - A communication from abroad by Stanislaus
Sealed the 30th June 1863, and dated the 2nd January 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Charles Ransome
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd January 1863.
I, ROBERT CHARLES RANSOME, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Agri-
cultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REAPING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping machines. For
these purposes, in order to deliver the cut crop at the side of the machines in
quantities suitable to be tied up into bundles, a single rake is used, which is
mounted at the end of an arm which moves on a suitable axis. The lower
ends of the rake teeth when delivering the cut crop come close to and are
moved over the platform of the machine. The arm with its rake as above
mentioned performs or reciprocates to and fro in the segment of a circle
of about 90°. The platform of the machine is formed of a segment of a
circle, the cut crop is received on to the front end of the platform where

page_text: the cutters are situated, and the cut crop is delivered at the other end of the
platform which comes to the side of the machine. The outer edges of the
platform are raised. The arm of the rake receives its reciprocating motion
primarily from the rotatory motion of the running wheel or wheels, from which
the cutters also derive their motion in an ordinary manner. The rake in its
return stroke, after delivering a quantity of the cut crop, is, as before stated,
caused to rise and pass back over the platform, so that the teeth are well
above the platform, and also above the further quantity of the cut crop thereon.
The requisite motions to the arm of the rake are by preference imparted to it
by means of a crank pin or excentric or suitable cam, which gives motion to a
connecting rod, which at its other end moves on a rocking lever or links. The
connecting rod, by a lever mounted on an axis carried by the connecting rod,
gives motion to the axis of the arm of the rake, and causes it to move in the
are of a circle, for which purpose one end of such axis of the arm is arranged
to move or turn about an axis, whilst the arm of the rake is also made to
perform a partial rotation by the outer end of the lever (the axis of which is
carried by the connecting rod) being connected or attached to an arm or pro-
jection at the other end of the axis of the arm; and all the necessary motions
to the rake are thus arranged to be given without any sudden or injurious
changes of motion, but on the contrary all the motions are easy and steady.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Charles Ransome in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st July 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
CHARLES RANSOME, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Agricultural Engi-
neer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Charles Ransome, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Charles Ransome, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Robert Charles Ransome, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
tines thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES," a communication to me from abroad
by Stanislaus Lilpop, a person resident at Warsaw, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Robert Charles Ransome, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Charles Ransome; do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping machines. For
these purposes, in order to deliver the cut crop at the side of the machines in
quantities suitable to be tied up into bundles, a single rake is used, which is
mounted at the end of an arm which moves on a suitable axis. The lower
ends of the rake teeth, when delivering the cut .crop, come close to and are
moved over the platform of the machine. The arm with its rake performs or
reciprocates to and fro in the segment of a circle of about 90°. The platform
of the machine is formed of a segment of a circle, the cut crop is received on
to the front end of the platform where the cutters are situated, and the cut
crop is delivered at the other end of the platform which comes to the side of
the machine. The outer edges of the platform are raised. The arm of the
rake receives its reciprocating motion primarily from the rotatory motion of
the running wheel or wheels, from which the cutters also derive their motion
in an ordinary manner. The rake in its return stroke, after delivering a
quantity of the cut crop, is, as before stated, caused to rise and pass back over
the platform, so that the teeth are well above the platform and also above the
further quantity of the cut crop thereon. The requisite motions to the arm of
the rake are by preference imparted to it by means of a crank pin or excentric
or suitable cam which gives motion to a connecting rod, which at its other end
moves on a rocking lever or links. The connecting rod, by a lever mounted on
an axis carried by the connecting rod, gives motion to the axis of the arm of
the rake, and causes it to move in the arc of a circle, for which purpose one
end of such axis of the arm is arranged to move or turn about an axis, whilst
the arm of the rake is also made to perform a partial rotation by the outer end
of the lever (the axis of which is carried by the connecting rod) being con-
nected or attached to an arm or projection at the other end of the axis of the

page_text: arm; and all the necessary notions to the rake are thus arranged to be given
without any sudden or injurious changes of motion, but on the contrary all the
motions are easy and steady.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, I will proceed more fully to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a side elevation; Figure 3 is also a side
elevation, with portions removed in order to expose the apparatus for moving
the rake more clearly to view; Figure 4 is a plan of the apparatus for moving
the rake, shewn detached from the machine; Fig. 5 is a side elevation ;
and Figure 6 is a back view of the same. The same letters have reference to
the same parts in all the Figures.
The Drawings shew many parts which are common to most reaping
machines shall therefore refer only to such as serve to illustrate the
improvements. a is the axis upon which the running wheel b is fixed; 'c is a
spur wheel, also fixed to the axis a, being part of the first motion for obtaining
the requisite speed for the cutting knives. In one of the arms of the spur
wheel c is fixed a stud d, by which one end of the connecting rod e is carried
round in a circle. The opposite end of the connecting rod e is attached to a
pin fin the rocking lever or links 9, 9, which move on a stud h, fixed to the
framework of the machine. The connecting rod e carries a pin i, upon which
the lever is mounted and has motion. The end of the lever j is connected
with the arm or radius rod k by the ball-and-socket joint l. The arm or radius
rod k has motion horizontally on the pin m and vertically on the studs n, n.
The pin m works in a block o, which is capable of being adjusted vertically by
the screw p, and is clamped firmly by the nut q to the bracket 1, which is
fixed in a convenient position to the frame of the machine. The rake arm s
is fixed to the arm or radius rod k, and terminates in a socket t for the
reception of the rake u. It will be seen that the rake and its arm have a
reciprocating motion horizontally about the centre m, and vertically about the
axis of the studs n, n, such motion being communicated by the combination of
the connecting rod moving in a circle at one extremity, and being connected
with a rocking lever at the other extremity, and carrying a lever moveable on a
pin fixed to the connecting rod at a point intermediate between the extremities.
The effect of this compound motion is to cause the lower ends of the rake
teeth, when delivering the cut crop, to come close to and move over the
platform of the machine in the segment of a circle of about 90°, and in its
return stroke, after delivering a quantity of the cut crop, to rise and back
pass

page_text: over the platform, so that the teeth are well above the platform and also above
the further quantity of the cut crop thereon.
The Drawings shew the connecting rod e actuated by a stud in the spur
wheel c, but it is obvious that an excentric or suitable cam might be used to
produce the same result; and I would have it understood that I do not claim
any of the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise
mechanical details shewn on the Drawings; but what I claim is the combining
of such parts as are herein described for the purposes above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Charles Ransome, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
ROBERT CHARLES RANSOME.
(L.S.)
ROBERT CHARLES RANSOME. (L.S.)