IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING AND COLLECTING HAY, AND FOR CUTTING THISTLES AND WEEDS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IN WHOLE OR IN PART ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS WHERE TEETH OR TINES ARE USED
Year: 1859

page_text: Agricultural Implement Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR MAKING AND COLLECTING HAY, AND FOR CUTTING THISTLES AND
WEEDS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IN WHOLE OR IN PART ARE APPLICABLE TO
OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS WHERE TEETH OR TINES ARE USED."

page_text: reverse way. Fourth, to an arrangement by which the machines may be used
for raking and collecting hay or other material. Fifth, to a method of
attaching blades for cutting thistles and other weeds to the machine.
Heretofore the teeth of hay-making machines have been arranged to follow
in the same track, which, though answering perfectly for hay-making, is not
found effective for other purposes, such as harrowing & manure spreading.
My improvements consist in inserting the teeth so that they follow in different
tracks, and the most effective means I find to be the employment of a larger
number of heads than heretofore, by preference, nine, though I do not bind
myself to that number; and I arrange the teeth in three sets, in such manner
that the arrangement on every third fork head is alike. This does away with
an additional number of teeth for these purposes. 1 find in harrowing or
manure spreading it is of great importance that the teeth should be bent the
reverse way from what they are when hay-making, and to effect this the fork
heads either be reversed, or the machine altogether, if properly con-
stru
'may be inverted by turning over the shafts.
I further adapt the machine for raking; the flyers or forks, instead of being
driven by the gearwork, are loose on the spindle, as in travelling; but by an
arrangement of lever and catch, or other contrivance, they are held firm, and
when full are free to revolve, and are again arrested to allow of another set of
teeth being brought into work. For cutting thistles and weeds I fasten the
cutting blades on the fork tines without any additional shank, and shoulder
the tooth a short distance from the point, so that it affords an abutment for
the blade. I screw a portion of the tooth between the shoulder and the point
and fasten the blade by nuts to the screwed teeth. 1 use a blade rather more
than one-third the length of each fork head, and fix one blade on each, so that
they do not follow in the same track.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, WILLIAM
NEWZAM NICHOLSON, of Newark-on-Trent, Agricultural Implement Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Newzam Nicholson, Her special licence that I, the said
William Newzam Nicholson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Newzam Nicholson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 MACHINES FOR MAKING AND
COLLECTING HAY, AND FOR CUTTING THISTLES AND WEEDS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
IN WHOLE OR IN PART ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
WHERE TEETH OR TINES ARE USED," upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said William Newzam Nicholson, 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 1, the said William Newzam Nicholson, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention relates, first, to an improved method of arranging the teeth
in double-action hay-making machines, so that they do not follow in the same
track. Second, to the employment of a larger number of fork heads than
heretofore. Third, to working the machine with the tines the reverse way to
that ordinarily followed. Fourth, to an arrangement by which the machines
may be used for raking and collecting hay, weeds, or other material.
And
fifth, to a method of attaching blades for cutting thistles and other weeds
to the machine.
Heretofore the teeth of hay-making machines have been arranged to follow
in the same track, which, though answering perfectly for hay-making, is not
found effective for other purposes, such as harrowing and manure spreading.
My improvements consist in inserting the teeth so that they follow in different
tracks, and the most effective means I find to be the employment of a larger

page_text: number of fork heads than heretofore, by preference, nine, though I do not
bind myself to that number; and I arrange the teeth in three sets, in such
manner that the arrangement on every third fork head is alike. This does
away with the necessity for an additional number of teeth for these purposes.
A larger number of fork heads may be used if the size of the machine is
increased; but I prefer that the number should be a multiple of three or four.
I find in harrowing or manure spreading it is of great importance that the
teeth should be bent the reverse way from that generally followed, and to
effect this the fork heads must either be reversed, or the machine altogether,
if properly constructed, may be inverted by turning over the shafts; for this
purpose the back band collar and harness hooks are made reversible, or a set
is attached to each side of the shafts.
The next part of my Invention relates to a method by which the same
machine may be made available for raking and collecting hay or weeds, and to
effect this attach a lever by a joint to the centre of the axle or other con-
venient part of the machine, to which lever catches are fixed, which drop into
grooves made in the bush to which the flyers with the teeth attached revolve.
By raising or depressing the lever the forks are held firm, so as to act as a
rake, and when full are released and allowed to revolve till another set is
brought into work, where they are held firm in their turn by the lever before
described. For cutting thistles and weeds I fasten the cutting blades on the
fork times without any additional shank and shoulder, the tooth a short distance
from the point, so that it forms an abutment for the blade. I screw a portion
of the tooth between the shoulder and the point, and fasten the blade by nuts
to the screwed teeth; I use a blade rather more than one-third the length of
cach fork head, and fix one blade on each, so that they do not follow in the
same track.
The manner in which I attach the cutting blades to the fork tines is
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing. a, a, a, are the cutting blades,
which are placed on the fork tines b, b, and there secured by nuts c, c. The
teeth are shouldered a short distance from their points, in order to form an
abutment for the blade to rest against.
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 arrangement of the teeth in double-action hay-making machines,
so that they follow in different tracks, and in the employment of an increased
number of fork heads, as herein-before described.
Second, the method herein-before described for reversing the machine in

page_text: order that the curvature of the tines be in the opposite way to that in which
they are for hay making.
Third, the arrangement herein-before described by which the machine is
made to act as a rake for collecting hay, weeds, or other materials.
And, fourth, attaching blades to the fork tines for cutting thistles and weeds,
as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Newzam Nicholson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty.
WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON. (L.s.)