IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTERS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander, of 36, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign
Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTERS."
A communication from abroad by Samuel D. Maddin, of St. Paul, Ramsey
County, Minnesota, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd May 1881.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 36, Southampton Buildings, in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTERS." A communication from abroad by Samuel
D. Maddin, of St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota, in the United States of
America.
The said Invention relates to a mower adapted for cutting grass or grain, and
constructed as hereinafter described, so that the cutter bar may conform to the
inclination of the ground without altering the relation of the cutter bar and driving
appliances. Also to certain constructions, arrangements, and combinations of
parts whereby the various parts of the machine may be adjusted and operated with
facility, and the strength and efficiency of the structure increased.
The main frame is carried by the wheels in any suitable manner, and to this
frame is centrally pivotted the cutter frame carrying the fingers and cutters.
Centrally with the axis on which the cutter frame vibrates is the driving shaft of
the crank-wheel, the wrist pin of which is connected by any suitable appliances to
the cutter bar. On a rotary motion being imparted to the crank wheel the cutter
bar will be reciprocated without changing the relative positions of the intermediate
connections while the cutter frame can tilt laterally to either side so as to conform
to the irregular face of the ground without affecting the connections between the
crank-wheel and the driving mechanism. These features may be embodied in
various structures, but the following combinations and arrangements of parts

page_text: constitute the leading and more important features in the said improved mower or
reaper, that is to say :-
1. The combination of a main frame supported by running wheels, a cutter-
frame carrying the cutter bar, and centrally pivotted at the rear to the main
frame, and a driving crank arranged upon the shaft concentric with the pivot and
connected to the cutter bar to operate the same.
2. The combination of a main frame carried by running wheels, the cutter-frame
centrally pivotted to the main frame, the crank-wheel, a side crank shaft, and
rods or links connecting the cranks of said shaft to the cutter bar and driving
wheel.
3. The combination of the main frame, 'pivotted cutter-frame, and suitable
appliances for raising and depressing the rear bar of the cutter-frame.
4. The combination of the main frame, the pivotted-cutter frame having a shank
with bars fitting in sockets of said shank, bearing wheels at the forward end of
the pivotted frame, and appliances for raising and depressing the rear bar of said
pivotted frame.
5. The combination with the pivotted frame of independent crank shafts con-
nected each to the rear bar and frame, and devices for adjusting said shafts
separately or together.
6. The combination of the independent crank shafts having notched hubs with
a notched bracket, slides, pawl, and cranks.
7. The combination with the pivotted frame of bearing wheels arranged back
of the cutters, and suitable appliances for raising and depressing the rear portion
of the said frame.
8. The combination of the pivotted frame with guards and jointed shields and
gathering plates.
9. The construction of pivotted cutter-frame consisting of tubes and corner
pieces, the latter provided with appliances for securing the bars of the frame after
adjustment.
10. The combination of a pivotted cutter-frame, main frame, and diagonal
.stays.
11. The combination of guards, a,knife in two sections, and rock frames at each
side of the pivotted frame, each connected to the adjacent knife section, and with
the driver from the central crank-wheel.
12. The combination of a rope or cord with standards having eyes for the passage
of the cords below the line of horizontal draft, and with whiffletrees secured to the
ends of the cord.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd October 1881.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 36, Southampton Buildings, in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTERS." A communication from abroad by Samuel
D. Maddin, of St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota, in the United States of
America.
The said Invention is a mower adapted for cutting grass or grain, and con-
structed, as hereinafter described, so that the cutter bar may conform to the
inclination of the ground without altering the relation of the cutter bar and driving
appliances.
This Invention further consists in certain constructions and arrangements,
whereby the various parts of the machine may be adjusted and operated with
facility, and the strength and efficiency of the structure increased.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures,
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a plan view of the improved mower, the upper
frame being removed; Figure 2 is a side view with one of the wheels removed;
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation; Figure 4 is a front elevation; Figure 5 is a
detached view.
The main frame J is carried by the wheels in any suitable manner, and to this
frame is centrally pivotted the cutter. frame A carrying fingers C³, C³, and
cutters B.
Centrally with the axis on which the frame A vibrates is the driving shaft a
of the crank wheel C, the wrist pin of which is connected by any suitable appliances
to the cutter bar. On a rotary motion being imparted to the wheel C the cutter
bar will be reciprocated without changing the relative positions of the intermediate
connections, while the frame A can tilt laterally to either side so as to conform to
the irregular face of the ground without affecting the connections between the
crank wheel C and driving mechanism. While these features may be embodied in
various structures, that which I have shown in the accompanying Drawings will be
found most effective.
The frame J consists of a T shaped hollow bracket, the central stem ; of which
receives the driving shaft a of the crank wheel, and carries the tubular shank A'
of the frame A, while the transverse head j' has lateral hollow arms j² constituting
part of the frame, and through which passes the axle b carrying near each end a
ratchet wheel b'.
Pawls 62 hung to the wheels 63 engage with the ratchets, and are pressed against
the same by springs b* (see Figure 5), the said springs resting upon pins 68, and so
curved that when a pawl is turned to the position shown in dotted lines it will be
held away from the ratchet by the pin b slipping into the yoke of the spring.
The shaft a has a rear pinion a' gearing with a bevel wheel a² upon a shaft a³
carried by the main frame, and this shaft has a clutch a operated by a hand
lever a and carrying a pinion aª which gears with the toothed wheel be attached
to the axle.
.
By operating the lever at the pinion as may be thrown in and out of connection
with the shaft ³ so as to throw the cutters into and out of operation during the

page_text: forward movement of the machine. A like result may be secured by throwing
upward the pawls 62, when they will be held by the springs 6 while moving the
machine from place to place.
The frame A is most economically made, while great strength and rigidity is
secured by using tubes c, c¹, c², c², and c³, for the sides and ends, the corners con-
sisting of socketed elbows d, d, d², d!.
The sections c, c', turn in sockets in and project laterally from the shank A¹,
enter the elbows d, and are secured each by a set screw 2, which may be loosened
and then tightened so as to adjust and secure the remainder of the frame in any
desired position in respect to the parts carried by the upper bar. Other devices
may replace the set screws.
The lower tubular bar c³ is the guard bar supporting the fingers or guards C³,
and turning in the elbows d¹, so that the guards may be turned to any angle found
desirable. Any suitable means for turning the bar c³ may be employed. A con-
venient arrangement consists of a crank shaft E, one end of which carries the
lever E', while the crank E2 at the other end is connected by a rod f to an
arm extending from the bar c³, which may thus be turned by moving the
lever E¹.
A crank pawl g pivotted to the lever E¹ to be operated by a crank arm g³
engages with a stationary rack g¹, so that the lever and its connections may be held
in any position to which they are adjusted or released for further adjustment by a
simple grasp at the upper end of the lever. •
The frame A is braced by means of diagonal stays h extending to the rear end
of the shank A¹, and may be turned, lowered, or elevated by means of a lever F
pivotted to a bracket e upon a frame I hung to the axle shaft, and carrying at the
forward end the reel frame L.
Between the bracket e and side brackets e¹ & e² extend two crank shafts M, M¹,
in line with each other, and provided with hubs e³, et, having notches to receive
the lower ends of slides e5, e, carried by the lever F, and each operated by a
crank e pivotted near the upper end of the lever. The crank arm of cach lever is
connected by a chain el to the upper bar of the frame A below. Another crank es
pivotted at the upper end of the lever F is connected to a crank pawl e that
engages with a ratchet at the upper edge of the standard e so as to secure the lever
in any position to which it is set.
When either slide is in the notch of the hub below it the corresponding shaft
will turn with the lever, and by winding or unwinding a chain eo, thus raising or
lowering the frame A at that side. Either shaft may be turned at will, or both
may be turned together by means of the lever F, the effect being to draw upon one
or both chains e10, turn the frame J in the axle, and lift the inner portion of the-
frame A, thus altering the angle of the frames J, A, to each other, and the angle of
the frame A to the ground. It will be seen that by the proximity of the operating
cranks e², es, these movements can be effected without removing the hand from its
position near the upper end of the lever F as the driver occupies his seat..
The cutter bar may be driven from the crank wheel C by any suitable
appliances, but I prefer to use two double crank shafts H, H', hung to brackets of
the frame A, which may be substantially parallel with the ground, the rear arm /
of each shaft extending upward and being connected to one of the rods /² attached
to the wrist pin of the crank wheel, and the forward arm extending downward
and being connected by a link to the cutter bar. By this construction the
cutter bar is driven as directly as if it were in line with the crank wheel. More-
over I am enabled to readily secure an extended movement of the cutter bar
so as to throw the knife through two of the fingers at each stroke, by which I can
reduce the speed one half without decreasing the efficiency of the machine.
It will be noticed that I have shown a crank shaft at each end of the frame, an
arrangement which I adopt for use with a cutter bar in two sections, each driven
from one end, thereby reducing friction.
The wheels 3, 4, supporting the cutter bar behind and in front, turn each

page_text: upon a stud of a plate 5 pivotted to the frame and slotted to receive a. securing
bolt 12 by which the frame after being set at any desired position may be firmly
fixed.
By properly adjusting the wheels by these or by equivalent devices, the height
of the front portion of the cutter bar can be varied at pleasure. These wheels
further serve as bearing points upon which to tilt the frame A, so as to raise or
lower the front portion with its guards and cutters. For this purpose the sections
c, c', of the rear bar are connected each to one end of a yoke O. By depressing or
raising the outer end of the yoke O, the frame A is brought at an angle to its
shank A¹, the rear bar being depressed, and the outer bar elevated, the frame
rocking on the wheels 3, or the inner bar of the frame will be clevated and the outer
bar depressed. The yoke is provided with a notched arm 13 engaging with the
pin 14, and by which it may be secured in any desirable position.
The guard fingers may be attached in various ways. I prefer to perforate the
front tubular bar, and to provide each finger with a shank n (Figure 3) which is
passed through said perforation, and rivetted at the inner end or secured by a nut.
By these various adjustments of the frame A and its parts, the cutters may bo
raised or lowered, tilted to any desirable angle, and will automatically conform to
the contour of the ground, however irregular the same may be, and these move-
ments are effected without altering the relative positions of the driving appliances
without excessive friction, while all the parts are under the control of the driver,
whose seat N is secured to a bracket projecting from the frame J. By securing
the seat to the frame J, the frame A is counterbalanced by the weight of the
driver.
It will be noted that the frame J, supported by the axle, affords bearings for the
frame A, the axle, and driving shafts; that the whole is strong, compact, and durable,
free from joints, and without bolts.
The construction of the frame A of tubes and elbows is attended with like
advantageous results.
Where a reel is not required the frame L may be dispensed with. The draft
attachments are made at any suitable point, and will vary somewhat with the size
of the machine, and the construction adapting it for grass, grain, or other purposes;
but where a frame L supporting a reel is used, the horses are placed at the sides
and outside of the cut by securing the short whiffletrees x, x, to a chain x¹ which is
carried across the machine.
To secure an upward draft upon the cutter bar, the chain a¹ may be passed
through eyes in the standards f2 arranged below the plane in which the ends of
the traces are connected in the harness. The chain or rope x acts as an evener,
and the standards f² are arranged to throw the line of draft outside of the cutter
bar, so that neither horse travels in front of the bar, but outside of the cut.
To throw the grain or grass inward, and out of the way of the wheels, I employ
guards or shields 15, and to these I pivot gathering plates 16, 17, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2, so jointed as to conforin to the ground, and so curved as to throw
the grain to the centre of the machine from each side.
Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts
shown and described, I claim,―
First. In a mower or reaper, a frame supported by the wheels, a frame A carrying
the cutter bar and centrally pivotted at the rear to the main frame, and a driving
crank arranged upon the shaft concentric with the pivot, and connected to the cutter
bar to operate the same, substantially as set forth.
Secondly. The combination of the frame J carried by the wheels, the frame A
centrally pivotted to the frame J, the crank wheel C, a side crank shaft H, and
rods or links connecting the cranks of said shaft to the cutter bar and to the driving
wheel as specified.
Thirdly. The combination of the frame J, frame A, and appliances for raising and
depressing the rear bar of the frame A, as set forth.
Fourthly. The combination of the frame J, the frame A having a shank A¹ with

page_text: bars c, c', fitting in sockets of said shank, bearing wheels at the forward end of the
frame A, and appliances for raising and depressing the rear bar of said frame,
substantially as specified.
Fifthly. The combination with the frame A pivotted as set forth of the
independent crank shafts M, M', connected each to the rear bar and frame, and
devices for adjusting said shafts separately or together, substantially as set forth.
Sixthly. The combination of the crank shafts M, M', having notched hubs e³, et,
the notched bracket e, slides e, e, pawl ea, and cranks e', es, substantially as set
forth.
Seventhly. The combination with the frame A of bearing wheels 3 arranged back
of the cutters, and appliances for raising and depressing the rear portion of the
frame, as set forth.
Eighthly. The combination of the frame A and the guards 15, and jointed shields
and gathering plates 16, 17, all constructed and arranged as set forth.
Ninthly. The frame A, consisting of tubes and corner pieces d', d', d, d, the latter
provided with appliances for securing the bars of the frame after adjustment, as
and for the purpose specified.
Tenthly. The combination of the pivotted frame A, frame J, and diagonal stays h,
as set forth.
Eleventhly. The combination of the guards, a knife in two sections, and rock
frames at each side of the frame, each connected to the adjacent knife section and
with the driver from a central wheel C, substantially as set forth.
Twelfthly. The combination of the rope or cord ¹, the standards f having eyes
for the passage of the cords below the line of horizontal draft, and the whiffletrees
x, x, secured to the ends of the cord, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Powley Alexander, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty second day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and eighty one.