Improve-. MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES." MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES.
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adam Carlisle Bamlett, of Thirsk, in tlic County
of York, Agricultural Engineer, for the Invention of "Improve-.
MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES.'
Scaled the 16th December 1870, and dated the 21st June 1870..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adam Carlisle Bamlett.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st June 1870.
I, ADAM CARLISLE BAMLETT, of Thirsk, in the County of York,
Agricultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
:-
The first part of this Invention relates to reaping machines in which
the sheaf is delivered by a set of rakes fixed on an inclined revolving
spindle. In place of a revolving spindle I use a fixed one mounted
over the driving wheel, and on which the rakes are caused to revolve.
On the top of this spindle I sometimes fix a seat for the driver, and in
order to enable him to put the machinery in and out of gear I make

page_text: the spindle hollow, and in which is placed a small spindle through
which the driver from his seat above the rakes by a suitable lever obtains
communication with the clutch lever or other suitable appliances for
putting the machinery in or out of gear; or I sometimes effect the same
object by placing a tube on the fixed spindle (which in this ease may 5
be solid), the rakes revolving on this tube which is provided with
suitable levers for communicating with the clutch lever or other appli-
ances. The driving wheel is mounted on a frame which is pivotted at
its front end round the bearings of the cross shaft to keep dirt or other
injurious matters out of the bearings and gearing I fix the shield 1
(patented by me on the 6th day of February 1862, No. 311) to one side
of this frame.
'
The second part of my Invention relates to an improvement on the
Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the 5th day
of August 1867, No. 2260, for regulating the size of the sheaves by 1
stopping the raking action of one of the rakes. I now effect this by
placing a clutch on the boss of the wheel which carries the rakes, which
being acted on by the driver gives motion to a lever which withdraws
the catch that holds the rakes in raking position, the rake being pivotted
and free to revolve when the catch is withdrawn now passes over the 2
The
platform with delivering the sheaf, simply acting as a beater.
beater boards I make in two parts so as to allow of their being shortened
or lengthened, or raised or lowered when the crops require it.
The third part of my Invention relates to an improvement on the
Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the 7th day!
of May 1859, No. 1148, for jointing the carrying wheel by a double
hinge to the machine. In order to prevent the unsteady motion given
to the wheel by the joint piece swinging outwards I make the bearing
surfaces of the first joint after the manner of a rising door hinge, and
I also form projections on the second hinge which cause the joint piece
to act with greater precision when turning the corners.
The last part of my Invention relates to reaping machines in which
the horses walk behind the machine, and to prevent it grounding in
crossing furrows, I mount a small wheel at each end of the cutter bar in
advance of the cutters and below the points of the fingers, which in crossing
furrows act as buffers and prevent the fingers running into the ground;
or the machine might be allowed to run on these two wheels, and the
two wheels which are now placed behind the cutters retained to act as

page_text: buffers in crossing furrows; and in order to lay the swathe in a better
manner I hinge a short frame to each side of the platform which frame
carries a running band driven from the delivery rollers; when in work
one of these frames is fixed in a horizontal position the other in a vertical
position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Adam Carlisle Bamlett in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st December 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ADAM
CARLISLE BAMLETT, of Thirsk, in the County of York, Agricultural
Engineer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Hor
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Adam Carlisle Bamlett, Her special
licence that I, the said Adam Carlisle Bamlett, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Adam Carlisle
Bamlett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING Machines,” upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Adam Carlisle Bamlett, 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 Adam Carlisle Bamlett, 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

page_text: in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
The first part of this Invention relates to reaping machines in
which the sheaf is delivered by a set of rakes fixed on an inclined
revolving spindle.
In place of a revolving spindle I now use a fixed one mounted over
the driving wheel, and on or round which the rakes are caused to
revolve. On the top of this spindle I sometimes fix a seat for the
driver, and in order to enable him to put the machinery in and out of
gear I make the spindle hollow, in which is placed a small spindle
by which the driver from his seat above the rakes by a suitable lever
obtains communication with a clutch lever or other suitable appliances
for putting the machinery in and out of gear; or I sometimes effect the
same object by placing a tube on the fixed spindle (which in this case
may be solid), the rakes revolving on or round this tube which is
provided with suitable levers for communicating with the clutch lever
or other appliances.
The driving wheel is mounted on a 'frame which is pivotted at its
front end round the bearings of the cross shaft, and to keep dirt or other
injurious matters out of the bearings and gearing I fix the shield
patented by me on the Sixth day of February One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two, No. 311, to one side of this frame.
The second part of my Invention relates to an improvement on the
Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the Fifth day
of August One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, No. 2260, for
regulating the size of the sheaves by stopping the raking action of one
of the rakes. I now effect this by placing a clutch on the boss of the
wheel which carries the rakes; this clutch being acted on by the driver
gives motion to a lever which withdraws a catch that holds one of the
rakes in raking position; this rake being pivotted is now free to revolve,
and thus passes over the platform without delivering the sheaf, simply
acting as a beater.
I would here remark that in my Provisional Specification the words
"with delivering" were inserted entirely "per incuriam" instead of the
words "without delivering," and it will be evident to any practical man
that the word "without" was really meant as the following words,
"simply acting as a beater tend to confirm. With regard to the
"

page_text: beater boards made in two parts, and mentioned in my Provisional
Specification, I have to remark that having since tried the same I have
found them not to be so useful as I anticipated, and therefore I do not
further describe them here, nor do I desire to claim them as any special
fcature in my present improvements.
The third part of my Invention relates to an improvement on the
Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the Seventh
day of May One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, No. 1148, for
jointing the carrying wheel by a double hinge to the machine. In
order to prevent the unsteady motion given to the wheel by the joint
piece swinging outwards I make the bearing surfaces of the first joint
after the manner of a rising door hinge, and I also form projections on
the second hinge, which cause the joint piece to act with greater
precision when turning the corners.
With reference to that portion of my Invention mentioned in my
said Provisional Specification as the last part, I have to state that having
succeeded so well with my sheaf delivering reaper I am satisfied that
swathe delivering machines will no longer continue to be useful, and
therefore I do not further describe nor here refer to that part of the
improvements excepting to state that I do not desire to make any special
claim thereto.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improve-
ments in Reaping and Mowing Machines," I will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may
be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same
may be distinctly understood I have annexed hereunto one Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thercof, that is to say :—
The first part of my Invention is illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 on
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
A represents the fixed inclined hollow spindle or shaft mounted over
the driving wheel.
B represents a toothed wheel with an elongated boss C; the rake shaft
is bolted to the arms of this wheel and is caused to revolve and carry the
rakes (round or on the spindle A) by the wheel B being suitably
connected by gearing with the driving wheel D.

page_text: E is the driver's seat, and F a standard through which the reins are
passed so as to be kept above the rakes.
Through the spindle A passes a smaller spindle G (shown by the inner
dotted lines in Figure 1), provided with a spring handle H at its top and
a short arm I at its lower end, connected by a link or short chain to the
usual clutch lever K. By these means the driver is enabled to put the
machinery in and out of gear as required.
I sometimes effect the same object by placing a tube L (Figure 2) on
the fixed spindle, the toothed wheel and rakes revolving on or round the
same. The tube is provided with a spring handle M at the top and an
arm N at the bottom and is connected with the usual clutch lever in the
manner above described.
The driving wheel is mounted in a frame pivotted at its front end
round the bearings N' of the cross shaft, so as to enable the height of
the cut to be altered as required by raising or lowering the cutter bar
by actuating the screw o, Figure 1, or other suitable appliance; and to
keep dirt and other injurious matters out of the bearings and gearing
I fix the shield patented by me on the Sixth day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, No. 311, as shown in Figures 1
and 2 at P, P, (being in section in Figure 2,) to one side of the driving
wheel frame and secure the same by bolts P¹, P¹.
The second part of my Invention is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 on
the accompanying Sheets of Drawings.
Q represents the rake which is pivotted at the points R, R, and held
in raking position by the catch or bolt S; to the top of this catch is a
connected a lever T pivotted at its centre and attached at its other end
to the clutch U (which is placed on the boss of the wheel carrying the
rakes). This clutch is acted on by the lever V. (provided with a spring
catch similar to the lever H as shewn) by which means the driver is
enabled to stop the raking motion of the rake when required by pushing
down the lever V, which acting through the clutch on the lever Traises
its outer end and with it the catch S.
The rake being pivotted at the points R, R, is now free to partially
revolve or swing backwards and then passes over the platform without
delivering the sheaf, simply acting as a beater. When the driver wishes to
bring the rake into raking action he must raise the lever V, thus forcing
down the catch bolt, but this must not be done when the rake is

page_text: passing over the platform. The beater board W is fastened to the rake
shaft Wi
In the annexed Drawings the clutch u is shewn placed on the upper
part of the boss, but I sometimes place it on the lower part of the same
when it is desired that the driver shall ride on the seat which is usually
placed on the pole.
The third part of my Invention is illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8. X, Figures 3, 4, and 5, is the joint piece which has a tendency
when working to swing outwards, thus causing the wheel X' to run on
the uncut corn. To counteract this tendency I make the bearing
surfaces of the first joint after the manner of a rising door hinge as
shewn at X", Figure 4. Y is a bar jointed at its front end to the joint
picce X, and fixed to it is a bracket Y¹ (Figure 4) which carries the
wheel X'; at the jointed end of this bar are formed two projections,
shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 at Y" and Y; when turning at the
corners of the field the bar Y and wheel X' will take the position shown
in dotted lines at Figure 5; the projection Y™" then comes in contact
with the joint pieco causing it to swing out and the wheel to take the
position shewn in dotted lines at Figure 3, the projection Y" acts in a
similar manner to bring the joint piece into its working position, as
shewn at Figures 3 and 5.
A readier but not so substantial a way of forming these projections is
by passing a stout pin (the ends of which form the projections) through
the jointed end of the bar Y as shewn at Z, Figure 8.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention
for "Improvements in Reaping and Mowing Machines," together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent,
First. The position of the driver's seat.
Second. The means or arrangement for putting the machinery in or
out of gear.
Third. Fixing the semicircular shield patented by me February Sixth
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, No. 311, to one side of the
wheel frame.

page_text: Fourth. The method by which the driver is enabled to control the
raking motion of one of the rakes.
And fifth. I claim the rising door hinge joint and the projections on
the second joint.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adam Carlisle Bamlett, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
ADAM CARLISLE BAMLETT. (L.S.)
ADAM CARLISLE BAMLETT. (L.S.)