Reaping or Mowing Machine.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar.. 1895-Accepted, 18th May, 1895
C
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Reaping or Mowing Machine.
I, GERARD BEEKMAN, of No. 5 East 34th Street, City and County of New
York, State of New York, U.S.A., Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to that class of reaping or mowing machines having a
cutter continuously rotating on a horizontal axis, and the object of the invention is
to adapt such character of cutter to harvesting grain or cutting grass, by the.
feeding of the grain or grass within the cutting edges of the rotary cutter by the
forward or draft movement of the machine.
The invention consists in a series of cutters rotating in vertical planes and
having their axis at an angle to the line of forward or draft movement of the
machine; their cutting edges being thus arranged each on one side of and behind
the other in echelon. And said invention further consists in certain novel details of
construction hereinafter described and claimed.
In my Letters Patent of Great Britain No. 2067 of 1893, I have shown cutters
similar to the forms of cutters shown herein but in said Patent the axes of the
cutters are shown as substantially at right angles to the line of forward or draft
movement of the machine and a portion of one cutter extended into the line of
rotary motion of another cutter, whereby the grain or grass is laterally fed from
one rotary cutter to another into the rotary path of each cutting edge when
advancing through the grain or grass.
In the present invention however while there may be a slight lateral feed of the
grain or grass from the rear or feeding side of one cutter to the cutting edge of the
adjacent cutter or of the grain or grass along the angular side of the common shaft
the object sought is the moving of the grain or grass into the path of the cutting
edges of the knives with the least possible touching of or bending of the grain or
grass.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1, is a plan view showing assembled cutters and adjacent parts.
Figure 2, is a partial view, enlarged, showing a modification of gearing.
Figure 3, is a partial plan view further enlarged showing the cutters in detail.
Figure 4, is an end view of a cutter and a stationary knife of Figure 3.
Figure 4 is a detail view of one of the stationary cutters in Figure 3, shown in
perspective.
Figure 5, is a plan view of modification, and
Figure 6, is an end view thereof.
Referring by reference characters to the drawings, 2 designates a portion of the
frame of a machine for moving the cutter over the ground, and 4 indicates a rotary
cutter bearing shaft having a bearing 6 at its inner end attached to the machine
frame and at its outer end the shaft 4 has a bearing in a shoe 8, which may be
provided with a roller or wheel 10 adapted to bear upon the ground and support the
shoe and outer end of the cutter bearing shaft.
The bearing in the shoe 8, consists of a block 12, longitudinally adjustable in the
hollow hub of a segment plate 14. For the purpose of adjustment I have shown
the block 12, as externally threaded to engage an internal thread of the hub.
A non-rotary sleeve 16 surrounds the inner end of the shaft 4, and a flanged
segment plate 18 is secured to the outer end of this sleeve 16
A transversely curved plate 20 has one end secured to the flange plate 14, and
Dries Q17

page_text: its other to the segment plate 18. This curved plate serves to maintain the outer
bearing of the rotary shaft, in proper alignment with the inner bearing; as a guard
for the cutters and as a support for the stationary knives hereinafter described.
The rotary cutter bearing shaft is arranged at an angle to the line of movement
or draft of the machine and rotary motion is imparted thereto from the ordinary
driving gear, not shown, through the medium of a flexible or curved shaft 22,
Figure 1, or through beveled gears 23, Figure 2.
24 indicates the rotary cutters mounted on the shaft 4. I have shown each cutter
mounted on a hub 26 which is suitably keyed to the shaft 4.
The cutters 24,
shown in Figure 3, forin sickle like hooks having helical cutting edges on their
inner sides. The curvature of the cutting edge is gradual at the extremity of the
cutter and of diminishing radius toward the hub 26.
For
28 shows the stationary knives removably mounted on the curved plate 20.
the purpose of securing the knives I provide to the plate on its inner side with a
rib or bar 30 having under-cut edges and each knife 28, has plate like stems 32
(Figure 4) adapted to engage the rib or bar 30 within the underent edges.
The curvature of the stationary knives corresponds to the curvature of the
cutters 24 and the knives have cutting edges that lie in the path of the orbit
described by the cutting edges of the rotary cutters.
In the example described the cutters revolve within the surface of an imaginary
cone and the base of one cone is substantially on a transverse plane with the apex
of an adjacent cone, and it will be seen in each example of my improvement that
the cutters rotate on an angle relatively to the forward or draft movement, of about
forty-five degrees.
In the example shown in Figures 5 and 6 the rotary cutters comprise fingers 32
extended from a hub mounted on the shaft 4, as before described.
The fingers 32 extend from opposite sides of a hub and all the fingers extend in
one direction, and when in motion rotate within the lines of an imaginary cylinder.
In this example the fingers 32 have cutting edges 34 which co-act with knife
edged plate 36 affixed to the lower edge of the curved plate 20.
The plate 20 may have a longitudinal opening 38 (Figure 4) which will allow
the discharge of dirt or other matter that might otherwise lodge in the plate.
The plate 20 may be adjusted in a rotary direction for the purpose of setting the
knives carried thereby in any desired relation to the rotary cutters, and as a means
for securing the plate as adjusted I provide the flange plate 18, with an annular
series of teeth d, designed to interlock with a similar series of teeth d', on a
flange d, on the bearing 6.
The sleeve 16 is screw threaded at its inner end and a nut d³, is applied thereto.
When it is desired to adjust the plate 20, the nut ³, is loosened sufficiently to
allow a longitudinal movement of the sleeve 16, and the parts supported thereby,
to disengage the teeth d, d', then the plate may be rotated as desired and upon
tightening the nut d³, the teeth will be caused to engage and lock the parts.
The operation of the machine is as follows:
The angle of the common axis of the rotary cutters to the angle of the draft of
the machine, bears such relation to the augle of the conic cutters or spiral fingers
as that the conic cutters or spiral fingers shall enter the grain or grass as near as
possible upon the line of passage of the machine through the grain or grass
or plane of least resistance-taking for an example Figure 3-the lower right
hand conic cutter a is supposed to be entering the grain or grass in such plane of
least resistance.
The angle of the common shaft and of the conic cutters are each 45º. The
point a, is about entering the grain or grass from above and passing downward to
the left along the line a', a", thus gathering the grain or grass after the manner of
the down cut of a sickle; the grain or grass being cut against a stationary cutting
knife 28 Figure 4.
The action of this conic knife a, is shown by letters b, c, respectively in its
advance in Figure 3.

page_text: In the example of the spiral fingers Figure 5, these fingers must lie within the
plane of least resistance of the line of the passage of the machine through the grain
cutting it off against the straight edge 36, Figure 6.
The successive action of these fingers is shown in Figure 5. It will be obvious
that the conic knives or spiral fingers need not necessarily lie the one within the
other so that the grain or grass shall be fed along the back of the one within the
cutting edge of the other, without bending the same, for by separating the conic
knives or spiral fingers so that they shall lie without each other, the grain or grass
will be fed within the cutting edges respectively by contact with and by sliding
along the front of the inclined common shaft.
It is to be understood that my invention does not rely upon any particular form
of cutter, excepting of course that rotary cutters be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a reaping or mowing machine, rotary cutters rotating in vertical planes and
having their axes at an angle other than a right angle to the line of draft or
forward movement.
2. In a reaping or mowing machine, a series of rotary cutters upon a common
axis trailing at an angle outward and rearward from the machine, and means for
rotating the cutters.
3. In a reaping or mowing machine, the combination with a frame and driving
mechanism, of a rotary cutter bearing shaft arranged at an angle to the line of
movement of the machine, a flexible shaft between said driving mechanism and said
cutter bearing shaft, a series of cutters mounted on said rotary shaft, and stationary
knives, substantially as specified.
4. In a reaping or mowing machine, the combination with a series of rotary
cutters, of a curved guard plate partly surrounding and enclosing said cutters,
and having secured thereon a series of independently removable, stationary cutters
adapted to co-operate with said rotary cutters, the said stationary cutters each
being adjustable with relation to its fellow rotary cutter in a direction longitudinally
of the guard plate, substantially as set forth.
•
5. In a reaping or mowing machine, the combination with a series of rotary
cutters, of a series of stationary cutters adapted to co-operate therewith, and a
support whereon the stationary cutters are secured, the said support being
revolubly adjustable about the axis of the rotary cutters, a fixed part borne by the
wheels of the carriage of the machine having a flange around the axis of the rotary
cutters at one end, a movable adjacent flange around said axis attached to the
inner end of the adjustable support for the stationary cutters, and means for
clamping said flanges together at different positions of adjustment, the outer end of
the support for the stationary cutters being independent of the said fixed part borne
by the wheels of the carriage, and carried by a shoe, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Dthis 10th 1
C
100%
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.