IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED HARVESTING AND THRESHING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"
IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED HARVESTING AND THRESHING MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by Daniel Houser, of Lathrop, California.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th July 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED HARVESTING
AND THRESHING MACHINES." [A communication from abroad by Daniel Houser,
of Lathrop, California.]
This Invention relates to improvements in machines which will perform the
double purpose of a reaping or harvesting machine and a threshing machine, and
which are termed combined headers and threshers.
According to the said Invention I construct a machine as follows, that is to
say: The said machine has a main frame of wood, or other suitable material; at
one end of the same I arrange the cutting apparatus, which is termed the header,
and which comprises a sickle bar mounted on a sickle bar frame, in combination
with a reel and an endless apron, termed the main apron, which conveys the cut
crop to an auxiliary apron, which extends to and travels toward a cylinder termed
a self feeder, and from the latter a grain carrying apron or grain-carrier extends up
nearly to the top of the main frame, and in close proximity to a straw-carrier,
straw-picker, straw beater, and a fan forming part of the threshing apparatus.
This apparatus also has a sieve or screen, which is agitated by means of a crank on
a shaft termed the vibrating screen shaft, from which a connecting rod extends to
the said screen. The said shaft carries a spring clutch and is geared with the main
or driving shaft by toothed wheels. The said main shaft is also geared by bevel
wheels with a counter shaft for operating the sicklo apparatus and the aforesaid
main apron. The said machine also has a spiral conveyer, termed the clean wheat
augur, arranged in combination with a wheat elevator, which extends up to the

page_text: top of the frame and is arranged in combination with a screening elevator. It also
has a waste straw and chaff elevator.
An adjustable lever frame is mounted on the main frame of the said machine,
and at its forward extremity is connected by a chain with the header or part
carrying the sickle or cutting apparatus, while the other extremity of the said lever
frame is connected by a cord or chain with a hand wheel or other suitable device
for adjusting the said frame to regulate the height of the sickle-bar.
The said machine is mounted on suitable wheels, one of which is geared in
connection with the above described apparatus, in such a manner that when moved
over the ground the parts of such apparatus are caused to operate for the purposes
above specified, thereby accomplishing with one machine work which has
heretofore required two or more machines for its performance.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 15th
January 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED HARVESTING
AND THRESHING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Daniel Houser,
of Lathrop, California.
This Invention. relates to improvements in machines which will perform the
double purpose of a reaping or harvesting machine and a threshing machine, and
which are sometimes termed combined headers and threshers. The said Invention
is designed more especially to secure the most direct application of the power to be
derived from the traction of the bearing wheels to the cutting and threshing of
grain; also to effect a saving of grain by cutting and threshing the corn in one
continuous operation; and also to secure lightness, compactness, strength, and
durability in the construction of the machine.
The said Invention is illustratod in the accompanying Drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a plan of a machine constructed according to this Invention with the
top of the threshing chamber removed to show the internal arrangement of tho said
machine.
Figuro 2 is a section shewing the main grain apron or draper and an auxiliary
grain-apron, hereinafter described, arranged in combination therewith.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the side of the threshing portion of the machine and
parts attached thereto adjacent to the header or sickle bar, the harvesting machine
portion being removed, and
Figure 4 is a similar view shewing the other side of the threshing machine
and the parts connected or combined therewith.
V represents the main frame of the machine, which is constructed of wood or
other suitable material, and which has its bearings directly upon the journal-boxes
of the traction or bearing wheels; A represents the bearing wheel which
supports the principal weight of the machine, and B a spur-wheel which gears with
a pinion C that imparts motion to the spur-wheel E, which in turn effects the
revolution of the pinions F and G. Through this pinion F motion is imparted to the
spur-wheel H, which gears with the intermediate wheel O and drives the pinion I,
thus revolving the threshing cylinder J and a small pulley K. This pulley K is
connected by a belt with a pulley L, which gives motion to the self-feeding apron M,
or to a cylinder for conveying the grain to the cylinder J; this cylinder threshes
the grain and delivers it to a grain-carrier or elevator Q, whenco it is carried to
the vibrating screen or sieve M², with which I combine a spiral conveyor, which
I term a clean wheat augur.
Through the pinion G motion is imparted to pulleys N and O. The pulley O is
connected by means of a belt with a pulley P, and imparts motion to the latter, the
pulley R³, and the cam S. This cam S gives motion to the sieve or screen M²,
(whose position is shewn in dotted lines in Figure 3) by means of the connecting
rod T and lever U2. The intermediate wheel O2 is mounted upon the tumbling
rod R shewn in Figure 1; this rod operates the bevel gear-wheel S², which gives
motion to the shaft X, and which motion is imparted to the auxiliary grain
apron H2; this apron is designed to run above and sufficiently close to the main
grain apron or draper G³ to prevent the grain from being blown or shaken from
the same; M³ represents a shaft which has a crank at X³ that reciprocates the
connecting rod Y which operates the sickle lever Z, hinged or pivoted at its centre;
the pivot of this lever is preferably made adjustable to permit the length of the
stroke to be varied. The main apron or draper G² is elevated at its end adjacent

page_text: to the self feeding or short apron M sufficiently to drop the grain upon the samo,
but is jointed so as to allow the grain table and sickle or sickle bar at A³ to bo
raised and lowered to suit the grain to be cut. The grain carrier Q2 and the straw
carrier B³ are shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. With this grain carrier and
straw carrier I in some cases combine a straw picker and beater; A³ reprosents a
wasto straw and chaff elevator or carrier, which is attached to the machine only
when the straw and chaff is to be loaded into wagons prior to being stacked or
saved, in which case the said carrier receives all the straw and chaff and drops it
into such wagons.
The traction wheel B² is mounted on the shaft C² and imparts motion to the
pulley D, which revolves the reel F³ mounted in a suitable frame, by means of tho
belt Y and pulley E. The header frame is raised and adjusted by an adjustable
lever frame comprising the lever I and chains J2, and rocking upon a bar W³ to
which it is attached; B represents a seat for the attendant who operates the boader
by manipulating the lover I. As the grain is carried up by an elevator-D³ it.is.
discharged into a cleaner-box or fan R³, and is then discharged into a sack by the
slide S. This cleaner box is provided with a screen G³ and with a lever L³ and
rod K³.
By the above described construction of apparatus and the arrangement of the
gearing, I am enabled with one machine, and as it moves forward over the ground,
to accomplish work which has heretofore required two or more machines for its
performance.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,:.
First. In a combined harvesting and threshing machine, the combination of the
main frame, the header, the aprons G², H², and M, the cylinder J, the carriers Q², B,
and the screen M², with or without the elevator A³, all constructed, combined, and
operating substantially as above set forth and for the purposes specified.
Second. In a combined harvesting and threshing machine, the elevator D³ in
combination with the fan R³, provided with a screen as above set forth.
Third. In a combined harvesting and threshing machine, the header and threshing
mechanism above described in combination with tho reel and its operating
mechanism as herein set forth.
Fourth. A combined harvesting and threshing machine, consisting of the parts:
constructed, combined, and operating substantially as above set forth, and for the
purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.