Year: 1887

page_text: We, PETER BAXTER NALLEY and MONROE RANDEL REAMES of Majors in the
County of Anderson, and State of South Carolina, United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention relates to improvements in grain-cradles; and it consists of the
peculiar and novel construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter
fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.
The object of our invention is to provide an improved cradle which shall be very
simple, light, and strong in its construction, and cheap and inexpensive of manufacture.
A further object of our invention is to provide an improved cradle in which either
one or more of the series of fingers can be easily and readily displaced or removed
when broken or otherwise damaged so as to be unfit for use, and replaced at a trifling
expense, without disturbing the other parts of the cradle; to provide improved means
for varying the angle that the fingers lie to the cross-bar, and to provide means
whereby the spaces between the fingers can be varied, so as to adapt the cradles to
different kinds of grain.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation of our improved grain-cradle.
Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through one of
the fingers and the supporting and bracing means therefor. Fig. 4 is a detail
perspective view of the adjusting and supporting sleeves. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional
view through one of the supporting sleeves. Fig. 6 is a top view of our improved
cradle, showing one finger inclined forward of the rest in dotted lines. Fig. 7 is a
perspective view of the grain-cradle.
Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding
parts in all the figures, A designates the snath or handle of an ordinary grain-scythe,
and B the cutter-blade thereof, that is suitably secured to the handle by any
preferred means.
C designates a vertical bar that is rigidly secured at one end to the snath A and
braced at its other end by a rod, D, that is rigidly secured at its ends in the snath and
the bar, as will be readily seen. This vertical bar is provided with a series of openings

page_text: or apertures, e c', which are equidistant, and in these apertures are fitted the reduced
ends or tenonse of the cradle-fingers E, which are curved and tapered longitudinally,
as is usual, and made of wood for lightness. The rear ends of the fingers are fitted
in an opening or socket, f, of an adjusting sleeve F, the socket being a little larger in
shape and size than the dimensions in cross-section and form of the fingers. These
adjusting sleeves F are held rigidly in place by means of brace-rods G, which are
secured in the snath or handle A and in a lateral lug, f, of the adjusting sleeves, F
and the sleeves are rigidly held on the fingers by means of wedge-shaped keys F,
that are inserted through a transverse opening, f, that opens into the socket f, and
the keys are firmly driven in place. The fingers, adjusting-sleeves F, and brace-
rods G correspond in number, and they are very rigidly and firmly held in place.
H designates sleeves, which are fitted on the fingers E immediately in front of and
out of contact with the adjusting-sleeves, F and the said sleeves H are slotted, as at h,
to provide two parallel arms or plates, h, which in turn have transverse openings ².
The parallel arms embrace or fit on opposite sides of the fingers, and through the
openings in said arms is passed a connecting or brace rod or bar, I, that extends
through all of the plates of the said sleevos, H and is rigidly held in place, to
strengthen and brace the fingers, by wedge-shaped keys J, that are inserted in the
openings of the said sleeves, H above or below the connecting or brace bar, so as
to bind the several parts very firmly and rigidly together.
Ordinarily the fingers E are fitted in every other or alternate aperture, c, of the
vertical bar C; but when it is desired to decrease the size of the space or width
between the fingers and adapt the cradle to different kinds of grain, a finger, K, is
inserted into the space between every two or adjacent fingers, and the tenon e thereof
is inserted into the aperture e corresponding thereto, as shown in dotted lines in
Fig. 1, the adjusting-sleeves II of the fingers so inserted being rigidly and securely
connected to the brace-bar I by means of the keys J, that accompany the sleeves.
It will be readily seen that when one of the fingers has been broken or otherwise
rendered unfit for use the keys of the adjusting sleeves F and the aforesaid sleeves H
can be easily and readily removed, so that the broken or injured finger, or fingers can
be detached and replaced by another finger at a trifling expense.
It is sometimes necessary or desirable in cutting different classes or grades of grain
that the angle or inclination of the fingers E to the lower end of handle shall be
varied, so that the fingers may lie to the front or to the rear of a vertical line above
the blade. In order to secure this adjustment of the fingers E of the cradle the
tenons e thereof are loosely fitted in their sockets c c¹ in the vertical bar C, so that a
limited amount of movement is permitted to them to adjust them to the desired
position, after which they are rigidly held against movement by the adjusting sleeves F
and brace-rods G, as presently described.
When it is desired to extend or project the free ends of the fingers forward of the
vertical plane of the blade, the keys F¹ of the adjusting-sleeves F are removed, and
the said sleeves are forced toward the free ends of the fingers until the desired position
of the same has been reached, and the keys are then reinserted to hold the sleeves
against displacement on the fingers. The brace-rods G are of such a length that the
adjusting-sleeves F can be adjusted to the desired point without withdrawing one
end of the brace-rods from the snath, one end of the said rods being secured to
the lug of the adjusting-sleeve, F and the opposite end thereof passing through an
opening,, in the snath Å.
It will thus be seen that the adjusting-sleeve can be moved toward the outer or
inner end of the fingers to vary the position of the latter, and the said sleeves are
rigidly connected to the fingers by the keys and held thereto by the brace-rods G.
If the sleeves H and the cross-bar I prevent the forward or retrograde movement of
the adjusting-sleeves, they can be detached and again connected to the fingers on the
opposite sides of the adjusting-sleeves, and thereby permit the necessary movement
of the latter sleeves.
Our improved cradle is simple and inexpensive in construction, readily adjustable,
and effective in operation.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
-
1st. The combination of a snath having a fixed vertical bar at one end, the fingers
connected to the vertical bar at one end, the adjusting-sleeves fitted on the fingers
independently of each other and adjustable longitudinally thereof, and provided with
means for securely connecting them thereto at any point, the brace-rods intermediate
of the said sleeves and the snath, the sleeves, H also fitted and secured on the fingers,
and the rigid cross-bar connecting the said sleeves Hand movable therewith, substantially
as described, for the purpose set forth..
2nd. The combination of a snath, the vertical fixed bar C thereon, having the
apertures or sockets cc', the fingers fitted at their inner ends in the openings or
sockets, the adjusting-sleeves fitted on the fingers, and having the transverse openings f
and the fixed lugs on one side, the keys passing through the openings 2 of the said
sleeves for securing the same to the fingers, the brace-rods secured at one end to the
lugs of the sleeves and at the opposite end to the snath, the aforesaid sleeves, H also
fitted on the fingers, and a rigid transverse bar, I, connecting the aforesaid sleeves, H.
substantially as described.
3rd. The combination of a snath carrying a fixed vertical bar, C, at one end, the
fingers connected to the bar, the adjusting-sleeves fitted on and keyed to the fingers, the
brace-rods intermediate of the adjusting-sleeves and the snath, the aforesaid sleeves H
also fitted on the fingers and having the parallel arms provided with the transverse
aligned slots, the rigid bar I, passing through the aligned slots of the aforesaid
sleeves, H and the keys for connecting the fingers, the sleeves, and the bar detachably
together, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.
Datod this ket day of July 1887