IMPROVEMENTS IN MA- CHINES FOR REAPING AND MOWING CORN, GRASS, AND OTHER CROPS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Patterson, of Beverley, in the County
of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MA-
CHINES FOR REAPING AND MOWING CORN, GRASS, AND OTHER CROPS."
Sealed the 27th August 1858, and dated the 29th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Patterson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th June 1858.
I, JOHN PATTERSON, of Beverley, in the County of York, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR REAPING AND MOWING CORN, GRASS, AND OTHER CROPS" to
be as follows:-
In the annexed Drawings, Figure 1, is a plan, and Figure 2, an
elevation of my improved machine; Figure 3, is a section of the
cutting apparatus, and Figure 4, a view of an endless rake. c, c, c,
is a bar of thin iron or steel reaching across the machine, and having

page_text: the fingers or cutters b, b, fastened alternately above and below it.
The inner surfaces of the fingers b, b, are flat or slightly hollow, and a
moveable cutter a, a, with nicks or teeth on the front edge, works
backward and forward between them all. It is made quite as thick as
the bar c, c, and the corn is caught by the nicks, and cut against
either edge of the fingers b, b. Both ends of the cutter a, a, are at-
tached to levers c, e, one on each side of the machine, which turn on
the fulcrums v, v, and the other ends of the levers are connected
together by the tension rod d. By tightening this rod the cutter a, a,
may be stretched, and this power of stretching the cutter enables ine
to make it thinner and lighter than those which have hitherto been
used in reaping machines. The cutting apparatus, tension rods, and
levers, with the light frame which carries them, are attached to the
rest of the machine by the hinges y, y; and motion is given to the
moveable cutter by the rod f, which passes through the centre of the
hinge y. The cutting apparatus rests on a sliding support h, at cach
end of the machine, and is attached to it by the hinge g, so that by
turning the screw i, the height at which the machine cuts is easily
altered. By this mode of attaching the cutters they are not liable to
run into the earth when the machine passes over rough or uneven sur-
faces. The corn, after being cut, falls over a bar j, placed behind the
entters, and extending the whole width of the machine; it then reaches
the platform k, k, from which it is removed to either side of the machine
by a series of endless rakes put in motion by the rollers 7, 7. Instead
of a bar or fence at j, I prefer, in some cases, to have a roller reaching
from side to side of the machine. The rod f.f, is connected by a
crank and gear with the driving wheel p, which carries the whole
weight of the machine, and also gives motion to the delivery rollers 1, 1,
and the fan for bringing the corn to the machine. The horses walk
behind the machine, one on each side of the pole 7, and are fastened
to the cross bar m, which is supported by a wheel t, u, at each end of
it. The beam r, with the cross bar attached, is connected to the
machine by a bolt or pivot g, on which it can turn freely; a wheel or
sector t, t, is fastened to the frame of the machine, and a pinion u,
which gears in the sector t, t, is attached to the beam 2; when the
pinion u, is turned by means of the hand wheel s. s, the machine is

page_text: guided in any direction, and the horses and the beam 7, with the cross
bar and wheels attached, follow the machine. The pivot g, is exactly
above the centre of the wheel p, so that the turning of the machine
loes not interfere with its forward motion, and the cutting apparatus
is driven with the full power of the wheel p, while the machine is
turning round. The beam », is so fastened to the machine by the
pivot g, and by two plates above and below the sector t, that the
machine cannot upset without turning the beam 2, over, and the trail-
ing wheels, at each end of the cross bar m, prevent this, and thus
keep the machine in an upright position.
The improvements which 1 claim as my Invention arc, first, the
cutting apparatus, consisting of a bar having fingers or cutters fixed
alternately above and below the same, with a moveable cutter passing
between all the fingers, and cutting against both edges of them.
Secondly, the mode above described of suspending the moveable
cutter at each end of it, and of stretching the same by means of a
tension rod, or other convenient means.
Thirdly, the suspension of the cutting apparatus by hinges from the
frame of the machine, so that it is independent of the oscillation of the
machine when it passes over rough or uneven ground.
Fourthly, the manner of assisting the delivery of the corn by means
of a fence or roller placed behind the cutters, and the removal of it
from the platform by self-acting endless rakes, or similar means.
Fifthly, a method of steering the machine, in which the beam or
pole (through which the power of the horses is transmitted) is attached
to the frame of the machine by a bolt or pivot, upon which it can
revolve freely.
Sixthly, the having only one wheel to carry the weight of the work-
ing portion of the machine, but with two trailing wheels fixed to the
pole or beam, and placed behind the horses, as well to bear the weight
of the beam as to prevent the machine from being upset.