Improvements in Harvesting Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
[Communicated from abroad by DEERING HARVESTER COMPANY, of Claybourn
and Fullerton Avenues, Chicago, in the County of Cook and State of Illinois,
United States of America, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Harvesting Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
-
The invention relates to the manner of conducting the grain through a self-
binding harvester from the time it leaves the platform to its discharge in bound
bundles from the binder, and it has particular reference to the manner of getting
the heads portion over and past the highest point of the elevator on to the in-
clined deck leading down to the binder, and to the separation of the correspond-
ing end of the bundle from the heads of the mass of unbound grain that is
about to enter the binder; and the invention consists (1) in an improved arrange-
ment for driving the upper roller of the lower elevator canvas whereby the heads
of the grain are not retarded at the apex of the elevator by an obstruction materi-
ally higher than the canvas, (2) to the provision at this point of a lifting and
accelerating finger which helps the heads end of the grain over the highest
point and starts it fairly on its way to the binder, (3) to an auxiliary discharge
arm reaching rearward and curving laterally from the overhung binder shaft
and sweeping around so as to act on that portion of the grain which has been
advanced by the accelerating finger and separate the gavel which is to form the
bundle from the des ning mass on the deck, this arm acting also to throw the
bundle evenly out of the birder and prevent the heads end from clinging to
the gavel and slewing it around in the binder, and (4) to a novel manner of sup-
porting the weight of the binder casting and the bundle carrier from the harvester
frame.
The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a rear end elevation of a well known type of machine, this view
being intended more especially to show the sprocket and gear mechanism at the
upper end of the elevator.
Figure 2 is a perspective detail looking into the head of the elevator from a
point rearward and stubbleward from the main wheel and showing also the
binder.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the binder taken from the rear outer end.
Figure 4 comprises two detail views of the auxiliary discharge arm for the
purpose of showing its particular construction and the means of securing it in
place.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the binder and bundle carrier supporting
parts, looking from a point in front and inward of the main wheel.
Referring to these views a, b, c, d and e denote various different members of

page_text: the structural framing of the machine which will be readily identified by those
conversant with these machines, and which consequently require no description
or explanation further than to say that they are of the usual construction and
that the invention is not particularly concerned with them.
The letter denotes the seat bar which is supported at its front end and
extends beyond the rear end of the elevator whence it curves downwardly and
is bolted to one of the frame pieces. The upper elevator canvas is denoted by g.
It is sustained at its rear end by the seat bar h, and is narrower than the one
below it leaving an open space for the heads of long grain to project through.
The lower canvas is denoted by f. It and the upper one occupy the usual rela-
tion to the platform carrier and the inclined deck leading down to the binder.
The moving parts of machines of this type are generally driven by a single
chain thrown around sprocket wheels on the rear end of the platform and
elevator rollers and the binder drive shaft j, which here as in most instances
is also the packer shaft. Considerable difficulty has been encountered with this
arrangement in getting the grain over the highest point of the elevator and
giving it a fair start on its way down to the binder, and experience has shown
that the difficulty is due mainly to the fact that when the chain runs over a
sprocket wheel on the end of the upper roller it was impossible to speed the
roller properly without having the sprocket wheel and the chain itself project above
the level of the canvas. This required that the heads of the grain should be
lifted somewhat above the surface on which the body of the stalks lay, the result
being that the heads often caught and lagged causing an improper delivery of
the grain on to the incline leading to the binder. The first feature of my in-
vention aims to overcome this difficulty, and I do it as follows;
At the level of the lower canvas f I provide a rearwardly projecting shield m¹
which extends practically the length of the elevator and overlies the chain i
so as to provide a ledge or rest for the heads of long grain and prevent them
entangling with the chain. I also lower the position of the upper roller 7 slightly
so as to open or flare the delivery end of the elevator, and provide an additional
roller n, a little outside of and practically in the same horizontal plane as the
roller. The sprocket wheel o for the chain i is placed on the projecting end
of this roller n, and I drive the roller from this roller by a spur gear connec-
tion with a pinion p just inside of the sprocket wheel o. In order to give the
roller the proper direction and speed of rotation, an idle spur gear 9 is journaled
below and intermeshes with a spur pinion on the shaft of the roller l. This
arrangement is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and it will be understood that by
putting the chain driven sprocket o on the additional roller n I am enabled to
get it much lower so that there is practically no obstruction at the rear of the
elevator to lift the heads of the grain from the elevating canvas. As shown in
the drawings the shield m¹ is a wooden board. It may, however, be a metal
strip, and, of whatever material it may be constructed, it has a metallic exten-
sion m that continues upward and curves over the sprocket gear o and the
gears n, and so as to cover them and atford a smooth ledge for the heads of
the grain to slide over without interference with the chain or gearing. The
inclined deck h¹ has its upper edge fitting rather closely up to the roller n, and
the metallic extension m which serves as a guard or shield for the roller and
chain gearing overlaps the deck at its rear edge, as best shown in Figure 2.
In order to assist in getting the heads end of the grain over the apex of the
elevator and help along their movement at this point, I provide a lifting and
accelerating fingers which is hung on a pivot pin on the sprocket wheel o
and which plays up and down in a vertical plane close along side said wheel,
the rotation of the wheel giving the point of the finger an orbital movement so
as to enter the grain at a point close to the roller and travel with the grain
until it passes the highest point and starts it down the incline when it is with-
drawn, sinks below the level of the canvas, and returns to its starting point.
The movements of the finger are regulated and controlled by the link u pivoted

page_text: at a fixed point on the elevator and which is also loosely connected to the lower
end of the finger. As shown in Figure 2 the shield m is provided with a slot v
up through which the finger projects, but, unless the shield is of considerable
width; which of course, it need not be, this finger might be arranged to play
along its inner or outer edge.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, the letter . denotes the auxiliary discharge
arm above referred to. It is preferably shaped as shown in Figure 4, and has a
hollow hub-like socket 2 at its butt end, and an arm 3 offsetting from the socket
by means of which it is secured in place and in proper relation to the usual
ejectors, of which 4 denotes the rear one. The extreme end of the overhead
shaft w of the binder is threaded, as shown at 6, for the reception of a nut 7
by means of which the ejector 4 and the parts of the knotter mechanism are
clamped on the shaft in a well known way. I take advantage of this arrange-
ment to lock the auxiliary discharger to place, and provide the outer face of the
nut with radial teeth or serrations 8, and I also provide a tooth or detent 9 on
the flange 10 of the socket of the arm, so that when the socket (which has
a smooth bore) is slipped over the end 5 of the binder shaft wit may be inter-
locked with the nut and held securely upon the shaft. In order to hold the
interlocking faces of the nut and the socket together, and provide additional
means of securing the arm on the binder shaft, I form bolt holes 11 and 12
in the offset arm 3 of the socket and the shank of the ejector 4, respectively,
and by passing a bolt through these holes the two arms and 4 are firmly secured
together and the teeth of the nut and the socket 2 are held securely interlocked.
This arrangement also offers a ready means for securing an angular adjustment
of the auxiliary arm relatively to the ejector 4, which may be accomplished
either by boring another hole in the shank of the arm 4 or by elongating the
hole 11 of the arın 3 into a slot.
Such being the construction and arrangement of the parts composing the pre-
sent improvements, no particular description of their operation seems necessary
to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the same. It may be noted,
however, that when the grain reaches the apex of the elevator, instead of having
the heads portion lifted above the level of the belt and thereby permitting
the slats of the canvas to lose their grip on this part of the grain, the lowering
of the gears and the arrangement of the shield m, m³ so as to form practically
a level extension of the under canvas permits the canvas to keep its hold on all
parts of the grain and greatly facilitates its elevation over the highest point.
In addition to this, the provision of the accelerating finger, acting in a manner
already described, is a further safe-guard against the lagging of the grain at
this point. The speed of the working end of this finger is somewhat greater
than that of the lower canvas or the roller n, and it acts, to give the heads of the
grain quite a little impulse as they pass the crest of the elevator, and to start
it down the inclined deck more nearly on a line with the butts, and it is to be
noted with respect to the auxiliary discharge arm that it co-operates with this
accelerating finger in getting the bound bundle out of the machine without tip-
ping it and without its hanging to the gavel that is in the binder and slewing it
around. Also that the adjustability of the binder permits this auxiliary arm
to be set in any desired fore and aft relation to the finger to accommodate the
particular manner in which the elevator and finger may be delivering the grain
on to the deck. It will of course be understood that the roller runs close to
the upper edge of the deck, and fills the gap between it and the upper end
of the apron f from which it takes the grain.
The arrangement for supporting the binder is as follows. Referring to Fig. 5,
the tubular metal frame of the binder, the sheaf carrier, and those parts of the
harvester frame immediately concerned with this part of the invention are shown
in dotted lines. The numeral 1 denotes the front cross sill of the main frame
corresponding to the rear sill b, and 25 indicates the outer fore and aft sill. The
numbers 30 and 40 denote frame parts corresponding in position and function

page_text: with the parts c and d, respectively at the rear, and there is a bar 50 set verti-
At the front intersecting
cally edgewise which connects the bars 30 and b.
corner of these bars there is a strong bracket casting 60, and bolted to the sill 1
at or near the corresponding intersection with the sill 25 there is another bracket
casting 70. Part of the function of the bracket 60 is to support the usual gas
pipe rod 80 of the binder, and at the rear of the machine there is a similar sup-
port (not shown) for this pipe, and it will be readily understood by those versed
in the art that the pipe 80 slides in these supports when the position of the
binder is adjusted. The principal function of the bracket 60 is, however, to act
in conjunction with the casting 70 to form supports to which a crane 90 is hinge-
jointed and by which the binder frame is supported at its front heaviest end.
This crane is composed of upper and lower members vertically pivoted, respec-
tively, in bearings in the brackets 60 and 70, said members uniting at the outer
end of the crane in a horizontal eye 100. Although this crane is intended to
support the heavy binder frame 110, it is not connected directly thereto, for the
reason that, as the binder, is adjusted toward the front or rear, it should move
in a right line, which would not be possible were it connected immediately to
the crane. I therefore interpose between the two the cranked journal pin 120,
which turns freely in the eye 100 of the crane on a vertical axis, and whose
free upturned end 13 takes into a long vertical hole or socket in the lower hori-
zontal member of the metal binder frame 110. The frame 110 is connected as
usual to the gas pipe 80 by braces 14, 14, so that it may move with the pipe to
which the adjusting mechanism is connected. In order to give a long bearing
and firm support for the cranked journal pin 120, I provide the outer end of the
crane with a short brace 15, the inner end of which is bolted to the crane's lower
member some distance back from the eye 100, and the outer end of which has an
eye 160 similar to and in line vertically with the eye 100. These two eyes pro-
vide a rigid bearing for the joint pin, and enable me to utilize the latter also as
a support for the bundle carrier, as I will now explain.
This bundle carrier will be at once recognized in Fig. 5, and those acquainted
with the art will also understand that it is per se not at this date a new construc-
tion. It has a main rail 17 which is usually formed of angle iron and which is
set vertically edgewise. The front end of this rail I support from the crane 90
by means of an arm 18 that projects from the cranked journal 120, the rail 17
The front end of the bundle carrier
being bolted to the outer end of the arm.
is supported by a crane of its own, specially provided for it. This is denoted
by 19 in Fig. 5, and it is of practically the same construction as the crane 90.
Its two members are vertically hinged to brackets 20 and 21, secured, respectively,
to the fore and aft frame bars 50 and 25, and its outer end has a short brace 22
in the end of which and the outer end of the crane itself are two eyes in all
A pin 23 is fastened in these eyes
respects similar to those of the binder crane.
and forms a vertical support pin for an arm 24 similar to the one at the front
of the carrier. This arm is bolted to the rear part of the carrier rail 17, and the
result is that the whole carrier is supported by the binder crane at the rear and
its own crane at the front. It is thus supported independently of the binder,
being out-hung from the harvester main frame so as to occupy the proper rela-
tive position to receive the bound sheaves from the deck.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The combination with the upper roller of the lower elevator canvas, of a
gear on the shaft of said roller, an idler gear meshing therewith, a driving gear
meshing with the idler gear, and a chain driven sprocket wheel rigid with the
driving gear.
2. The combination with the upper roller of the lower elevator canvas, of an
auxiliary roller located stubbleward from and in substantially the horizontal plane

page_text: of the elevator roller, a gear on the shaft of the elevator roller, a gear on the
shaft of the auxiliary roller, a chain driven sprocket wheel on the auxiliary
roller shaft outside of its gear, and an idler gear meshing with both said roller
gears.
3. The combination with the upper roller of the lower elevator canvas, of a
gear on the shaft of said roller, an idler gear meshing therewith, a driving gear
meshing with the idler gear, a chain driven sprocket wheel rigid with the driv-
ing gear, and a shield covering said gear and sprocket wheels.
4. The combination with the upper roller of the lower elevator canvas, an
auxiliary roller located stubbleward from and in substantially the horizontal
plane of the elevator roller, and a heads lifting and accelerating finger at the
rear ends of the rollers.
5. The combination with the upper roller of the lower elevator canvas of a
gear on the shaft of said roller, an idler gear meshing therewith, an auxiliary
roller located stubbleward from and in substantially the horizontal plane of said
elevator roller, a gear on the shaft of the auxiliary roller meshing with the said
idler gear, a sprocket wheel rigid with the auxiliary roller gear, a lifting and
accelerating finger pivotally connected to the sprocket wheel, and a link having
a fixed pivot at one end, and connected at the other to the lower end of the finger.
6. The combination of the lower elevator canvas, the extension board at the
rear edge thereof, the upper roller of said canvas, a gear on the rear end of said
roller shaft, an auxiliary roller located stubbleward from and in substantially
the horizontal plane of the elevator roller, a gear on the rear end of said roller
shaft, an idler gear meshing with both the roller gears, a chain-driven sprocket
wheel rigid with the gear of the auxiliary roller, the inclined deck leading to
the binder, a shield fastened at one end to the aforesaid extension board and
extending over and above the gear and sprocket wheels to the inclined deck, and
a finger pivoted below the shield and driven by the sprocket wheel said finger
reaching above the shield and operating to assist the heads of the grain over the
highest point of the elevator.
7. In a grain elevating and self binding harvester, the combination with the
rollers at the upper end of the elevator, the binding apparatus, the inclined deck
leading from the elevator to the binder, a heads lifting and accelerating finger at
the apex of the elevator, and a discharge arm reaching rearward from the end
of the overhead binder shaft, and acting more particularly on that part of the
grain which is advanced by the accelerating finger.
8. The combination with the overhead binder shaft having the usual ejectors
for the body portion of the bundle, of an auxiliary discharge arm projecting
rearwardly and curving laterally from the end of said binder shaft.
9. The combination with the overhead binder shaft having the ejector 4, of an
auxiliary discharge arm fitting on the end of the shaft and detachably secured to
the ejector.
10. The combination of the overhead binder shaft having a screw threaded
end, the ejector 4 locked to and upon said shaft by the nut 7 having the serrated
face 8, and an auxiliary discharge arm fitting on the projecting end of the shaft
and having a detent to engage the serrations of the nut and adapted to be bolted
to the ejector.
11. The combination of the overhead binder shaft having the screw threaded
end 5, the ejector 4 locked to and upon said shaft by the nut 7 screwing upon
the shaft, a curved auxiliary discharge arm having a tubular hub-like socket 2
fitting over the end of the shaft, a radial arm 3 projecting from the socket and
adapted to be bolted to the ejector 4, serrations 8 on the outer face of the nut,
and a detent 9 on the socket of the discharge arm adapted to interlock with the
serrations of the nut.
12. The combination and arrangement of the binder frame, a swinging crane
hinge-jointed to the harvester frame, and a cranked joint pin journaled in the
outer end of the crane and pivotally connected to the binder frame.

page_text: 13. The crane consisting of two members pivoted to the brackets 60 and 70,
and united at their outer ends, where they are provided with the brace 15, the
eyes 100 and 16, and the hinge pin 120 having the cranked end which is pivot-
ally connected to the binder frame.
14. The manner of supporting the bundle carrier which consists in mounting
it on horizontally swinging pivoted cranes.
15. The combination and arrangement of the cranes 90 and 19, the outward
arms 18 and 24, and the bundle carrier rail secured to the latter.
Dated this 17th day of February 1890
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.