IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Smith, of Bredfield, in the County
Suffolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th July 1856.
I, THOMAS SMITH, of Bredfield, in the County of Suffolk, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES," to be as
follows:-
In the use of horse rakes, as heretofore constructed, considerable difficulty
has been experienced from the weight of the tines or teeth, causing them to
sink into the land, and thereby, in some cases, causing injury to the crop; and
when the tines or teeth have been made light, to avoid this inconvenience, it
has been difficult. to obtain sufficient strength. Now, my Invention consists
in combining with each of the tines or teeth a counterbalance weight, tending
to raise the tines or teeth from the land. By this arrangement, sufficient
strength can be obtained without increasing the pressure of the tines or teeth
on the land; and the apparatus may be so arranged that the counterbalance
weight may be moveable, so as to enable the workman to adjust the pressure;
and when it is required that the tines or teeth should sink into the land, the
counterbalance weight may be so placed as to assist and act with the weight of
the said tines or teeth. .

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on. the
5th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SMITH, of Bredfield, in the County of Suffolk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Smith, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Smith, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Smith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
.no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Smith, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said. Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent...
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be 'per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
In the use of horse rakes, as heretofore constructed, considerable difficulty
has been experienced from the weight of the tines or teeth, causing them to
sink into the land, and thereby, in some cases, causing injury to the crop;
and when the tines or teeth have been made light, to avoid this inconvenience,
it has been difficult to obtain sufficient strength. Now, my Invention consists
in combining with each of the tines or teeth a counterbalance weight, tending
to raise the tines or teeth from the land. By this arrangement, sufficient
strength can be obtained without increasing the pressure of the tines or teeth
on the land; and the apparatus may be so arranged that the counterbalance
weight may be moveable, so as to enable the workman to adjust the pressure;
and when it is required that the tines or teeth should sink into the land, the

page_text: counterbalance weight may be so placed as to assist and act with the weight
of the said tines or teeth.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2, a side view, and Figure 8, a section of a horse
rake constructed according to my Invention. a, a, is the frame of the rake,
mounted on the wheels b, b, which can be raised or lowered, as required; c, c,
are the tines or teeth, bolted to projections on the bosses d, d, from which arms
project and carry the counterbalance weights e, e; f, f, is a longitudinal axis,
passing through the series of bosses d, d. In order to raise the tines or teeth
c, c, the handle g is used; this, by means of the link h and bar i, depresses the
levers j, j, which turn on the axis f, and so raises the bar k, and with it the
tines or teeth c, c. Figure 4 is a side view of a tine or tooth, with a counter-
balance weight arranged to turn back, so as to add to the weight of the tine
or tooth. Figure 5 shows a tine or tooth with a counterbalance weight,.
adjustable by sliding on its levers or stems.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
SAM. RANDALL,
of Bredfield.
THOMAS SMITH (L.S.)