IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernhard Samuelson, of Banbury, in the County of
Oxford, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 21st January 1862, and dated the 17th September 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernhard Samuelson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th September 1861.
I, BERNHARD SAMUELSON, of Banbury, in the County of Oxford, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HARVESTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to harvesting machines having an upright shaft
revolving to one side of and in a line or thereabouts with the cutters, such
shaft being furnished with rakes or sweepers which enter the uncut crop at
the proper inclination, cause it to meet the knives, and when cut, sweep it to
one side, and release themselves from it at the proper time.
Now, I have found that it is desirable that the rakes or sweepers should
remove the crop at frequent intervals, and although this may be regulated by
the velocity communicated to the upright shaft, yet I find that it is preferable
to diminish the distance between the rakes or sweepers which traverse the

page_text: platform. And I effect this by causing three rakes or sweepers at the least
at each revolution of the upright shaft to travel by means of guides in such a
path, and to extend so low that they shall remove the crop to one side after
it is cut; and I prefer to interpose between such rakes or sweepers other
sweepers, which are so arranged as to bring the uncut crop towards the
cutters, but not interfere with it after it is cut. I also find that it is desirable,
in certain cases, to substitute toothless sweepers for rakes, or to cause the
rake teeth to penetrate to a greater or less depth without disturbing the
adjustment of the machine; and I effect this by bolting or otherwise affixing
boards or masks behind or in front of the rakes at a greater or less height, so
as to mask the teeth of the rakes partially or entirely.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Bernhard Samuelson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BERNHARD
SAMUELSON, of Banbury, in the County of Oxford, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Hler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Bernhard Samuelson, Her special licence that I, tho said Bernhard
Samuelson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Bernhard Samuelson, 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
minke, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Bernhard Samuelson, 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 Bernhard Samuelson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Iuvention, and in what manner the same is to bó

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:
My Invention relates to harvesting machines having an upright shaft
revolving to one side of, and in a line or thereabouts with the cutters, such
shaft being furnished with rakes or sweepers which enter the uncut crop at
the proper inclination, cause it to meet the knives, and when cut, sweep it to
one side, and release themselves from it at the proper time.
Now, I have found that it is desirable that the rakes or sweepers should
remove the crop at frequent intervals, and although this may be regulated by
the velocity communicated to the upright shaft, yet I find that it is preferable
to diminish the distance between the rakes or sweepers which traverse the
platform, and I effect this by causing three rakes or sweepers at the least at
each revolution of the upright shaft to travel by means of guides in such a
path, and to extend so low that they shall remove the crop to one side after it
is cut; and I interpose between such rakes or sweepers other sweepers, which
are so arranged as to bring the uncut crop towards the cutters, but not
interfere with it after it is cut. I also find that it is desirable, in certain
cases, to substitute toothless sweepers for rakes, or to cause the rake teeth to
penetrate to a greater or less depth, without otherwise disturbing the adjust-
ment of the machine, and I effect this by bolting or otherwise affixing boards
or masks behind or in front of the rakes at a greater or less height, so as to
mask the teeth of the rakes partially or entirely.
In order that my Invention may be more readily understood, I refer to
the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal plan of the
raking or sweeping apparatus, as seen from above, and also shows a platform P
and driving wheel D, from which latter motion is communicated to the upright
shaft by means of any convenient gearing.
Figure 2 and Figure 2 are elevations of a couple of sweeping arms in
opposite positions during a revolution, the horizontal line h, h¹, in each case
being the front line of the platform; Figure 3 shows a convenient mode of
arranging the sockets for the sweepers; and Figure 4 is a section of rake
with its mask for regulating the penetration of the rake teeth. S, Figures 1,
2, and 3 is an upright shaft carrying the raking apparatus, which derives its
motion from the driving wheel. Three pins, p, p', p², pass through the shaft
(as shown in Figure 3); the horizontal planes of these pins should form with
each other an angle of, say 120 degrees. On these pins are carried
(5, 5, 8, 3, 5, 8, Figures 1 and 3, and s, Figures 2 and 2*,) the sweepers
terminating in rakes and reels ra, re, ra³, re³, and ra³, re³, arranged in opposite
couples of such respective lengths, that whereas one of each couple, ra, when

page_text: brought to the front of the platform by the revolution of the shaft S (Figs. 1,
2, and 2) nearly or quite touches the platform, as shown at Figure 2,
removing off it any grain which may be lying there. The opposite one, re,
when brought to the same position (as in Figure 2) is at such a distance
from it as to traverse it without removing the grain. The use of re is that of
a reel only for bringing the grain or grass towards the knife. m, Figures 2
& 4, is a mask which is placed behind the rake ra, and has threo or any
convenient number of sets of holes b, b, b, Figures 2 and 4, through which it
may be attached to the rake at different heights, so as to limit the penetration
of the teeth, or to cover them entirely.!
I do not confine myself to the precise details of the arrangement as shown;
but what I claim as my Invention with respect to harvesting machines having
an upright revolving shaft furnishod with rakos or sweepers, is,-
1stly, so arranging the sweepers in at least three opposite couples that the
opposite ones in each couple shall, by their respective lengths, bo fitted to
act, the one as a rake for clearing the platform, the other as a reel only for
bringing the uncut crop towards the knifo.
2ndly, the addition of masks to rakes with teeth, so that the latter may
penetrate more or less, or that the masks may act in place of the teeth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernhard Samuelson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
JOHN SHAW,
Banbury.
BERNHARD SAMUELSON. (L.B.)