IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND GATHERING MACHINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lemuel Wellman Wright, of Charlford, in the
County of Gloucester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING AND GATHERING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lemuel Wellman
Wright at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 6th September 1858.
I, LEMUEL WELLMAN WRIGHT, of Charlford, in the County of
Gloucester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND GATHERING MACHINES" to be as
follows:-
Upon the front of the frame of the machine I place my gatherers,
which are vertical, and behind them my cutters, which consist of blades
in the form of a segment of a circle. Both the gatherers and cutters
are fixed to arms revolving upon a vertical spindle supported by the
framework. My gatherers are so contrived that they carry the corn,
after it has been cut, back upon the machine, and lay it in a horizontal
position on to a horizontal receiver, which, by means of a cam or other
like contrivance mounted upon the axis of the main wheels acting on

page_text: rods and levers, causes the horizontal receiver to tilt over, and thus the
corn is deposited in bundles at regular intervals on the ground outside
of the machine. As soon as the horizontal receiver has deposited the
corn it resumes its former position, and is ready for a fresh supply
from the gatherers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Lemuel Wellman Wright in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
LEMUEL WELLMAN WRIGHT, of Charlford, in the County of Gloucester,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright,
Her special licence that I, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Lemuel
Wellman Wright, 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 REAPING AND GATHERING MACHINES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Lemuel Wellman Wright, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-

page_text: tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
Upon the front of the frame of the machine I place gatherers, which
aro vertical or nearly so, and behind them my cutters, which consist of
blades in the form of the segment of a circle or segments of circles. Both
the gatherers and cutters are fixed to arms revolving upon a vertical
spindle supported by the framework. The gatherers are so contrived
that they carry the corn, after it has been cut, back upon the machine,
and lay it in a horizontal position upon a horizontal receiver, which, by
means of a cam or other like contrivance mounted upon the axis of
the main wheels acting on rods and levers, causes the horizontal
receiver to tilt over, and thus the corn is deposited in bundles at
regular intervals on the ground outside of the machine. As soon
as the horizontal receiver has deposited the corn, it resumes its former
position, and is ready for a fresh supply from the gatherers.
Figure 1, of the Drawings hereunto annexed represents a side eleva-
tion of this improved reaping and gathering machine. Figure 2, is a
plan of the same; and Figure 3, a section on the line A, B, of Figure 2.
The same letters refer to similar parts in all the Figures. C, is the pole
of the machine, to which the horses are harnessed with their heads
towards the machine. On the machine being propelled or pushed
forward, motion is communicated by means of the driving wheels D,
to the pair of bevil wheels E, E'. The bevil wheel E, is keyed upon
the axle of the driving wheels, while the wheel E', is fixed upon one-
end of a longitudinal shaft F, having keyed upon its opposite end.
a bevil wheel G, gearing into a similar wheel G¹, on the vertical
shaft H. The diameters of the bevil wheels are so regulated that after
a certain number of revolutions the quantity of corn cut and gathered
will be sufficient to form a sheaf ready for delivery and binding. I, is
an arm fixed to the vertical shaft, and revolving with it, on the
opposite extremities of which the scythes or reapers K, are fixed.
These scythes or reapers are formed with serrated edges, as shewn
in the plan in Figure 2. L, L, are cradles or gatherers, also fixed
upon the revolving arm I, but outside the scythes, for the purpose
of gathering the corn as it is cut by the reapers. M, M, are

page_text: projecting pieces or catches which are attached to the cradles or
gatherers for the purpose of elevating and depressing the gatherers.
As the arm I, revolves, and the scythes cut the corn or other grain, it
falls against the cradles or gatherers, and is thereby retained N, is a
cam connected to the general framework of the machine, but in such a
position that, as the cradles revolve, the projecting pieces M, alter-
nately come in contact with it, commencing at the point a, and passing
along and touching its inner or concave edge; the cradles carrying the
cut corn gradually become depressed, until, at the point b, they assume
the horizontal position, and thereby deposit the cut corn upon the hori-
zontal rakes or receivers O, connected to a tilting shaft P. The
gatherers, after depositing the cut corn in their onward revolution,
bring the catches M, into contact at the point c, with a second cam Q;
and passing along its outer or convex edge become gradually elevated
until they arrive at the point d, where they assume their greatest eleva-
tion or original position, as represented in Figure 1. This operation of
cutting and gathering is continued until there is a sufficient quantity of
corn collected on the rakes or receivers O, to form a sheaf. When
this has been accomplished the cami R, revolving with the axle of the
driving wheels, raises the friction roller S, and lever T, one extremity
of which is fixed to the framing of the machine. U, is a chain, one
end of which is fixed to the lever T, and the other to a disc V, upon
the tilting shaft P. The revolution of the cam R, thus causes the
disc V, the tilting shaft P, and rakes or receivers O, to perform about
a quarter of a revolution, so as to bring the rakes or receivers into the
position shewn by the red lines in Figure 3, whereby the corn will be
raised by the rakes or receivers, and, sliding down them, will be de-
livered upon the ground at the side of the machine ready to be bound
into sheaves. W, is a lever connected to the tilting shaft P, and
having upon it an adjustable counterbalance weight X, to assist in
bringing back the shaft P; and rakes O, into their original and
horizontal position ready to receive a fresh supply of corn from the
cradles or gatherers. Y, are guide wheels connected to a supporting
rig Y, and guide rods Z¹, whereby a man sitting on the back of one
of the horses, or upon a seat placed upon the framework of the machine,

page_text: can guide the machine in any required position. Or the pole C, to which
the horses are harnessed, may be made the guide pole. Y², is an ad-
justing weight moveable along the lever T. e, is a supporting ring to
the revolving arm. f, is a clutch box connected to the lever g, for
throwing the bevil wheel E, out of gear as may be required, in order
to stop the revolution of the scythes and the action of the machine.
Where there are inequalities in the ground it will be necessary to so
arrange and adjust the front portion of the machine as to cause it to
rise and fall in a manner corresponding to the surface of the ground,
whereby the corn is always cut of one uniform and equal length from
the surface of the ground.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the
several improvements in reaping and gathering machines, that is to
say, the arrangement of the scythes or reapers, and of the gatherers
for receiving the cut corn, whereby the corn is received and carried
back upon the machine, and laid in a horizontal position upon rakes or
receivers, which are caused to tilt over and deposit the corn in bundles
or quantities at regular intervals upon the ground on the outside of the
machine, all as herein-before described, and represented in the Draw-
ings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
LEMUEL W. WRIGHT. (L.S.)