CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN AND GRASS HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN AND GRASS HARVESTING
MACHINES. A communication.
Sealed the 10th May 1859, and dated the 4th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
December 1858.-A communication.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN AND GRASS
HARVESTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, 1st, to an improvement in that class of grain and
grass harvesters in which motion is given to a reciprocating sickle by means
of a cam formed of an obliquely grooved cylinder.
The Invention relates, 2ndly, to a guard finger of peculiar construction,
which is applicable to all harvesters in which a reciprocating sickle is used.
The object of the Invention is to compensate for the wear of the cam, and
thereby ensure a perfect cutting action of the sickle, and to obtain as direct an
application of the power to the sickle as possible, and with as little friction as

page_text: possible. The Invention also has for its object the prevention of the gumming
or clogging of the sickle.
The peculiar features of novelty which are sought to be protected, are:-
1st, constructing the cam for working the cutters of one or more adjustable
parts arranged so as to admit of compensating for the wear of the groove.
2nd, the arrangement of a bar, lever, and rod for the purpose of applying
the driving power in a direct manner to the sickle or cutting instrument, so
as to avoid an unnecessary amount of friction in the working parts.
3rd, the employment of friction rollers attached to a rod, in connection
with the reciprocating bar and lever for working the sickle bar, and by which
means the friction of the parts is considerably diminished.
4th, constructing the fingers with a slotted cap and also with a slotted body
for the purpose of preventing the fingers from clogging up.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, and
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN AND GRASS HARVESTING
MACHINES," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereou (that is to say):
--
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, relates,
first, to an improvement in that class of grain and grass harvesters in which
motion is given to a reciprocating sickle by means of a cam formed of an
obliquely-grooved cylinder.
The Invention relates, second, to a guard finger of peculiar construction,
which is applicable to all harvesters in which a reciprocating sickle is used.
The object of the Invention is to compensate for the wear of the cam, and
thereby ensure a perfect cutting action of the sickle, and to obtain as direct
an application of the power to the sickle as may be, and with as little friction
as possible. The Invention also has for its object the prevention of the
gumming or clogging of the sickle.
In the accompanying Drawing, forming part of this Specification, Fig. 1 is
a side sectional view of the improved harvester, taken in the line a, a, of
Fig. 4; Fig. 2 is a section, of the sickle driving device, taken in the line y, y,
of Fig. 4; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the main frame, taken in the line
z, z, of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a plan or top-view of the improved harvester; Fig. 5
is a plan or top view of one of the guard fingers detached; Fig. 6 is a longi-
tudinal, central, and vertical section of the same. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
b
A represents the main frame of the machine, and B is the finger bar, which
is attached thereto in the usual or any proper manner; the main frame may
be of rectangular form, a traction wheel C being at its outer side. To the
traction wheel C is attached a toothed wheel D, which gears into a pinion a
keyed on the outer end of a shaft E, which has its bearings 6 on the frame A.
On the shaft E is placed a drum F, which has an oblique groove c made on its
periphery, the said groove being of such form as to give a reciprocating
motion to a bar G, fitted in a guide frame H on the main frame A. The
drum F with its oblique groove c forms a cam, and one part d is fitted loosely
on the shaft E, and is rendered adjustable by means of a nut I, which is fitted
or works on a screw thread formed on the shaft; the other part e of the cam
may also be adjustable, but one adjustable part will probably be suflicient.

page_text: The movable part or parts of the cam are secured to the shaft by means of a
feather f, Fig. 2, which fits in a longitudinal recess or groove in the adjustable
part or parts of the cam, and while admitting of a longitudinal movement of
the said part or parts on the shaft, it still causes them to rotate with the shaft.
This adjustment of the part d (or the adjustment of both the parts d, e, if both
are made adjustable) allows of the groove c being contracted or increased in
width to suit the roller which is to work therein. Through the bar G there
passes a rod J transversely, and on each end of this rod a frictional roller g is
placed, one roller being fitted in the groove c, and the other being fitted in the
guide frame H. By adjusting the width of the groove c to the diameter of
the roller 9, all unnecessary play of the roller in the groove will be avoided.
K is a lever fitted in the main frame A, and having its fulcrum at h; the upper
end of this lever is forked and fitted on the rod J, and its lower end is attached
by a pivot i to a connecting rod L, which is attached to the sickle M, the
latter being provided with the V-shaped teeth most generally used with reci-
procating sickles. As the machine is drawn along, the drum or cam F gives
a reciprocating motion to the bar G, and the lever K is vibrated in consequence
of being connected to the rod J, the lever by means of the connecting rod L
giving a reciprocating movement to the sickle M. By this arrangement of
the lever K and bar G, the power is applied in a very direct manner to the
sickle, and the rollers on the rod J cause the parts to opérate with but little
friction.
To the finger bar B the guard fingers N are attached; these fingers do not
differ materially as regards their configuration from many others. The body j
is of much the usual form, gradually tapering from its back to its front end,
and the cap k is also of the usual form. The body j of the finger, however,
is slotted vertically as shown at l, and the cap k is also slotted vertically as
shown at m; by means of these slots l, m, it will be seen that four cutting
edges are obtained, both on the body of the fingers and the cap, making eight
cutting edges in all. In ordinary guard fingers there are but four cutting
edges, two on the cap and two on the body of the finger. The use of these
slots is to prevent the sickle from gumming up; a portion of the "refuse "
when the sickle is in action passing down through the slot directly to the
ground, and a portion passing up through the slot k, and then falling over the
cap to the ground. The construction of the fingers will be clearly understood
by referring to Figures 5 and 6.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Certain Improve-
ments in Grain and Grass Harvesting Machines," as communicated to me

page_text: from abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent,
I claim,
First, the means above described for transmitting the driving power to
the sickle.
And, secondly, constructing the fingers N with a slotted cap k and slotted
body j, substantially as and for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Second day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)