IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN BINDING MECHANISM FOR HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN BINDING MECHANISM FOR HARVESTING MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by Samuel Johnston, of Brockport, New
York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Hasoltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN BINDING MECHANISM
FOR HARVESTING MACHINES." [A communication from abroad by Samuel Johnston,
of Brockport, New York, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to grain-binding mechanisın generally, but is moro
particularly applicable to the grain-binding harvesters described in the Specification
of former Letters Patent, dated December 19th, A.D. 1879, No. 5204.
The present Invention comprises mechanism designed to pass a cord around a
gavel and tie a knot thereon, securely binding the grain into a bundle; also,
mechanism whereby the bundle is compressed at the proper time and during
binding, as hereinafter described.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the binder frame is allowed to
rotate or oscillate upon a pin or spindle, and the end of the frame is provided with
a guide opening. Situated below the frame and sliding in bearings is the looper,
composed of two looping jaws, which when closed, form a single book. One jaw
is attached to a spindle provided at the end opposito the jaw with a crank and
friction or cam roller. Secured to and forming part of the bearings is a guide, and
secured to the guido is a spring. The looper is provided with a projection which
slides in a slot in the binder-frame, and it is thereby prevented from rotating.
Pivotted to the binder-frame, in the path of the roller, is a cam-dog provided with
an inclined face. The dog in its norinal position rosts against a pin, and is always
returned to this position by spring. There is a pivotted cord-gatherer, the jaw
of which slides upon one side of a guide-way, and upon the underside of said jaw
is a projecting hook. Situated under the binder frame and beside the looper is the
cord-holder proper. It is essentially composed of a stationary piece provided with
fingers, and a spring piece with corresponding fingers. There is a sliding piece
provided with a series of curved fingers, which are furnished with shoulders
designed to carry the cord between other fingers and spring fingers forming the
Ping G71

page_text: --
holder. Attached to or sliding beside the sliding piece is a holding clamp, which is
designed to clamp the cord between one finger and itself before knife edges sever
said cord. This clamp is furnished with a spring, which after the cord has been
clamped is compressed, allowing the piece to still move forward until the cord has
been severed.
5
Pivotted to the binder-frame, and between the spindle and the looper, is an
oscillating cam-piece, which is provided with two friction or cam rollers, which
govern its oscillations by working upon a cam. This cam-pieco is also provided
with a cam slot in which a friction-roller moves. This roller is connected to the
gatherer by the bar, and is also connected with a pin on the frame by a bar. The 1
rear end of the looper is connected to the crank-pin on the cam-piece by a bar, and
another crank-pin is connected to and operates the sliding picco and its appended
parts.
Situated over and actuated by mechanism fully set forth in the Specification
of the said former Patent are the compressing end arms. The binder arm carries 1
the binding cord around the bundle.
Secured to the binder frame is a spring arm carrying on the end an idler pulley;
attached to the binder-arm is a compressor band which passes under the idler pulley
on a compressor arm, and over a pulley on a spring arm, and is attached to a lever.
This lever is connected to an elliptical spring by a bar. This spring is secured to 2
the platform or to the binder frame. Also, secured to the frame or platform is a
bell crank lever, one arm of which is provided with a friction roller, and the
other is connected with a bar, the opposite end of which is attached to
the elliptical spring. This bar is provided with a pin. When the bell crank is
thrown into a certain position it rests against a pin and is then locked. The 2
roller runs upon the cam-way which is secured to the body of the harvester, also
secured to the body of the harvester is a cam projection.
The looper has resting against one side of it a spring lover which performs the
function of pushing the loop over the end of the looper during the formation of
the knot. This spring lover remains in a fixed position with relation to the binder
frame.
The compressor acts in conjunction with the knot tyer. During the time when
the gavel is being laid and gathered, the roller is running upon the cam, and is
gradually brought to a locking position, thereby compressing tho elliptical spring.
This compression or storing of power takes placo slowly, and when the machine;
is doing the least work; and as soon as the bundle requires to be compressed, and
almost simultaneously with the tying of the knot, the pin strikes the cam pieco
and liberates all this stored up energy or power at the exact moment it is
required, and compresses the gavel or bundle through the agency of the compressor
band. It has been the practice to compress the bundle during the binding by
some power at that moment generated, but a compressor attached to a grain binder
has never been so constructed, to my knowledge, in which the power is gradually
stored up when the binder of the machine is not doing work.
The great advantage of this compressor consists in the fact that a power inuch
greater than the traction-power can be stored up, to be liberated at the proper
instant, whereas with the compressors heretoforo in use, which generate and use
the power on the instant, their greatest power cannot be more than the traction-
power produced by the weight of the machine, less the power required to run the
binding mechanism; and if the resistance offered in compressing a largo gavel is
greater than the power generated, the driving whicels will slip, the cutter bar will
cease to vibrate, and the whole machine will be stopped; whereas, with my
improvement in compressors, consisting in storing up onergy, theso difficulties are
entirely overcome.
It is evident that by a suitable construction of mechanism the power exerted
by the compressor need not be derived from the machine during binding at all, a
thereby giving more power to perform that work, and when it is most needed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th November 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN BINDING MECHANISM
FOR HARVESTING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Samuel Johnston,
of Brockport, New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to grain binding mechanism generally, but is more
particularly applicable to the grain binding harvesters described in the Specification
of former Letters Patent, dated December 19th, A.D. 1879, No. 5204.
The present Invention comprises mechanism designed to pass a cord around a
gavel and tie a knot thereon, securely binding the grain into a bundle; also
mechanism whereby the bundle is compressed at the proper timo and during the
binding, as hereinafter described.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which―
Figure 1 is a perspective view of mechanism embodying my Invention, and
Figure 2 is a plan, partly in section, of the same, with the binder frame and tablo
removed.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of tho said mechanism on the line x, x, Figuro 2.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cord gatherer, hereinafter described.
Figures 5 to 10 are perspective views illustrating the movements of the looper
and the process of tying the knot.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of the said looper.
Figure 12 is a longitudinal section of the cord holder.
Figure 13 is an end elevation of the said looper.
A represents the binder-frame which rotates or oscillates upon the pin or
spindle B. The end of this frame is provided with a guide-opening a. Situated
below the frame A, and sliding in bearings C, is the looper D. This looper is
composed of two looping jaws d, d', which when closed form a single hook. The
jaw d is attached to one end of a spindle d³ which is provided at its other end
with a crank and friction or cam roller d³. Secured to and forming part of the
bearings C is a guide c, and secured to the said guide is a spring c'. The looper D
is provided with a projection D' which slides in a slot a¹ in the binder frame, and
thereby prevents the rotation of the said looper. Pivoted to the binder frame, in
the path of the roller , is a cam dog E provided with an inclined face c. This dog
in its normal position rests against a pin e¹ and is always returned to this position
by a spring E. Pivoted at F is the cord gatherer G, the jaw of which slides upon
one side of the guide way a, as shewn in Figure 1, and upon the under side of the
said jaw is a proejcting hook g, as shewn in Figure 4.
Situated under the binder frame A, and beside the looper, is the cord holder
proper. The latter is composed essentially of a stationary pieco provided with
fingers, and a sliding piece with corresponding fingers. The sliding picco I is
provided with a series of curved fingers i, i, which are furnished with shoulders i
designed to carry the cord between the fingers K, K, and spring fingers K² forming
the holder, as shewn in Figure 12. Attached to or sliding at the side of the piece Ĭ,
is a holding clamp J, which is designed to clamp the cord between it and the
finger K before the knife edges and K¹ sever said cord. This clamp J is
furnished with a spring j, which after the cord has been clamped is compressed,
allowing the piece I to still move forward until the cord has been severed.
Pivoted to the binder frame A at M, and between the spindle B and the looper,
is an oscillating cam piece or plate L. This cam-piece is provided with a cam-way ĺ
and two crank-pins 1, 2, and is oscillated upon its fulcrum A in a horizontal plane

page_text: by two friction or cam rollers L1, L2, striking the cam pieces B¹, B³. The roller L³
is longer than the roller L, and consequently is acted upon by one portion B* of
the cam piece B2 for the purpose of throwing the roller L² inwardly, to be within
the range of the cam piece B'. The cam piece L is also provided with a cam slot 7,
as above stated; in which slot the friction roller g² moves. This roller is connected
to the gatherer G at g¹ by the bar G₁, and is also connected with the pin g³ on the
frame A by the bar G². The rear end of the looper is connected to the crank pin
on the cam piece L by the bar D³, and the crank pin is connected to and operates
the sliding piece I and the parts connected thereto through the bar I¹.
The mechanism for operating the compressing arm O and binding arm N is
constructed as follows, that is to say :-The vertical shaft B is rotated by suitable
gearing from the driving wheel of the machine, and thereby causes the rotation of the
binder frame A and of the binding mechanism and other parts directly related thereto.
At one end of the said binding frame, and at a point A*, is pivoted a segmental rack A¹
having a projecting piece A carrying a roller A³, which travels in a cam way B°*
and imparts an oscillating movement to the said segmental rack A'. The teeth
of this rack gear with a pinion N³ and impart a rotary motion to this pinion and
to a hollow shaft N', upon one end of which the said pinion is secured, and an
oscillating motion to the band carrying arm N at the other end; this shaft N¹
rotates in suitable bearings at N*, N*. O¹ is a small pinion secured upon a shaft 02
rotating within the hollow shaft N', which acts as a bearing to the said shaft O³.
The upper end of the shaft O2 is forced into or has secured upon it the compressing
arm O. The pinion O' is rotated by a segmental rack frame 03 which is pivotted
at A* and has an oscillating motion imparted to it by an arm O' carrying a
roller Omoving in a cam way B°. Secured to or forming part of the oscillating
rack 03 is an arm o¹ which moves a discharging rake o" by means of a rod or
bar o, and crank 0%, so that the bundle or sheaf when completed and bound is
discharged from the revolving platform. The binder arm N carries the binding
_cord around the bundle, as shown in Figure 1.
at 7.
Secured to the binder frame A is a spring arm-P-carrying on one of its ends. a.
loose or idler pulley p; attached to the binder arm N at n is the compressor band Q
which passes under the loose pulley p' on the compressor arm and over the
pulley on the spring arm P, and is attached to the lever R, having its fulcrum
This lever R is connected to an elliptical spring T by the bar S. Tho
spring T is secured to the platform or to the binder frame. And secured to the
frame or platform is the bell crank lever V, one arm of which is provided with a
friction roller V1; its other arm is connected at u with a bar U, the opposite end
of which is attached to the aforesaid spring T. This bar U is provided with a
pin U. When the bell crank is thrown into the position indicated by dotted lines
in Figure 2, it rests against a pin w and is then locked. The roller V¹ runs upon
the cam way W secured to the body of the harvester, which has also secured to it
a cam projection X. The looper D has resting against one of its sides a spring
lever Ds which performs the function of pushing the loop over the end of the
looper during the formation of the knot. This spring lever D³ remains in a fixed
position with relation to the binder frame.
The operation of the said mechanism is as follows, that is to say:-
:-One end of
the cord is to be held in the holder, or in other words, between the fingers K and K².
As the platform or binder frame rotates, the gavel is laid and is gathered in by
the compressor arm O, Figure 1; then the binder arın N descends, carrying the
cord around the gavel or bundle and around the looper, as shewn in Figure 5, and
finally between the curved fingers i and the holder proper. As the frame still
rotates the roller L³ strikes the cam, and the cam piece L is rotated in the direction
indicated by the arrow, Figure 2. This action closes the gatherer G, thereby
gathering the cords between the looper and bundle and directly below the latter,
so that the hook of the looper can pass above the said cords, and at the same time
the curved fingers i gather the binding cord and carry it between the fingers K
and spring fingers K³ forming the cord holder, and the looper O is drawn back,

page_text: changing of the cord's position being prevented by the spring lever D³, and the
looper and cord are in the position shewn in Figure 6. As the motion still
continues the looper jaws open and take in the cords next to the knife edges i¹
and K, as shewn in Figure 7. This operation is caused by the friction roller d³
striking the cam dog E running up the inclined face e of the same, and compressing
the spring e, thereby oscillating the rod ² and depressing the jaw d. By
continuing its motion the roller passes over the cam dog E and is forced down
by the spring c', closing the jaw d' upon the jaw d and biting the cord, while at
the same time the knife edge ¹ passes the knife edge K' and severs the cord, and
as the lopper still moves back the spring lever D³ pushes the loop over the end of
the looper, as shown in Figure 8. The roller L' now comes in contact with its
cam and oscillates the cam piece L in the opposite direction, thereby reversing the
movement of the mechanism. As the looper returns to its original position, the
roller d³ presses back the cam dog E and the loop is caught by tho hook g on the
gatherer G, and the jaws d, d', of the looper pull the ends of the cord through
tho loop, as shewn in Figure 9; as the movement of the parts continues the knot
is tightened and appears, as shown in Figure 10. At this instant the gatherer G
moves back, the binder arm ascends, and the bound gavel is discharged from the
platform, the machine being then ready to bind another gavel.
The compressor acts in conjunction with the knot tyer. Whilst the gavel is
being laid and gathered, tho roller V' is running upon the cam W and is gradually
brought to the locking position, shewn in dotted lines in Figure 2, thereby
compressing the spring T. This compression or storing of power takes place
slowly while the machine is doing the least work, and as soon as the bundle
requires to be compressed, and almost simultaneously with the tying of the knot,
the pin U strikes the cam piece X and liberates all of the stored up energy or
power at the exact moment it is required, and compresses the gavel or bundle
through the agency of the compressor band Q.
It has been the practice to compress the bundle during the binding by some
power at that moment generated, but a compressor attached to a grain-binder has
not been so constructed that the power is gradually stored up when the binder of
the machine is not performing any work.
The great advantage of this compressor consists in the fact that a power much
greater than the traction power can be stored up to be liberated at the proper
instant, whereas with the compressors heretofore constructed, which generate and
immediately use, but do not store up the power, their greatest power cannot be
more than the traction power produced by the weight of the machine, less the
power required to operate the binding mechanism; and if the resistance offered in
comprossing a large gavel is greater than the power generated, the driving wheels
will slip, the cutter bar will cease to vibrate, and the whole machine will be
stopped, whereas with my improved compressors, consisting in the means for storing
up energy, these difficulties are entirely overcome. I do not confine myself to any
particular construction of mechanism for carrying into practice the essential
principle of this part of my Invention, that is to say, the storing up of power
when the harvester is doing the least work, which power is liberated and utilized
in compressing the grain, forining the bundle, during or just previous to binding,
and when the machino is doing the most work. It is evident that by a suitable
construction of mechanism the power exerted by the compressor need not be
derived from the machine during binding, thereby affording more power than
would be otherwise available to perform this work, and when it is most needed.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. In a grain or sheaf binding machine, mechanism for storing up powor
when the machine is gathering a sheaf or gavel, or doing the least work, and
mechanism for liberating such power to compress the grain when the bundle is
being formed and the knot tied, and when the machine is doing its greatest work.

page_text: Second. In a grain or sheaf binding machine, a compressor which stores up
power when the machine is laying a sheaf or gavel, and uses the power when the
same is being tied in combination with a knot tying device, which ties a knot by
the reciprocating movement of the looper without any rotation of the latter on its
own axis, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Third. In a grain or sheaf binding machine, the rotating knot-tying mechanism
in which the looper forms the knot by a reciprocating motion, substantially as
above described.
Fourth. The knot-tying mechanism or apparatus provided with a stationary
holder composed of fingers, as shewn (or otherwise suitably constructed) in
combination with a reciprocating looper, substantially as above set forth and for
the purpose specified.
Fifth. In a knot-tying apparatus a looper provided with two jaws, one of which
alone is movable, and which jaws when closed form a hook, substantially as above
set forth and for the purpose specified.
Sixth. In a knot-tying apparatus, the combination of the loopor provided with
the jaws d, d', the spindle d², and the friction roller d³, or equivalent device, the
cam dog, and the spring c¹, and mechanism for reciprocating the said looper,
substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Seventh. In a knot-tying apparatus, the combination of a reciprocating looper
with a cord-holder composed of fingers K and K2; and a reciprocating slide
provided with curved gathering fingers i, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Eighth. In a knot tying apparatus, the looper in combination with the spring
lever D³, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Ninth. In a knot-tying apparatus, the looper in combination with the spring-
lever, the stationary cord-holder, and the gatherer G; or in combination with the
said holder and the sliding gathering piece I provided with curved fingers and
knife edges K', ', substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Tenth. In a knot-tying apparatus, the reciprocating looper in combination with
the spring-lever D, the stationary lolder composed of the fingers K-and-K2,-the-
sliding piece I provided with gathering fingers i, knife edges i', and K¹, the bars D°
and I, the cam piece L, and a gatherer adapted to gather the binding cord and
carry it over the looper, all operating substantially in the manner and for the
purpose specified.
Eleventh. In a knot-tying apparatus, a cord-gatherer provided with a projecting
hook g, and operating either with or without the reciprocating looper, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
Twellth. In a knot tying apparatus, the reciprocating looper in combination
with the spring lever D³, the projecting hook g, the binder arm and a stationary
cord holder composed of fingers K. and K², substantially as above set forth and for
the purpose specified.
Thirteenth. In a knot-tying apparatus, the reciprocating looper in combination
with the cord holder and knife edges K' and ', substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Fourteenth. In a grain or sheaf binding machine, a compressor composed of the
the spring T, the bar U provided with the pin U¹, the bell crank and the cam
way W, in combination with mechanism which acts directly to compress the sheaf
or bundle, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fifteenth. In a grain or sheaf binding apparatus, a compressor composed of the
spring T, the bar U provided with the pin U', the bell-crank V, the cam way W,
the cam projection ✗, the bar S, the lever R, and the .compressor cord Q, in
combination with the compressor arm and the binder arm, for the purpose of
compressing the gavel after it has been gathered into a bundle, substantially as
above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Sixteenth. The compressor arm 0 and the binder arm in combination with the
compressor band, the spring arm P, and tho mechanism to operate the compressor

page_text: band to compress the sheaf or bundle, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose specified.
Seventeenth. A reciprocating cord knotter composed of two jaws, ono of which
is movable with respect to the other, a spring bearing upon the movable jaw to
hold it against the other, and a switch or latch which acts against a projection on
the movable jaw in the forward oscillation of the knotter to cause the same to open
and receive the cord, and to yield to the projection without actuating the jaw in
the return oscillation of the knitter, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, havo hereunto set
.
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.