NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GRINDING AND SHARPENING THE KNIVES OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR OTHER GRINDING AND SHARPENING PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Walker Logan and William Elder, both of the Town
and County of Berwick-on-Tweed, North Britain, for the Invention of "NEW
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GRINDING AND SHARPENING THE KNIVES OF
REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR OTHER
GRINDING AND SHARPENING PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by
John William Laimbeer, of Oak Park, in the State of Illinois, in the United
States of America.
Sealed the 25th March 1879, and dated the 18th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Walker Logan and
William Elder at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th
October 1878.
JOHN WALKER LOGAN and WILLIAM ELDER, both of the Town and County of
Berwick-on-Tweed, North Britain. "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GRINDING
AND SHARPENING THE KNIVES OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES, THE SAME
BEING APPLICABLE FOR OTHER GRINDING AND SHARPENING PURPOSES." A com-
munication from abroad by John William Laimbeer, of Oak Park, in the State of
Illinois, in the United States of America.
This Invention relates to new or improved apparatus especially suited for grinding
and sharpening the sickles or knives of reaping and mowing machines, and so
arranged that cutting edges can be ground at any desired angle, and the grindstone
employed be caused to operate equally throughout different lengths of cutting
edge.
The said apparatus consists of a circular grindstone having a flat grinding face
or periphery, which grindstone is mounted upon an axis turning in bearings in a
bracket swinging upon a spindle carried by a water trough, in which the lower part
of the grindstone dips. This trough is carried by a stand which extends to above
the top of the grindstone, where there is fixed an adjustable bracket upon which is

page_text: hinged an adjustable cramp or holder provided with screws or suitable contrivances
for gripping firmly and holding at any angle the knife to be operated upon. On
this adjustable cramp or holder is a handle for steadying the knife and for pressing
it more closely against the stone by hand. The weight of the bracket and knife
keeps the edge being ground in contact with the stone. The axis of the grindstone
is provided with a handle, and upon the said axis is keyed a pinion, which when
rotation is given to the grindstone gives motion to another pinion mounted upon a
short shaft carried in one of the arms of the grindstone bracket. Upon this short
shaft is also fixed a disc or plate provided with holes at different distances from the
centre, into which holes a projection on a rod takes, which rod is attached at its
other end to a suitable stationary part of the apparatus.
As the grindstone is rotated motion of rotation is communicated to the disc,
which being govened in its movement by the aforesaid rod gives to the bracket and
to the grindstone a rocking or oscillating motion to a greater or less extent according
to the distance from the centre of the disc of the hole in which the projection of the
aforesaid rod is fixed. The grindstone is thus caused to act upon variable lengths
of cutting edge.
The projection of the aforesaid rod may be removed from the holes in the disc
and inserted into a hole in the grindstone bracket, when the said grindstone will
receive no rocking motion and may be used as an ordinary grindstone.
The apparatus may be worked by hand, or by means of a treadle or otherwise, as
may be found most convenient.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Walker Logan and William Elder in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th April 1879.
58
JOHN WALKER LOGAN and WILLIAM ELDER, both of the Town and County of
Berwick-on-Tweed, North Britain. NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GRINDING
AND SHARPENING THE KNIVES OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES, THE SAME
BEING APPLICABLE FOR OTHER GRINDING AND SHARPENING PURPOSES." A com-
munication from abroad by John William Laimbeer, of Oak Park, in the State of
Illinois, United States of America.
The said Invention relates to new or improved apparatus especially suited for
grinding and sharpening the sickles or knives of reaping and mowing machines,
and so arranged that cutting edges can be ground at any desired angle and the
grindstone employed be caused to operate equally throughout different lengths of
cutting edge.
And in order that the said Invention may be properly understood we now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
Figure 1 represents in front elevation and Figure 2 in side elevation an apparatus
constructed according to the said Invention. To side standards or framings A is
bolted a water trough B, having depending lugs b on either side, on which lugs the
U shaped bracket C swings upon a spindle c. The bracket C has bearings at its
upper end in which is mounted the axle d of the grindstone D, the lower part of
the said stone dipping into the water in the trough B. The holes at b' in the lugs b
are provided, into which the spindle c may be shifted when the stone wears. At the
upper ends of the standards A is fixed the cross piece E, the height of which is
adjustable by its bolt holes e being slotted, as shewn in Figure 1. This cross piece
bas at top a table upon which the tail tail piece f of the cramp or sickle holder F is
fixed by a thumbscrew f1 passing through a long slot in the tail piece f and into.
the table of the bracket E, so that the said piece f may be adjusted and fixed forward
or backward as desired. Hinged to the outer end of this piece f is a forked piece g,
and hinged again to the outer ends of this forked piece g is a piece h having at either
end double claws or holders h¹, between which the sickle is placed above the one
claw on one side and below the claw on the other side, according as to which edge
is being ground. The sickle is held in place by a lever i having a projection i¹
which bears upon the upper part of the sickle, which is further supported by the
lip h² at the centre of the piece h. The lever i is attached to the part h by a lug h³
thereon, passing through a slot in the said lever, a pin h* securing it thereto. The
end of the lever is turned at through which passes a set screw ³, which being
screwed down upon the projecting part h³ of the part causes the end i² to rise and
the sickle to be firmly held between the parts i', h¹, and h². The part h may be
fixed to the part so as to swing freely thereon when free control over the sickle
by hand is required, but when this is not the case the said two parts are secured
together by a pin he passed through holes in both of them. The weight of the
bracket and knife may keep the edge being ground in contact with the stone, but
in order that the grinding may be governed by hand the outer end of the lever i is
in the form of a handle, by which the contact of the sickle with the stone may be
regulated. In place of the sickle holder being attached to the cross piece E as
described by a slotted piece fit may be attached by a circular stem sliding into a
socket in the cross piece E, the angle of the said sickle being adjustable on either
side by partially rotating the stem in the socket, it being fixed in position by a set
screw.
The axle d of the grindstone is squared at its ends to receive handles, or it may
be cranked and be worked by a treadle. In order to grind along the edge of the

page_text: knife it is necessary to give the stone an oscillatory motion.
This is effected by the
following arrangement-Upon the axle d is a pinion d' which gears with a toothed
wheel upon a short shaft turning in bearings in the bracket C and in an arm C¹
cast thereon. Upon the end of the said shaft is a disc K, having in it a series of
holes, k, at various distances from the centre of the shaft j. Jointed to the
bracket Lis a rod 7 having a projecting pin at its end at right angles thereto, which
pin is engaged with one of the holes k. As the handles are rotated to operate the
grindstone the pinion d' gearing with the wheel j¹ rotates the shaft j and the disc K,
and as the one end of the arm is secured to the bracket L which is upon a fixed
part of the apparatus the said arın 7 governs the motion of the bracket C and
compels it, and therefore the stone D, to oscillate or swing to and fro as it rotates,
and thus operate upon the whole length of the cutting edge being ground. The
degree of oscillating is greater or less, according to the distance of the hole k in which
the lever is secured from the centre of the shaft j. The stone D is shewn with a
face at right angles to its sides, but if it is desired to grind the sides of adjacent
knives at one operation the face of the stone may have a suitable inclined or bevelled
form. When it is desired to use the grindstone as an ordinary grindstone without
oscillatory motion the lever is removed from the hole k and is inserted into a
hole in the bracket C, thereby holding the said bracket firmly in position. The
height of the forward end of the tail piece f of the sickle holder may be raised or
lowered by bringing a part of the washer f2 of greater or less thickness towards the
front by turning the said washer.
The stone may be oscillated by means of a leg depending from the U bracket C,
and provided with a footstep for the foot of the operator, who whilst grinding will
through the said footstep give oscillation to the stone.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what
we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
First. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
grinding and sharpening apparatus essentially as herein-before described, and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Second. The arrangement of disc K and arm 7 by which the oscillatory motion of
the stone may be varied or wholly discontinued.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Walker Logan and William Elder, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day of April, in the year of
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
JOHN WALKER LOGAN. (L.S.)
WILLIAM ELDER.
(L.S.)