AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF KNOTTING AND TYING MECHANISM FOR STRING BINDER HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM MINTYRE CRANSTON of 36 Worship Street, Finsbury, Middlesex,
Agricultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "AN
IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF KNOTTING AND TYING MECHANISM FOR STRING BINDER
HARVESTING MACHINES," a communication to me from abroad by The Walter
A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Company of Hoosick Falls New York
United States of America, to be as follows:—
This invention relates to a novel arrangement of mechanism by which the looping
knotting, and tying of string with a tight knot close to the bundle or sheaf is
effected and whereby a certainty of action for releasing or casting the knot from
the looper arm is produced.
The invention is based upon certain devices referred to in a previous patent
granted to me on the 8th day of October in the year 1879 N° 4076.
In the specification of that patent I describe a series of appliances under the
control of a toothed quadrant having a reciprocating action by which when the
string is wrapped around the selected quantity of straws to form the bundle or
sheaf by the needle arm the string is laid in the path of arms which rotate and
form a loop in the string and then for a jaw to open to seize the string so that on
the return motion of the devices the grasped portion is drawn into the other part
of the loop to form the knot which is drawn tight.
In connection with the device I describe a certain spring plate which catches
and holds the loop in the first formation of it.
In the present invention the action of the looping arms is the same but the arms
are more compactly arranged and are set within the path of the string which is
adjusted by a lip projecting from the frame so that the point of the lower looping
arm shall pass over the string at one end of the lip in the first portion of its
motion the upper surface of this arm being recessed to admit of the lip going
within it as the arm travels round. The first portion of the loop in the string
thus formed the upper arm at this instant strikes against and takes the string
Price G.71
is

page_text: which is over the other end of the lip and carries it round a sufficient distance as
to be over the first portion to make the loop complete. During this operation the
bundle or sheaf has been drawn up to the looping devices and the string tightly
around it the string being then in contact with the crevice of the knotter hook and
gripper which hook is opened by the continued rotation of the first looping arın by
the quadrant overcoming the tension of a helical spring with which the two shafts
are otherwise held to keep the parts in contact so that the doubled string is forced
in between the hook and the gripper for (during the return motion of the two
arms) drawing it through the loop to form the knot.
The inner face of the frame has a nose piece depending from it which nose piece
projects into the groove or recess of the first looping bar and forces the string
downwards and then it escapes up the edge and rests thero as the bar travels
round. The loop portion of the string by this becomes retarted during the first
reverse motion of the looper bars and then it acts to allow the knotter to pass
through the loop and to cast off the loop from the first loop bar during the further
reverse motion of the shafts to enable the knot to be completed.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the Applicant,

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON of 36 Worship Street, Finsbury, Middlesex
Agricultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN
IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF KNOTTING AND TYING MECHANISM FOR STRING BINDER
HARVESTING MACHINES" a communication to me from abroad by The Walter
A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Company of Hoosick Falls, New York,
United States of America, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a novel arrangement of mechanism by which the looping,
knotting, and tying of string with a tight knot close to the bundle or sheaf is
effected and whereby a certainty of action for releasing or casting the knot from
the looper arm is produced.
The invention is based upon certain devices referred to in a previous patent
granted to me on the 8th day of October in the year 1879 N° 4076.
In the specification of that patent I describe a series of appliances under the
control of a toothed quadrant having a reciprocating action by which when the
string is wrapped around the selected quantity of straws to form the bundle or
sheaf by the needle arm the string is laid in the path of arms which rotate and
form a loop in the string and then for a jaw to open to seize the string so that on
the return motion of the devices the grasped portion is drawn into the other part
of the loop to form the knot which is drawn tight.
In connection with the device I describe a certain spring plate which catches
and holds the loop in the first formation of it.
In the present invention the action of the looping arms is the same but the arms
are more compactly arranged and are set within the path of the string which is
adjusted by a lip projecting from the frame so that the point of the lower looping
arm shall pass over the string at one end of the lip in the first portion of its
motion, the upper surface of this arm being recessed to adinit of the lip going
within it as the arm travels round. The first portion of the loop in the string is
thus formed, a hook on the upper arm at this instant strikes against and takes the
string which is over the other end of the lip and carries it round a sufficient
distance as to be over the first portion to make the loop complete. During this
operation the bundle or sheaf has been drawn up to the looping devices and the
string tightly around it the string being then in contact with the crevice of the
knotter book and gripper which hook is opened by the continued rotation of the
first looping arm by the quadrant overcoming the tension of a helical spring with
which the two shafts are otherwise held to keep the parts in contact so that the
doubled string is forced in between the hook and the gripper for (during the return
motion of the two arms) drawing it through the loop to form the knot.
The inner face of the frame has a nose piece depending from it which nose piece
projects into the groove or recess of the first looping bar and forces the string
downwards and then it escapes up the edge and rests there as the bar travels
round. The loop portion of the string by this becomes retarded during the first
reverse motion of the looper bars and then it acts to allow the knotter to pass

page_text: through the loop and to cast off the loop from the first loop bar during the further
reverse motion of the shafts to enable the knot to be completed.
My invention will be fully understood by reference to the annexed drawings
Figures 1 to 11 which show the different positions the movable parts take for the
purpose of wrapping string and the formation of the knot during the rotatory 5
motion of the device before referred to.
A is the bracket fastened to the frame of the machine so as to put the pinion B
in the path of the quadrant gear by which it is operated. This pinion is fitted on
a sleeve C, see Figure 2, passing through the bracket A and has its connection with
the central shaft D by a coiled spring E one end of which is secured to a 1
projection F on the pinion B and the other end engages against a wing G of a cap
or collar which is fixed on the shaft D by a pin. The wing G is eccentric and
when in the position shown at Figure 1, a front view, its outer surface abuts
against the inner face of a stop I forming part of the bracket A.
The lower end of the sleeve C has the curved and pointed arm J attached the 1
point being curved upwards and slightly above the level of a lip plate K projecting
outwards from a strap or plate Lon which the string is first laid by the grasping
device described and shown in the specification of the previous patent No 4076 of
1879.
This arm J has at a part of its circumference a hook M projecting from its upper
edge and curved outwards, tho back portion of said hook dying down until it is
level with the bottom of the lip plate K where a shoulder is formed to pass under
said lip plate. The inside surface of the arm J is hollowed and forms a recess
between itself and the shank N as seen in the underside view Figure 3.
The arm J has on its lower side an inclined or undercut hook P and the end of
the gripper Q abuts against its point. This gripper Q is a curved piece of metal
formed from the shank R rigidly attached to the central shaft D.
The upper face of the arm J is recessed and when the first motion of the
knotting is being performed the arm in moving round allows this lip plate K to
engage within the recess somewhat freely, a further movement of said arm clears
said lip plate until a reverse motion of the arm takes place as hereafter mentioned.
On the back of the bracket A as at Figure 4 the extremity of which is set in
the path of the recess of the arm J and during the rotation of the knotter when
the first wrap of the string is complete tho string passes under the nose piece S
which it forces into a recess T formed in the upper surface of the arm J near to
the hook M as seen at Figure 5, against the edge U of which when released said
string abuts against the arm J having then arrived at the termination of its first
motion. During this movement of the arm J the wing G of the cap H has been
brought round into the position shown at Figure 6 with its edge abutting against
the face of the stop I, to hold it rigidly at that position and also the central shaft D
and gripper Q, the quadrant still moving causes the pinion B to rotate a little
farther and carry the sleeve and the arm J so as to move the undercut hook P away
from the gripper as shown at Figure 7 for a portion of the string to enter between
them, the quadrant then completing its stroke in that direction.
Tho belical spring by this further travel of the pinion has a tension put upon it
sufficient to return the arm J when the quadrant commences its back travel so that
the string which has been laid within the undercut portion of the hook P is
prevented leaving by the gripper coming in contact with the hook, the loop
previously formed in the string by its wrap around the arm J and the neck of the
gripper being still upon them.
The quadrant enforcing the continued back travel of the pinion causes the loop
which is abutting against the nose piece S to slide along the arm J and gripper Q
to remove it from them, the undercut hook P carrying that portion of the string
which it holds, through the loop and forms the knot which is drawn tight by the
strain of the bound bundle or sheaf, a portion of the string at that instant is
placed within the grasping device, the portion of string previously held by it being.
released.

page_text: Simultaneous with this the exposed portion of the string next the knot is severed
and the bundle or sheaf is then forcibly moved away and the loop of the knot is
torn away from between the undercut hook P and gripper Q.
Figure 8 is a perspective view from the underside of the device.
Figure 9 represents the doubled string (one from the grasping device, the other
from the needle arm) laid over the lip plate K ready for the arm J to move round
so that its point passes over the bend of the string as shown at Figure 10 and
forces the string downwards under it, the two ends of the string being engaged by,
and taken by the hook M at the back portion of the string to form the first
wrapping and moves round to carry that portion of the string which lays over the
face of the arm at the hook M under the noso piece S see Figure 4 where it becomes
held as before described.
When the reverse motion of the arın takes place the wrap over portion is slid
therefrom and that part that is between the undercut hook and the gripper is
pulled through as will be understood by Figure 11 to form the loop of the knot as
shown at Figure 12.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The particular arrangement and combination of parts shown in the
annexed drawings and their method of action as described for looping, knotting
and tying string used for binding shoaves in harvesting machines.
Secondly. The plate L and lip plate K as and for the purpose described.
Thirdly. The action of the lip plate K and the arm J in conjunction, for tho
purpose or purposes set forth.