Improvements in Hay-making Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hay-making Machines.
I, THOMAS TUCKER MALLETT, of Blagrove Street, in the County of Somerset,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
In constructing a hay-making machine according to the present invention, I
mount the tossing forks on a rotating spindle extending quite across the machine.
This spindle, which is situated slightly in rear of the travelling wheels, is mounted
in bearings carried by a pivotted frame capable of a rising movement, to lift the
tossing forks clear of the ground.
The forks are preferably mounted radially of their spindle, in sets of four, there
being as many sets as are suitable for the width of the machine, including a pair
of sets outside the main framing in line with the travelling wheels.
The attachment of the forks forming each set is effected by screwing them into
the periphery of an approximately circular frame mounted on the rotating spindle.
The forks are thus easily detachable in case of fracture. The circular frames
carrying the forks are loose upon the rotating spindle, but are elastically secured
thereto by suitably arranged springs, sufficiently strong to carry round the forks
with the spindle, but should a fork strike an obstruction on the ground, the spring
will yield, and allow the fork to give way until the obstruction is passed.
The rotating spindle receives its rotary movement by a pitch chain from another
spindle situated further forward in the machine, which second spindle receives its
rotation by a pinion keyed thereon in gear with an internally toothed wheel secured
to the travelling wheels. The second spindle also forms the pivot of the frame
which carries the forks.
To provide for automatically lifting up the forks to escape obstructions or
inequalities in the ground, I pivot to the main frame of the machine, a pendent
lever, the nose of which underlies the pivotted frame just mentioned. The end of
this lever is provided with a shoe so arranged as to strike against any serious
obstruction or inequality of the ground, thereby rocking the lever, and lifting, with
its nose, the frame which rests upon it, and with the frame the forks mounted
thereon. When the obstruction is passed, the pivotted frame will, by its own
weight, take its normal position.
In this way, many shocks causing great injury to the machine may be avoided.
The pivotted frame is prevented from taking too low a position by suitable stops.
Dated this 18th day of June 1890.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hay-making Machines.
I, THOMAS TUCKER MALLETT, of Blagrove Street, in the County of Somerset,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, 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 haymaking machine, in which
the rise of the tines to clear themselves of any obstacle in the field, will be effected
automatically, or without the aid of the attendant, whose inattention at any moment
might occasion injury to the machine.

page_text: anying
Figure 1 shows in plan view my improved arrangement of haymaker; and
Fgure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same.
In these, figures, AA is the main framing, carried on travelling wheels B B'.
The wheel Bis fitted with internal teeth 6, into which gears a pinion c, keyed on
a transverse shaft C. This shaft passes through slotted brackets A' bolted to the
frame A, and it is mounted in bearings carried by radial arms D D, keyed to a
rock shaft D', which has its bearings in the main framing.
D2 is a hand lever keyed to the shaft D' and situate near the driver's seat, its
object being to rock the shaft D', and cause the arms D to lift or lower the shaft C,
with the object of putting the pinion into and out of gear with the internal
teeth of the wheel B. The shaft C, receiving rotary motion through the
gearing bc, is designed to drive the tine shaft E, situate at the rear of the machine,
by means of a chain c¹ and chain wheels 2 and e.
This time shaft is carried by arms E' pivoted on the driving shaft C, and forming
with the shaft E what may be termed a racking tine frame. F F are the tine
heads, cach carrying a pair of tines. These tine heads are socketted to receive
each a radial arm of the tine wheels GG, of which there may be any given number,
to suit the width of the haymaker.
In the drawings I have showu six of these wheels, the outermost being in line
with the travelling wheels B 13. They are provided each with four radial arms,
such arms being severally fitted with tine heads in the manner best illustrated at
Figs. 3, 4, and 5.
These wheels G are keyed to the tine shaft E, and receive rotary motion in the
direction of the arrow, Figure 2, from the chain wheel e keyed on the shaft E, and
connected by the chain c with the chain wheel 2 on the driving shaft C. The
construction of the socketted tine heads, and the mode of connecting them with the
radial arms of the wheels G, is shown on an enlarged scale in the detached views,
Figs. 3, 4, and 5, Figure 3 being a plan view, Fig. 4 a back view, and Fig. 5 a side
view of a tine head pivotted to its radial arm. This tine head is formed with two
cam surfaces on one side of its pivot pin, and two stops f2 at the opposite side of
the pin. The radial arms of the tine wheels to which the tine heads are pivotted,
are severally slotted, as shown best at Fig. 5, to receive a coiled spring G, upon
the outer end of which bears a sleeved casting G². This casting surrounds the
outer portion of the coiled spring, and possesses internal shoulders for the outer
end of the spring to bear against.
The outer end of this casting G2 is formed with a flange on which the cam
surfaces of the pivotted tine head, and also the stops, bear, when the tines are
in their working position, as shown at Fig. 2.
The action of the spring at this time is to hold the tines elastically in their
working position, but in such a manner that if they should meet with an obstruction,
they will be free to yield to that obstruction, and thereby to pass uninjured over
it, the tine head for this purpose rocking upon its pivot pin. In making this
movement, the stops will be lifted out of contact with the sleeve casting G², and
the cam surfaces will slide over-the flanged ends of the sleeve and compress the
spring, so that as soon as the tines are released, the spring will react, and return
the tine head to its normal position.
To enable the tine frame to rise automatically, and simultaneously lift all the
tines from the ground, the main frame A is fitted with a pendent cranked lever H,
which carries at foot a shoe h, and is so situated that its crank head underlies the
adjacent side of the tine frame.
When, therefore, in the progress of the haymaker over the field, any obstruction
lies in its path, the shoe will, when brought in contact with the obstruction, cause
the lever H to rock, and raise the tine frame, so that its tines will clear the ground.
So soon, however, as the shoe has passed the obstruction, the lever H will return
to its normal position, and drop the revolving tines into their acting position.

page_text: An important advantage consequent on the arrangement of the parts as illustrated
at Figs. 1 and 2, is, that the tines, in their rotation, will, owing to the width of
ground they cover, remove all indication of the track of the travelling wheels,
shaking out the hay crushed by the wheels, and affording ready access of the drying
air thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
:-
The improved construction of hay-making machine above described, in which the
groups of tines (one or more) will be free to rise automatically clear of the ground,
to avoid an obstruction in the path of the machine.
to this 17th
1001
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.