IMPROVE MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hornsby, of
to Richard Hornsby, of Spittlegate Iron Works,
Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES"
Sealed the 17th March 1865, and dated the 21st October 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hornsby at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1864.
I, RICHARD HORNSBY, of Spittlegate Iron Works, Grantham, in the County
of Lincoln, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES,' to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing
machines. In reaping machines the crop after it has been cut by the knife
has in some cases been made to fall on to an endless apron, or on to bands or
chains, which travelling discharge it either at the side or at the back of the
platform. When' tue discharge is at the back it leaves the track for the
machine at its next passage encumbered, whilst if it be at the side it obliges
the placing of the main carrying and driving wheel in front of the finger bar,
and this, for reasons which it is unnecessary to give in detail, complicates the
arrangement of the machine.
Now according to my Invention I arrange endless chains to travel in a
diagonal direction, or in a direction inclined to the finger bar at a considerable
angle, and by this arrangement the chains carry the cut crop sideways to clear

page_text: the track as when endless chains travelling parallel to the finger bar are
employed, and at the same time the arrangement admits of the main carrying
and driving wheel being placed behind the finger bar. I prefer to employ
these diagonal carrying chains in combination with a tilting platform, some-
what similar to that heretofore employed for receiving the cut crop, and when
a sufficient quantity has accumulated, dropping it on to the land amongst the
stubble; the tilting platform may conveniently in my arrangement be jointed
at the front to the finger bar, and incline upwards from it whilst it is receiving
the cut crop; when sufficient is accumulated, the platform is depressed by the
workman down on to the endless chains, 'and teeth on the chains then project
up through slots in the platform and sweep the crop off it, so as to discharge
the crop in bundles; or the receiving platform may be stationary' and then
when a sufficient quantity of the crop has accumulated on it, the workman
will throw it off with a rake or otherwise on to the chains. In a similar
manner a. tipping or stationary receiving platform may be combined with
delivery chains travelling at right angles to the finger bar and knife. In
order to prevent the cut crop lapping round the chain pulleys of delivery
chains, such as those above mentioned, I fix on each side of the pitch teeth
of the pulley, and between them and the flanges, stationary guards or rings con-
centrically with the pulley, and each ring has a prong or tail by which it is
fixed. The flanges revolve with the pitch teeth of the pulleys, and serve to
clear the crop out of the points or holding teeth on the chains.
I would remark that although I prefer to use endless chains for deli-
vering the crop, as above described, endless bands or an endless apron may
in each case be substituted therefor. Also, in order to discharge the crop from
the platforms of reaping machines, I employ a rake, which is arranged to
move over the surface of the platform from the front to the back, and then to
return on the under side. The rake rises up just behind the finger bar under
the crop, and so takes hold of the crop on the platform, and in moving towards
the back of the platform the rake sweeps off the bundle of crop so taken.
The rake is by preference actuated by an endless chain attached near its outer
end, and its inner end turns on a centre or pivot, supported by a bar con-
necting the corner of the platform with the frame, and the centre or pivot is
itself able to move around the bar as the rake passes from the under to the
upper side of the platform, and vice versa. Also in order to discharge the cut
crop from the platforms of reaping machines, I employ rake arms mounted on
a centre or axis, and revolving about it continuously in one direction so as to
sweep over the surface of the platform; there is not up to this point any
novelty in the arrangement, and as heretofore the arms are connected rigidly

page_text: together in pairs, one on each side of the axis, and as they revolve they are
caused by a cam surface to rock, so that each rake as it comes over the plat-
form descends down to the level thereof, whilst the opposite arm connected
rigidly to it is raised. Heretofore, however, the rocking centres of the arms
have been arranged at a considerable height above the plane of the platform,
indeed the rocking centre is placed over the main carrying wheel, in order
that the arms in revolving may clear it, consequently the rakes on opposite
sides of the rocking centres must make a very obtuse angle, the one with the
other, and the 'rake which is raised then projects out from the side of the
machine and overhangs in an inconvenient manner.
Now according to my Invention I place the rocking centres so near to the
surface of the platform that the rakes on the opposite sides thereof make with
each other an angle differing little from a right angle, so that the rakes when
they go out of use rise up into a nearly vertical position, and thus they with
their arms are able to pass by the side of the main carrying wheel, instead of
over the top of it. It is not essential that all the arms should carry rakes,
some of them may in place thereof carry beating boards, acting as they
revolve to incline the crop towards the cutters, so that when cut it may fall at
once on to the platform.
In constructing mowing machines the finger bar with the knife has hereto-
fore been arranged to rest on the land, and to rise and fall to follow the
undulations thereof, but the finger bar and knife have nevertheless been so
held that they are compelled to rise and fall parallelly in relation to the frame
of the machine, and consequently the crop is not in undulating ground, as in
going over ridge and furrow cut uniformly close to the land.
Now according to this Invention the finger bar and knife are allowed in
addition to rising and falling to turn sufficiently to follow the shorter undu-
lations of the land over which the machine is cutting, which undulations the
frame of the machine with its pole would not follow, in consequence of its
length exceeding that of the undulations. For this purpose the following
arrangement is conveniently adopted:-The inner end of the finger bar is
jointed by a wide and stiff hinge joint to a connecting bar, which at its other
end is jointed to the frame, but in place of making this latter joint simply a
pin joint as heretofore, which allows the connecting bar to play up and down
only, make it a ball-and-socket or similar joint, so as to allow (in addition
to the up-and-down motion) of a turning or twisting of the connecting bar in
the direction of its length. In order that the finger bar may be guided
steadily over the land, a castor wheel is attached to the fore part of the shoe
at its inner end, as has heretofore in some cases been done. I, however, arrange

page_text: the castor wheel so that it can be raised or lowered as respects the fore part
of the shoe, in order to alter the working inclination of the finger bar and
knife, as required. It will be seen that in my arrangement, in consequence
of the freedom of motion given to the finger bar, that both the castor wheel
and the shoe behind it will bear constantly on the land, and travel smoothly.
over it, whereas, heretofore, when the shoe has carried a wheel in front of it
the wheel in passing over undulating land at times lifts the shoe off the land,
and at other times is itself lifted by the shoe. I also employ a diagonal tie
passing from the fore part of the frame of the castor wheel to the connecting
bar, which attaches the finger bar to the frame; this tie serves to stiffen the
connection between the finger bar and the connecting bar with which it is
jointed.
In reaping and mowing machines as at present constructed, the pinion
which gears with the main carrying wheel remains always in gear, even when
the machine is not at work, it is consequently exposed to a good deal of wear
when the machine is travelling on roads from place to place. Now, according
to my Invention, I arrange it so that it can be drawn out of gear, and this I
prefer to do in the following manner:-Through a bearing or socket on the
frame of the machine a tube is passed, the axis of the pinion passes through
this tube and turns therein. On the exterior of the tube is a stud, which
projects out through a slot in the side of the socket, in which the tube is
retained, thus the tube is prevented turning, but it is able to slide longi-
tudinally, and it is so moved in order to throw the pinion, and also the gear
wheel at the other end of the axis out of gear, by a lever taking hold of the
stud on the tube, and moving it along the slot in the socket. The axis is not
able to move longitudinally independently of the tube, as the tube is made of
a length equal to the whole distance of the pinion at one end of the axis from
the gear wheel at the other.
In mowing machines it is now usual to attach at the outer end of the finger
bar a scraper board to clear a passage in the cut crop behind it for the wheel
to run over when the machine next comes round; this, however, does not act
efficiently in windy weather, as it only raises the cut crop in a ridge, which
the wind overturns. According to this Invention I joint or connect with the
scraper board a sledge or a roller, which by passing over the ridge of cut crop
raised by the scraper board presses it down and consolidates it, so that the
wind can hardly disturb it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Hornsby, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
HORNSBY, of Spittlegate Iron Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Hornsby, Her special licence that 1, the said Richard
Hornsby, my, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Hornsby, 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, an Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Richard Hornsby, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Richard Hornsby, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing
machines. In reaping machines the crop after it has been cut by the knife
has in some cases been made to fall on to an endless apron or on to bands or
chains, which travelling discharge it either at the side or at the back of the
platform. When the discharge is at the back it leaves the track for the
machine at its next passage incumbered, whilst if it be at the side it obliges
the placing of the main carrying and driving wheel in front of the finger bar,
and this, for reasons which it is unnecessary to give in detail, complicates the
arrangement of the machine. Now, according to my Invention, I arrange
endless chains to travel in a diagonal direction or in a direction inclined to

page_text: the finger bar at a considerable angle, and by this arrangement the chains
carry the cut crop sideways to clear the track, as when endless chains
travelling parallel to the finger bar are employed, and at the same time the
arrangement admits of the main carrying and driving wheel being placed
behind the finger bar. I prefer to employ these diagonal carrying chains in
combination with a tilting platform, somewhat similar to that heretofore
employed for receiving the cut crop, and when a sufficient quantity has
accumulated, dropping it on to the land amongst the stubble; the tilting.
platform may conveniently in my arrangement be jointed at the front to the
finger bar, and incline upwards from it whilst it is receiving the cut crop;
when sufficient is accumulated the platform is depressed by the workman
down on to the endless chains, and teeth on the chains then project up
through slots in the platform, and sweep the crop off it, so as to discharge the
crop in bundles.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is a side view, of a machine thus arranged.
a, a, is a frame to which the pole b is attached in such a manner that its
inclination may be adjusted as is shown; this frame carries in bearings the
axis c, on which is a pinion gearing with and driven by a ring of teeth on the
main carrying and driving wheel d; the axis of this wheel is supported by
arms (not shewn in the Drawing) pivotting on the axis c, and on one of these
arms is a toothed arc in gear with a worm which is carried by the frame a;
e is a handle by which this worm can be turned, so as to raise or lower the
frame a in relation to the carrying wheel d, thus adjusting the height of the
cutter bar which is rigidly fixed to part of the frame a; c¹ is a bevilled
wheel.on the axis c, it drives as is usual a bevilled pinion on the axis g, at the
lower end of which is a crank actuating the knife or cutter; h is a seat over
the carrying wheel for the workman who superintends the action of the
machine; is a guard at the inner end of the cutter bar to direct the crop
well on the knife at the outer edge of the strip which is being cut; k is a
dividing board and guard fixed at the outer end of the cutter bar, it serves to
divide and separate the strip of the crop to be immediately cut from the rest
of the standing crop, and to direct it well on to the knife at the outer end
thereof. The top of the dividing board, as the Drawing shows, lies flat on the
upper edge of the under portion of the dividing board, and this is fixed to the
outer end of the cutter bar, and is upright or on edge; to it is fixed the stud
axis of the wheel 1, in such a manner that it may be adjusted up or down,
according to the height at which it is desired to carry the cutter bar. To the
back of the cutter bar is pivotted the tilting platform m, it consists of a
bottom bar on which are the pivots, and of boards fixed to it, as is shown, so

page_text: as to form a platform with diagonal or inclined slits or openings in it; m³ is a
footboard attached to the platform m, on this the workman places his foot and
by pushing it from him he raises the platform into the inclined position shown
by dotted lines in Figure 2, when in this position the platform m receives the
cut crop upon it, and when the workman draws back his foot the platform m
falls by its own weight and that of the crop until it is stopped by coming down
upon the fixed platform n. The stationary platform n with its bearers is fixed
to the frame a on one side, and on the other to the under part of the dividing
board, which also forms for it a guard rim to prevent any of the cut crop
falling off on that side of the machine; and this guard rim is continued round
the back of the platform at the front edge of the platform n; the chain
pulleys o, o, are carried in suitable hearings; round them endless chains p, p,
pass to other pulleys q, q, fixed on the inclined axis q', the hearings of which
are fixed to the platform. The axis q' receives motion from a pinion g' on the
axis through the bevilled wheel r, with which the axis q¹ is connected by
the intermediate axis r' and two universal joints; thus the endless chains p, p,
are caused to travel continuously whilst the machine is at work, and they
have spikes or teeth p¹ upon them, and these when the tilting platform m is
dropped, as already explained, enter amongst the cut crop upon it, which is
thus rapidly drawn off and discharged at the side of the machine. A simpler
but not so efficient arrangement as that above described is to make the
receiving platform stationary, and then when a sufficient quantity of the crop
has accumulated on it the workman will throw it off with a rake or otherwise
on to the chains. In a similar manner a tipping or stationary receiving plat-
form may be combined with delivery chains travelling at right angles to the
finger bar and knife.
In order to prevent the cut crop lapping round the chain pulleys of delivery
chains, such as those above mentioned. I fix on each side of the pitch teeth of
the pulley, and between them and the flanges, stationary guards or rings, and
each ring has a prong or tail by which it is fixed concentrically with the
pulley. The flanges revolve with the pitch teeth of the pulleys, and serve to
clear the crop out of the points or holding teeth on the chains. This arrange-
ment is shown at Figure 1, in which q, q, are the pitch teeth of the
pulleys, q, q, the flanges, and q, q, the fixed rings which encircle the pulleys
between the teeth and the flanges: each ring has a tail or prong on it which
enters a hole in the bar n', which is a portion of the frame of the fixed plat-
form, thus the rings are held and kept stationary. In some reaping
machines the chains are not driven on the delivery side (as in the machine
shown), but on the side of the machine opposite thereto; the pulleys q are

page_text: then conveniently mounted separately on stud axes, as is shown in Figures 3
and 4. Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 4 a side view, both partly in
section. q is a bracket bolted to the edge of the platform by bolts passing
through holes in it which are slotted, so that the position of the bracket may
be adjusted to tighten up the chain; q³ is the stud axis for the pulley q*, the
pitch teeth q, the flanges, and g³, the stationary rings, as before; the tails or
prongs of these rings are marked ", and they pass through holes in an arm q
cast on the bracket g' for the purpose.
I would remark that although I prefer to use endless chains for delivering
the crop as above described, endless bands or an endless apron may in each
case be substituted therefor. Also in order to discharge the crop from the
platforms of reaping machines I employ a rake which is arranged to move
over the surface of the platform from the front to the back, and. then to
return on the under side. The rake rises up just behind the finger bar under
the crop, and so takes hold of the crop on the platform, and in moving
towards the back of the platform the rake sweeps off the bundle of crop so
taken. The rake is by preference actuated by an endless chain attached near
its outer end, and its inner end turns on a centre or pivot supported by a bar
connecting the corner of the platform with the frame, and the centre or pivot
is itself able to move around the bar as the rake passes from the under to the
upper side of the platform, and vice versa.
Figure 5 is a plan, and Figure 6 a side view of a machine thus arranged.
a, a, is a frame to which a pole is attached; b is the main driving and carrying
wheel, the axis of which is supported in bearings fixed on the frame a; this
wheel actuates the knife in the usual manner by means of parts not shown in
the Drawing. The cutter bar is rigidly fixed to the frame a. The platform c
is at its front edge a few inches behind the cutter bar; it is at one end rigidly
connected to the frame a by a stiff bracket iron d; at the other end the
platform is fixed to the back of the dividing board e, and so to the finger bar;
it is also supported by a wheel f: g, g, are chain pulleys round which an
endless chain passes; one of these pulleys is driven by a pinion on its axis,
gearing with a ring of teeth on the side of the wheel f; is a rake with
teeth, it is attached at one end to a bearing on the bracket iron d, as is
more fully shown at Figures 7 and 8; it will be seen that the bracket iron d
has collars d¹ upon it, and between these collars it receives the bearing e,
which is made in two parts and bolted together; e' is a stud axis on the
bearing e, and on this the rake h is mounted, and it is able to pivot freely,
Near its outer end the rake is fixed to one of the links of the endless chain,
but in such a manner that the rake can slide a distance transversely across

page_text: the chain to compensate for the varying distances of the chain from tha
centre or axis of the rake; for this purpose guides may be fixed on the
head of the rake, and a slide working thereon is attached to the link of the
chain.
In the Drawing the chain is shown in the act of carrying the rake with its
teeth upwards over the surface of the table. When it gets to the side thereof
it passes over the edge and discharges the portion of the cut crop of which it
had hold on to the ground; it then returns along the under side of the table
the teeth then being downwards. When it arrives at the front edge of the
table the chain again brings the rake up to the top, at the same time turning
its teeth upwards so that they enter in amongst the cut crop on the platform.
Also in order to discharge the cut crop from the platforms of reaping machines
I enploy rake arms mounted on a centre or axis, and revolving about it con-
tinuously in one direction, so as to sweep over the surface of the platform.
There is not up to this point any novelty in the arrangement, and, as hereto-
fore, the arms as they revolve are caused by a cam surface to rock so that
each rake as it comes over the platform descends down to the level thereof,
whilst the opposite arm is raised. Heretofore, however, the rocking centres
of the arms have, wherever a cam surface has been used to work them, been
arranged at a considerable height above the plane of the platform, indeed the
rocking centre is placed over the main carrying wheel in order that the arms
in revolving may clear it, the arms having heretofore been connected rigidly
together in pairs, one on cach side of the axis, consequently the rakes on
opposite sides of the rocking centres must make a very obtuse angle the one
with the other, and the rake which is raised then projects out from the side of
the machine and overhangs in an inconvenient manner.
Now according to my Invention, in such machines where a continuous cain
surface is used to guide and support the arms during their rotation, I place
the rocking centres near the surface of the platform considerably below the
top of the main carrying wheel so that the rakes on the opposite sides of the
rocking centres make with each other an angle differing little from a right
angle even if they are as is usual rigidly connected together in pairs. I prefer
however to make the rakes independent the one of the other, to get a better
entrance of the rake into the crop and delivery of it from the platform when
cut. The rakes in this arrangement never project over the carrying wheel but
pass by the side of it. This admits of a seat being placed over the driving
wheel for the driver.
.
Figure 9 is a front view, Figure 10 a plan, and Figure 11 a side view of a
machine thus arranged. a is the frame with the driving wheel b, giving

page_text: motion to the knife as before. The cutter bar is rigidly fixed to this frame,
and on it is mounted the standard c, in which the vertical axis d is fixed, it
having on it a bevilled wheel d¹ gearing with the pinion e, on the axis of
which is a chain wheel driven by a pitch chain which also encircles the chain
wheel on the axis of the driving wheel; g is a pulley adjustable on the
framing to tighten up the pitch chain when the carrying wheel is set lower
down to raise the cutter bar and leave a longer stubble. On the top of the
axis d is a casting, which is free to revolve on the axis d; it has four sockets
, d, formed upon it, between which the ends of the rake arms h are entered
and secured by pins or pivots; i is the cam surface which actuates the arms h,
it is fixed to the frame a by a bracket a', and is further supported by stays
c', c', from the standard c, and from the cutter bar. Each arm has is shewn,
has a friction pulley h¹ on the top and another h³ on the under side of the.cam
surface, the latter being carried by short links k, which are pivotted to the
arms h, otherwise they could not freely follow the bends of the cam. Each
link and also forked tail k¹, clearly seen at Figures 10 and 11, to assist it
in following the cam, the edge of the cam surface being embraced between the
prongs of the fork; thus the links k¹ are kept always at right angles to the
plane of the cam.
It is not essential that all the arms should carry rakes, some of them may
in place thereof carry beating boards, acting as they revolve to incline the
crop towards the cutters so that when cut it may fall at once on to the plat-
form, usually employ on the arms a rake and a beater board alternately;
both of them are made adjustable on the arms as is shewn.
In constructing mowing machines, the finger bar with the knife has heretofore
been arranged to rest on the land and to rise and fall to follow the undulations
thereof, but the finger bar and knife have nevertheless been so held that they
are compelled to rise and fall parallelly in relation to the frame of the machine,
and consequently the crop is not in undulating ground as in going over ridgo
and furrow cut uniformly close to the land. Now according to this Invention
the finger bar and knife are allowed in addition to rising and falling to turn
sufficiently to follow the shorter undulations of the land over which the
machine is cutting, which undulations the frame of the machine with its pole
would not follow in consequence of its length exceeding that of the undulations.
For this purpose the following arrangement is conveniently adopted :-The
inner end of the finger bar is jointed by a wide and stiff hinge joint to a con-
necting bar, which at its other end is jointed to the frame, but in place of
making this latter joint simply a pin joint as heretofore, which allows the con-
necting bar to play up and down only, I make it a ball-and-socket or similar

page_text: joint, so as to allow (in addition to the up-and-down motion) of a turning or
twisting of the connecting bar in the direction of its length. In order that
the finger bar may be guided steadily over the land a castor wheel is attached
or connected to its inner end at the front of the shoe, as has heretofore in
some cases been done. 1, however, arrange the castor wheel so that it can be
raised or lowered as respects the fore part of the shoe in order to alter the
working inclination of the finger bar and knife as required. It will be seen
that in my arrangement in consequence of the freedom of motion given to the
finger bar that both the castor wheel and the shoe behind it will bear con-
stantly on the land and travel smoothly over it, whereas heretofore when the
shoe has carried a wheel in front of it the wheel in passing over undulating
land at times lifts the shoe off the land and at other times is itself lifted by
the shoe.
Figure 12 is a plan of a mowing machine thus arranged; Figure 13 is a
side view; and Figure 14, a front view partly in section of the same; a, a, is
the frame to which is attached the pole b; c, c, are bearings fixed on the
frame a to carry the axle of the two main wheels d, d. On these wheels arc
rings of teeth which drive pinions on the axis e, which is also carried in fixed
bearings on the frame. A bevilled wheel on this axis drives a bevilled pinion
on the axis f, having at its end a crank to which the connecting rod g is
attached by a ball-and-socket joint, and this connecting rod gives motion to
the knife h. The finger or cutter bar i on which the knife works is attached
by the broad hinge joint i, i, to the connecting bar k, which, as shewn in the
Drawing, is made in two parts bolted firmly together. At the inner end of
the connecting bar is a socket with a cap bolting on to it, and this fits on to
a ball formed in one piece with the bearing of the crank axis f, thus the con-
necting bar has (within limits) freedom of motion in all directions; 1 is a
shoe at the inner end of the finger bar, and m is a castor wheel which may be
carried by this shoe, or as is shewn in the Drawing, being more convenient; it
may be carried by a bracket n fixed to the connecting bar k, the stem m¹ of
the castor wheel passes up through and pivots in two eyes n¹, n', on the
bracket, and between them it receives a tube, which by a set screw m³ may
be made fast on the stem at any desired height; thus the castor wheel is
adjusted; o is a strut pin jointed to the bracket n at one end and to the
frame a at the other to keep the finger bar up to its work; p, p, are chains
for lifting the finger bar; they are attached to the bracket n, and pass up and
are fixed to the quadrant q, which turns on an axis on the frame, being worked
by a handle q'. On the side of the handle q¹ is a staple through which the
barr passes; this bar is jointed to the frame a, and has a hook r¹ upon it,

page_text: so that when the handle q' is drawn back so as to raise the finger bar, the
hook r catches the staple on the handle and retains it until released by the
workman.
In reaping and mowing machines as at present constructed, the pinion
which gears with the main carrying wheel remains always in gear even when
the machine is not at work; it is consequently exposed to a good deal of wear
when the machine is travelling on roads from place to place.
Now according to my Invention 1 arrange it so that it can be drawn out of
gear, and this I prefer to do in the following manner:-Through a bearing or
socket on the frame of the machine a tube is passed, the axis of the pinion
passes through this tube and turns therein. On the exterior of the tube is a
stud, which projects out through a slot in the side of the socket in which the
tube is retained, thus the tube is prevented turning, but it is able to slide longi-
tudinally, and it is so moved in order to throw the pinion and also the gear
wheel at the other end of the axis out of gear by a lever taking hold of the
stud on the tube, and moving it along the slot in the socket. The axis is not
able to move longitudinally, independently of the tube, as the tube is made of
a length equal to the whole distance of the pinion at one end of the axis from
the gear wheel at the other.
This arrangement is shown in connection with Figures 1 and 2, and more
in detail at Figures 15 and 16 (Sheet 1), in which latter Figures a is the
bearing fixed to the frame to carry the axis of the bevilled wheel b (or c¹ in
Figures 1 and 2); this bearing is bored sufficiently large to receive, in addition
to the axis, a tube c, which is slidden thereon, and extends from the bevilled
wheel at one end to the pinion d at the other end of the axis; on the lube c
a lump c¹ is formed, which comes out at the side of the bearing through a slot
formed for the purpose; the upper end of the lump is forked, and a pin is
passed from one side to the other of the fork; this pin is embraced by the
forked end of the haud lever e, which turns on the centre e¹ carried by
standards cast in connection with the bearing a. As shown in the Drawing
the parts are in the position they occupy when the bevilled wheel b and the
pinion d are both in gear, and they are held in this position by a small wedge
or block, which passes through a hole in the standards in front of the
lump c¹; the said wedge or blocks is mounted on an arm g, which is loosely
slipped on to the centre pin of the hand lever e, and pressed inwards by a
spring. To throw the wheel and pinion out of gear, the wedge or block is
drawn out by means of the stud on the arm q, and the lever is thrown over
until the pinion is caused to rest against the end of the bearing; the small
wedge or block is then allowed to fly back into its place by the action of its spring.

page_text: Another method of effecting the same object is shown in connection with
Figures 12, 13, and 14; here the axle of the carrying wheels d, d, is cranked,
and on it is fixed an arm or handle s, which can be moved towards one side or
the other so as partly to rotate the cranked axle, and thus the wheels are moved
up to or caused to recede from and out of gear with the pinions on the axis e.
The arm or handle s is blocked in either position in the manner already
described as respects the hand lever e in the arrangement in Figures 15
and 16.
In some cases, in a similar manner, the handle s is arranged to be locked in
either of three positions, to admit of the use of change pinions on the axis e to
drive at different speeds. The pinions are not keyed on the axis e, but they
slip on to the axis and enter partially into boxes or rings e¹ fixed on the axis;
within these boxes or rings, ratchet teeth are formed as is shown, and pawls
carried by the pinions drop into these teeth, so that the pinion is compelled to
revolve with the axis whilst the driving wheel is moving forward, but should
it move back the pinions stop, and the axis e rotates freely in the pinion.
In mowing machines, it is now usual to attach at the outer end of the finger
bar a scraper board to clear a passage in the cut crop behind it for the wheel
to run over when the machine next comes round; this, however, does not act
efficiently in windy weather, as it only raises the cut crop in a ridge, which
the wind overturns.
According to this Invention I joint or connect with the scraper board a
sledge or a roller, which by passing over the ridge of cut crop raised by the
scraper board presses it down and consolidates it, so that the wind can hardly
disturb it.
t is the
Figure 12 and Figure 17 show the arrangement I prefer.
ordinary scraper board, to it is jointed the sledge u, which rides over the ridge
collected by the scraper board, and consolidates it; u' is a guard to keep the
crop out of the joint.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hornsby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
ΠΑΠΙΠ ΠΟΥΝΤΑΡΣ