IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 22nd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1888
SAMUEL BRASSINGTON BAMFORD of the firm of Henry Bamford & Sons Agricultural
Engineers, Uttoxeter, in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS CONNECTED WITH MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES to
be as follows:-
My improvements have reference firstly to the lifting arrangements of mowing or
reaping machines, and consists of a lever placed underneath the double jointed hinge
bar of the machine so arranged that very little space is taken up, and a direct lift in
line with the Finger bar is obtained from the lifting lever of the machine. The finger
bar is also lifted parallel or nearly so with the ground-secondly, to improvements in
the draught rod of a mowing or reaping machine.
According to the first part of my invention -on the under side of the double-
jointed hinge bar of a Mowing or Reaping machine at its lower end nearest to the
main shoe, I pivot a double-ended iever having a long and short arm.
The short arm
resting on the bottom of the main-shoe on that side of its binge or centre nearest to
the hinge bar, and the longer arm jointed at its extreme end to a pin which is passed
through a hole in the hinge bar and connected to the lifting lever by a chain and
shackle.
When the lifting lever for lifting the hinge bar is used by the driver of the machine-
The act of pulling the lever tightens the chain and lifts the longer end of the double
ended lever upwards and causes its shorter end to press on the main shoe sufficiently
to prevent the outer end of the Finger bar dropping when it is lifted off the ground
by the aforesaid lifting lever.
The second part of the invention is carried out as follows:-The lower end of the
draught rod of a Mowing or Reaping Machine is usually bent in the form of a hook
and connected to the hinge bar. Over the hook thus formed I place a shield or cap
which slides on the draught rod and answers a double purpose in preventing the
lodgement of grass and also acts as a lock on the hook and prevents its opening out, or
giving way in case of great strain.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements Connected with Mowing and Reaping Machines.
SAMUEL BRASSINGTON BAMFORD of the Firm of Henry Bamford & Sons Agricultural
Engineers, Uttoxeter, in the County of Stafford, 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 :-
My improvements have reference firstly to the lifting arrangements of Mowing or
Reaping Machines and consist of a lever placed underneath the double-jointed hinge
bar of the machine so arranged that very little space is taken up, and a direct lift in
line with the Finger bar is obtained from the lifting lever of the machine. The Finger
Bar is also lifted parallel or nearly so with the ground. Secondly :-to improvements
in the draught-rod of a Mowing or Reaping Machine.
According to the first part of my invention on the under side of the double jointed
hinge bar of a Mowing or Reaping Machine at its lower end and nearest to the main
shoe I pivot a lever having a long and short arm, the short arm resting on the bottom
of the main shoe on that side of its hinge or centre nearest to the hinge bar, and the
longer arm jointed at its extreme end to a pin which is passed through a hole in the
hinge bar and connected to the lifting lever by a chain and shackle.
When the lifting lever for lifting the hinge bar is used by the driver of the machine,
the act of pulling the lever tightens the chain and lifts the longer end of the lever
upwards and causes its shorter end to press on the main shoe sufficiently to prevent
the outer end of the Finger bar dropping, when it is lifted off the ground by the
aforesaid lifting lever.
The second part of the invention is carried out as follows:-The lower end of the
draught rod of a Mowing or Reaping Machine is usually bent in the form of a hook
and connected to the hinge bar. Over the hook thus formed I place a shield or cap
which slides on the draught-rod and answers a double purpose in preventing the
lodgement of grass, and also acts as a lock on the hook and prevents it opening out
or giving way in case of great strain.
The manner of carrying out any invention will be understood by reference to the
annexed drawings:-Fig. 1 & 2 represent in plan and Figure 3 in side elevation the
parts of a Mowing Machine containing my improvements. A is the lifting chain
connected at its upper end to the quadrant & hand lever in the ordinary way. Its
lower end is connected to the lever B which is jointed to the underside of the
hinge bar (at its lower end D. The lever B has a long and a short arm. The short
arm F rests on the bottom of the main shoe G on that side of its hinge or centre H
nearest to the hinge bar C. The longer arm E is jointed at its extreme end to a pin J
which is passed through a hole in the hinge bar C, and connected to the lifting lever
by the chain A and shackle. When the lifting lever for lifting the hinge bar is used
by the driver of the machine, the act of pulling the lever tightens the chain A and
lifts the longer end E of the lever B upwards and causes its shorter end F to press on
the main shoe G sufficiently to prevent the outer end K of the Finger bar L dropping

page_text: when it is lifted off the ground by the aforesaid lifting lever. When the Finger bar L
rests on the ground, and the chain A is loosened the lever B does not press on the
main shoe G and the Finger bar L is consequently free to adapt itself to the inequalities
of the ground when the machine is at work.
M shows the rear end of the draught rod of a mowing machine, connected to the
hinge bar C by the hook N. Over this hook I place a shield or cap O which answers
a double purpose in preventing the lodgement of grass on the hook N and also acts as
a lock on the said hook and prevents its opening or giving way in case of great strain.
A slight swell P is made on the terminal end of the hook N and a corresponding
indentation on the inside of the cap O suffices to fasten the cap O on the hookN.
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 :-
First. The arrangement of a lever B with a long and short
arm, placed underneath
the hinge bar of a mowing or reaping machine, having the long arm connected to the
lifting chain by a pin or link which is passed through a hole in the hinge bar and its
short arm resting on the bottom of the main shoe, on that side of its hinge or centre
nearest to the hinge bar, as shewn & described.
Second. The shield or cap O placed over the end of the draught rod of mowing or
reaping machines and the method of fastening the cap O in position by the swell and
corresponding recess P as shewn and described.
Third. The combination of the lever B placed underneath the hinge bar and the
connection of its end E to the lifting lever by a chain A passing through a hole in the
hinge bar J with the shield or cap O on the draught rod M as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 21st day of December 1887.