A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR REAPING AND MOWING
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Floryan von Grubiński, of Warsaw, Poland, for the
Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR REAPING AND MOWING,"
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Floryan von Grubiński at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th January 1876.
FLORYAN VON GRUBIŃSKI, of Warsaw, Poland. "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE
FOR REAPING AND MOWING."
This Invention, which relates to improvements on machinery for reaping and
mowing, consists in a novel method, as hereafter described, of transmitting motion
to the knives, and also to improvements in the several parts of such machines
whereby the wear and tear are diminished and the mechanism rendered more
compact and less liable to get out of order.
According to these improvements the employment of chain and toothed gearing
are entirely dispensed with, and the knives (which are of the ordinary type) are
reciprocated by means of a friction roller working in a serpentine or zig-zag groove
formed upon the internal periphery of the chief bearing wheel, which takes thé
form of a hollow cylindrical roller arranged so as to contain the principal parts of
the operating mechanism. The frictional roller operated as aforesaid communicates
motion through a double lever to the ordinary horizontal bar to which the knives
are fixed, and which are thus reciprocated between the "fingers." When it is
desired to cause the knives to cease their action without stopping the machine the
frictional roller is lifted clear of the zig-zag groove in which it works by the
manipulation of a bell-crank lever, whereby the stud upon which the lever of the
friction roller is centred is raised and the roller lifted out of gear with the aforesaid
zig-zag groove. The hollow cylindrical roller constituting the chief bearing wheel
(and within which the aforesaid mechanism is arranged) is covered or boxed in on
each side so as to preserve the contained parts from dust or accidental injury. The
finger shaft is supported at one end from the hollow cylinder or drum, and at the
other by a carrying wheel, and may be raised or lowered as desired.
The apparatus whereby the grain to be cut is placed in a favourable position
relatively to the knives, and which removes the corn when cut from the casting off
table is operated from a disc, the outer periphery of which is provided with friction
rollers, the disc being caused to revolve by means of curves or sweeps formed upon
or attached to the drum referred to in the former part of this description, by the
[Price Gd.]

page_text: revolution of which the said curves or sweeps are successively brought into contact
with and caused to act upon the friction rollers of the disc. Each caster off forms
au oblong frame, which swings on a shaft, and is kept in any desired position
relatively thereto by means of a spiral or other spring.
In like manner the rakes of the machine are or may be operated from the disc
or its attachments, and the said disc is arranged so as to be capable of being
thrown by a lever or other means in and out of gear with the revolving sweeps
or curves.
Curved arms are placed at the outer end of the casting-off table which divide
that part of the corn which is to be cut from the rest of the crop, while opposite
to them, and at the other end of the knife bar, other curved arms are arranged to
keep the grain from the drum mechanism, a seat for the driver being provided in
the usual manner.
And in order that my said Invention may be more completely understood and
ascertained, I have hereunto appended a detailed description of the same, reference
being had to the annexed Sheets of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked
thereon; to be as follows:-
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) is a plan of a reaping or mowing machine embodying my
improvements.
Figures 2 and 2a are vertical and longitudinal sections respectively of the
carrying wheel or drum, with a view of part of the mechanism contained therein.
Figure 3 (Sheet 2) is a side elevation, Figure 4 a vertical section, and Figures 5
and 6 detailed views of parts of the mechanism.
The main carrying wheel or drum a is centred upon a fixed axle b, upon which
also a boss or cylinder c is formed. The said boss or cylinder c contains a moveable
barrel or stud d, on the lower part of which a double lever e is centred and
provided at one end with a friction roller g secured thereto by the nut f, while the
The upper end of
other end is attached by means of the rod 'i 'to'the knives w.
the barrel or stud d is embraced by a forked lever centred on the stud p², and
capable of being manipulated by the lever handle o so, as to raise and depress.the
barrel or stud d in the boss or cylinder c. The friction roller g at the lower end
can thus be put in and out of gear with a zig-zag or serpentine groove or channel
formed on the inner periphery of the drum a. The reciprocatory movement
thus given to the roller g is imparted through the lever e and connecting rod i to
the knives w which move between the fingers 1, being guided in their course by the
claws n, in this case five in number. The finger shaft forms part of or is firmly
attached to a strong connecting piece or bracket m, to which also the axle of
the drum a is bolted, the draught pole p¹ is also attached to the connecting.
piece m.
To support the outer end of the finger shaft ka bearing wheel y is provided
attached by a bracket so as to be adjustable in the horizontal plane round a pin I
and in the vertical plane by means of a stud K adjustable in a slot, as shewn at
Figures 1 and 3 with relation to the finger shaft and casting-off table. That
end of the finger shaft nearest the drum a is adjusted by means of a screw z and
hand wheel, Figures 1 and 4.
The casting off arrangement is as follows:-An eye A is formed upon the
connecting piece m so as to support a cranked stud B, whereon is centred a disc C
having any suitable number of rollers (say eleven, as shown on the Drawings)
Upon the upper part-of-the-disc-C-a-square-boss.or_continuation is formed having
four arms E attached to it by means of studs, upon which the said arms are free to
swing. Above the aforesaid boss or continuation, but fixed to the stud B, a
peculiarly formed bell or rather stationary cam D is situated. The arins E rise
above the bell D; and each opposite pair of arms are connected by a flat boop or
strap L, whereby they mutually support each other, and furthermore, they are
provided with friction rollers F, which bear upon the curved bell D and cause the
arms E to assume different positions or angles as they are rotated round the bell or
cam D. The said rotation is accomplished by means of curved pieces q fixed to

page_text: the end of the drum a, and acting upon the herein-before referred to rollers r so as
to cause the disc C to revolve.
The rakes (Figure 5, Sheet 2) and casters-off' t (Figure 6, Sheet 2) are
attached to the arms E so as to be adjustable, and it will easily be understood that
by constructing the bell D of the requisite shape the casters-off and rakes can be
caused to assume an exactly efficient angle or position as they approach the casting-
off table, and having passed over the same to rise as they rotate so as to clear the
working parts of the machine and also the driver's seat which is fixed to the
barrel or axle b.
When it is desired to stop the working of the casters-off and rakes the handle
V is pulled over so as to move the disc C and consequently the rollers out of
gear with the curved pieces q.
The construction of the casters-off, Figure 6, Sheet 2, is somewhat different from
those now in use. The bar t is provided at the end with a cast-iron boss, through.
which passes a bar G, having at each end a piece of tube H, into which two
lighter bars are secured in a direction parallel to the central bar G; the whole thus
forms an oblong frame, which is kept in a perpendicular position by means of the
spring d. When in operation the caster-off, as it is brought round, presses the
stalks or straw against the knives, and at the same time glides with the edge Bon
the board j which surrounds the casting-off table, thus imparting to the grain a
favourable position.
The two rakes are similarly arranged, except that upon reaching the table the
upper part only bends over, the toothed lower part remaining stationary so as to
remove the cut grain. Poles.x.having a common shoe are provided to divide the
corn, and bows or guards x are arranged to protect the moving parts of the
mechanism.
To prevent the entrance of dust, and to protect the contained mechanism, the
ends of the drum a are closed by covers.
Having now described my said Invention, and the mode or manner of carrying
the same into practical effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider,
to be novel and original and therefore claim as my Invention is as follows:-
First. The mode of actuating the knives of reaping or mowing machines by
means of a friction roller working in a zig-zag or serpentine groove or channel,
substantially in the manner herein-before described and shewn.
Second. The mode of and means for actuating the casters-off and rakes and the
employment of a bell guide or cam arranged to operate them in the manner herein-
before described, or any mere modification thereof.
Third. The construction of the casters-off and rakes, substantially as described.
Fourth. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of mechanism
constituting my improved reaping or mowing machines, substantially as herein-
before described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Florian von Grubiński, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
FLORYAN GRUBINSKI. (L.S.)