IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Theodore Griffin, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HARVESTING MACHINES."-A communication from abroad by Cyrus
Newhall, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, in the United States of
America.
Sealed the 20th August 1869, and dated the 24th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Theodore
Griffin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th February 1869.
I, JAMES THEODORE GRIFFIN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
5 London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVI=
"MENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-.
The principal feature of this Invention is an improved arrangement.
of the frame and parts connected with it in machines in which the finger
beam is fitted in a line with the axle of the main driving wheels. The

page_text: finger beam and cutters are connected to bars or supports which pass
through one of the main driving wheels which is supported upon rollers
attached by bars to the main axle; the main axle is rigidly fixed to the
frame. The driving wheels are each made with an internal rib or
feather; the rollers bear upon or against the rib of one of the wheels.
The insides of the rim of the wheels are formed with teeth for pinions to
work in which drive or operate the cutters. The bars or supports for the
finger beam are jointed to the main frame so that they can be raised and
lowered by means of a chain and lever placed within reach of the driver
in order to regulate the height of cut, the lever being held in place
by a bolt passed into holes in a quadrant. The axle on which the
pinions are mounted is. furnished with two clutches, the forks of which
are connected to one hand lever, so that both can be thrown into and out
of gear simultaneously. The shoe of the finger beam is jointed to the
supporting bars in order that it with the beam and cutters can be
turned on end when the machine has to be moved from place to place.
The pitman and cutters are driven in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Theodore Griffin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
THEODORE GRIFFIN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Theodore Griffin,
Her special licence that I, the said James Theodore Griffin, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Theodore Griffin, 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

page_text: Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES," (a communication
from abroad by Cyrus Newhall, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, in the
United States of America,) upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Theodore Griffin, 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 tlic date of the said Letters
Patent.
...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Theodore Griffin, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-.
The principal feature of this Invention is an improved arrangement
of the frame and parts connected with it in machines in which the finger
beam is fitted in a line with the axle of the main driving wheels. The
finger beam and cutters are connected to bars or supports which pass
through one of the main driving wheels which is supported upon rollers
attached by bars to the main axle; the main axle is rigidly fixed to the
frame. The driving wheels are each made with an internal rib or
feather; the rollers bear upon or against the rib of one of the wheels.
The insides of the rim of the wheels are formed with teeth for pinions to
work in which drive or operate the cutters. The bars or supports for
the finger beam are jointed to the main frame so that they can be raised
and lowered by means of a chain and lever placed within reach of the
driver in order to regulate the height of cut, the lever being held in
place by a bolt passed into holes in a quadrant. The axle on which the.
pinions are mounted is furnished with two clutches, the forks of which
are connected to one hand lever, so that both can be thrown into and
out of gear simultaneously. The shoe of the finger beam is jointed to
the supporting bars in order that it with the beam and cutters can be
turned on end when the machine has to be moved from place to place..
The pitman and cutters are driven in the usual manner.
The Invention will be fully understood by referring to the accom-
panying Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a harvesting

page_text: machine constructed and arranged according to this Invention; and
Figure 2 is a plan view of the working parts of the same with the main
bearing wheels in section.
A, A, are the wheels upon which the whole weight of the machine
is borne, and by which the mechanism is caused to act as the machine
travels. The inside of one of the wheels has a rib or feather C for
running upon rollers D, D, D, D, which are pinned upon axles a, a, a, a,
of a frame E fixed on one end to the main axle F; this axle carries bars
or connections G, G, to which the rods or bars b, b, for supporting the
shoe Hand finger beam I are fastened, and which are in a line withi
the main axle, as before mentioned. There are projection pieces on the
front of the bars G, G, for carrying a shaft J, upon which are mounted
the two pinions K, L, which receive their motion from the teeth of the
wheels A, A; each end of the shaft J is provided with a clutch arrange-
ment M, N, and levers O, P, so that one movement of the lever P throws
both of the clutches into and out of gear as required. The upper end of
the lever P is brought within reach of the driver, so that he has perfect
command over the working of the machine. The shaft J has a bevil
wheel Q mounted loosely upon it, and when the clutches are in gear this
wheel acts upon the bevil pinion R. and causes the pitman S to.
revolve, whereby the cutters T, T, are drawn to and fro in the beam I in.
a rapid manner, and by their working in slots formed in the fingers U
the grass or other crop is operated upon and severed from the. roots.
The height at which it is determined to cut the crop above the ground
is regulated by the lever V, which is connected to the shoe H. by a
chain W; the upper end of the lever works in a quadrant or rack X, and
on a bolt being passed into one or other of the holes in the quadrant the
lever is held secure. The rods, bars, or supports b, b, are pinned or
jointed to the shoe H, so that the shoe and finger beam may be turned
up in a vertical position to enable the machine to pass through gates or.
narrow lanes or passages into the field in which it is desired to work it
When the finger beam is in a vertical position it is held secure by a
spring catch Y fitted to one of the arms of the rollers D, D, D, D, and
by the clutches being out of gear the main wheels and their pinions
rotate without communicating the motion to the cutting mechanism.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that I claim,-

page_text: First. The general construction and arrangement of harvesting
machines, substantially as herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. Fitting the finger beam and cutters in a line with the main
driving wheels in the manner herein-before described and shown in the
Drawings.
And, third. I claim supporting the shoe and finger beam by rods,
bars, or supports passing through one of the main driving wheels, as
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Theodore Griffin, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine.