Improvements in Mowing Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 1st May, 1889-Accepted, 15th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mowing Machines.
I WILLIAM GEORGE MANWARING Engineer, Banbury County of Oxon, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN. MOWING MACHINES to. be
as
follows:-
In the Letters Patent granted to me under date of the 18th May 1865, for
Improvements in Reaping and Mowing Machines, I described an arrangement for
counterbalancing in part, the weight of the gearing frame and cutter bar of such
machines by means of a spring. My present invention is a variation of the said
arrangement, and it consists of a mode of suspending the cutter bar of a mowing
machine, so that the said bar shall rest with more or less weight on the surface of
the ground, the object being that it shall only bear thereon with sufficient weight to
keep it up to its work. This same mode of suspension also enables the attendant to
lift the bar completely off the ground more readily and with less fatigue, when that
is required to be done.
These objects are effected by the following arrangement :-
The Draught Pole, or in case Shafts are used, the Stump Pole of the machine,
carries a spiral spring, the tension of which can be regulated by any of the usual.
methods. This spring is used, to partially or wholly balance the cutter bar, by
connecting the spring to the bar by means of a chain or links, one end of which
chain is attached to the spring, and the other to the shoe of the cutter bar, or to a
lever, intermediate between the chain and the shoe.
W. G. MANWARING.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mowing Machines.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE MANWARING Engineer, Banbury County of Oxon, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My Invention relates to improvements in Mowing Machines, and is an improve-
ment upon the Letters Patent granted to me under date of the 18th May 1865
No. 1371 wherein I described an arrangement for counterbalancing in part the weight
of the gearing frame and cutter bar of Mowing Machines by means of a spring. My
present invention is a variation of the said arrangement, and it consists of a mode of
suspending the cutter bar of a mowing machine so that the said bar shall rest with.
more or less weight on the surface of the ground, the object being that it shall only
bear thereon with sufficient weight to keep it up to its work. This same mode of
suspension also enables the attendant to lift the bar completely off. the ground more
readily and with less fatigue when that is required to be done than would otherwise
be the case.
These objects are effected by the following arrangement.
The draught pole, or, in case shafts are used, the stump pole, of the machine
carries a spiral spring, the tension of which can be regulated by any of the usual
methods-This spring is used to partially or wholly balance the cutter bar by
connecting the spring to the bar by means of a chain or links, one end of which
chain is attached to the spring and the other to the shoe of the cutter bar or to a
lever intermediate between the chain and the shoe.
And in order more particularly to show how I effect this object, reference is made

page_text: to the accompanying drawings in which fig. I shows a front elevation of a mowing
machine with cutter bar, and fig. 2 is a side elevation of same machine. The same
letters refer to the same parts in both figs. 1 and 2.
A is the draught pole or strip pole of the machine, B is a spiral spring, the
tension of which can he regulated by any of the usual methods, shown in this
instance by the nut -C and screwed hook D which passes through a hole in the
bracket E fixed to the side of the pole. On the other end of this spring the chain F
is attached which is fastened to a Bell crank lever G radiating upon the pin-H
which pin is attached to the bracket I fixed on the pole A. To this lever G
another chain F is attached at one end, this chain passes under a guide pulley. and
is connected to one end of the lever K which radiates upon the pin L (acting as a
fulcrum) which pin is fastened to the main shoe M. of the cutter bar. The other end.
of this lever K is bent round towards the inside of the cutter bar, and rests upon the
main shoe at the point N. O is the lifting lever which is fitted in the usual way
to the quadrant P which radiates upon a pin fixed to the main frame Q of the
machine. To this quadrant is attached the chain R which passes under the guide
ring S fixed to the swing beam T of the machine, the other end of this chain R is
attached to the lever K at the point U. The tension of the spring B tends, by means
of the chain F to lift the swing beam T and with it the main shoe M and cutter
bar thereby diminishing the pressure of the said bar on the ground. By radiating
the lever K about the fulcrum L on the main shoe, the pressure of this lever at the
point N of the main shoe due to the tension of the spring B communicated through
connections shown, tends to sustain the weight of the offside W of the cutter bar V
which itself radiates about the same pin L and L'.
When the finger beam, or cutter bar requires to be raised from the ground by
means of the hand lever O quadrant P and chain R. the tension of the spring B
assists in raising the bar and shoe, enabling the attendant to lift the bar with greater
ease than would otherwise be the case.
I have only shown in the figures such parts of the machine as is essential to
explain my improvements, the machine may, in other respects be of the usual well
known or any approved construction. Springs on the pole have been used before
which acted on the frame of the machine, as for instance in my patent No. 1371 of
18th May 1865 by means of which a portion of the total weight of the machine,
including the cutter bar could be counterbalanced and springs on other parts of the
machine for balancing the cutter bar have also been used, and I do not claim these
or the separate parts shown.
But having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The arrangements and combination of the parts as shown and described or their
equivalents, by means of which the cutter bar of a mowing machine may be made to
rest with more or less pressure on the surface of the ground, and by which the
attendant is enabled to lift the bar off the ground with greater ease than he could
otherwise do.
.