AN IMPROVEMENT IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1884

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I THOMAS CULPIN of 36 Worship Street, Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN REAPING MACHINES'
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to arrange a segmentally toothed lever on the
cam frame of a reaping machine in such a manner that one end which is furnished
with ordinary teeth shall be moved intermittently by a toothed collar or by teeth
on the boss of the rake arm carrier or head while it rotates under the action of a
pinion driven by the usual gear. The opposite end of the segmental lever is
provided with ratchet teeth against or into which the spur of the switch engages
when the ratchet teeth are thrown into its path this being determined by a hand
lever within reach of an attendant, said hand lever is so arranged in conjunction
with a plate as to enable it to be set, to regulate the number of rakes that shall
act as dummies or gatherers only, if any of them are required to be so set.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the Applicant.

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"
I THOMAS CULPIN, Engineer, of 36 Worship Street, Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN REAPING MACHINES
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The object of this invention is to arrange a segmentally toothed lever on the
cam frame of a reaping machine in such a manner that one end which is furnished
with ordinary teeth shall be moved intermittently by a toothed collar or by teeth
on the boss of the rake arm carrier or head while it rotates under the action
of a pinion driven by the usual gear. The opposite end of the segmental lever is
provided with ratchet teeth against or into which the spur of the switch engages
when the ratchet teeth are thrown into its path this being determined by a hand
lever within reach of an attendant, said hand lever is so arranged in conjunction
with a plate as to enable it to be set, to regulate the number of rakes that shall
act as dummies or gatherers only, if any of them are required to be so set.
My invention is clearly represented in the annexed sheet of drawings in which
Figures 1 and 2 show plan and edge views, respectively, of the segmental toothed
lever A hereinbefore mentioned. Figure 3 shows said lever A in position upon the
fixed cam frame B of a reaping machine and the position it occupies when set by
the lever handle C for all the rake blades to act as all rakes in succession in
travelling over the platform in the well known manner, the inner race being
then open as shown in the Figure for bowls of all the blades to ride inside the
switch which resumes its normal position, as indicated in the figure, under the
action of a spring with which its axle pin is provided, while being carried round
by the rotating head D shown in Figure 4 under the action of a pinion E from the
moving parts of the machine.
Figures 5 and 6 represent plan and perspective views, respectively, of a loose
fitting collar G which fits over the central fixed stem F by which it and the head D
is supported.
The head has a depending socket or collar whose lower surface is notched to
engage the projection I of the collar G so that the collar rotates with the head.
The collar has four teeth upon its periphery which strike against one or other of
the teeth K of the lever A when thrown into their path by the shift of the hand
lever C according to the number of rake blades that have to act as dummies or
gatherers during the working, the hand lever C being within reach of the driver
so that he can shift it when desired to suit the crop.
The lever A is connected by a rod L to the lever C and a small amount of play
is allowed between them for the return of the lever A under the action of a
spring M aftor being acted upon by the tooth J of the collar G the spring being
fastened on the frame B and bearing against the stud N seen in Figure 2.
When the lever A has to be set for one rake and one dummy alternately the
lever C is moved into the position indicated at Figure 7 the bowl of the next
blade which is a rake travels within the race and presses the tail end of the switch
outwards, the spring M then throws the lever A over which enables the first

page_text: tooth P¹ of the lever A to come in contact with the spur Q of the switch and hold
the switch in the position shown, thus the next bowl passes outside the switch so
that its blade shall act as a dummy and as it leaves the switch the next succeeding
tooth on the collar G strikes against the tooth K of the lever A and pushes
said lever over this releases the spur of the switch from the tooth P¹ and the
switch under the action of its spring returns it to its first position for the following
bowl to run on the inner race, the blade of this bowl becomes a rake and as it
passes out it presses against and forces the tail end of the switch outwards the
lever A then under the action of its spring returns to its set position and engages
against the spur so that the switch is held by it in the position shown for the next
succeeding bowl to ride outside of it and so on alternately.
The spur is just below the tail end of the switch U as indicated by the
detached views Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11.
When the hand lever C is shifted over as indicated at Figure 12 for two dummies
and one rake to act in succession the bowl then passing through the inner race
strikes against the tail end V of the switch U and forces it outwards and the
switch proper inwards as shown, the lever A under the action of its spring then
moves over so that the second ratchet tooth P' comes against the spur Q to hold
the switch in that position and allow the next bowl to ride outside the switch
its blade then acting as a dummy. The next tooth J of the collar G then rides
against the second tooth K of the lever and pushes the lever A over the distance
of one tooth and moves the second ratchet tooth P2 out of contact with the spur
of the switch the spur then resting against the first tooth P¹ so that the next bowl
rides outside the switch also for its blade to act as a dummy. The following
tooth J of the collar G then strikes against the first tooth K and pushes the
lever A over so that the spur is released therefrom, the switch returns to its first
position under the action of its spring for the next bowl to ride inside the switch
and its blade to act as a rake, this bowl in passing along forces the tail end of
the switch outwards and the lever A. under the action of its spring to take up
its set position again for the next two bowls to ride outside and their blades
to act as dummies and so on in succession.
When it is desired to make three blades act as dummies the hand lever C is
thrown over into the position shown at Figure 13 the teeth on the collar G acting
upon the three teeth K in succession, and the ratchet teeth P simultaneously in
succession move from the tail end of the switch until it is released by the escape
of the spur Qas before mentioned with reference to the two rake blades which act
as dummies
A similar operation is performed when four rake blades in succession have to act
as dummies as will be understood by reference to Figure 14 the spur escaping each
ratchet tooth in succession as the teeth K are acted upon by the teeth of the
collar G.
When the four teeth thus acted upon and the bowls have passed, the switch
under the action of its own spring is returned to its normal position and the next
bowl would travel in the inner race within the switch and act as a rake the spring
of the lever A would then return said lever into the set position for the next four
succeeding bowls and their blades to travel as dummies.
If all the blades are to act as dummies then the hand lever C is thrown over to
the position shown at Figure 15 the teeth K of the lever A being then thrown
beyond the travel of the collar teeth J and the switch fixed in the position shown.
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
1. The improvements in reaping machines in which a lever having ordinary teeth
on one end and ratchet teeth on the other can be so set in connection with
a toothed collar or its equivalent, by a hand lever as to regulate the number of

page_text: rake blades that shall act as dummies at the will of the attendant as described with
reference to the annexed drawings.
2. The appliances arranged as shown on the annexed drawings whereby the rake
and dummy blades of a reaping machine receive the desired motion from the head
gear and controlled by the shift of a hand lever as set forth,
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said T. Culpin.