IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick George Underhay, of 13, Well
Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick George
Underhay at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 27th April 1853.
I, FREDERICK GEORGE UNDERHAY, of 13, Well Street, Gray's Inn
Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING
MACHINES" to be as follows:
This Invention consists of giving motion to a vertical axis by the
movement of the carriage over the land. On the lower end of the
vertical axis there are cutters, of a scimitar or other convenient shape, .
which, revolving with the axis, cut the crop; and by means of revolving
wings the cut crop is removed towards a platform, each of such wings
following a cutter in such manner that it directs the cut crop towards
the platform, and then, in its continued rotation and movement, drives
the cut crop beyond the platform.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick George Underhay in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 27th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
FREDERICK GEORGE UNDERHAY, of 13, Well Street, Gray's Inn Road,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Frederick George Underhay, Her
special licence that I, the said.Frederick George Underhay, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick
George Underhay, 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 Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING .AND: MOWING MACHINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick George Underhay,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particu-
larly 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 the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick George Underhay, 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 (that is to say) :.
This Invention consists of giving motion to a vertical axis by the
movement of the carriage over the land. On the lower end of the
vertical axis there are cutters, of a scimitar or other convenient shape,
which, revolving with the axis, cut the crop and, by means of revolving
wings, the cut crop is moved towards a platform, cachi of such wings

page_text: following a cutter in such manner that it directs the cut crop towards
the platform, and then, in its continued rotation and movement, drives
the cut crop beyond the platform..
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
Figure 1, shows a plan, partly, in section, of a machine,constructed
and combined according, to my Invention. Figure 2, shows a longi-
tudinal section thereof. In each of these Figures. the same letters
indicate the same parts.
a, a, and b, are the three wheels which carry the machine. The
front wheel b, is made capable of locking, as is well. understood.
The wheel a,, moves on a fixed axle, and the wheel a', is fixed on
the axle c, on which is fixed the bevilled toothed wheel d, which
takes into and drives the bevilled toothed wheel e, on the axle f.
On this axle f, is fixed the bevilled toothed wheel
el g, which takes into
and drives the bevilled toothed wheel. h, fixed on the vertical axis i, which
is hollow. The vertical axisri, is the cutter axis, and has cutters j, j,
applied thereto, of a scimitar form or otherwise, which are affixed to
arms j', j', moving with the axis i. The arms j', j', are applied in
such manner as to turn with such axis; but at the same tinie they are
capable of being raised or lowered thereon by means of the rod k,
which by the key, is fixed to the boss of the armis j'. The key h',
passes through slits or openings in the hollow axis. The bar or rod k,
has a screw formed on it; at, its upper end ², is a wheel and nut, by
which the bar k, can be raised or lowered, and consequently the cutters.
By the rotation of. the cutters j, the crop is cut or mowed, and is then
moved towards and then on to the fixed platform 1, by means of the
wings m, which are made of open basket work or other suitable ma-
terials, and such wings move the cut crop from off the platform on to a
sliding floor. The wings are carried by arms n, fixed to the axis i, as
is shown; and such arms have cams n', moving thereon, such camis
being fixed to the wings. The cams move on inclines o, o, by which
the wings (as the arms are carried round by the axis i.) are caused to

page_text: move forward at their lower ends, and thus to act on the cut crop, and
to move it on the platform, and froin the platform on to the floor p
which is made to slide to and fro, so as to drop the cut crop through
from time to time; and this is accomplished by means of a cog wheel q,
on the axis i, taking into and driving a cog wheel, which is on a
fixed axis. The cog wheel 2, has on it a projection r', which coming
against one end of the lever s, moves the sliding floor p, such floor
being immediately brought back by means of a spring t, or other con-
venient means. u, i, are springs pressing on the cams to cause them
to act on the curved inclines, and thus to regulate the positions which
the wings shall take in their revolutions about the axis i. An inclined
board v, rises from the sliding floor as shown. w, is a clutch box for
putting the cutters out of action. a, a flap hinged to the edge of the
platform, which may be fixed at different positions, so as to offer an
inclined plane to facilitate the moving of the crop by the wings on to
the platform.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of combining the several parts, I would have it understood that I make
no claim to the parts separately; nor do I confine myself to the details
herein shown and described, as the same may be varied without depart-
ing from my Invention, so long as the peculiar character of the
combination be retained. But what I claim is the combination herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick George Underhay, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.
F. G. UNDERHAY.
(L.S.)
Witness, S. CARPMAEL.