IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GATHERING CROPS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Huckvale, of Choice Hill, near Chipping
Norton, Oxon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
GATHERING CROPS."
Sealed the 6th October 1854, and dated the 26th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Huckvale at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
July 1854.
1, THOMAS HUCKVALE, of Choice Hill, near Chipping Norton, Oxon, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR GATHERING CROPS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a peculiar combination of machinery for gathering
up crops, so as to raise the same from the land and place them into suitable
carriages for conveying them away. For this purpose a rake is employed, in
combination with endless belts, in such manner, that the rake, being mounted
on wheels, as it is moved over the land, it rakes up the crop, and by cog wheels
or gearing, motion is given to endless bands on to which the crop comes from
off the rake, and the crop is raised by the endless bands to the height desired,
so as to place it progressively into the carriage. The endless bands are
arranged to work both parallel and at right angles to the carriages which are

page_text: to receive the crops, and have means of adjustment so as to cause the delivery
to take place at the height and in the position desired. The carriages and the
rakes with the raising apparatus are arranged so as to move together over the
land when gathering up crops.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Huckvale in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
LUCKVALE, of Choice Hill, near Chipping Norton, Oxon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Iler
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Huckvale, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Huckvale, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Thomas Huckvale, 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 Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GATHERING CROPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Huckvale, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Huckvale, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention consists of a peculiar combination of machinery for gathering
up crops, so as to raise the same from the land and place them into suitable
carriages for conveying them away. For this purpose a rake is employed, in
combination with endless belts, in such manner, that the rake, being mounted
on wheels, as it is moved over the land, it rakes
up the crop, and by cog wheels

page_text: or gearing, motion is given to endless bands on to which the crop comes from
off the rake, and the crop is raised by the endless bands to the height desired,
so as to place it progressively into the carriage. The endless bands are
arranged to work both parallel and at right angles to the carriages which are
to receive the crops, and have means of adjustment so as to cause the delivery
to take place at the height and in the position desired. The carriages and the
rakes with the raising apparatus are arranged so as to move together over the
land when gathering up crops.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side view of a machine constructed according to my
Invention; Figure 2 shows a plan thereof; and Figure 3 shows a back view
thereof. A is the framing of the machine, which I prefer to form of such a
height as to cause the whole of the crops raised by it to be lifted to the highest
position which may be required for loading a waggon or cart; but it will be
evident to mechanics that the framing of the machine may readily be varied in
its construction, so as to raise the point of delivery progressively from a lower
to the highest position at which the delivery may be required to take place.
B, B, are teeth, so formed, that as the carriage moves forward the cut crop will
rise up the teeth and fall over the tops thereof, and be received on to an endless
belt E, of canvass or other suitable strong material, on which there are pro-
jecting ridges I, with teeth; and it is preferred that such belt should be sup-
ported on the under side, opposite where the crop is first received on to the belt,
up to where the belt passes over the upper roller. D, D, are the two rollers
which carry the endless belt; the axis of the upper one receives motion by
a driving band G, put in motion by a drum or pulley on one of the hind
wheels !I. as is shown. The teeth B are on an axis F, which can be turned
partly round by the lever C, so as to lift the points of the teeth off the land
when it is desired to put the same out of action. J is another endless belt on
two rollers, on to which the cut crop as raised falls, and is moved over and
falls into a cart or waggon at the side; the second belt receives its motion from
a pulley on the axis of the upper roller D and band, as shown.
Figure 4 shows a plan of a machine where only part of my improvements
are used, and this machine is intended to raise a cut crop, and move it a dis-
tance, and to lay it in a row on the land near where it is raised from. In
this machine like teeth are used, but the endless belt E is dispensed with, and

page_text: the transverse endless belt alone is employed, which receives motion from
a cog wheel on one of the fore wheels, as shown.
Ilaving thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the parts separately; but what I claim is the combination thereof, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Huckvale, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
ТПОМАЗ ВАКЕВ,
Over Norton,
Chipping Norton,
Oxon.
THOMAS HUCKVALE. (L.S.)