Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1889
I, PHILIP PIERCE of Mill Road Iron Works, Wexford, Ireland, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention, I improve the construction of mowing machines and
especially relatively to the means for tilting the finger bar and adjusting the tingers.
For this purpose I connect the hinge shoe, which carries the cutter bar, to the main
frame by means of a kind of universal joint so that the cutter bar can adjust itself to
the irregularities of the ground and tilt within certain limits for the adjustment of the
finger points. To the barrel or tube in which the crank shaft revolves I fix an
extension bar or frame which I continue so as to form the front side of the machine,
and provide with turned down end flange, to which is jointed, on a horizontal pivot,
a lever, which at its end by a rod is connected to the tilting lever and is so jointed
to the shoe that carries the inner end of the finger bar as to form a universal joint.
The boss of the said lever may for this purpose be formed with a lateral pivot at each
side, the common axis of the pivots being at right angles to the axis of the first
named horizontal pivot of the lever, and the shoe being formed with two lugs
wherein the two lateral pivots work. To the aforesaid extension bar is also fixed a
bracket which extends over the shoe and at its slotted front end carries the small front
supporting wheel. At the front part it is also formed with a curved sweep or slot
forming a race for the head of a bolt which is pivoted to the shoe in a lug that is in
a line with the aforesaid two lugs for the universal joint lever. The curved sweep or
slot is concentric with the horizontal pivot of the universal joint lever. In order to
lift the cutter bar at both ends clear of the ground the shoe is extended beyond the
line of the lateral pivots and is provided with a lug, one rounded face of which,
extending to about the fulcrum of the universal joint lever, comes against a lever
that at one end is pivoted to the aforesaid bracket. This rounded face forms a
point of abutment or of least motion when the finger bar is tilted, the other end
of the said lever being acted upon by a double armed lever pivotted to the same part
of the frame and having its ther end, by a chain connected to the sweep on the

page_text: lever for lifting or hoisting the cutting apparatus. To prevent undue strain on this
system of levers the draught shoe, is, by a link, so connected to the underside of the
frame that a part on such link comes in contact with the said underside before
the aforesaid chain is pulled taut; this link may for this purpose pass through a slot
in the frame and have a cross peg or stop at its lower end. The front of the bracket
is braced to the shield, which is fixed to the main frame and its back end is bolted or
rivetted to a push bar which is fixed to the main frame under the centre barrel which
carries the main axle.

page_text: I, PHILIP PIERCE of Mill Road Iron Works, Wexford, Ireland Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
According to this invention I improve the construction of mowing machines all as
hereinafter described. My improvements refer to the means for "tilting" the finger
bar, that is to say lifting or depressing the finger points, also to the means for lifting
or hoisting the cutting apparatus. And in order that my invention may be fully
understood and readily carried into effect I shall describe the same with reference to
the accompanying drawing of which Figure 1 is a side view very slightly in perspective
of a mowing machine of my improved construction. Figure 2 a front perspective.
Figure 3 part plan and Figure 4 sectional part end elevation. I connect the hinge
shoe S, which carries the cutter bar to the main frame by means of a kind of universal
joint so that the cutter bar F can adjust itself to the irregularities of the ground and tilt
within certain limits for the adjustment of the finger points. I construct the framing
as shown in Figure 2. The part A being a casting which contains the gearing, the
main axle, and the crank shaft, and to the barrel or tube in which the crank shaft
revolves, I fix an extension bar E which I continue so as to form the front side of the
machine and provide with turned down end flange E¹ as shown in Figure 4. The
fourth side of the framing is formed by a pushbar A¹ which through the medium of
a bracket B is connected to the extension bar E, and at its other end to a part
of the casting A under the barrel which carries the main axle. To the flange E¹ is
jointed on a horizontal pivot G¹a lever G which at its end by a rod U is connected
to the tilting lever T and is so jointed to the shoe S that carries the inner end of the
finger bar as to form a universal joint. The boss of the said lever G may for this
purpose, and as here shown be formed with a lateral pivot G² at each side, the common
axis of the pivots being at right angles to the axis of the first named horizontal
pivot G¹ of the lever G, and the shoe S being formed with two lugs S1 S2 wherein the
two lateral pivots G2 work. To the aforesaid extension bar E is also fixed a bracket B
which extends over the shoe S as clearly shown in figures 1 and 3 and at its slotted
front end B carries the small front supporting wheel. At the front part it is also, at
the part B formed with a curved sweep or slot forming the race for the head of a
bolt H which is pivotted to the shoe S in a lug S³ that is in a line with the aforesaid
two lugs S1 S2 for the universal joint lever. The curved sweep or slot B² is concentric
with the horizontal pivot G¹ of the universal joint lever G. In order to lift the cutter
bar F at both ends clear of the ground the shoe S is extended beyond the line of the
lateral lugs S1 S2 and is provided with a lug S, see Figures 4, one rounded face
of which lug extends to about the centre of the horizontal pivot or fulcrum pin G¹ of
the universal joint lever G and comes against a lever L that at one end L¹ is pivotted
to the aforesaid bracket B.

page_text: This rounded face S4 forms a point of abutment when the finger bar is "tilted,"
the other end of the said lever L being acted upon by a double armed lever N pivotted
to the push bar A¹ and having its other end by a chain C connected to the sweep I on
the lever for lifting or hoisting the cutting apparatus.
To prevent undue strain on this system of levers the draft shoe O is by a link N so
connected to the underside of the frame A that a part on such link comes in contact
with the said underside before the aforesaid chain is pulled taut, this link N may
for this purpose pass through a slot in the frame and have a cross pin N¹ or stop
at its lower end. Also in actually working, it occasionally happens that the finger
bar becomes obstructed and the machine hence is brought to a standstill, and as the
draft is applied at about the centre of the travelling wheels it is obvious that there
is a tendency to lift the travelling wheels bodily off the ground, the finger bar
forming the fulcrum. Now by means of the link N the draft shoe O and the main
frame A become tied together and I thus prevent the separating of the two parts
and hence also of the lifting of the wheels or one of them off the ground to any great
extent, at the same time the link connection is such as to permit the lifting of the
main frame by means of the chain C and lever M. The front of the bracket B is
braced to the shield V, Figures 1 and 2, which shield is fixed to the main frame A
and the back end of the said bracket B is bolted or rivetted to the push bar A¹ which
is fixed to the main frame A as aforesaid.
Or instead of the frame A, the push bar A¹ and the extension bar E being made
in three pieces which are bolted together, I may cast the frame in one piece with
the extension bar and push bar and fix the bracket B to such part of the frame
which corresponds to the junction of the extension bar E and the push bar A', and
the turn down flange E¹ would then be an integral part of the frame.
By my construction of the universal joint in connection with the shoe S and with
the bracket B I obtain perfect freedom of action in the tilting while insuring strength
and durability at the same time the lever L having its abutment against the rounded
lug S on the shoe permits the lifting of the cutter bar bodily in all positions
of "tilt."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
:-
First The universal joint lever G in combination with the shoe S substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Second-The shoe S having a lug S in combination with and forming abutment
for a lever L for the purpose of bodily lifting the finger bar in all positions of "tilt"
or depression and lift substantially as set forth.
Third: The link N for connecting the draft shoe and the frame substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
Fourth The improved construction of mowing machines as shown on the
drawing.
Dated this 20th day of March 1889