IMPROVEMENTS IN ACTUATING AND CONSTRUCTING for the Invention of AND DAYA MATINAM
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Denton, of Saint Peter's Works, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Agricultural Implement Maker,
'IMPROVEMENTS IN ACTUATING AND CONSTRUCTING
for the Invention of
AND DAYA MATINAM"
Sealed the 3rd May 1872, and dated the 6th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Denton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1871.
I, HENRY DENTON, of Saint Peter's Works, Wolverhampton, in the
County of Stafford, Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ACTUATING AND CON-
STRUCTING THE RAKES OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention refers, firstly, to an arrangement for effecting a side
delivery in mowing and reaping machines, and consists in actuating a
rake which is connected at one extremity by means of an universal or
other suitable joint to the main axle or other centre in the following
manner-At the commencement of its stroke the said rake lies hori-

page_text: zontally across the platform of the machine and parallel with the cutter
bar. A spring or weight acts upon the said rake, causing the outer
extremity to describe a part of a circle sufficient to effect the suitable
delivery of the cut crop at the side of the machine. The outer edge of
the platform (or that nearest to the standing crop) is curved to the part
of the circle described by the said rake. The said rake is then in a
position to be raised perpendicularly, and is so raised by means of a
projection or cam on the main axle or other convenient centre. When
the said rake is in a vertical or nearly vertical position it is moved out
of gear with the said projection or cam by the hand of the operator or
by means of a lever, clutch, or cam, and the upper or outer extremity
of the said rake is lowered on to the said platform in the required
position, as first described, when it is again acted upon by the spring or
weight.
And this Invention refers, secondly, to the rakes used in removing
the crop from the platforms of mowing and reaping machines, and
consists in making the teeth of such rakes elastic by forming them
wholly or partly of elastic material, preferably india-rubber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Denton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
DENTON, of Saint Peter's Works, Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Agricultural Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Denton, Her special licence,
that I, the said Henry Denton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Henry Denton, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ACTUATING
AND CONSTRUCTING THE RAKES OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Denton, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I,'the said Henry Denton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the, accompanying
Drawing (that is to say): -
My Invention has for its object, firstly, an arrangement of an im-
proved self-acting or partly self-acting rake to deliver the cut crop at
the side or sideway of the platform of a reaping or mowing machine;
and, secondly, the constructing of the teeth of rakes for reaping and
mowing machines of an elastic material to render them better in
action. And my Invention consists, firstly, in actuating a rake which
is connected at one extremity by means of an universal or other suitable
joint to the main axle or other centre, in the following manner :- -At
the commencement of its stroke the said rake lies horizontally across
the platform of the machine and parallel or at a slight angle with the
cutter bar. A spring or weight acts upon the said rake causing the
outer extremity to describe a part of a circle sufficient to effect the
suitable delivery of the cut crop at the side or sideway of the machine.
The outer edge of the platform (or that nearest to the standing crop) is
curved to the part of the circle described by the said rake. The said
rake is then in a position to be raised vertically, and is so raised by
means of a cam or projection either on the main axle or on other
convenient centre, and driven from the main axle. When the said rake
is thus brought over to a vertical or sufficiently vertical position, it is
moved out of gear with the said projection or cam by the hand of the
operator, or by means of a lever, clutch, cam, or guide, and the upper
or outer extremity of the said rake is lowered on to the said platform
in the required position, as first described, when it is again acted upon
by the spring or weight.

page_text: And this Invention consists, secondly, in making tho teeth of rakes
used in removing the cut crop, from the platforms of mowing and
reaping machines elastic, by forming them wholly or partly of elastic
material, by preference india-rubber.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I now proceedi
more particularly to describe the manner of performing the first part
thereof with reference to the accompanying Drawing. The second part
being simple will be easily understood and requires no illustration.
a scale of one and a half inches to a foot, shewing a general outline
of a reaping machine, and having my Invention applied thereto.
A is the rake fixed at one end to the main axle B by means of an
universal joint C, and provided at its other or outer extremity with a
roller D fixed at such distance that it may run along the guard E during
the descent of the rake. The guard E is curved to the sweep formed by
the said roller. An elastic spring F is shewn connected to the framing
of the machine, and also to an arm or loop K on the rake. The rake
may now be pulled by means of the said spring into the position as
shewn by dotted lines on plan when it will have delivered the cut crop
sideway. By the time that the rake is in the position indicated by
the dotted lines on plan it is pulled into one of three or four recesses
formed in the face of a circular clutch box or lifter G, and held there by
the action of the spring. The said clutch box G revolves with the main
axle B, and thus the rake is raised until it arrives at the position indi-
cated by the dotted lines on elevation, when it is thrown out of gear with
the said clutch box G by means of a guide H, and from its inclined
position falls forward with the roller D against the guard E, as before
explained, thus preventing the rake from being pulled forward by the
spring F until the roller D is below the guard E, and the rake thus in a
position to act upon the cut crop on the platform of the machine. The
arm or loop K acts as a lever to pull the rake with its teeth downwards at
each fresh stroke. A chain L fixed at one end to the side of the platform
may be used to fasten the outer end of the rake by fastening to the
hook M when the machine is running loose. Instead of the spring F
a cord may be used attached to a rising and falling weight, and has the
advantage of maintaining a regular degree of strain, whereas the spring

page_text: varies in strength according to its degree of distension. The latter,
however, I find more convenient of application. The rake and lifter.
may be attached to a centre other than the main axle, and the lifter
driven by suitable gearing from the main axle.
A simplified modification of the above arrangement may be used,
whereby the rake may be thrown forward on to the platform of the
machine by the operator, thus avoiding the necessity of using the
guide H or the guard E. The operator may also check the action of the
rake in either modification by simply holding it out of gear with the
clutch box G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same may be performed, I
declare that I claim, the method of actuating the rakes of reaping and
mowing machines as described and shewn on the Drawing, and the con-
structing the teeth of rakes used for such machines of elastic material,
as before stated; and as various modifications follow obviously from the
description of this Invention, I declare that I do not limit myself to the
exact arrangement as shewn, but claim such arrangements and modifi-
cations as are in harmony with the general description of this my
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Denton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
5 Witness,
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Patent Office,
Wolverhampton.
HENRY DENTON. (L.s.)