IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE HAY RAKES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts,
both of Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE HAY RAKES."- Partly a com-
munication from abroad by Daniel G. Adelsberger, of Emmettsburg,
Frederick County, State of Maryland, United States of America.
Sealed the 12th March 1867, and dated the 14th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Robert Riches
and Charles James Watts at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 14th September 1866.
We, RICHARD ROBERT RICHES aud CHARLES JAMES WATTS, both of Norwich,
in the County of Norfolk, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE HAY RAKES," (being partly a
communication from abroad, made to us by Daniel G. Adelsberger, of Em-
mettsburg, Frederick County, State of Maryland, United States of America,
and partly of Invention and discovery made by us), to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in making the rake self-acting when required, so
that no hand labour is required as usual in the operation of turning over,
the rake being merely drawn over the ground by a horse or horses, and the

page_text: turning over of the rake being effected by the mechanism when put in gear.
For this purpose a toothed wheel on the main wheel shaft or axle is arranged
gear
with a similar wheel on a shaft, on which is fixed a crank wheel con-
nected by a slotted connecting rod with a lever, which is connected to the shaft
or axle for working the teeth of the rake, and has a joint at or near a slotted
guide bar through which the teeth of the rake pass. By this arrangement
when the crank wheel has been put into gear by the attendant that wheel
will be caused to revolve as the rake is drawn over the ground and the teeth
of the rake will be worked up and down, thus discharging the hay therefrom
without any action on the part of the attendant. The time of discharging
the hay can be regulated by altering the length of the slotted connecting rod,
so that more play will be given to it before it begins to lift. When it is
desired to use the rake as an ordinary one, a stop lever is moved into a notch
formed in the crank wheel, and a coupling on the crank wheel shaft disengaged,
whereby the rotation of the crank is stopped, and with it the working of the
teeth of the rake, which can then be used in the ordinary way. As an
additional stay to the teeth of the rake a second slotted guide bar is fixed at
the back of the bar before referred to. A pedal is arranged so as to be
capable of depressing the teeth of the rake by means of jointed connecting
rods and levers, which are caused to act on the shaft to which the said teeth are
fixed, and a second pedal is employed to raise them by the same means. The
teeth of the rake are or may be formed of steel or iron tubing instead of being
formed in the usual way.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
ROBERT RICHES and CHARLES JAMES WATTS, both of Norwich, in the County
of Norfolk, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts, Her
special licence that we, the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James
Watts, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,

page_text: the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles James Watts, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE HAY RAKES," being
partly a communication from abroad made to us by Daniel G. Adelsberger, of
Emmettsburg, Frederick County, State of Maryland, United States of
America, and partly of Invention and discovery made by us,) upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Richard Robert Riches and Charles
James Watts, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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. 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 Charles James Watts, on behalf of
myself and of the said Richard Robert Riches, 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 state-
ment, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to. the
letters and figures marked thereon, (that is to say)
:-
This Invention of " Improvements in Horse Hay Rakes" consists in
making the rake self-acting when required, so that no hand labor is required
as usual in the operation of turning over, the rake being merely drawn över
the ground by a horse or horses, and the turning over of the rake being effected
by the mechanism when put in gear. For this purpose a toothed wheel on
the main wheel shaft or axle is arranged to gear with a similar wheel on a
shaft on which is mounted a crank wheel connected by a slotted connecting
rod with a lever, which is connected to the shaft or axle for working the teeth
of the rake, and has a joint at or near a slotted guide bar through which
the teeth of the rake pass. By this arrangement, when the crank wheel has
been put into gear by the attendant, that wheel will be caused to revolve as
the rake is drawn over the ground, and the teeth of the rake will be worked
up and down, thus discharging the bay therefrom without any action on the
part of the attendant. When it is desired to use the rake as an ordinary
one, a stop lever is moved into a notch formed in the crank wheel and a
coupling on the crank wheel shaft disengaged, whereby the rotation of the
crank is stopped and with it the working of the teeth of the rake, which can

page_text: then be used in the ordinary way. A pedal is arranged so as to be capable
of depressing the teeth of the rake by means of jointed connecting rods and
levers which are caused to act on the shaft to which the said teeth are fixed,
and a second pedal is employed to raise them by the same means. The teeth
of the rake are or may be formed of steel or iron tubing instead of being
formed in the usual way.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention we will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented a rake
with the improvements referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan or horizontal view of the
rake.
A is the toothed wheel on the axis of one of the wheels, which is arranged
to gear with the wheel B on the shaft C, on which is mounted by means of
a coupling the crank wheel D, which is connected by means of the slotted
connecting rod E with the lever F, which lever is again connected to the
shaft or axle G for working the teeth H, H, of the rake. This lever F bas
a joint at or near the slotted guide bar I, through which the teeth of the rake
pass. It will be evident that when the crank wheel D has been put into
gear by the attendant it will be caused to revolve by the revolution of the
wheels as the rake is drawn over the ground, and being connected by the
slotted rod E and lever F with the shaft or axle G will impart a rocking
motion to that shaft and cause the rake to be moved up and down, thereby
discharging the hay as required without any action on the part of the
'attendant. When it is desired to use the rake as an ordinary one the stop
lever K is moved into a notch formed in the crank wheel D, by which action
the coupling L on the shaft C is opened and the crank wheel is liberated
and its revolution stopped, thereby stopping also the working of the rake,
which is then free to be used in the ordinary manner.
M is a pedal, by
acting on which the teeth of the rake may be depressed by means of the
jointed connecting rods and levers shewn, which are thus caused to act on the
shaft or axle G, and O is a second pedal which is employed to raise them by
In some cases the
means of the same connection with the shaft or axle G.
teeth of the rake are or may be formed of steel or iron tubing bent into the
form required, and with one end welded or closed up to form the point.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we hereby declare that what we claim

page_text: as of the Invention parti
communicated
partly invented or discovered by us is,―
us from abroad as aforesaid, and
First, the general arrangement of mechanism for rendering the rake self-
acting by driving it from the axle of one of the bearing wheels, as herein-
before described.
And, secondly, the construction of the teeth of the rake of steel or iron
tubing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles James Watts, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
CHAS. JAS. WATTS. (L.B.)