IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Gustavus Rollins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th July 1869.-A communication from abroad by James Thayer,
of New York, in the United States of America.
I, JOHN GUSTAVUS ROLLINS, of Old Swan Wharf, Upper Thames
Street, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES,"
a communication to me from abroad by James Thayer, of New York,
in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
The Invention consists, firstly, in giving motion to the cutter bar by
a compact and effective arrangement of gearing. For this purpose is
mounted on the main or driving axle a crank, on the pin of which is
carried a toothed pinion, which in revolving around the driving axis
is also caused to rotate on the crank pin by taking into the teeth of a
fixed wheel carried by the frame of the machine and concentric with the

page_text: driving axis. The toothed pinion also takes into and gives motion to
another toothed pinion working loosely on the driving axis and carrying
a crank pin upon which another pinion is mounted and caused to rotate
by taking into the fixed toothed ring, and in doing so takes into and gives
rotary motion to a toothed pinion, which by suitable gearing gives motion
to the crank and consequently to the cutter bar, a clutch being employed
as is well understood to throw the gearing into and out of gear with the
driving axis.
The Invention also consists in the application of gearing, so that
different speeds may be given to the cutter bar as required. For this
purpose a clutch is employed to throw one or other of two different
sized wheels mounted on an intermediate axle into gear with the driving
mechanism.
The Invention also consists in giving motion to the vertical axis of
reaping machines, upon which the rake arms are mounted, by means
of chains and chain wheels. A chain wheel is mounted on the driving axis,
which by a chain passing around a chain wheel gives motion to an
axis, upon which is mounted another chain wheel which by a chain
gives motion to the vertical rake axis, suitable guides being employed
to guide the chain from the vertical to the horizontal wheel.
The Invention also consists in placing the finger bar in double wheel
machines on a line with the driving axis, by which means the inner end
of the platform is caused to hang directly upon the driving shaft, thereby
perfectly balancing the machine, whether used as a reaper or mower.
The grain wheel on the outer end of the platform is nearly on a line with
the driving shaft, by which considerable advantages are gained. The
finger bar is connected to the machine by means of the inner shoe or
drag bar, which is at its forward end connected to a suitable eye or loop,
and at its rear end it is bolted to the frame, such inner shoe or drag bar
being raised at its forward end and curved inwards towards the driving
wheels from the back to the front end thereof. The seat is fixed with
capability of adjustment upon a wooden spring fixed to the machine and
projecting to the back thereof. The finger bar is caused to turn upon
the crank axle, whereby the knives are enabled to work in any position,
and by means of a suitable lever and connections the cutter bar may be
raised or lowered to any desired angle whilst the machine is at work.

page_text: The pitman or connecting rod is formed in two parts, one part being
provided with a screw thread to take into a female screw formed in the
other part which is carried by the crank pin, whereby facility is afforded
for regulating the length of the pitman or connecting rod.