An Improvement in or Connected with the Mechanism for
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 27th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 8th Mar., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by THE WALTER A. WOOD MOWING AND REAPING
MACHINE COMPANY, of Hoosick Falls, New York, United States of America.]
An Improvement in or Connected with the Mechanism for
I WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON of 36 Worship Street, Finsbury, Middlesex
Agricultural Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in Reaping Machines, its object being to
simplify the construction and increase the efficiency of the parts for controlling the
rakes.
For this purpose an ordinary switch piece is used the normal position of which is
such that the bowl of the rake passes over its outer surface lifting the rake clear of the
platform and of the cut grain thereon. Upon the axis of the switch is a projection or
tail piece by which the switch is opened at intervals of every second, third, fourth or
fifth rake according to the position of an adjustable stop lever under the control of the
driver, the switch being opened causes the rake to sweep the platform clear of its
burden of cut grain.
This intermittent action is effected by a conical spiral worm with a given number of
threads upon its surface. This worm is terminated by a projection or cam and is
traversed in one direction only by the end of a drop lever which coming into contact
with the said cam opens the switch thereby causing the rake roller to pass inside the
switch. The cam having passed from the end of the drop lever permits said lever to

page_text: fall back by its own gravity to a distance determined by the position of the stop lever
and it will be actuated by a corresponding number of turns of the worm and will
allow a corresponding number of rakes to pass before the switch is opened.
The stop lever can be moved to such a position as to retain the open position of the
switch thereby causing all the rakes to sweep the platform or it can be moved to such
a position as to keep the switch permanently closed thereby lifting all the rakes clear
of the cut grain.
In addition to the stop lever above described a small lever can be actuated by the
drivers foot by which the automatic action above described is suspended and all the
rakes are lifted clear of the cut grain until the pressure of the foot is withdrawn.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said W. M. Cranston.

page_text: Controlling the Rakes of Reaping Machines.
1, WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of 36, Worship Street, Finsbury, Middlesex,
Agricultural 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 (communication from abroad by the Walter A. Wood
Mowing and Reaping Machine Company of Hoosick Falls, New York, United States
of America)
The object of this invention is, to fit special appliances to a reaping machine for
controlling the number of rakes that may be required to act as rakes for sweeping the
cut crop from the platform of a reaping machine, and consequently the number of the
rake blades that shall act as dummys for inclining the standing crop on to the platform
ready for cutting.
The invention consists of
1. A spirally threaded conical collar provided with a cam at its smaller end.
2. A drop lever having a foot piece and an arm, also lugs for localizing it on a fixed
rod, so that it may have an up and down, and a swing round motion.
3. A stop lever, which can be set under the arm of the drop lever through the
intermediation of the hand lever to regulate the distance the drop lever shall fall.
4. A wing on a spring thimble by which the switch (an ordinary switch) can be
opened by the arm of the drop lever through the action of the cam, for allowing a
rake to sweep the platjorm of its burden of cut grain.
The invention is shown in the annexed drawings in which Figure 1 is a view of the
spirally threaded conical collar A, with its cam B, said collar and cam being preferably
in a casting with a bevil wheel C capable of being keyed on the shaft D, of the head
driving gear D'.
Figure 2 is a detached view of the drop lever E having lugs F, F, by which it is
held to the machine by a rod upon which it has an up and down and a swinging
motion.
G, Figure 2, is the arm of the drop lever which acts upon the wing H of the
thimble I Figure 4.
J, Figure 2, is the foot piece, which traverses the spiral thread A Figure 1 in an
upward direction and on reaching the top is actuated by the cam B thus opening the
ordinary switch and causing the bowl of the rake arm to pass inside and consequently
the rake to sweep the platform.
Figure 3 is a detached view of the stop lever K. The arm L of which supports the
drop lever at the part M.
P, Figure 5, is a hand lever which the attendant can adjust upon its index plate Q
thus giving to the stop lever L, Figure 3, a position that will permit the foot J,
Figure 2, to fall into the first, second, third, or fourth thread and the number of rakes
which will be lifted clear of the cut grain upon the platform will correspond to the
number of threads traversed by J before reaching the cam B.

page_text: Upon the stop lever K is another arm N which is connected to an ordinary foot
lever and enables the attendant by the pressure of his foot to neutralize the action of
the cam B thereby causing all the rake-blades to be lifted clear of the cut grain until
the
pressure of the foot be withdrawn.
The positions held by the various parts above referred to in a Reaping Machine are
according to one arrangement clearly shown at Figure 5 in which the bevil wheel C
receives its motion from a pinion R of the internal gear driven by the main bearing
wheel in a well known manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The spirally threaded conical collar A with the cam B shown at Figure 1 for the
purpose set forth.
2. The drop lever E shown at Figure 2 for the purpose set forth.
3. The stop lever K shown at Figure 3 for the purpose set forth.
4. The thimble I with wing H shown at Figure 4 as and for the purpose described.
5. The combination of the appliances as shown at Figure 5 and their method of
action as and for the purpose described.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said William McIntyre Cranston.