IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernhard Samuelson and William George Manwaring,
both of Banbury, in the County of Oxford, Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernhard Samuelson and
William George Manwaring at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 30th March 1878.
BERNHARD SAMUELSON and WILLIAM GEORGE MANWARING, both of Baubury, in
the County of Oxford, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES.'
Our improvements relate to those harvesting machines in which the crop after
being cut falls on to an endless apron moving transversely of the machine, and it
consists in a mode of collecting the crop into bundles or sheaves for the purpose of
being tied before the sheaves are discharged from the machine.
The crop instead of being discharged on to the ground in a swathe by the endless
apron is lifted by a second inclined apron or by an inclined continuation of the first
one, and is discharged on to a slotted platform, and towards the end of this platform
we place a shield which may be solid, or may consist of a set of prongs. This
shield, together with another set of prongs or tines, when the two are brought
together will compress a sufficient quantity of the cut crop to form a sheaf or
bundle.
The last-named set of tines at the beginning of the operation of forming a bundle
lies beneath the slotted platform, at that end thereof which is nearest the top of
the endless apron. The tines being pivotted are then moved, so that their points
rise up through the slots in the platform, and thereby separate a sufficient quantity
of the crop to form a bundle; the tines are then moved forward so as to bring the
quantity which has been so separated towards the shield, and compress the same
between the tines and the shield.
Underneath a slot in that portion of the platform which lies beneath the shield
and the sliding tines there is a receptacle, in which are placed a number of bands ;

page_text: this receptacle is kept by a spring or counter-weight, or in any other convenient
way, at such a height that whether it be more or less full the bands shall always be
in a position handy for the attendant, whose duty it is to bind the sheaves or
bundles; when a sheaf has been compressed between the shield and sliding tines
the attendant brings up the two ends of a band and ties the sheaf, and it is then
ready for being discharged from the machine. The ends of the sliding tines are
then allowed to fall down through the slots in the platform, and caused to slide
back to their original position in readiness for separating another sheaf.
In order that the sheaf may be discharged from the platform the shield which
retains it may be allowed to drop, in which case it will be discharged laterally, or
the portion of the platform on which the tied sheaf lies may be tilted, in which case
it will be discharged end ways.
The various motions described are given by ordinary well-known mechanical
combinations derived from the driving wheel of the machine as it is drawn over the
ground, or they may be produced by one or more levers actuated by the attendant,
or by a combination of the two methods.
We arrange the cutting apparatus together with the endless apron which receives
the crop from the cutters by preference in such a manner that those parts of the
machine can be folded sideways towards the inclined apron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Bernhard Samuelson and William George Manwaring in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 30th September 1878.
BERNHARD SAMUELSON and WILLIAM GEORGE MANWARING, both of Banbury, in
the County of Oxford, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES."
Our improvements relate to those harvesting machines in which the crop after
being cut falls on to an endless apron moving transversely of the machine, and it
consists in means for collecting the crop into bundles or sheaves to receive bands
before being discharged from the machine.
The crop instead of being discharged on to the ground in a swathe by the endless
apron is lifted by a second inclined apron on to a slotted table, where it is com-
pressed between curved reciprocating lines (that rise up through the table) to make
a sheaf or bundle. When the sheaf is compressed the attendant secures a band
around it, and it is then ready for being discharged from the machine. This is
effected by releasing the grip of the tines, and the bound sheaf will then be free
to fall off, or may be moved from the table.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 shews in side elevation our improved
apparatus for taking the cut crop from the platform of the harvesting machine
and gathering it into sheaves ready for the binder.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating the connection of our improved apparatus with
the harvesting machine, and the manner in which the driving power may be
derived therefrom.
Fig. 3 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the improved apparatus for
collecting the cut crop and forming it into sheaves; and Fig. 4 is a partial plan view
of the same.
In Figs. 1 and 2 A is the main driving wheel of the harvesting machines; and B,
the platforin framing, and upon it an endless horizontal apron C is mounted; D is
the framing which carries the mechanism for separating the cut crop into sheaves.
The crop as it is cut falls on to the apron C, which carries it within the grip of a
pair of endless aprons E, E, which are set parallel to each other at an incline, and
lead up to a receiving board F, which is mounted at an incline on a slotted
horizontal table G, carried by the framing D. The continuous travel of these
aprons effects a continuous deposit of corn upon the slotted table, where it is
separated into bundles to form sheaves, which sheaves, as they are severally bound
by the attendant, are discharged from the table to make room for a succeeding
bundle. Below the table is a sliding block EI, which is free to move in a horizontal
race H; this block serves to carry a horizontal shaft h, to which is keyed a plate h³,
fitted with two crank pius. Keyed to this shaft h are two or more curved tines H²,
which are so situate with respect to the slots g in the table that they will be free
to play through them when reciprocated by their rock-shaft h. The crank pins on
the plate h¹ are connected by links h² to the rock-levers h³, h, respectively. These
levers have for their fulcrum a horizontal rod h, and they are each provided with
an antifriction bowle which enter grooves in their respective cams K³, K², on the
cam shaft K. The rotation therefore of this cam shaft will cause the levers h³, h',
to reciprocate, and thereby to impart an axial motion to the shaft h, at the same
time the levers will move the block H in its race, and cause it to take one or other
of the positions shewn in Fig. 3. The advance of the block from the dotted position
and the accompanying axial motion of the shaft h will raise the tines H² from their
depressed or dotted position below the table into the drawn position, by which time
they will have collected a bundle of corn sufficient to make a sheaf. While this
action of the tines H² is proceeding a tine or shield I, mounted on a rock shaft i
below the table, will rise from the dotted position of Fig. 3 through a slot g₁ of the
table to the drawn position, and thus forn a stop or shield for the collected bundle
to bear against. The reciprocating motion of this tine is obtained from a pinion ?,
keyed on the shaft i, and taking into a sector rack ², forming the termination of a
rock lever ³, which has its fulcrum at it. A bowle carried by this lever enters a
groove in the face cam K³, on the cain shaft K, which cam shaft by its rotation will
thus actuate the tines H² and I. simultaneously. The effect of this simultaneous move-
ment of the tines towards each other will be to compress the cut crop between them,
and hold it firmly until it has been secured by a band; the tines will then retire to
their depressed positions to await the accumulation upon the table of the cut crop
sufficient to form another sheaf.
The shape of the cams K', K2, will be such as to reciprocate the levers h³, ht, to
and from the positions indicated in Fig. 3, and as the lengths of the two levers
differ, and the smaller lever travels through a shorter arc than the larger, the shaft
h will be caused to make about one quarter of a rotation so as to rock its tines to
the extent indicated in the Drawing.
Fig. 2 shews the gearing and shafting by which motion may be transmitted to
the cam shaft K from the driving shaft of the harvesting machine. In this Figure
A¹ is the shaft of the driving wheel A, and A* a shaft in line therewith, fitted with
a bevil wheel which gears into a bevil wheel on the shaft K; by connecting the shaft
A' with the shaft A by a friction clutch an intermittent action may be given to
the sheaf forming apparatus by throwing the clutch in or out of gear.
The bands for securing the sheaves are laid in a box L, which, to be convenient
for the attendant, is placed by the side of the table G; this box is fitted with a
loose bottom to receive the bands, and by means of a spring, counterweight, or

page_text: other suitable contrivance, the loose bottom is maintained at a proper height_for
keeping the bands within easy reach of the attendant.
While the bundle is held firmly between the tines, as already explained, the
attendant taking a band from the box L will lay it round the sheaf and secure the
ends in the usual manner. So soon as this is done the tines will withdraw below
the table, leaving the bound sheaf free to roll down the incline of the table or to be
tipped or carried off.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention for "Improvements in
Harvesting Machines," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent we
claim the application to harvesting machines fitted with endless aprons for receiving,
collecting, and lifting the cut crop, of the apparatus above described for dividing up
and compressing the cut crop into bundles or sheaves ready to receive the bands for
retaining the same in form.
In witness whereof, we, the said Bernhard Samuelson and William George
Manwaring, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-seventh
day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
eight
B. SAMUELSON. (L.S.)
W. G. MANWARING. (L.S.)