An Improvement in or applicable to "Fingers" for Mowing and Reaping Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in or applicable to "Fingers" for Mowing and
Reaping Machines.
We, EWALD GUSTAV ROESNER, Farmer, and CARL FREDRICH WILHELM JUST the
Younger, Machinist, both of Terowie, in the Province of South Australia, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
This invention relates to mowing and reaping machines; its object being to improve
the cutting power and durability of the knives and fingers used in such machines, and
in reapers-and-binders and the like. In the machines at present nsed, the knife is
kept in place by two or more guards, which are fastened by rivets or bolts to the
finger-bar. The knife, when stones or other obstructions are encountered, is often
forced upwards so as to catch in the tops of the fingers; the blades of the knife or the
fingers being thus either broken or bent. The tops of the fingers are also liable to
wear out, whereupon the cutting is imperfectly accomplished. By our invention the
defects above referred to are overcome, the fingers rendered more durable and the
knives more effective in operation and less liable to break.
In constructing the fingers and working the knife according to our invention,
the top of the finger is extended so as to form the knife-guard and, at the same time,
strengthen the finger. The extension may be either cast or forged on the finger, or
it may be in the form of a separate plate of steel or other metal. If cast in one piece
there might be a difficulty in rivetting or fitting the under-plate, and some provision
would have to be made to avoid this. Such difficulty is, however, entirely obviated
by having a steel finger-top spliced and rivetted or otherwise fastened in place, as
shewn in the accompanying drawings. A steel finger-plate or -top of this
description can easily be fitted to old and worn fingers of machines at present
in use.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a finger of ordinary construction, such as now in use;
Fig. 2 being a side elevation and
Fig. 3 a plan of a finger constructed according to our improved method.
Fig. 4 is a section on the line xy, Fig. 2.
A is the bottom of the finger, which may be of malleable iron or other material.
B is a steel bottom-plate, such as generally employed. C is the separate finger-top
or -plate, which also serves as a knife-guard. This can be adopted at pleasure, as
already stated, either on entirely new fingers or in altering those on existing machines.
An inclined ledge, as shewn at C, Fig. 3, is by preference formed near the point of
the finger, under which the steel finger-top C lies; the latter being secured by a
rivet, such as C. The steel finger top may be fastened to the finger in other ways,
but the arrangement described is the one we have found most satisfactory.
Dated this 8th day of November 1889.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in or applicable to "Fingers" for Mowing and
Reaping Machines.
We, EWALD GUSTAV ROESNER, Farmer, and CARL FREDRICH WILHELM JUST, the
Younger, Machinist, both of Terowie, in the Province of South Australia, 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:-
This invention relates to mowing and reaping machines; its objects being to
improve the cutting power and to increase the durability of the knives and fingers
used in such machines, and in reapers-and-binders and the like. In the machines at
present used, the knife is kept in place by two or more guards, which are fastened by
rivets or bolts to the finger-bar. The knife, when stones or other obstructions are
encountered, is often forced upwards so as to catch in the tops of the fingers; the
blades of the knife or the fingers being thus either broken or bent. The tops of the
fingers are also liable to wear out, whereupon the cutting is imperfectly accomplished.
By our invention, the defects above referred to are overcome, the fingers rendered
more durable and the knives more effective in operation and less liable to break.
In constructing the fingers according to our invention, the top of each finger is
extended and secured to the finger-bar; the extensions forming knife-guards, and, at
the same time, strengthening the fingers. Each extension may be either cast or
forged on the finger, or it may be in the form of a separate plate of steel or other
metal. If cast in one piece, there might be a difficulty in rivetting or fitting the
under-plate, and some provision would have to be made to avoid this. Such difficulty
is, however, entirely obviated by having a steel finger-top spliced and rivetted or
otherwise fastened in place, as shewn in the drawings filed with the provisional speci-
fication. A steel finger-plate or -top of this description can easily be fitted to old and
worn fingers of machines at present in use.
In the drawings above referred to,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a finger of ordinary construction, such as now in use;
Fig. 2 being a side elevation and
Fig. 3 a plan of a finger constructed according to our improved method.
Fig. 4 is a section on the line y, Fig. 2.
•
A is the bottom of the finger, which may be of malleable iron or other material.
B is a steel bottom-plate, such as generally employed. C is the separate finger-top or
-plate, which also serves as a knife-guard. This can be used, as already stated, either
with entirely new fingers or in altering those on existing machines. An inclined
ledge, as shewn at C', Fig. 3, is by preference formed near the point of the finger,
under which the steel finger-top Clies; the latter being secured by a rivet, such
as C³. The steel finger-top may be fastened to the finger in other ways, but the
arrangement above described is the one we have found most satisfactory.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, we claim :-
1. Constructing fingers for mowing, reaping and similar machines substantially as
herein described; the finger being furnished with a finger-top which extends across
the knife to the finger-bar and serves as a knife-guard, additional strength being at
the same time afforded.
2. In a finger for mowing, reaping and similar machines, the combination, with the
finger-bottom A, of the finger-top C rivetted to the point of the finger and to the
finger-bar, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 8th day of Anget 1800
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.