IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MOWING AND REAPING to be as follows :-
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOHN WHITAKER, JOHN EVAN POWELL, and ROBERT JONES POWELL, all of
Wrexham, in the County of Denbigh, Agricultural Engineers do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MOWING
AND REAPING to be as follows :-
"
This invention relates to improvements in machines for mowing and reaping, and
has for its object the placing under more complete control of the driver or person
in charge, the position of the finger-bar whereby the finger-bar may more easily
be raised longitudinally, and also whereby the fingers may be adjusted in their
longitudinal direction which is of course transverse to that of the finger-bar, and
also providing for the easy removal of the knives from the finger-bar when
required.
In the machines which are at present constructed the finger bar when raised by
the operating handle has a tendency to rise first at that end nearest to the machine,
and not until this end has risen about two or three inches is the other raised.
This proves very inconvenient when passing over fallow places or lumpy ground.
And it is to provide for the raising of the finger-bar practically horizontally and at
the same time allowing of the point of the finger-bar being depressed as much as
ten or twelve inches that this invention in part designed.
To accomplish this end a handle within reach from the seat of driver is placed
and attached to a chain passing over a quadrant or other suitable device as is now
the case in this class of machine. The other end of this chain is attached to a
pivoted lever carried in bearings attached to the finger-bar support. The end of
the pivoted lever passes through the casting on which it is supported and engages
in a spring catch or latch on the under side. The lever-bar support consists of a
steel plate fixed at one end to framework of the machine and at the other carries a
casting preferably of malleable iron or steel to which the finger-bar is hinged by
means of suitable pin or other joint. When the above mentioned handle is moved,
the chain passing over the quadrant raises the pivoted lever which then engages
with the spring catch below. This catch is then forced or moved in a direction to
intervene between a stop on the end of the hinged finger-bar and the bottom of the
casting to which it is pivoted; this causes the outer end of the finger-bar to be
raised rather in advance of the rear end which begins to rise as soon as the catch is
forced into its position, and the weight of the whole bar comes on the chain.. As
the end of the catch is gradually withdrawn the end of the finger-bar is allowed to
071

page_text: fall several inches. A pawl is placed near to the bottom of the operating handle
which engages in a quadrant rack placed in convenient position near to where it is
pivoted which retains the finger-bar fixed in any position.
To allow of the knives being easily removed from the machine there is attached
thereto at the end nearest to the machine a slide bracket to the centre of which is
attached the pin of the connecting rod by which they are operated. The end of
the connecting rod and pin are held in position by a U shaped bar or bolt one side
of which forms a guide while the other is held fast in a socket in the bracket by
means of catch or screw.
:
To enable the driver or operator to raise or lower the points of the fingers as
may be required to suit the condition of the ground over which the machine is
passing, a small pinion of say about three inches in diameter and four inches in
breadth is placed at the back of the socket into which the shaft is fixed. A rack
corresponding to the teeth in the pinion is fixed onto the end of the shaft, and the
shaft is held in place in the socket by means of a pin passing through it. A handle
is fixed to the end of the axle of the pinion by moving which to right or left the
relative position of the shaft with the fingers and other parts of the machine is
altered. As the shaft remains practically at the same height at its outer end, the
movement of the pinion causes an alteration in the height of the fingers from back
to front.
The first mentioned handle for operating the finger-bar is attached to a shaft
(preferably by a nut and square on the shaft) with a rack quadrant on each end,
the object of which is to allow of the handle being removed from one position to
the other as the machine is intended to be used as a mower or a reaper. When
used as a mower the handle placed near the right hand wheel and the driver's
seat fixed in the centre. But when used as a reaper the handle is placed on the
other end of the shaft to which it is attached, and the driver's seat placed near to
the left hand wheel, while a second seat is fixed at the other side of the machine
from which to discharge the bundles of cut corn as they are really for binding into
sheaves.
Dated this second day of January 1884.

page_text: We, JOHN WHITAKER, JOHN EVAN POWELL and ROBERT JONES POWELL, all of
Wrexham in the County of Denbigh, Agricultural Engineers do hereby declare
the nature of our said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MOWING
AND REAPING" 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 improvements in machines for mowing and reaping, and
has for its object the placing under more complete control of the driver or person
in charge the position of the finger bar, whereby the finger bar may more easily
be raised longitudinally, and also whereby the fingers may be adjusted in their
longitudinal direction which is of course transverse to that of the finger bar, and
also providing for the easy removal of the knives from the finger bar when
required.
In the machines which are at present constructed, the finger bar when raised by
the operating handle has a tendency to rise first at that end nearest to the machine,
and not until this end has risen about two or three inches is the other raised.
This proves very inconvenient when passing over fallow places or lumpy ground
And it is to provide for the raising of the finger bar practically horizontally, and at
the same time allowing of the point of the finger bar being depressed as much as
ten or twelve inches, that this invention is in part designed.
Referring to the drawings annexed:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of machine made in accordance with the invention.
Fig 2. enlarged plan view of bracket carrying the knife bar, showing the details
of the invention.
Fig 3 front elevation of same.
Fig 4 transverse section on line x y.
Fig 5 sectional detail shewing rack and pinion for altering the relative position
of the shaft and machine.
A handle A is placed within reach from the seat of driver and attached to a
chain B passing over a quadrant or other suitable device as is now the case in this
class of machine. The other end of this chain B is attached to a pivoted lever D
carried in bearings d attached to the finger bar support. The end d¹ of the pivoted
lever D passes through the casting E on which it is supported and engages in a
spring catch or latch F on the under side. This catch is pivoted at f and moves
to and fro horizontally against the underside of the casting carrying the plate G
and rests on a stop K with an inclined surface. The finger bar support consists of
a steel plate G fixed at one end to framework of the machine, and at the other
carries firmly secured or bolted to it a casting E preferably of malleable iron or steel
to which the finger bar I is hinged.
:
The finger bar I has securely attached to its end a bracket or casting J of steel
or suitable material. The bracket J is pivoted or hinged to the casting E a
'spindle H¹ passing through E is. carried in socket jj' of the bracket J, the latter
bracket being free to move thereon.
When the handle A is moved backwards, the chain B passing over the quadrant
raises the end of pivoted lever D, which then engages at its other end d¹ with the
catch F below. By this movement the catch is forced or moved in a direction to
intervene between the stop K on the bracket J and the bottom of the casting E to
which it is pivoted, this causes the outer end of the finger bar I to be raised rather
in advance of the rear end which begins to rise as soon as the catch is forced into
its position, and the weight of the whole bar comes on the chain. As the end of

page_text: the catch is gradually withdrawn, the outer end of the finger bar is allowed to fall
several inches. A pawl or other suitable device may be placed near to the bottom
of the operating handle A engaging in a quadrant rack placed in convenient
position near to where it is pivoted to retain the finger-bar fixed in any position.
To allow of the knives being easily removed from the machine, there is attached to
the bar L which carries them at the end nearest to the machine a slide or bracket M
to the centre of which is attached the pin N of the connecting rod O by which they
are operated. The end of the connecting rod and pin are held in position by a
U shaped bar or bolt P, one side of which forms a guide while the other is held
fast in a socket in the bracket by means of catch or screw.
To enable the driver or operator to raise or lower the points of the fingers as may
be required to suit the condition of the ground over which the machine is passing,
a small pinion Q of say about three inches in diameter and four inches in breadth
is placed at the back of the socket into which the shaft R is fixed. A rack R¹
corresponding to the teeth in the pinion is fixed on to the end of the shaft, and the
shaft is held in place in the socket by means of a pin passing through it.
A handle S is fixed to the end of the axle of the pinion, by moving which to right
or left the relative position of the shalt with the fingers, and other parts of the
machine is altered. As the shaft remains practically at the same height at its outer
end, the movement of the pinion causes an alteration in the height of the fingers
from back to front.
The handle A for operating the finger bar is attached to a shaft (preferably by a
nut and square on the shaft) with a rack quadrant on each end, the object of which
is to allow of the handle being removed from one position to the other as the
machine is intended to be used as a mower or a reaper. When used as a mower
the handle is placed near the right hand wheel and the driver's seat fixed in the
centre. But when used as a reaper the handle is placed on the other end of the
shaft to which it is attached, and the driver's seat placed near to the left hand
wheel, while a second seat is fixed at the other side of the machine from which to
discharge the bundles of corn as they are ready for binding into sheaves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1st A machine for mowing or reaping, having mechanism arranged substantially
as described, so that it shall adjust the height of the outer end of the finger bar
independently of the inner end.
2nd The mechanism for raising and lowering the finger bar of a mowing or
reaping machine, consisting of two brackets pivoted together whose relative
positions are adjusted by means of a movable wedge or catch actuated by the
lifting lever, substantially as described.
3rd In a reaping and mowing machine, the use of a rack and pinion in
combination with the shaft for the purpose of altering the relative position of
the shaft, substantially as described and shewn.
4th. The combination with the bar carrying the knives, of a slide such as M
attached thereto, and retained in position by means of a U shaped bar or bolt such
as P, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this second day of October 1884.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.