a
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 26th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
1, WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON, of 36 Worship Street, Finsbury, in the
County of Middlesex, Agricultural Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention which has been communicated to me from abroad by The Walter A. Wood
Mowing and Reaping Machine Company of Hoosick Falls, New York, United States
of America to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in mowing machines.
According to this invention, the main frame is cast in one piece with each of its
four sides formed into a hollow cylinder or tube. Two of which constitute the main
bearings for gearing.
An arrangement is provided for adjusting the points of the cutting apparatus.
A curved bracket is bolted rigidly to the main frame. To its rear end is hinged a
second curved bracket and the two are connected at their front ends by a short
segmental guide concentric with the hinge. To the second or movable bracket is
hinged the main shoe which carries the cutting apparatus. At a convenient position
for handling by the driver is a lever that can be moved and fixed in any desired
position upon a quadrant. This lever is connected to the movable bracket by a rod,
thus enabling the driver to elevate or depress the points at will. A second lever has
its fulerum upon the hinge of the main shoe and is actuated by a thrust bar, in the
upper end of which is a slot sliding upon a stud fixed to the pole iron.
When the cutler bar is lifted from the ground, the fixed stud arriving at the end
of the slot prevents the further rising of the lever thereby causing the outer end of
the cutting apparatus to be tilted upward.
Usted this 28th love il 1827
H. GARDNER.
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said W. M. Cranston

page_text: Improvements in Mowing Machines.
I WILLIAM MCINTYRE CRANSTON of 36 Worship Street, Finsbury in the county of
Middlesex, Agricultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
which has been communicated to me from abroad by The Walter A. Wood Mowing
and Reaping Machine Company of Hoosick Falls, New York United States-of
America and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described a
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in Mowing Machines.
According to this invention the main frame is cast in one piece with each of its
four sides formed into a hollow cylinder or tube, two of which constitute the main
bearings for gearing.
An arrangement is provided for adjusting the points of the cutting apparatus. A
curved bracket is bolted rigidly to the main frame. To its near end is hinged a second!
curved bracket and the two are connected at their front ends by a short segmental
guide concentric with the hinge.
To the second or movable bracket is hinged the main shoe which carries the cutting
apparatus. At a convenient position for handling by the driver is a lever that can bo
moved and fixed in any desired position upon a quadrant. This lever is connected
to the movable bracket by a rod, thus enabling the driver to elevate or depress the
points at will.
A second lever has its fulcrum upon the hinge of the main shoe and is actuated by
a thrust bar in the upper end of which is a slot sliding upon a stud fixed to the pole
iron. When the cutter bar is lifted from the ground the fixed stud arriving at the
end of the slot prevents the further rising of the lever thereby causing the outer end
of the cutting apparatus to be tilted upward.
In order that others may understand this invention I will now proceed to more
particularly describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a machine embodying this invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the slotted thrust bar.
Figure a perspective view of the movable bracket.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the main gear frame, broken away to hofter show
its construction.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lever for raising the outer end of the cutting
apparatus.
Figure 6 is a side and Figure 7 a front elevation of the machine.
Similar letters of reference in the various figures designate like parts.
A, A, are the carrying and driving wheels of a mowing machine said wheels loosely
mounted upon the axle a and provided with suitable paul and ratchet mechanism to
communicate their motion to shaft or axle a on which is secured the gear for imparting
motion to the cutting apparatus in and through any well known form of enclosed
gearing. The axle a passes through the branch of tho quadrangular frame B which
is formed hollow as shown in Figure 4.

page_text: The frame B is formed with the cavity B' in which is encased the enclosed gearing
which is covered by a cap pivotted on the frame 13 at 63.
In the branch 2 of the frame B runs the shaft C, which receives its motion from
the enclosed gearing and has attached to its forward end the crank wheel D, which
carries the pitman which drives the cutting apparatus or sickel E.
To the frame B is secured the casting I which supports the cutting apparatus. By
forming the frame B in quadrangular form and casting it hollow and in a single piece,
bearings being formed in the branches 6, 62, for the axle and pitman driving shaft I
secure the advantages of strength, lightness, rigidity and compactness.
The casting His bolted at and to the frame Band at its forward end has the
circular slotted groove in which slides the bail I, the enlarged forward end being
confined between the flanges of groove and its forward movement being limited by
the stop on the bail abutting against the end of the slot. A bolt passing through
the rear end of the bail at secures it to a casting J pivotted at to the casting H.
The casting J has formed therein a bearing into which fits a transverse pink
extending from the shoe K and a similar extending pin on the forward end of the
shoe K fits into the hole in the forward end of the bail I the pins being directly
opposite.
The cutter bar is attached to the shoe K which is permitted an upward movement
on the pins in passing over rough ground.
To the lugs a, a, on the casting B, is pivotted the casting L which supports the
pole. The casting L at its forward end carries pivotted thereto the lever M within
convenient reach of the driver in his seat m. The lever carries the nose piece m² to
which is attached the chain m² extending downwardly and secured to the casting H.
The pole support L also has secured in its forward end a stud sliding in the slot I'
in the arm N pivotted to the lever N at n. The lever N has the hole »² which fits
over the pin in the shoe K and has its fulcrum thereon. It is formed at its forward
end with projection ³ which abuts against the flange n' on the shoe K on the under-
side of the flange.
As the lever M is rocked backwardly by the driver in his scat the chain m³ pulls
up the casting H, carrying with it the shoe K and the cutting apparatus, the frame 13
rocking on the axle a. The outer end of the cutting apparatus when the stud has
reached the limit of the slot L' will be raised by a further movement of the lever M,
the lever N being by such further movement rocked on the pivot or fulerum k, its
inner end downwardly and its forward end upwardly thereby abutting against the
flange on K, and depressing the inner end of shoe K and elevating the outer end,
the shoe K rocking on the pin k.
The bail I is formed with the upwardly extending lug in which is pivotted the
link rod Ppivotted to lover R above its fulcrum where it is pivotted to the
segmental rack S securely fastened to the branch of the main frame. The lever R is
provided with a suitable spring detent of any well known construction taking into
the teeth in the segmental rack S. By moving the lever forwardly or backwardly the
points of the guards and the sickle are elevated or depressed the bail I and the
casting J which carry the shoe K rocking on the pivot the forward end of the bail
moving up or down in the groove in the forward end of H, the radius of the groove
being equal to the distance from 1 to any point in the arc of the groove. Inasmuch
the lever R is so secured to the rack S which is bolted to the frame B that
when the cutting apparatus is raised through the lever M, the frame B partaking of
this motion; the rack S and consequently the lever R moves with the frame and the
position of the cutting apparatus is not changed as regards the horizontal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. The hollow or tubular quadrangular frame, cast in one piece and having bearings
for the axle and the crank shaft and supporting the cutting apparatus, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 2. The combination in a mowing machine, of a lever attached to the pole support
and adapted to raise the cutting apparatus, the hinged cutting apparatus, lever N',
stop or fange n' and arm N having the slot L' moving on stud substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
3.-The combination in a mowing machine of the hinged bail I link rod P secured
thereto and to the lever R, and the segmental rack secured to the main frame
carrying the cutting apparatus as specified.