Device for Adapting Grass Mowing Machines to Mow Cereals.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Device for Adapting Grass Mowing Machines to Mow Cereals.
I, ERNST JULIUS ZIMMERMANN, of Mittelbach, near Pulsnitz, Saxony, Gentle-
man, 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:-
Hitherto only comparatively few agriculturists have thought fit to provide
themselves with a grass mowing machine because its usefulness in mowing
grass only, except in the case of large areas is too small as compared with
its cost.
The invention has for object to provide a simple and inexpensive device adapted
to be applied to a grass mowing machine to render the sume suitable for mow-
ing cereals which being frequently laid low or in disorder by wind, rain,
etcetera are, before coming in contact with the cutters, gathered up and drawn
to one side so that after being cut they fall regularly in swathes convenient
for collecting and binding into sheaves.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view, Fig. 2 a side view, and
Fig. 8 a perspective view of a grass mowing machine with the device of the
invention applied thereto.
The device consists essentially of a cereal stalk gathering, straightening, and
stretching board or plate c or the like which is reinovably and adjustably held
from the draught pole a or one of the shafts of the machine, by means of rods 6,
diagonally in front of and above the outter beam d, and sloping with its upper
edge forward. Its forwardly projecting point is thereby located so deep, and
above the reach of the cutters, in a direction towards the draught pole a (Fig. 1)
that it takes with its edge against the cereal, corn for instance-stalks at the
suitable point on the right hand side and draws the same forward whilst the
rear end of said board (or rail like extensions thereof) is held much higher in
order that it may not glide upon and injure the corn thus separated and drawn
over but can move away over it.
In addition to drawing the stalks over in one direction the board or plate c
has also for object to draw the stalks to a certain tension whereby the cutting
of the same is facilitated.
The rods b which connect the board or plate with the pole a are at that end
carried in bars e so as to be adjustable lengthwise therein and are fixed in posi-
tion by means of set screws. The bars e are in turn adjustable vertically in
horizontal blocks f and similarly fixed in any desired position. In this way
the device may be adjusted as required for mowing different kinds of cereals.
The board or plate c or the rails thereof may be so linked or jointed to the
rods 6 as to be readily removable and so that the device may be taken to pieces
after use for convenience of transport.
Attached to the cutter beam. d is a triangular platform having an upwardly
projecting edge . Said platform serves, when the grass mower is used as a
cereal mower to turn round to a certain extent the cut cereal coming upon it

page_text: so that instead of the ears lying in a forward direction they are laid somewhat
towards the rear and thus the work of raising the cut cereal is facilitated.
In order that upon reuse, the device may be easily placed in the same position
as previously set rings 7 may be fixed on the rods b at the proper places to serve
as stops.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
For attachment to grass mowing machines to render them suitable for mowing
cereals, a device in which a stalk gathering, straightening, and stretching board,
or plate or the like is arranged in front of and above the cutter beam for draw-
ing the cereal forward and to one side and stretching the stalks for the purpose
of facilitating the cutting of the cereal and for laying the cut cereal in regular
order, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 6th day of January 1899.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
15, Tooks Court, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.