IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hornsby of Honington Hall Grantham in the
County of Lincoln and John Innocent and George Thomas Rutter both of
Grantham aforesaid for an Invention of ". IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING
MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hornsby, John
Innocent, and George Thomas Rutter at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 9th October 1882.
JAMES HORNSBY of Honington Hall Grantham in the County of Lincoln and
JOHN INNOCENT and GEORGE THOMAS RUTTER both of Grantham aforesaid
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES 33
This Invention has for its object improvements in harvesting machines and the
improvements relate to harvesting, machines by which the crop as it is cut is
delivered in bound up sheaves.
The principal object of our Invention is to prevent the animals working the
sheaf binder treading on the sheaves that lay at the corners of the crop they are
cutting.
Most fields where corn is grown are somewhat rectangular in shape, and it is
usual when cutting the corn to drive straight through on each side of the field and
then make a turn at right angles to cut the next side. When the animals turn at
the corners they often tread on the sheaves of corn that have been ejected from the
machine at the corners thus treading out the corn and wasting it.
It has been usual to eject each sheaf directly it is bound thus causing some of
the sheaves to be ejected at the corners.
To remedy this evil we employ together with the sheaf binder apparatus other
apparatus the action of which is under the control of the driver of the machine by
which the sheaves after they have been bound and ejected from the sheaf binding
apparatus may for a time be carried along with the machine and so be carried
away from the corners or they may be carried clear of any other part of the field
as for example to clear a roadway from the centre of the field where the machine
[Price 6d

page_text: finishes work directly to the gateway where the machine has to pass out of the
field. This additional apparatus in no way interferes with the action of the sheaf
binding mechanism and so tie binding up and tying of the cut crop into sheaves
by the action of the machine goes on quite independently of the additional
delivery apparatus for controlling the delivery of the bound sheaves on to the
ground.
The apparatus might also be so arranged as to allow of the sheaves being
delivered on to the ground in pairs so that the person setting up the crop in stooks
will always have two sheaves one for each hand at the same place without having
to walk some distance from one sheaf to another, thus saving time.
The additional apparatus for arresting for a time the delivery of sheaves from
the machine and which is under the control of the driver may be arranged in
various ways.
For example it may be a cradle of two or more bars extending downwards from
an axis and curved to form them into a kind of cradle. A lever arm on the axis
may be connected by a connecting rod with a hand lever within reach of the driver
and by which the driver can either turn the cradle into a position to receive
sheaves as they are delivered from the binding mechanism or into a position in
which to deliver sheaves from the cradle on to the ground. The driver can thus
bring the cradle into position to receive a sheaf or sheaves from the binding
apparatus just before coming to a corner where the machine has to make a sudden
turn and he drops the sheaves shortly after the turn has been made at other times
he can lock the lever handle in a position to hold the cradle entirely out of action.
Or at such times when the machine is travelling along in, a straight course the
cradle might as above stated be alternately brought into position to receive sheaves
from the binding apparatus and then when two sheaves had been delivered into
it be turned into a position to deliver the two sheaves side by side on to the
ground.
In place of a cradle formed as above described bars inclining slightly upwards
might be slid or thrust outwards from below the table on which the sheaves are
bound so as to bring them into a position to catch and for a time hold
up the
sheaves as they are delivered from the binding apparatus. In this case the sheaves
thus for a time held off the ground would be delivered by the withdrawal of the
bars. The thrusting in and out of the bars would similarly be controlled by a
lever within reach of the driver. Or in place of this arrangement an additional
platform might be hinged just below the bottom of the delivery end of the binding
table and be controlled so that it may be held inclining slightly upwards so that a
sheaf or sheaves may rest upon it or be inclined downwards so that the sheaf or
sheaves may roll off from it. Or the sleaves delivered from the binder might be
received on to a tipping platform mounted upon a central longitudinal axis and
which has to have a half or a whole turn given to it to, deliver the sheaves on to
the ground. Or endless travelling bands might be used to take the sheaves as
they come from the binder and deliver them on to the ground. In these latter
cases the action of the tipping platform or endless band would be under the control
of the driver so that he might at any time say when approaching a corner
discharge sheaves from them or when arrived at the corner stop their action so as
to hold up sheaves upon them until the corner has boon turned.
Any of the before mentioned appliances may be worked by hand or foot lover
only being brought into action to arrest the delivery of sheaves from the machine
whenever required and they may in addition be connected with and worked
automatically from the binder mechanisin so as to cause them to deliver one, two,
or more sheaves at a time when the machine is travelling along in a straight
course.
Another part of our Invention is for turning the stubble end of the sheaf
towards the sun. In damp climates or when corn is cut late in the season, there
is always great difficulty in killing or drying the clover or the undergrowth of
weeds &o, that the stubble end of the sheaf contains. In practice. we find it a

page_text: great advantage to turn the stubble end of the sheaf towards the sun so that the
undergrowth receiving the full force of the sun's rays dries very much quicker and
enables the owner to carry his corn and stack it much sooner..
To effect this as the machine is cutting the crop the sheaves on one or it may be
two sides of the field require the sheaves to be turned end for end as they are
delivered from the machine.
To do this we place a removeable bar for the sheaf to be ejected upon. This
bar receives the sheaf about two thirds of its length towards the heads of the corn
the stubble end of the sheaf is allowed to fall on the ground and the bar supporting
the head end of the sheaf' by the forward course of the machine gradually draws
the sheaf over and lays the heads where the stubble end would be.
-

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Hornsby, John Innocent, and George Thomas Rutter in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th April 1883.
JAMES HORNSBY of Honington Hall Grantham in the County of Lincoln and
JOHN INNOCENT and GEORGE THOMAS RUTTER both of Grantham aforesaid
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in harvesting machines and the
improvements relate to harvesting machines by which the crop as it is cut is delivered
in bound up sheaves.
The principal object of our invention is to prevent the animals working.the
sheaf binder trending on the sheaves that lay at the corners of the crop they are
cutting.
Most fields where corn is grown are somewhat rectangular in shape and it is
usual when cutting the corn to drive straight through on each side of the field and
then make a turn at right angles to cut the next side. It is also usual to eject
each sheaf directly it is bound thus causing some of the sheaves to be ejected at
the corners consequently when the animals turn at the corners they often tread on
the sheaves of corn that have been ejected from the machine thus treading out the
corn and wasting it.
Since filing our Provisional Specification we have ascertained that with the view
of remedying this evil various arrangements of mechanism have before been
suggested to enable two or more sheaves after they have been bound and ejected
from the binding mechanism to be carried onwards for a time along with the
machine. The bound sheaves have for this purpose been received in receptacles of
various constructions and various arrangements of mechanism have been suggested
for enabling the driver to turn the receptacle or some part of it either into a
position to hold the bound sheaves which fall into them or into a position to allow
any sheaves in the receptacle to drop on to the ground. It has also been proposed
to actuate such receptacles automatically from the machine so that in place of the
bound sheaves being delivered one by one on to the ground any desired number of
sheaves may be delivered on to the ground at one time.
According to our invention we construct additional apparatus for arresting for a
time the delivery of sheaves from the machine in the following manner.
We employ two or more bars extending downwards froin an axis and curved so
as to form them into a kind of cradle. A lever arm on the axis we connect by a
connecting rod with a hand lever within reach of the driver and by which the
driver can either turn the cradle into a position to receive sheaves as they are
delivered from the binding mechanism or into a position in which to deliver sheaves
from the cradle on to the ground. The driver can thus bring the cradle into
position to receive a sheaf or sheaves from the binding apparatus just before coming
to a corner where the machine has to make a sudden turn and can drop the sheaves
shortly after the turn has been made-at other times he can lock the lever handle
in a position to hold the cradle entirely out of action. Or at such times when the
machine is travelling along in a straight course the cradle might as above stated be
alternately brought into position to receive sheaves from the binding apparatus
and then when two sheaves had been delivered into it be turned into a position to
deliver the two sheaves side by side on to the ground.
By this arrangement of mechanism not only is the axis of the cradle situated
above the platform down which the bound sheaves are ejected from the binding
mechanism but also all the parts of the mechanisin by which the movements of

page_text: the cradle are controlled, all the parts can also be placed at such a height above the
platform that the bound sheaves may pass freely below them. The mechanism we
also arrange in the manner herein-after described in such manner that it may in
addition be actuated automatically from the machine to cause it to deliver the
sheaves on to the ground in twos threes or other desired number at the time when
the machine is travelling along in a straight course.
In place of a cradle formed as above described bars inclining slightly upwards
might be slid or thrust outwards from below the table on which the sheaves are
bound so as to bring them into a position to catch and for a time hold up the
sheaves as they are delivered from the binding apparatus. In this case the sheaves
thus for a time held off the ground would be delivered by the withdrawal of the
bars. The thrusting in and out of the bars would similarly be controlled by a lever
within reach of the driver.
Or endless travelling bands might be used to take the sheaves as they come from
the binder and deliver them onto the ground.
i
Any of the before mentioned appliances may be worked by hand or foot lever
only being brought into action to arrest the delivery of sheaves from the machine
whenever required and they may in addition be connected with and worked
automatically from the binder mechanism so as to cause them to deliver one two'
or more sheaves at a time when the machine is travelling along in a straight
course.
Another part of our Invention is for turning the stubble end of the sheaf towards.
the sun, In damp climates or when corn is cut late in the season there is always
great difficulty in killing or drying the clover or the undergrowth of weeds &c that
the stubble end of the sheaf contains. In practice we find it a great advantage to
turn the stubble end of the sheaf towards the sun so that the undergrowth receiving
the full force of the suns rays drys very much quicker and enables the owner to
carry his corn and stack it much sooner.
44
To effect this as the machine is cutting the crop the sheaves on one or it may be
two sides of the field require the sheaves to be turned end for end as they are'
delivered from the machine.
To do this we place a removeable bar for the sheaf to be ejected upon. This bar
receives the sheaf about two thirds of its length towards the heads of the corn
whilst the stubble end of the sheaf is allowed to fall on the ground. The bar
supporting the head end of the sheaf will by the forward course of the machine'
gradually draw the sheaf over and lay the heads where the stubble end would be.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention we will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shews a diagram'view of parts of a
reaping machine having a cradle or receptacle for the bound sheaves in the manner.
berein before described. Figure 2 is a plan view of parts of the same shewing the
way in which the movements of the cradle can be controlled either by hand or by
automatic gear. Figure 3 is a similar view shewing how it may be controlled by
hand gear only:
In Figure 1 A is the main or driving wheel of the machine, B is an endless
travelling apron or band on to which the crop falls when cut and by which it is
conveyed to other endless bands C which lift it over the top of the main wheel A
and deliver it on to a sloping platform D. The crop descends down this platform
and is by reciprocating packers E gathered into a bundle at the spot where it is to
be bound up into a sheaf say in the position in which a bundle F is shewn in the
Drawing. When a sufficient quantity for forming a sheaf has been gathered
together a string or wire is carried around the bundle by an oscillating arm G.
which then turns into the position shewn by the dotted lines and the ends of the
wire or string so carried around the bundle are then twisted or knotted together to'
bind and form it into a sheaf. When the sheaf has been so bound it is ejected
from the spot at which it was bound by an arm H a hinged flap I at the lower end

page_text: of the platform then turns down to allow the sheaf to pass off from it. The con-
struction and action of all the above mentioned, parts is now well known so that we
have not thought it necessary to shew in the Drawings any of the mechanism for
tying or binding up the sheaf but have only shown roughly the position of the
main working parts in order that the way in which we apply our improved cradle
and mechanism for controlling its movements may be clearly understood. The
cradle is composed of two curved bars J extending downwards from an axis K
which is carried in suitable bearings. On the axis is a clutch L which can bo
slidden endwise of the axis but cannot turn around it. On the axis are also two.
arms M, N, which can turn freely on the axis but either one or the other can be
Jocked thereto by means of the clutch L. One of the arms marked. M is by a rod O
connected to a lever P which can be turned by the attendant or driver of the
machine, so that when this arm M is made fast to the clutch the cradle or receptacle
can by the movement of the lever P either be turned into the position shown by
full lines to catch the sheaves as they come from the binder or into the position
shewn by dotted lines to discharge the sheaves on to the ground. The other arm
marked N is by a link coupled to a crank on an axis Q, on this axis is a gap gear
pinion R as better seen at Figure 1*-tho axis is caused to make a complete turn
each time that a row of teeth upon the exterior of a wheel S comes into gear with
the pinion R. The wheel S is driven by a pinion T on the axis of the ejector
arm H gearing with a ring of internal teetli upon it-and is caused to make one
revolution for every two revolutions of the axis of the ejector arm H and conse-
quently makes one revolution for every two sheaves formed.
Each time that the axis Q is caused to make one revolution the crank upon it
will rock the arm N first in one direction and then in the opposite direction-If
when the arm is so rocked it is locked to the axis of the cradle by means of the
clutch the cradle will first be moved from the position shown by full lines
in Figure 1 into the position shewn by dotted lines and then back again.
Consequently each tiine that the cradle is turned in this way two sheaves will be
discharged from it,
It will thus be seen that if the movements of the cradle are to be controlled
automatically the clutch is shifted to cause it to engage with the arm N and so
lock the cradle to this arm-the sheaves will then be delivered two at a time.
When it is desired to stop this mechanical working the clutch is shifted to
disengage it from the arm N and engage it with the arm M-the movements of the
cradle can then be controlled by the attendant as above described. The clutch can
be shifted by a crank arm on an axis X-The axis can have a partial turn given
to it in either direction by a lever arm Z upon it which is within reach of the
attendant or driver.
Other arrangements than the one described may be adopted for causing the
axis to make one turn after the formation of every two sheaves-for example the
pinion on the axis Q may have two gaps on two opposite sides and be so driven
from the axis of the ejector arm H or other revolving portion of the binding
apparatus as to make a half turn for every sheaf formed.
In this case, the first half turn would bring the cradle into position to receive
sheaves from the binder, the next half turn would cause the cradle to drop the sheaf
just as the second sheaf was being delivered from the binder so that although the
cradle only received and delivered every other sheaf yet in practice the two sheaves
would fall to the ground in the same place at the same time, or the wheel S inay
have external tooth gearing with pinion T instead of internal teeth.
In cases where it is only required that the cradle should be worked by hand the
automatic gear and clutch are dispensed with and a crank bend only on the axis of
the cradle is as shewn at Figure 3 connected by a rod R to the lever under the
control of the driver or attendant.
At Figures 4 and 5 are shown two ways in which the cradle might be formed of
bars thrust outwards from below the platform D. Or these, arrangements might be

page_text: modified and the bars forming the prongs be made to work downwards instead of
upwards movement could then be given to them by rods.coupled to lever arms on
the axis by which the bars are carried just in the same way as is shewn in
Figure 1 for giving motion to the axis of the cradle shewn in that Figure.
At Figure 6 we have shown how an endless band may be used to take the
sheaves as they come from the binder. The band will retain the sheaves so long as
it is at rest but will deliver them if caused to revolve. It may be driven auto-
matically by a system of gear such as shewn at Figure 1× transmitted by an endless
chain or other gear to the axis of one of the rollers over which the band passes.
The band may also be driven by a bevil wheel and pinion worked by the driver
when the automatic gear is thrown out of action so as to stop delivery of the
sheaves at corners.
At Figure 7 we have illustrated the way in which we turn the sheaves end for
end whenever required. The sheaves are ejected out sidewise at one side of the
machine as is usual. From this side of the machine a projecting hook T can be
caused to protrude in such a position that it comes below the end of the sheaf at
which are the head ends of the corn the stubble end of the sheaf drops on to the
ground and as the machine travels onwards in the direction shewn by the arrow
the sheaf is turned over and the head end brought where the stubble end would
otherwise have been. The projecting hook T can be turned aside whenever it is
not required to reverse the position of the sheaves as they are delivered from the
machine.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing
the same we would have it understood that we claim
First. The combination with the binder mechanism of harvesting machines of a
cradle to receive the sheaves as they are ejected from the binder and of two arms
loose on the axis of the cradle one coupled to a lever under control of attendant the
other rocked to and fro automatically once for every two or more sheaves that pass
from the binder and clutch mechanism by which either arm can be locked to the
axis, so that the cradle may either be worked automatically or at the will of the
attendant substantially as described.
Second. The combination with the binder mechanism of harvesting machines of
a cradle carried by an axis and mechanism for giving a rocking to and fro motion
to this axis when desired all situated above the top of the binder platform
substantially as described.
Third. The combination of mechanism for controlling the delivery of bound
sheaves from harvesting machines substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the Drawings.
Fourth. The combination of mechanism for controlling the delivery of bound
sheaves from harvesting machines substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figures.4 5 and 6.
Fifth. The employment of a removeable bar to support for a time the head end
of a sheaf after it has been ejected from the binder mechanism of harvesting
machines and turn the sheaf over end for end substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said James Hornsby have hereunto set my hand and
seal this sixth day of April in the year of our Lord Oue thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
"
JAMES HORNSBY (L.S.)