IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Surry Andrews, of 224, James Street, Old
Street, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 16th September 1876, and dated the 5th April 187
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Surry Andrews at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th April 1876.
ABRAHAM SURRY ANDREWS, of 22A, James Street, Old Street, in the City of
London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing machines,
and the improvements have reference to the means of attaching the several
triangular cutting blades (of which the serrated cutter is composed) to the knife
bar. Heretofore these blades have been attached at their base to the knife bar by
ineans of rivets, and whenever the cutting blades have required to be sharpened
the bar has been withdrawn from the machine and the blades have been sharpened
whilst still fixed upon the bar. The operation of sharpening the blades has
consequently been both difficult and tedious.
According to my Invention I connect the cutting blades to the knife bar in such
manner that they can readily be connected and disconnected from it. For this
purpose I form three holes through each of the triangular cutters near its base,
and the knife bar is provided with studs or pins to enter these holes. The two
studs which are to pass through the two outer holes are of a height equal to the
thickness of the blade, whilst the central stud is longer than the other studs and
has a hole formed in it, through which is passed a steel pin to retain the blade to
the bar. By this means when the cutting blades require to be sharpened they
can all quickly be detached, and after being separately sharpened be again quickly
refixed to the bar. If also one of the cutting blades should in any way get
injured such blade can be quickly detached from the bar and another one put on in
its place. This arrangement for securing the cutting blades to the knife bar is
applicable whether the blades are carried on the under side of the bar, or as in
other machines on the upper side of the bar; in this latter case each of the fingers
has a slot formed across it for the studs and pins to lic in. Or in place of the
above arrangement each blade may be held by the central stud and key only, the
stud in this case being of an oblong or square section. In place of using a separate
[Price Gd.l

page_text: key for each blade one long key may be used, passing from end to end of the
cutter bar. In place also of the cutting plates being held down by keys passed
through the studs the several plates may be held down by a bar placed above them.
In this case the studs rise up through slots in the holding down bar, and the holding
down bar is locked to them by pins fixed across the slots entering under cut
notches in the studs. The slots in the locking bar being longer than the studs the
locking bar may be shifted a short distance end wise and be quickly locked or
unlocked from the studs, and so simultaneously lock or set free the several cutter
plates.
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SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Abraham Surry Andrews in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th October 1870.
ABRAHAM SURRY ANDREWS, of 22, James Street, Old Street, in the City of
London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing machines,
and the improvements have reference to the means. of attaching the several tri-
angular cutting blades (of which the serrated cutter is composed) to the knife bar.
Heretofore these blades have been attached at their base to the knife bar by means
of rivets, and whenever the cutting blades have required to be sharpened the bar
has been withdrawn from the machine and the blades have been sharpened whilst
still fixed upon the bar. The operation of sharpening the blades has consequently
been both difficult and tedious.
According to my Invention I connect the cutting blades to the knife bar in such
manner that they can readily be connected and disconnected from it. For this
purpose I form three holes through each of the triangular cutters near its base, and
the knife bar is provided with studs or pins to enter these holes. The two studs
which are to pass through the two outer holes are of a height equal to the thickness
of the blade, whilst the central stud is longer than the other studs and has a hole
formed in it, through which is passed a steel pin to retain the blade to the bar. By
this means when the cutting blades require to be sharpened they can all quickly be
detached, and after being separately sharpened be again quickly refixed to the bar.
Or by having an extra number of sharp sectional cutters these can be used as the
blunt ones are taken off, by which means no time will be lost in sharpening. If, also,
one of the cutting blades should in any way get injured such blade can be quickly
detached from the bar and another one put on in its place. This arrangement
for securing cutting blades to the knife bar is applicable whether the blades are
carried on the under side of the bar, or, as in other machines, on the upper side of the
bar, in this latter case each of the fingers or guards has a slot formed across it for the
stud to lie in. Or in place of the above arrangement each blade may be held by the
central stud and key only, the stud in this case being of an oblong or square section.
In place of using a separate key for each blade one long key may be used passing
from end to end of the cutter bar. In place also of the cutting plates being held
down by keys passed through the studs the several plates may be held down by
a bar placed above them. In this case the studs rise up through slots in the holding
down bar, and the holding down bar is locked to them by pins fixed across the slots
entering under cut notches in the studs. The slots in the locking bar being longer
than the studs the locking bar may be shifted a short distance endwise and be
quickly locked or unlocked from the studs, and so simultaneously lock or set free
the several cutter plates.
Other arrangements may also be adopted for locking the locking bar to the studs.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a knife bar belonging to a reaping or mowing
machine, and having the cutting blades attached to it in such manner that they
may be readily removed for shapening, some only of the cutting blades are shown
in their places, in other parts of the Figure the bar appears without the cutting
blades.
Figures 2 and 3 show side view and section of the knife bar without the cutting
blades.
Figures 4 and 5 represent the plan and the back view of one of the blades. Each
of the blades has three holes formed through it near its base, and for each blade
three corresponding studs are fixed into the knife bar. The two outer studs a, a,
project only to the extent of the thickness of the blade, but the central stud b is
longer, as the Drawing represents, and it has a hole formed through it, into which a
taper steel pin c is driven, and it keys the blade firmly down on to the face of
the knife bar. When the blades require to be sharpened the pins c are easily driven
out, and then the blades can be lifted off. As represented in the Figures above
described the studs bare circular in section, but they may be square or oblong, and
in this case the studs a, a, may be dispensed with, also in place of using separate
keys or pins c one long key passing through all the studs 6 may be employed, but
in this case it will be necessary to make these studs stouter; the arrangement shown
by the Figures 1, 2, and 3, is believed to be better.
Figure 6 is a plan, and Figure 7 is a back view of an arrangement in which the
centre studs b are made with undercut notches or of a hook form, and the blades are
locked by means of a slotted bar d, in which pins are fixed, entering beneath. the
heads of the studs b.
Figures 8 and 9 show plan and side view of the bar & separately. When the
blades are in their place the bar d is dropped over the studs b, and then the bar is
pushed end wise, so as to cause the pins in the bar d to pass beneath the heads of the
studs and so all is made fast.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim the means of attaching
the cutting blades of the knives of reaping and mowing machines to the knife bar
so that they may be readily removed for sharpening and afterwards refixed,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abraham Surry Andrews, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy-six