IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brigham and Ralph Brigham, both of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the County of the Town and Burgh
of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Great Britain, Agricultural Implement
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brigham and
Ralph Brigham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 27th March 1871.
We, JOHN BRIGHAM and RALPH BRIGHAM, both of Berwick-upon-
Tweed; in the County of the Town and Burgh of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
Great Britain, Agricultural Implement Makers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING
MACHINES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This said Invention is for certain improvements in the construction
and arrangement of two important mechanical "actions" or working
parts of reaping and mowing machines, which make such parts and
machines fitted with these improvements work more smoothly__and

page_text: with less friction or tear and wear, or chance of derangement or beakage,
than in reaping and mowing machines as heretofore constructed.
The first improvement consists in forming an annular recess all
round the outer central part of the bush, which works on the crank
pin, and is fixed in the end of the connecting. rod for reciprocating
the cutter bar and cutters. This recess (which is for receiving and
containing a supply of oil or other lubricating grease or substance) is
either formed in the central part of the bush, or in the eye of the
connecting rod, or partly in both, having close turned and bored
bearing collars at the edges of the bush or eye, closely fitted, so that
when the bush is driven tight into the eye or otherwise fixed as by
screwing or rivetting it, the joint would be so close that the recess
would form a receptacle or receiver for the oil or other lubricant, which
could not drop out except through lubricating holes formed through
the bush to allow the oil to flow freely into the working surfaces of the
bush and crank pin, which would thus be kept in good working order,
although only requiring to be supplied with the lubricating matter at
long intervals, by an outer hole in the upper part of the eye, which
would be closed by a wood or metal screw pin (which may have a
conical end to regulate the admission of the lubricating oil) when the
new lubricating recess was so filled.
The second part or improvements of this said Invention consist
substantially in the construction, application, and use of a new or
improved rising and falling curvilinear, or open horse shoe-shaped
bracket with an anti-friction roller at the highest part, all for tilting
and steadying the long arms of the gathering paddles and rakes of
reaping and mowing machines, being substantially improvements on
the tilting delivery mechanism described and shown in the final Specifi-
cation and Drawings of the Invention for which Royal Letters Patent
were granted to the petitioner John Brigham and to Richard Bickerton,
dated the Thirtieth day of October 1863, and numbered 2695.
The curved tilting bracket is bolted on the top of the opposite side
of the ordinary frame and vertical spindle, to that of the outer delivery
platform, all so that the short back tilting arms, which are keyed, at
an angle down on the outer end of the short tilting cross horizontal
spindles of the said ordinary long armis, have each an antifriction
roller at their outer extremity which bears on the rising curve of the
tilting bracket, and thus tilts the long arms, which are held down while

page_text: sweeping the platform by a horizontal segmental continuation of the
short tilting lever, rolling over the anti-friction roller at the top of the
stationary curved bracket, the end of this segmental piece being made
to clear the roller and glide freely down the descending curved side of
the said fixed tilting bracket, as the long arm passes off the platform,
and the anti-friction roller on the opposite tilting short shaft comes in
contact with and is raised or tilted by the front rising curved surface
of the tilting bracket, thus steadying the weight and shock of the arms
while being carried round and tilted on the top of their ordinary
actuating vertical spindle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Brigham and Ralph Brigham in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
BRIGHAM and RALPH BRIGHAM, both of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the
County of the Town and Burgh of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Great Britain,
Agricultural Implement Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Brigham and Ralph
Brigham, Her special licence that we, the said John Brigham and
Ralph Brigham, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Brigham and Ralph Brigham, our exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said John Brigham and Ralph Brigham, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next, and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Brigham and Ralph
Brigham, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention consists in certain improvements in the con-
struction and arrangement of two important mechanical "actions" Or
working parts of reaping and mowing machines, which make such parts
and machines fitted with these improvements work more smoothly,
and with less friction or "tear and wear or chance of derangement
or breakage than in reaping and mowing machines as heretofore
constructed.
"
And in order that our said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, may be properly understood, we shall now proceed to describe
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which we
have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing what we at present
believe to be the best modifications and arrangements for practically
performing or carrying the several improvements contained in our said
Invention into effect or practice.
Figure 1 is a sectional plan of the arrangement of a crank shaft,
connecting rod, and cutter bar, detached from a reaping and mowing
machine sufficient to show the general arrangement and application of
the improvements under the first part of our said Invention, and
Figures 2, 3, and 4 are respectively a horizontal section, an elevation,
and a sectional elevation of the end of a like connecting rod, detached
from the machine, shown to a larger scale than in Figure 1, and
sufficient to show the details of construction of the new parts, under
the first part or head of our said Invention.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a front elevation and plan of a
reaping or harvesting machine constructed in accordance with and
illustrative of the improvements under the second part or head of our
said Invention, and having the improved self delivery mechanism
applied thereto, sufficient to show the general construction, arrangement,

page_text: and action thereof, and Figures 7 and 8 are respectively an elevation
and plan of the new or improved tilting bracket detached from the
delivery mechanism and machine, to show the actual or detailed
construction thereof.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the nature of the improvement or
improvements under the first part of our said Invention, consists in
forming an annular recess a (for receiving and containing a supply of
oil or other lubricating grease or substance) all round the outer central
part of the bush b, which works on the crank pin c, and is fixed in the
end of the connecting rod d, for reciprocating the cutter bar e and
cutters e¹ of all reaping and mowing machines, which actuate these by a
crank pin.
And the manner of performing this first part of our said Invention
is as follows:-namely, the recess a (for containing the lubricating
matter) is formed as an annular recess in the eye d¹ of the connecting
rod d (Figures 2 and 4), but when preferred it may also be formed as
an annular cavity turned out of the central part of the bush b, or it
might be partly recessed or formed in both the eye d and bush b. The
end edges of the eye and bush are bored, turned, and tightly fitted with
bearings 6, and collars b², 6", which can be further or otherwise fixed
by being screwed or rivetted at the end 6 with bevelled or square collars
all so that the joint between them is made so perfectly close that the
recess a, thus forms a receptacle or receiver to contain the oil or other
lubricant (supplied at long intervals through the large outer screw
pin hole ff) which could not flow or drop out except through the
holes (bored or formed through the bush before inserting it) for thus
lubricating the working surfaces of the bush and crank pin c, and
keeping them in good smooth working order, although the receptacle a
only requires to be supplied with the lubricating matter at considerable
long intervals, according to the size of the cavity a. After filling the
lubricating recess a, the outer hole f in the upper part of the eye d¹ is
closed by a wood or metal screw pin f¹, which may have a conical end
as f when désired to regulate the admission of the lubricating oil, when
the lubricating holes g is formed below it, but these holes when preferred
may also be formed at the side as shown at g¹. The edge of the eye d¹
(at the side where the end of the bush 6" is rivetted, Figure 3,) may be
bevelled or countersunk segmentally, and have the bush rivetted into
these parts, so as to leave the projections " which would prevent the
9

page_text: bush from turning round, or otherwise a short feather might be inserted
for that purpose at the other bearing end and collar of the bush b', b².
Referring to Figures 5 to 8, the nature of the improvements under
the second part or head of our said Invention consists substantially in
the construction, application, and use of a new or improved rising and
falling curvilinear or open horse-shoe shaped bracket A, with an anti-
friction roller A¹ at the highest part, all for tilting and steadying the
long arms H, H¹, and H³, H", of the gathering rakesh and paddles h',
respectively on their oscillating spindle I by their back levers J, j, of
reaping and mowing machines, being substantially improvements on the
tilling delivery mechanism described and shown in the final Specification
and Drawings of the Invention, for which Royal Letters Patent were
granted to the petitioner Jolin Brigham, and to Richard Bickerton,
dated the Thirtieth day of October 1863, and numbered 2695.
And to carry out or perform this part of our said Invention, this
said new curved tilting bracket A is secured or bolted on the top of
the ordinary top bearing bracket K, of the vertical spindle G, which
it steadies and carries by being secured to the main frame 6 of the
machine. And at the opposite side of this spindle G to that of the
outer delivery platform M, all so that the two short back tilting arms J,
J, (which are keyed at an angle downwards, one on each outer end of
the short tilting cross horizontal spindle I, carrying the said ordinary
long opposite arms H, H', and paddles and rakes h¹, h,) have each an
anti-friction roller J' at their outer actuating extremity i, which bears
on and rolls up the first or rising curved surface A³, of the tilting
bracket A., so as to tilt the long arms H, H³, H³, H", and their paddles
and rakes ¹, h, those at the one side or back upwards, and the others
in front downwards, when they come in a line with the machine and its
moving course, or at right angles to the position in which they are
shown in Figures 5 and 6, where they are shown as quite tilted, and
each rake held down while passing over or sweeping the platform
by the action of the horizontal segmental part or continuation j (of
each short tilting lever J) rolling over the antifriction roller A' at the
top of the stationary curved bracket A. While the roller J¹ of one
tilting lever J is so ascending the back rising curve A2, the end i¹
of the segmental pieces j of the opposite lever J (or a roller j¹ on
it) is made just to clear and roll or glide freely down the second, or
descending curved side A" of the said new fixed tilting bracket A.

page_text: This tilting action commences as each long arm H, H', and its rake h
pass round off the platform M and delivers the cut crop on the ground,
by the antifriction roller J¹ on the advanced end of the short tilting
shaft coming in contact with and rising up the first curved surface A³,
and which thus raises and tilts the back arm H, H',,and its rake up,
whilst the weight and shock of the falling front arm H, H', and its
rake is sustained and steadied at the same time by the pulley 1 of
the segmental end j of the opposite tilting lever J, resting and gliding
down the secondary or reacting curve A". The roller J' takes over a
projecting rest A³ of the bracket A (at first before rolling up the curved
part A2) which steadies the levers while the curved arm j is clearing the
top roller A¹, and until the roller j¹ takes on to the top of the descend-
ing curve A", and the levers J, j, are stayed to the long arms H, H, by
rods . By these means the back rake and its arm H, H', are
regularly and successively tilted up, to clear the machine on the outside,
and the front rake and arm tilted down upon their cross spindle I and
crosshead G¹ on the top of their ordinary actuating vertical spindle G,
which carries them round in the usual manner, by the revolving motion
of the main shaft 7, and the connecting gearing or wheel's G", G², or it
might be by other equivalent connecting mechanism, such as an endless
chain and chain wheels, when the two shafts are placed much out of
the same plane, and all so that the arms and rakes, as they come to the
front, dip down into the standing crop and gather it in towards the
cutters, and then sweep it (after being cut) over and off the platform M
on to the ground (to the one side of the machine out of the way of its
next traverse) either in a swath or in sheaves or bundles, according to
the number of rakes and speed at which they are driven. In most
cases for delivering in sheaves we prefer to have intermediate sweeps or
arms (merely for gathering in the standing crop to the cutters)
secured by kneed arms H², H", to the outer extremities of the cross
tilting spindle I, so that they also are turned up while passing round
the back and over the machine, and down before entering the standing
crop in front to sweep it in towards the cutters on to the platform by
the same tilting motion given to the spindle I, the long gathering
arms H", ', being regulated to the height desired by the slides and
screw fixing bolts 1, 1, to their kneed arms H². The arrows in the
several Figures indicate the direction of the motion of and over the
several parts where shown, and the paddles and their arms are indicated
in red lines.

page_text: "
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that what
we claim is,―
First. The construction and use of a recess or chamber a for containing
lubricating matter around the bush of the crank pin, within the eye of
the connecting rod for actuating the cutter bar of reaping and mowing
machines, substantially as herein described, and shown in the accom-
panying Drawings, under the first part or head of our said Invention, or
any mere modification thereof.
Second. The construction and use of a stationary vertical duplex,
rising and falling segmental horse-shoe shaped bracket A, and tilting
lever or levers J, j, for tilting the swivelling horizontal spindle I, and
the gathering arms and rakes of reaping and mowing, or harvesting
machines, substantially in the new or improved manner herein described
and shown in the accompanying Drawings, under the second part or
head of our said Invention, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Brigham and Ralph
Brigham, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
third day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.