IMPROVEMENTS: IN HARVESTING, MACHINES.
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS:
IN HARVESTING, MACHINES. "A communication from abroad by Thomas:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with. his Petition and
Declaration, on the 4th October 1864, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT
KNOWN that 'I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES," (communicated to me-from
abroad by Thomas Jefferson Tindall, of New York, United States of America,)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a combined machine for reaping
and mowing, embodying this Invention; Figure 2 represents a plan of the
same; Figure 3 represents a transverse section of the same at the line X, X,
of Figure 2, looking towards the driving wheel; and Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7:
represent views of detached fragmentary-parts of the machine.
The first and second parts of the Invention have reference to the construc-

page_text: tion of the main frame of the machine. In many preceding machines it has
been customary to construct pillow blocks upon the main frame to hold the
shafts of the running wheels and cog wheels, and inasmuch as the main
frame when made of cast iron must be made thin for economy in construction,
and to render the frame light, while on the other hand it must be made-rigid,
it has also been customary to stiffen the frame transversely to the line of
draught by casting ribs upon it.
Now the object of the first part of the Invention is to obtain the requisite
transverse rigidity and lightness in the frame, and at the same time to
dispense with the cost of constructing pillow blocks for the running wheels,
and it consists in constructing the main frame with a tubular socket, in which
the axle of the running wheels is secured in such manner that said tubular
socket accomplishes the double purpose of the ordinary pillow-blocks to
sustain the said axle and of ribs to stiffen the main frame transversely.
The object of the second part of the Invention is to enable the tongue to
which the horses are attached to be securely connected with the main frame,
and at the same time to stiffen the frame longitudinally, and it consists in
combining the tongue with the main frame by means of a socket cast in one
piece with the said frame, so that the sides of the said socket form ribs which
stiffen the frame longitudinally with the line of draught, while at the same
time the said socket is the means of securing the tongue firmly to the main
frame.
In preceding harvesting machines it has been customary to secure the cog
wheels that impart motion to the cutter from the main cog wheel on one of
the running wheels upon shafts, whose journals turn in boxes or pillow blocks
secured to the frame.
The cost of constructing these boxes is considerable, and the object of the
third part of the Invention is to lessen the cost of constructing the machine
by dispensing with the boxes. To this end this part of the Invention consists
in combining the cog wheels that operate the cutter, or other acting members.
of the harvesters with silent or still shafts, which are rigidly secured in sockets
upon the frame of the machine, so that the said wheels turn freely upon the
said shafts, while the shafts remain stationary. By this mode of construction
the cost of fitting up the bolts and caps of pillow blocks is dispensed with, the
mechanical operations required being reduced to the boring of the sockets
and wheel hubs and the turning of the shafts, which operations are the
simplest that are performed with tools. Moreover as the hubs of the wheels
can be extended along the shafts, a greater amount of wearing surface can be
obtained than with the ordinary pillow blocks.

page_text: The object of the fourth part of the Invention is to enable the cutter to be
thrown out of gear, either automatically by the backing of the machine or
positively by the hand of the attendant. This part of the Invention consists
in combining two of the cog wheels that drive the cutter with each other, by
means of an intermediate saw-toothed spring clutch controlled by a lever, so
that the cog wheel nearest the cutter remains stationary by reason of the slip
of the clutch when the other cog wheel is turned backwards by backing the
machine, and that the clutch can be operated by means of the lever by the
hand of the attendant whenever he wishes to stop the cutter.
::
The fifth part of the Invention has reference to the construction of the
binge joint, which connects the cutter bar and the main frame in such manner
that the cutter bar can be turned up or down to pass over obstacles. This
part of the Invention consists in combining the main frame and the cutter
bar together by lugs, which are traversed by one of the pinion shafts of the
cutter gear in such manner that the said shaft performs the double purpose of
a pinion shaft and joint pin for the hinges, and that the cost of a special joint
pin is saved.
.:
The sixth part of the Invention has reference to the raising and securing of
the cutter bar, and to the lowering of the same slow enough to prevent jar.
This part of the Invention consists in the combination of a winch with a
vibrating lever, whose vibration is limited by a stop by means of a spring saw-
toothed clutch; also in using a brake lever in connection with the said devices
in a manner that will be herein-after more fully described.
The object of the seventh part of the Invention is to retain the bevelled
wheels of harvesters in their proper relative positions, and it consists in com-
bining the pair of bevilled wheels with flanges, which engage with each other
and prevent the movement of the wheels in the directions of their axes of
revolution.
The object of the eighth part of the Invention is to stop the reel from
revolving when the machine is backed, and consists of the combination of the
driving pulley of the reel with the running wheel at the grain side of the
machine through the introduction of a spring clutch, so that the reel, although
driven by the grain wheel, ceases to revolve when the grain side of the machine
is backed.
The object of the ninth part of the Invention is to permit the reel standards
to be rigidly connected at their upper ends, so that they cannot separate, nor
approach each other, and that they mutually support each other, and at the
same time to insure the free turning of the reel. This part of the Invention
consists in combining a hollow reel shaft with a rod connecting the upper ends

page_text: of the two reel standards, so that the reel turns upon said rod as a fixed
-arbor.
All the parts of the Invention are embodied in the combined machine
represented in the annexed Drawing, which is therein represented as arranged
for reaping.
In this machine the main frame A is of cast iron cast in one-piece with a
tubular socket B, extending transversely across it to stiffen it and receive the
axle of the running wheels C, C¹, this axle being inserted through the said
socket. The anterior portion of the main frame is also stiffened longitudinally
by means of the socket B!; in which the butt of the tongue D is secured by
a bolt. In the machine represented, all the cog wheels run upon silent or
stationary shafts. The cog wheels-that impart motion to the cutter consist of
a master wheel E secured to the running wheel C of a bevilled pinion b, and
secondary cog wheel 6, and of the cutter pinion 2: The bevilled pinion b,
and the secondary cog revolve upon the same silent shaft, a', which is
:secured at one end in a socket at the end of an arm d, forming part of the
main frame, and at the other in a stationary hub F, that is carried by the
prolonged extremity of the axle a of the running wheels. The hubs of these
two wheels b, b', are made long so as to obtain ample surface for wear, and
the two are combined by means of a saw-toothed clutch r, which is formed by
teeth upon the adjacent ends of the two hubs. In order to hold the teeth of
the clutch engaged when the machine is running forward, and. at the same
time permit them to disengage when the machine is backed, a coiled-spring f
is applied to the shaft a¹ between the hub F and the wheel b', the spring
being sufficiently strong to push the wheel along its shaft; and hold the
clutch teeth engaged while the machine is. moving forward, but yielding to
the pressure produced by the inclined surfaces of the clutch teeth of the
pinion upon those of the clutch teeth of the wheel 61, when the pinion b is
turned backwards by backing the machine and permitting the clutch teeth to
pass over each other. In order to disengage the clutch teeth. by hand,.a
lever is provided with its handle within reach of the driver; this lever
operates a sliding bolt m, whose forward end, is hooked downwards: to embrace
the front side of the cog wheel 6, hence. by drawing the lever back the cog
wheel b¹ is slid back upon its shaft, and the clutch teeth are disengaged. The
lever is provided with a hinged pawl n, which dropping between the lever and
the guide of the sliding bolt m,, when the lever is drawn back, holds it in that
position and keeps the clutch teeth disengaged until the pawl is displaced.
The cutting apparatus of the machine represented, consists of.open slotted
fingers 9 and a vibrating: scolloped cutter h. The fingers are secured to a

page_text: finger beam G, which carries a divider H at its grain end, its other end is
secured to a shoe K which is hinged to the main frame, so that the cutting
apparatus can turn up and down on this binge to accommodate itself to the
surface of the ground, and can be turned up by hand to pass over obstacles.
The cutter is vibrated by a pitman 7, which receives motion from a crank pin'e
secured to the cutter pinion 62. This pinion revolves on a silent shaft a²,
which passes through a lug on the end of an arm d¹ projecting from the
hub F, which is connected rigidly with the main frame, and also through
lug d projecting from the shoe of the cutting apparatus, thus forming the
joint pin of the hinge, as well as the shaft of the cutter pinion. This mode
of forming the joint has also the advantage of maintaining the axis of the
pinion always coincident' with the axis of the hinge, the same axis being. in-
fact common to both, so that the cutter at the two extreme points of its stroke
always maintains the same relation to the fingers, however much the cutting
apparatus be turned up or down on its hinge... In order to raise the cutter a
winch is provided by fitting a sleeve.k carrying a chain sheave p and ratchet.
wheel b³ upon a silent shaft a³, which is in line with the cog wheel shaft a
The chain sheave p has a chain o secured to it, and the other end of this
chain is fastened to an arm d³ secured to the shoe K, so that by turning the
sleeve upon its shaft the chain is wound upon the chain sheave, and the
cutting apparatus is turned upon its hinge. The ratchet wheel 63 is provided
with a swinging pawl n', so that when this pawl is acting upon the teeth of
the ratchet wheel on the side further from the cutting apparatus, the end of
the pawl engaging with the ratchet teeth stops the winch from turning back,
and retains the cutting apparatus in any position to which it may be raised.
The pawl may, however, be swung over to the side of the ratchet wheel nearer
the cutting apparatus (as shown in black lines at Figure 5), in which case it
becomes inoperative. The winch is operated by a hand lever I fitted to a
sleeve upon the shaft a³ of the winch; the front end of this lever sleeve ¹
is fitted with saw-toothed clutch teeth; which engage with corresponding teeth.
upon the hinder end of the chain sheave sleeve; the two sets of teeth forming.
a clutch r, whose teeth are pressed together by a spiral spring at the hinder
end of the lever sleeve . The lever sleeve has a snug c secured to it, and
a stop c is secured to the main frame of the machine in such position that
the lever can only vibrate a certain distance towards the cutter..
The operation. of this combination is as follows:-When the machine is
to do ordinary work the pawl n¹ is swung over the ratchet wheel so as to be
inoperative, and the chain is so adjusted that when the machine is running.
on level ground the chain is taut when the lever is about vertical, hence when

page_text: the ground inclines downwards from the hinge joint of the cutter, the latter
can turn down on its hinge to follow the inclination of the ground, as there is
space enough-between the snug c and stop c¹ to permit the turning of the
lever and the winch to which it is clutched, the cutter. can also turn up on its
hinge to follow upward inclinations when an obstacle-is-to be passed over, the
attendant applying his hand to the lever I. winds the chain on its sleeve and
draws up the cutter, so that it can-pass over the obstacle; when, however, the
attendant wishes to raise the cutter and hold it in its raised position, as is
expedient when going to and from the field the pawl n is swung over, as
shown in red lines at Figure 5, so as to operate upon the teeth of the ratchet
wheel, and the attendant by moving the lever handle I to and fro can wind'
up the chain, and thereby-turn up the cutting apparatus until it is in nearly a
vertical position (as shown by the position of the fragment of the shoe drawn.
in red lines in Figure 5), where it is held securely by the pawl-and ratchet
wheel. In order to lower the cutter from this vertical position the attendant:
may operate the lever I for that purpose, disengaging the pawl n¹ and re-
engaging it at each vibration; but the same operation may be effected more
quickly by means of a disengaging brake lever j', which is pivoted to the lever
sleeve. The forward end of this brake lever is rounded and fitted to bear.
against the hinder face of the ratchet wheel, it is also of such :length that.
when the hinder end of the lever is depressed, its forward rounded end rising,
bears against the ratchet wheel, and forces the lever sleeve backwards suffi-
ciently to disengage the teeth of the clutch, but at the same time that the
disengagement is effected the pressure of the brake lever against the ratchet.
wheel is sufficient to prevent the winch-from turning backwards to unwind the
chain and permit the cutter to turn down violently. The brake lever thus.
acts not only to disengage the clutch teeth. but also as a. friction brake to
prevent the too rapid descent of the cutter in using it, the lever I is first
moved sufficiently to enable the pawl n¹ to be disengaged and swung over,
then the disengagement of the clutch and the lowering of the cutter is
effected by operating the brake lever. This brake lever is fitted with a
spring guard t having a. notch, in which the lever j₁ can be engaged when
necessary. It is expedient that the teeth of the bevilled wheels should engage
truly, in order to insure this result, the rim of the bevilled wheel E, carried
by the running wheel C, is fitted with a V-formed flange i, and a corresponding
flange is formed upon the sleeve of the bevilled pinion 6 in such a position.
relatively to the teeth thereof: that the rim of the flange i upon the bevelled
wheel E is embraced between the butts of the pinion teeth and the pinion.
flange i, so that the teeth of the pinion b, which is free to play endwise within.

page_text: caps
certain limits, are maintained in their proper position relatively to the teeth
of the wheel E by the action of the flanges. It is necessary to hold the sickle
of a harvester down upon the fingers, and this is generally done by means of
which overlap the upper surface of the sickle. In this machine the
holding down of the sickle his effected by making its stock s; Figure 7,
broader as it recedes from the under surface of the sickle blades, and by
making the grooves in the finger beam in which the stock is received of cor-
responding form, the transverse section of the two being what is generally
termed of a dovetail form. By this construction the sickle is held down-from
beneath instead of from above, and the upper surface of the sickle is free
from any prominence. It is not. essential that the section of the sickle, stock,
and groove should be precisely of the form represented in the Drawing, as it
is evident that the holding down of the sickle from beneath can be effected by
making some part of. the stock, or the equivalent thereof, to hook under a
projection on the finger beam, and prevent the rising of the sickle.
In the machine represented, the reel has a tubular shaft P, which is
arranged. to turn freely upon the rod, which is supported by two brackets
L, L', which slide upon standards J, J', that project up from the divider H
and shoe K; these brackets are fitted with holes, in which the ends of the.
rod are received and secured by pins, and the rod can be shifted to a
forward or to a hinder, hole to change the position of the reel horizontally.
Its position vertically is changed by sliding the brackets up or down on their
standards, and they may be secured in any desired position by means of jam
screws u. The rod thus arranged connects the upper ends of the two reel
standards firmly, so that they cannot separate nor approach each other, and.
that they afford each other mutual support, while at the same time the reel
turns freely upon said rod as a fixed arbor. The reel is driven from the grain
wheel M, which is fitted to revolve on an arm secured to the platform N. A
sleeve carrying a pulley v is fitted to revolve upon the same arm, and the hub.
of the grain wheel. and the pulley sleeve are fitted with saw-toothed teeth
forming a clutch.. These teeth are within the pulley sleeve, as shown in dotted:
lines at Figure 6, the teeth of one part of the clutch being overlapped by a:
tubular sleeve connected with the other part of the clutch, so that they are
protected from dirt, and the teeth are held engaged when the machine is
moved forward. by a spiral spring f', Figure 2; when, however, the machine
is backed, the spring yielding to the thrust produced by the action of the
inclined faces of the clutch teeth upon each other, permits the clutch teeth to
disengage, so that the pulley is not then rotated. The reel shaft is fitted with

page_text: a pulley v, which receives a band leading from the pulley v on the sleeve at
the grain wheel, so that the reel is operated when the machine is moved
forward and remains inoperative when the machine is backed. As before
stated, one reel standard J-is-secured to the shoe-K to which the finger beam
is made fast, and the other reel-standard J is secured to the divider end of
the finger beam. The shoe K. forms part of the hinge joint that connects the
finger, beam with the main frame, in such manner that it can vibrate to
accommodate itself. to. inequalities of the ground, and the two reel-standards
are therefore both on the stubble side or stubble division of the binge joint,
so that they and the reel carried by them move with the finger beam as it
moves. The reel and finger beam are thus combined together, so that they
maintain the same relationship, however the finger beam may change its
position to the main frame by vibrating on its hinge joint. When the machine
is used to mow, the platform with the grain wheel M is removed, and also the
reel and reel standards; a track clearer is then pivoted to the, divider to clear
the track for the running wheel when cutting the succeeding.swarth.
:
The machine represented is designed to liave: the grain raked: from the.
platform by a raker, who sits upon a seat R secured to the main frame; but
the machine is suited to the employment of an automatic rake, if it be deemed.
expedient to apply one..
What I claim as the Invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,
a main frame of a harvesting machine, constructed with a tubular socket for
the axle of the running wheels, in such manner that the said socket performs
the function of sustaining the said axle, and of stiffening the frame transversely,
substantially as set forth.
I also claim a main frame of a harvesting machine constructed with a
socket for the tongue, in such manner that the said tongue socket performs
the double function of sustaining the tongue upon all of its sides and stiffening
the frame longitudinally, substantially as set forth.
I also claim the combination of the cog. wheels of a: harvesting machine
with still or silent shafts, which are rigidly secured to the frame of the machine,
substantially as set forth.
I also claim the combination of two of the cog wheels that impart motion
to the cutter with each other by means of a saw-toothed spring clutch, so that
the cog wheel nearer the cutter remains stationary when the machine is
backed, and that the clutch may be operated. by a lever to stop the cutter,
substantially as set forth::
I also claim the combination of the finger beam with the main frame by

page_text: means of lugs and one of the shafts of the cutter gear, in such manner that
the said shaft performs the double function of pinion shaft and joint pin for
the hinge joint, substantially as set forth.
I also claim the mechanism for raising and lowering the cutter bar, con-
sisting substantially of a winch, vibrating lever, and saw-toothed clutch
combined together and operating, substantially as set forth.
I also claim the combination of the bevelled wheels together by means of
flanges which engage with each other, and prevent the separation of the teeth
of the wheels by movement in the direction of the axes of the wheels,
substantially as set forth...
I also claim the combination of the driving pulley of the reel with the
grain wheel by means of a spring clutch, in such manner that the revolution
of the reel stops whenever the said grain wheel runs backward, substantially
as set forth.
I also claim the combination of a hollow reel shaft with a rod that connects
the upper ends of the reel standards, so that the reel turns upon said rod.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this
day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD.
(L.B.)