IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stoddart Peile, of the Firm of Haughton and
Thompson, of Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES."
Sealed the 25th November 1873, and dated the 28th May 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stoddart Peile at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th May 1873.
I, STODDART PEILE, of the Firm of Haughton and Thompson, of
Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES," to be as
follows:-
1st. In the application of adjustable joints and a parallel motion in a
0 horse hay rake, whereby the points of the tines may be adapted to
various heights and angles of raking, thereby increasing the efficiency of
the machine.

page_text: 2ndly. In the application of a spring press bar to prevent the tines
from bouncing upon the ground and going over the hay without
lifting it.
3rdly. In an arrangement whereby the tines may be worked from the
axle without any other labor on the part of the attendant than simply
lifting a latch by means of a hand lever.
Upon the main axle are pivoted arms, to the extremity of each of
which is jointed a head casting or bracket by means of an adjustable
joint, formed by serrating the surfaces of the head casting and arm, so
that when tightened up by the joint pin or bolt they will connect the
two rigidly together in whatever relative position they are adjusted.
These head castings carry the teeth or tines, and a cross bar extending
under the tines is also attached to said castings for the tines to rest upon,
the whole being free to be oscillated upon the said axle to turn over the
tines either by means of the ordinary hand lever or by the self-acting
arrangement hereafter described.
In order to raise the tines in a perpendicular direction so as to rake
higher off the ground, the serrated joints are loosened and a radius link
is temporarily connected to the central head casting to form with the
arm to which said casting is jointed a parallel connection for the head
castings or brackets to move on.
After having adjusted the tines to the required height the link is
detached, and the joints having been tightened up the rake is ready for
work.
The spring press bar for keeping the tines to their work is arranged as
follows: Upon each of the said castings is a spring box or rod, in or on
which is fitted a spiral or other spring bearing on the press bar on the
tines, and the pressure of which is adjustable by means of a screw or
otherwise.
In order to work the tines by the motion of the machine instead of by
the attendant, the wheel axle is caused to rotate with the wheels, and on
this axle a ratchet wheel is keyed. With this ratchet a spring bolt or
latch on the arm casting is caused to gear when it is desired to turn over
the tines. This latch is thrown into gear by a hand lever, worked by
the attendant from his seat. The latch is held back by a stop until it is
released by the hand lever, and caused to gear with the ratchet, whereby

page_text: the arms carrying the tines are carried round with the wheel axle until
the latch is disengaged from the ratchet by coming in contact with a
fixed projection. The tines are then either retained by a catch on the
hand lever or fall by their own weight to the ground, in which position
they are locked by the hand lever, and are then ready for raking.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Stoddart Peile in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STODDART
PEILE, of the Firm of Haughton and Thompson, of Carlisle, in tho
County of Cumberland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Stoddart Peile, Her special licence that I,
the said Stoddart Peile, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Stoddart Peile, my executors, 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 HORSE RAKES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stoddart Peile, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Stoddart Peile, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the three Sheets of Drawings

page_text: These improvements consist,—
First. In the employment of adjustable joints and a parallel motion in
a horse hay rake, whereby the points of the tines may be adapted to
various heights and angles of raking, thereby increasing the efficiency of
the machine.
Second. In the application of a spring press bar to prevent the tines
from bouncing upon the ground and going over the hay without
lifting it.
Third. In an arrangement whereby the tines may be worked from the
axle without any other labor on the part of the attendant than moving
a latch.
Upon the main axle are pivotted arms, to the extremity of each of
which a head casting or bracket is connected by means of an adjustable
joint formed by serrating the surfaces of the head casting and arm, so
that when tightened up by the joint pin or bolt the two will be con-
nected rigidly together in whatever relative position they are adjusted.
These head castings carry the teeth or tines, and a cross bar extending
under the tines is also attached to said castings for the tines to rest upon,
the whole being free to be oscillated upon the said axle to turn over the
tines cither by means of the ordinary hand lover or by the self-acting
arrangement hereafter described.
In order to raise the tines in a perpendicular direction so as to rake
higher off the ground, the serrated joints are loosened and a radius link
is temporarily connected to the central head casting to form with the
arm to which said casting is jointed a parallel connection for the head
castings or brackets to move on.
After having adjusted the tines to the required height the link is
detached, and the joints having been tightened up the rake is ready for
work.
The spring press bar for keeping the tines to their work is arranged as
follows: Upon cach of the said castings is a spring box or rod, in or
on which is fitted a spiral or other spring bearing on the press bar on
the tines, and whose pressure is adjustable by means of a screw or 3
otherwise.

page_text: pressure of the springs is regulated by compressing them more or less by
means of the plugs or caps J¹ screwing in the ends of the boxes, or fixed
in any position required by a cross pin passed through one of a number
of holes in the sides of the spring box. K is the ordinary hand lever,
pivoted to the frame A, and connected by a rod L with the head
casting D. The connecting rod L is jointed to the hand lever K, and is
.bent up at right angles at the other end to form a lug, by which it is
connected adjustably to the central casting D, the latter having a series
of holes, in any one of which the connecting rod may be inserted
according to the height at which the tines are required to rake. M is
the link or sneck, pivoted at one end on a stud N to the hand lever
quadrant O, or any other convenient fixed part of the framing, which
link is temporarily connected to the central head casting D when it is
desired to adjust the tines to rake higher or lower. This link is also made
hooked at the extremity to form a lug like that of rod L, which takes
into a hole P in casting D, the several connections forming centres of
motion for the parts. As the length of link M from centre to centre is
made equal to the distance between the centres B and E, and the distance
between the fixed centres B and N being equal to that between the
moveable centres E and P, the parts form a parallel motion like a parallel
ruler, by which the head casting D, and consequently the tincs, will be
made to move perpendicularly up or down when being set nearer or
further from the ground; R, clearing frame.
In the self-acting rake shown in Figures 5 and 6, A is the framing
and B the axle, as before, except that in this case the axle is made to
rotate with the wheels, which are connected to the axle by spring clutch
boxes to admit of turning corners; O is one of the arms, and D one of
and
the head castings, connected thereto by a serrated joint E, sup-
porting the heads of the tines G; I is the spring press bar, bearing upon
the tines as before described. In this machine the link or sneck M is
'dispensed with, the parallel motion being obtained by the abutting
edges X and W sliding against one another, as shown. The middle
arm C is cast with a box C¹ round the axle, within which rotates a
ratchet wheel S, keyed on the centre of the axle; T is a spring bolt or
latch fitted in a slot in the top of box C¹; the latch has a lug U at the
top end, by which it rests on the corner V of the casting; W₁ is a spring
fitted in a box, and pressing against the back of the latch, serving to
keep it in the position above described or to force it into gear with the

page_text: ratchet wheel S, when the lug U is disengaged from V by a stud ✗¹ on
the hand lever K, working in a slot in the casting, as shewn. The lever K
is jointed to a foot lever Y, pivoted at Y¹ to the framing, so that it may
be operated from the seat. The arm C, being engaged with the ratchet
wheel, is carried round therewith until a stud t on the latch T, seen
in Figure 7, meets the inclined face of a fixed projection Z, which
draws back the latch and so releases the tines, which then fall by their
own weight to the ground, as before mentioned. The projection Z is
carried on the left hand or stationary boss Z', which supports the seat
standard.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as
my Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent,-
First. The serrated joints E, connecting adjustably each arm C and its
head casting D, substantially as herein shown and described, for setting
and holding up the tines at any height required.
Second. The combination with the serrated joint E of the parallel
motion, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Third. The spring press bar to keep down the teeth, arranged and
applied substantially as shown and described.
Fourth. The employment of a latch fitted in a latch box on arm C,
and constructed and operated substantially as herein shown and described,
in combination with a ratchet wheel keyed on the rotating axle, whereby
the rake is rendered self-acting, as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stoddart Peile, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
STODDART PEILE. (L.S.)
STODDART PEILE. (L.S.)