IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN BINDING HARVESTERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, N° 4, South.
Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN BINDING HARVESTERS,"
a communication from abroad by Byron Eugene Huntley of Brockport, State of
New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
The invention relates to improvements in grain harvesters in which the cut
grain is automatically bound by mechanism located in the rear of the platform and
upon the same level with the cutting apparatus; and the objects of the improve-
ments are to dispense with the ordinary elevating belts; to reduce the friction by
performing the labor entire, without elevating the grain; to render the machine
compact in form, of light draught, and effective in service.
In practice, the ordinary grain binding harvester, in which an elevating apron is
employed to carry the cut grain to the binding apparatus, is objectionable for the
reason that, in raising the grain, there is of necessity a large expenditure of power
required in order that the entire mass may be raised and carried over the drive
wheel; and, as a large breadth of machine is required, it often becomes necessary
to use a supplementary carriage capable of transporting the machine end-wise, as
narrow passages are found in the line of travel upon most farms.
By placing the binding mechanism diagonally in the rear of the drive-wheel,
and upon the same plane of elevation with the platform, the machine can be made
narrower without a reduction of the width of the cut, and still have the bound
sheaf left upon the ground at one side of the track of the said machine and out of
the way of the team in the succeeding round.
In carrying out the invention the platform is circular in form and is made to
revolve by means of a bevel-wheel and a bevel-pinion, the said pinion being
secured to a shaft and upon the inner end of the same. Upon the outer end of
this shaft is mounted a sprocket-wheel which engages a sprocket-chain. Mounted
on a shaft is another sprocket-wheel which also engages the sprocket chain, so as
to drive the revolving platform through the intervention of a gear-wheel on a

page_text: suitable shaft and meshing into an idle-wheel which in turn meshes into a gear-
wheel mounted upon a shaft carrying a pinion meshing into a large gear-wheel
fixed to the driving-wheel, which communicates motion to the said platform
through the train of gearing in connection with the sprocket-wheels and sprocket-
chain above mentioned.
The bevel wheel is secured to the underside of the platform with the teeth
facing downward so that, as the wheel revolves, the platform turns with it, the
wheel of course being made to rotate upon a shaft or stud secured to the bed-
timbers of the machine.
The platform is provided with a series of circularly placed openings within
which are hung pivot-wise hooked teeth or fingers; these fingers travel with the
platform. Circular shaped bars are secured to the frame-bed of the harvester,
underneath the platform, and in line with the openings within which the hooked
teeth play, and upon the same radius of a circle with the openings, so that as the
platform turns upon its centre pivot, the semicircular portions of the teeth near
the pivot, will strike the bars and ride upon them, thus causing the points to rise
above the face of the platform, so as to move the cut-grain sufficiently far to allow
of its being caught by the binding apparatus which, after tying the band around
the bundle, drops it in the rear.
By the time this grain has been placed in the proper position for the binder to
take it, the teeth will have reached the end of the ribs nearest the binder, and will
drop down, leaving their points below the face of the platform, and will there
remain until they are again brought in contact with the ribs upon a succeeding
round.
For communicating motion to the binding apparatus and cutting mechanism, a
bevel-wheel is mounted upon the outer end of the shaft that carries the pinion
(giving motion to the platform gear-train above described) which meshes into a
pinion mounted upon a horizontal shaft which turns in suitable bearings and
carries at the forward end a pitman-driver which, through the usual pitman
connection, reciprocates the cutting knife. A pinion is mounted loosely upon the
borizontal shaft, and is provided at the rear end with ratchet-teeth, which, when
desired are made to engage similar teeth in a clutch also loosely mounted upon the
said shaft, but through the intervention of a spline, made to turn with the shaft so
that, by the use of the ordinary shifting lever, the clutch can be moved backward
or forward, and thus stop or start the cutting and binding apparatus at the will of
the operator; a universal coupling unites the horizontal shaft to a shaft having a
bevel-pinion mounted upon the rear end, and meshing into a bevel-wheel, by
means of which the binding mechanism is operated. This binding attachment,
complete in itself, is located in the rear of the drive-wheel, diagonal with the
finger bar as before stated. As no claim is made to the construction of the binder
except in some minor details, it will not be necessary to explain parts unclaimed
in this application and suffice it to say, the binder is of the well known type used
upon the Johnston Harvester Company's Elevator grain binder.
In order to more effectually bring the grain within reach of the binding
apparatus from the place where it has been deposited by the revolving platform,
pickers are used centrally hinged to a crank-shaft, with their rear ends connected
pivot-wise to a pendulum bar. This pendulum bar has its upper end hinged to a
supporting bar, so as to allow it to swing backward and forward when the pickers
are made to describe an elliptical motion at their forward ends by means of the
connection with the crank shaft.
These pickers are curved downward at their front ends, and may be provided
with prongs, so as to more effectually draw the cut stalks of grain rearwardly and
within reach of the binding mechanism, it being understood of course that the
pickers are placed in working position above the grain lying upon the platform.
Motion is communicated to the pickers by means of chain pulleys and a chain.-
One of the pulleys may be connected with the gear-train that moves the platform,
or it may receive motion from the binder gear-train by means of a connection; à

page_text: binder supporting beam is connected to the binder sufficiently far above the
platform to allow of a free passage underneath the beam for the movement of the
grain.
A metallic binder supporting bar is provided, one end of which is attached to
the binder-frame and the other to the beam of the reaper-frame.
a
A butting board has cross ribs and a serrated claw iron upon the front end.
Bevel-gear mounted upon the inner end of a shaft meshes into a corresponding
gear which is secured to a crank-shaft. This crank-shaft is connected pivotwise
to an arm projecting laterally from the butter-board and securely bolted to the
same; one end of a hook rod catches into an eye near the rear end of the butter,
the other end being hooked into an adjusting iron secured to a beam forming
part of the frame of the harvester. By means of the elliptical motion given to the
butter-board by the crank connection (which is operated by the same gear-train
that revolves the platform, as herein before described) the butter is moved laterally,
and backward and forward, the rear link connection causing the back-end to travel
in a slightly elliptical orbit, by which through the intervention of the ribs and
claw-iron, the butts of the grain are made even and moved rearwardly in advance
of the heads, thus rendering assistance in turning the stalks of grain upon the
revolving platform, and causing them to rest squarely upon the binding-table
before being bound. This butter-board, is by means of the holes in the adjusting-
iron, made laterally adjustable at the rear end, (the front end may also be
adjustably constructed), so that the eord can be centrally placed around the gavel,
whether the grain be long or short.-A hand lever is placed within reach of the
driver in his seat upon the machine by which, through the intervention of a crank-
shaft and tongue connecting link, the platform may be tilted and locked in the
desired position by the use of the spring-bolt and detent rack-bar as is commonly
done.
6
The reel is provided with the usual jointed bearing frame, so as to give the up
and down, and backward and forward movement, and is run by a sprocket-chain,
in the well known manner: A bent shield is secured to the harvester-frame, and
underneath which the platform revolves, the shield preventing any grain from
being earried past the binder.

page_text: COMIUMIM DE BUITICATION,
Improvements in Grain Binding Harvesters.
I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, No 4, South
Street, Finsbury in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the
nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by Byron Eugene Huntley
of Brockport, State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer) and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates to improvements in grain harvesters in which the cut
grain is automatically bound by mechanism located in the rear of the platform and
upon the same level with the cutting apparatus and the objects of the improve-
ments are to dispense with the ordinary elevating belts, to reduce the friction by
performing the labor entire, without elevating the grain and to render the machine
compact in form, of light draught, and effective in service.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a perspective view
taken from the front or grain side of the machine.-Figure 2 is a plan view of the
machine partly in section with the reel and part of the revolving platform removed.
Figure 3 is a perspective view taken from the driving wheel side of the machine
the reel not being shewn and figure 4 is a detached view of part of the machine.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.
In practice the ordinary grain binding harvester in which an elevating apron is
employed to carry the cut grain to the binding apparatus, is objectionable for the
reason, that in raising the grain there is of necessity a large expenditure of power
required in order that the entire mass may be raised and carried over the drive
wheel and as a large breadth of machine is required it often becomes necessary to
use a supplementary carriage capable of transporting the machine end-wise as
narrow passages are found in the line of travel upon most farms.
By placing the binding mechanism diagonally in the rear of the drive-wheel and
upon the same plane of elevation with the platform, the machine can be made
narrower without a reduction of the width of the cut, and still have the bound
sheaf left upon the ground at one side of the track of the said machine and out of
the way of the team in the succeeding round.
In carrying out the invention the platform A is circular in form and is made to
revolve by means of a bevel wheel B and a bevel pinion B', the said pinion B¹
being secured to a shaft b, and upon the inner end of the same. Upon the outer
end of this shaft is mounted a sprocket wheel b¹, which engages a sprocket chain b
Mounted on a shaft b, is another sprocket-wheel b³, which also engages the
sprocket chain 62, so as to drive the revolving platform through the intervention
of a gear wheel D³, on the shaft which meshes into an idle-wheel d, which in
turn meshes into a gear-wheel d¹, mounted upon a shaft carrying a pinion D',
meshing into a large gear wheel D fixed to the driving-wheel E, which commu-
nicates motion to the said platform through the train of gearing in connection with
the sprocket-wheels and sprocket-chain above mentioned.

page_text: The bevel wheel B is secured to the underside of the platform, with the teeth
facing downward (as shown in dotted lines in figure 2) so that as the wheel
revolves the platforin turns with it, the wheel of course being made to rotate upon
a shaft or stud secured to the bed-timbers of the machine.
The platform is provided with a series of circularly placed openings a¹, within
which are hung pivot wise hooked teeth or fingers a. These fingers are of the
shape shown in figure 4. (which is a sectional view of part of the revolving platform
the section being taken through one of the openings a¹, and shewing one of the
said grain gathering fingers) and travel with the platform. Circular shaped bars A¹
are secured to the frame-bed of the harvester, underneath the platform, and in line
with the openings within which the hooked teeth play and upon the same radius
of a circle with the openings a¹ so that as the platform turns upon its centre pivot,
the semi-circular portion of the teeth, near the pivot, will strike the bars A¹ and
ride upon them, thus causing the points to rise above the face of the platform,
so as to move the cut grain sufficiently far to allow of its being caught by the
binding apparatus, which after tying the band around the bundle drops it in
the rear.
By the time this grain has been placed in the proper position for the binder to
take it the teeth will have reached the end of the ribs nearest the binder and will
drop down leaving their points below the face of the platform, and will there
remain until they are again brought in contact with the ribs upon a succeeding
round.
For communicating motion to the binding apparatus and cutting mechanism
a bevel-wheel C, is mounted upon the outer end of the shaft that carries the
pinion (giving motion to the platform gear-train above described) which meshes
into a pinion C¹, mounted upon a horizontal shaft C2, which turns in suitable
bearings, and carries at the forward end a pitman-driver e, which through the
usual pitman connection, reciprocates the cutting knife. The pinion C¹, is mounted
loosely upon the horizontal shaft C, and is provided at the rear end with ratchet-
teeth, that, when desired are made to engage similar teeth in a clutch F also loosely
mounted upon the shaft C2, but through the intervention of a spline made to turn
with the shaft, so that by the use of the ordinary shifting lever the clutch can be
moved backward or forward and thus stop or start the cutting and binding
apparatus at the will of the operator; a universal coupling f, unites the horizontal
shaft C, to a shaft F1, having a bevel pinion G mounted upon the rear end and
meshing into a bevel-wheel G¹, by means of which the binding mechanism is
operated. This binding attachment complete in itself, is located in the rear of the
drive wheel diagonal with the finger bar as before stated. As no claim is made to
the construction of the binder except in some minor details, it will not be necessary
to explain parts unclaimed in this application and suffice it to say the binder is of
the well known type used upon the Johnston Harvester Company's elevator grain
binder.
In order to more effectually bring the grain within reach of the binding
apparatus from the place where it has been deposited by the revolving platform,
pickers H, are used centrally hinged to a crank-shaft H¹, with their rear ends
connected pivotwise to a pendulum bar H³. This pendulum bar has its upper end
hinged to a supporting bar, H, so as to allow it to swing backward and forward,
when the pickers are made to describe an elliptical motion at their forward ends
by means of the connection with the crank shaft H¹.
These pickers are curved downward at their front ends and may be provided
with prongs H2, so as to more effectually draw the cut stalks of grain rearwardly
and within reach of the binding mechanism it being understood of course that the
pickers are placed in working position above the grain lying upon the platform.
Motion is communicated to the pickers by means of chain pulleys I, I¹, and a
chain I. The pulley I may be connected with the gear train that moves the
platform, as shown or it may receive motion from the binder gear-train by means
of connection with the sbaft G-a binder supporting beam J is connected to the

page_text: .
binder sufficiently far above the platform to allow of a free passage underneath the
beam for the movement of the grain.
A metallic binder supporting bar J¹, is provided, one end of which is attached
to the binder-frame and the other to the beam K, of the reaper-frame.
A butting board L has cross ribs and serrated claw-iron 1, upon the front end.
A bevel gear M. mounted upon the inner end of the shaft b, meshes into a
corresponding gear M¹, which is secured to a crank-shaft m. This crank shaft is
connected pivotwise to an arm m¹, projecting laterally from the butter-board and
securely bolted to the same; one end of a hook rod n, catches into an eye n¹, (near
the rear end of the butter) the other end being booked into an adjusting iron n²,
secured to a beam forming a part of the frame of the harvester. By means of the
elliptical motion given to the butter-board by the crank connection (which is
operated by the same gear-train that revolves the platform as hereinbefore
described) the butter is moved laterally and backward and forward, the rear link
connection, causing the back end to travel in a slightly elliptical orbit, by which
through the intervention of the ribs , and claw-iron 1, the butts of the grain are
made even and moved rearwardly in advance of the heads, thus rendering assistance
in turning the stalks of grain upon the revolving platform and causing them to
rest squarely upon the binding-table before being bound. This butter board is by
means of the holes in the adjusting iron n², made laterally adjustable at the rear
end (the front end may also be adjustably constructed) so that the cord can be
centrally placed around the gavel, whether the grain be long or short. A hand
lever O is placed within reach of the driver in his seat upon the machine; by which
through the intervention of a crank-shaft o, and tongue connecting link o¹, the
platform may be tilted and locked in the desired position, by the use of the spring-
bolt and detent rack-bar as is commonly done.
The reel is provided with the usual jointed bearing frame so as to give the up
and down, and backward and forward movement, and is run by a sprocket-chain
in the well known manner. A bent shield P is secured to the harvester-frame, and
underneath which the platform revolves, the shield preventing any grain from
being carried past the binder.
c, is one of the several friction-rollers upon which the platform rests; R, is the
finger bar.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a grain binding harvester having the cutting apparatus, platform, and
binding mechanism, all upon the same plane of elevation, the combination of the
revolving platform the pivotted teeth within the same, the circular ribs A¹, the
finger bar in front of the drive-wheel, the binding mechanism in the rear of
the same, and upon a line diagonal with the cutting apparatus substantially as
herein before described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
2. In a grain binding harvester having the cutting apparatus platform and
binding mechanism all upon the same plane of elevation, the combination of the
revolving platform the butting board, the crank-mechanism for operating the same
the shield P, and the binding mechanism in the rear of the drive wheel, and upon
a diagonal line with the finger bar substantially as hereinb-fore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
3. In a grain binding harvester having the cutting apparatus, platform and
binding-mechanism all upon the same plane of elevation, the combination of the
drive-wheel, the gear wheel D, pinion D', gear wheels d', d, D³, shaft b*, sprocket
wheels 63, 6', sprocket chain 62, shaft b, gear wheels B¹, B, and the revolving
platform, all arranged and operating substantially as herein before described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
4. In a grain binding harvester having the cutting apparatus, and binding
nucianisin upon the same plane of elevation, the combination of the drive-wheel,

page_text: gear wheel D, pinion D¹, gear-wheels C, C¹, shafts C, F¹, gear wheels G, G³, and
the shaft G2, for driving the binding mechanism all arranged and operating
substantially as herein before described and represented in the accompanying
drawing.
5. In a grain binding harvester having the cutting apparatus platform and
binding mechanism, all upon the same plane of elevation the combination of the
revolving platform carrying the pivotted teeth, the binding mechanism located in
the rear of the drive wheel and diagonal with the cutting apparatus the pickers H
mounted upon the crank-shaft H, and operated by the drive wheel through the
intervening connection substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in
the accompanying drawing.