IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REELS OF REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE REELS OF REAPING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by
Frederick Frank Kanne, Farmer, and Luther Zoan Rogers, Merchant, both
of Waterville Le Sueur, County and State of Minnesota, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REELS OF REAPING MACHINES [A com-
munication from abroad by Frederick Frank Kanne, Farmer, and Luther Zoan
Rogers, Merchant, both of Waterville Le Sueur, County and State of Minnesota,
United States of America.]
"
This invention relates to a feathering reel for reaping machines and to the
peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts whereby the slats or beaters are
Inade to feather so that as the reel revolves the slats or beaters will seize the
uncut grain and lift it upon the canvas or platform, raising lodged grain, and in
windy days when the grain leans from the platform the beaters will reach over
the heads of the grain and move it back to the cutter bar. Another advantage of
this feathering reel is that it will not force the grain over the platform because the
beaters feather and lift themselves out of the cut grain on the platform slowly and
gradually.
The horizontal shaft of the reel is adapted to revolve over the platform and in
front of the cutters in the usual manner. It is journalled at the end at the drivers
side of the machine in a post rising from the platform but instead of being
supported by a post at the grain side of the machine its journal at that end is
supported in a bearing suspended by a cord passing over a pulley at the top of an
inclined brace rising from the platform, and by a weight attached to the cord and
resting on the incline, whereby the end of the reel shaft at the grain side of the
Dir

page_text: machine is supported and the weight or strain on the box and reel shaft on the
drivers side of the machine is counterbalanced.
The slats or beaters of the reel are attached each to the arms of a pair of bell
crank levers pivoted in the slotted ends of the reel arms, and the other arms of
the said levers are respectively connected by links with crank arms on a shaft
extending from end to end of the reel and mounted in discs secured to the reel
arms. These crank shafts, of which there is one for each beater, are made of iron
tubes to combine lightness with strength. The crank arms on the drivers side of
the machine are provided with rollers adapted to revolve in the groove of a cam
at that side of the machine whereby the feathering action is given to the beaters
This cam has an eccentric hole for the passage of the reel shaft and is provided
with a lever whereby the driver in his seat and while the machine is in motion,
can by raising or lowering the lever give more or less pitch to the cam and
consequently more or less feather to the beaters. Any of the ordinary devices for
holding the lever when adjusted may be employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th September 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REELS OF REAPING MACHINES." A com-
munication from abroad by Frederick Frank Kanne, Farmer, and Luther Zoan
Rogers, Merchant, both of Waterville, Le Sueur County and State of Minnesota,
United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in feathering reels for reaping machines
and consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts as hereafter
more fully set forth, whereby the slats or beaters are caused to feather, so that as
the wheel revolves, the slats or beaters will seize the uncut grain and lift it upon
the canvas or platform, raising lodged grain, and in windy days when the grain
leans from the platform, the beaters will reach over the heads of the grain and
move it back to the cutter bar. Another advantage of the construction of this
feathering reel is that it will not force the grain over the platform because the
beaters feather and lift themselves out of the cut grain on the platform slowly and
gradually.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an end elevation of the improved
feathering harvester reel. Figure 2 is a face view of the cam by which the
feathering action of the beaters is produced, and Figure 3 is a front elevation of
the reel.
a is the platform of the harvester provided at its front edge with fingers and
cutters of any of the well known constructions. bis the horizontal shaft of the
reel adapted to revolve over the platform and in front of the cutters in the usual
manner. This shaft b is journalled at one end in the vertical reel post c rising from
the platform a near its front edge and near the side of the platform at the drivers
side of the machine, but instead of being supported by a post at the grain side of
the machine, its journal c¹ at that end is supported in a bearing d having an eye e
and suspended by a cord f attached to said eye and passing over a pulley g at the
top of an inclined brace h rising from and fixed to the platform a, a counter-
weight being attached to the cord f and resting on the inclined brace h, whereby
the end of the reel shaft at the grain side of the machine is supported and the
weight or strain on the box and reel shaft on the drivers side of the machine is
counterbalanced. are the reel arms mortised into the reel shaft b at their inner
ends in the usual manner and each provided at its outer end with a slot l¹ in which
is pivoted a bell crank lever m. The slats or beaters m¹ of the reel are attached
each to the outer arms of a pair of opposite bell crank levers m and the other arms
of each pair of levers m are respectively connected by links n with a corresponding
pair of crank arms o¹ o² formed on a shaft o of which there is one for each beater.
These shafts o extend from end to end of the reel and are made of iron tube to
combine lightness with strength. They are mounted in flat rings p which are
secured to the inner faces of the reel arms and strengthen the construction of the
reel. The crank arms o³ are provided with rollers os adapted to revolve in the
groove k¹ of a cam k at the drivers side of the machine, whereby the feathering
action is given to the beaters. This cam k is mounted eccentrically and loosely
upon the reel shaft b which passes through the eccentric hole ³. It is provided
with the groove k' and has a lever k² secured to its closed face whereby the driver
in his seat and while the machine is in motion can, by raising or lowering the
lever, give more or less pitch to the cam and consequently more or less feather
to the beaters. Any of the ordinary devices for holding the lever k³ when adjusted,
may be employed.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is.
1st The combination with the reel shaft b journalled in the reel post c and
provided with the journal c¹ at its opposite end, and cam k hung loosely on the
reel shaft on the drivers side of the machine, of the bearing d having an eye e,
cord having a weight i at its rear end, and inclined brace / provided with a
pulley g at its upper end, substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
2nd The combination with the reel shaft b journalled in the post c, and the cam k
hung loosely on the reel shaft and provided with a cam groove ¹ on the drivers
side of the machine, of the slotted reel arm l, rings p, bell crank levers m, feathering
beaters m', links n, and rock shaft o having arms o¹ o² and rollers o³ operating in
the cam groove k¹, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
3rd The combination with the overhanging reel shaft b. and cam k hung loosely
on said shaft and provided with the cam groove k³, lever k², and means for holding
the cam when adjusted arranged on the drivers side of the machine, of the slotted
reel arms l, rings p, bell crank levers m, feathering beaters m', links n, rock shaft o
having arms o' 0%, and rollers 03 substantially as described and for the purpose set
forth.
4th The double crank shafts o o made of tubular iron substantially as described
and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set my
hand and seal this sixth day of September, A.D. 1882.