IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Robson, of Grindale, near Bridlington,
in the County of York, Machine Maker, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Robson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd December 1873.
I, THOMAS ROBSON, of Grindale, near Bridlington, in the County of
York, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of the application of two or more radius bars
or springs of any suitable length attached to the frame of the machine
or other suitable fixings, at the top or back of the machine at one end,
and to the knife or cutter at the other, so as to serve as a bearing for
the knife and permit it to move freely to and fro, and this without
friction. A cross bar being notched to each bar or spring immediately
behind the knife causing these ends of the bars or springs to move

page_text: parallel with each other and so prevent any strain on the bolts or other
fastenings which secure the knife to the said bars or springs. A bracket
with joint being fixed to the bar to receive the end of the connecting
rod, which is worked by an ordinary crank. These bars or springs may
be made of wood, steel, or iron, and they may be fixed to hang and work
on joints or centres, or instead of joints they may be made to spring,
the latter I recommend as it reduces the wearing parts and saves a great
amount of friction.
To fully explain this my Invention I now refer to the accompanying
Drawings and the letters of reference thereon, as follows:-
The Drawing shews a plan view of the reaping machine. a, the
general framework; b, the travelling wheels, upon which the machine
moves; c, the finger bar, upon which are fixed points or fingers d, and
between these the knife e, e, oscillates or moves, motion being imparted
to the knife by means of the radius bars or springs f, f, connected
immediately behind the finger bar c by a cross bar g, which is attached
at the joint to the connecting rod i and an ordinary crank j.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Thomas
Robson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ROBSON, of Grindale, near Bridlington, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, send greeting.
“WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Robson, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Robson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Robson, 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN REAPING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Robson, my exccutors 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
Channel Islands, and isle of Man, an Invention Ior IMPROVEMENTS
IN REAPING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Robson, my exccutors 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 Thomas Robson, 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:-
This Invention consists of the application of two or more radius bars
or springs of any suitable length attached to the frame of the machine
or other suitable fixings at the top or back of the machine at one end,
and to the knife or cutter at the other, so as to serve as a bearing for the
knife and permit it to move freely to and fro, and this without friction,
a cross bar being notched to each bar or spring immediately behind the
knife, causing these ends of the bars or springs to move parallel with
each other, and so prevent any strain on the bolts or other fastenings,
which secure the knife to the said bars or springs, a bracket with joint
being fixed to the bar to receive the end of the connecting rod, which is
worked by an ordinary crank. These bars or springs may be made of
wood, steel, or iron, and they may be fixed to hang and work on joints
or centres, or instead of joints they may be made to spring, the latter I
recommend as it reduces the wearing parts and saves a great amount of
friction.
To fully explain this my Invention I now refer to the accompanying
Drawing and the letters of reference thereon, as follows, the same letters
referring to like parts throughout.
The Drawing shews a plan view of the reaping machine. a, the
general framework; b, the travelling wheel, upon which the machine
moves; c, the finger bar, upon which are fixed points or fingers d, and
between these the knife e, e, oscillates or moves, motion being imparted
to the knife by means of the ordinary crank working the radius bars or
springs f, f, connected immediately behind the finger bar c by a cross