Invention of APPLIANCES FOR REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Culpin of N° 36 Worship Street in the county
IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF REEL
of Middlesex for an Invention of
APPLIANCES FOR REAPING MACHINES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Culpin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th June 1882.
THOMAS CULPIN of N° 36 Worship Street in the county of Middlesex
IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF REEL APPLIANCES FOR REAPING MACHINES
The object of this invention is an improved arrangement of reel appliances of
reaping machines whereby the blade or blades is or are caused to descend
vertically or nearly so into the heads or ears of the grain and carry or push the
straws onto and over the platform without beating against the heads the blade or
blades retaining their vertical position while travelling over the platform and on
rising again, to clear and to prevent the scattering of the cut grain.
For the purpose of my invention I form or fit a short lever on the axis which
carry the blade arms at a right angle to the axis and by means of rods therefrom
and connected to the blades which are pivotted to the arms 1 cause them as they
descend towards the cutters to assume a vertical or nearly vertical position so that
their edges enter into between the ears of the grain straws and carry or push the
straws on to and over the platform by the pressure of the flat side of each
blade, the vertical position of the blade or blades being retained while they are in
contact or until the straws fall (after being cut) by their own weight on to and
from the platform and also while leaving the uncut straws in the onward motion of
the machine.
The movement of each blade into and with the straws as they are cut is by a
kind of gliding-varying-angle-action and this is continued as the blade leaves the
standing straws without further action upon the cut straws.
Instead of the short lever before mentioned a cam or eccentric can be fitted to
govern the movements of the blade or blades.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Culpin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
December 1882.
THOMAS CULPIN of N° 36 Worship Street in the County of Middlesex
IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF REEL APPLIANCES FOR REAPING MACHINES.
The object of this Invention is an improved arrangement of reel appliances of
reaping machines whereby the blade or blades is or are caused to descend vertically
or nearly so into the heads or cars of the grain and carry or push the straws on to
and over the platform without beating against the heads the blade or blades
retaining their vertical position while travelling over the platform and on rising
again to clear and to prevent the scattering of the cut grain.
For the purpose of my Invention 1 form or fit a short lever on the axis which
carries the blade arms at a right angle to the axis and by means of rods therefrom
and connected to the blades which are pivotted to the arms I cause them as they
descend towards the cutter to assume a vertical or nearly vertical position so that
their edges enter into between the ears of the grain straws and carry or push the
straws on to and over the platform by the pressure of the flat side of each blade,
the vertical position of the blade or blades being retained while they are in contact
or until the straws fall (after being cut) by their own weight on to and from the
platform and also while leaving the uncut straws in the onward motion of the
machine
The movement of each blade into and with the straws as they are cut is by a
kind of gliding varying angle action and this is continued as the blade leaves the
standing straws without further action upon the cut straws.
Instead of the short lever before mentioned a cam or eccentric can be fitted to
govern the movements of the blade or blades.
My Invention is represented in the annexed drawings in which Figures 1, 2, 3, 4
show four positions which the rake-blade assumes during one rotation of the reel.
A is the short lever aflixed to the projecting end of the shaft B on which the reel
is loosely mounted C is a rod pinned to the short lever A at one end and at its
opposite end to a link D projecting from the hanging bar E forming part of the
rake K and rake-blade G these as one article being suspended by the lugs H H
from the reel arm I as shown as to reciprocate in the segment of a circle under
the varying positions which the rod assumes as the recl arms J J J move round.
In Figure 1 I have shown the blade G and teeth K K in the position to act as
a rake to sweep the cut grain from the platform which position it retains or nearly
so as it moves over the platform the blade G and teeth K then as they rise
gradually assume the position shown at Figure 2 and continue until they become
vertical at the top of their travel as shown at Figure 3 they then begin to descend
and assume a position as at Figure 4 ready to enter into and between the grain
to incline it over the cutters, the blade C and teeth K gradually entering and
separating it from the standing crop until it is cut. The teeth K then begin to act
as a rake and travel over the platform L carrying the cut crop with it the cut
crop then falls on to the ground.
I purpose using the suspended rake G K to drop platform machines as shown in
the several figures and to prevent the cut crop leaving the platform except at fixed
intervals I attach a rod M to it at N the other end of the rod M being hung to a
lever P whose opposite end is controlled by a cam R against the edge of which a
bowl or roller S on the lever rides as shown in the detail view Figure 5 so that the
back portion of the platform L is kept raised while the reel arms J J J are moving
round and lay the cut crop on the platform but so soon as the rake G K passes

page_text: over the cutters the hollow of the cam being timed to correspond and coming
opposite to the bowl S permits the bowl to enter and the platform L to drop, the
rake G K then sweeping the crop off. I hinge a strip T with teeth U U at the
rear edge of the platform L and when the platform is raised by its rod M
the peculiar attachment of it to the side frame V causes it to be set at an angle
the reverse of that of the platform so that the teeth U U stand uppermost and
act like a fork to hold the crop on the platform, until the platform drops when it
also drops which frees the teeth from the crop and allows the rake G K to sweep
it clean off.
The cam R is mounted loosely on the reel carrying shaft B and is in a piece with
the sockets W W which carry the reel arms it receives its rotation by its toothed
wheel X being geared into by the pinion Y formed with or keyed to the sprocket
wheel Z this receiving its rotation by the chain Z¹ from the main driving wheel or
from some other portion of the motion gear.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
The short lever A fixed to the shaft B on which the reel revolves, the short
lever being connected by the rod C and the lever D to the suspended rake as and
for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Culpin have hereunto set my hand
and seal this nineteenth day of Decomber in the year of our Lord, One
thousand, eight hundred and eighty two.