IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING AND COLLECTING HAY AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCBA
Year: 1875

page_text: · LETTERS PATENT to William Newzam Nicholson and William Mather,
both of Newark-upon-Trent, in the County of Nottingham, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING AND COLLECTING
HAY AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCBA.”
"
Sealed the 20th December 1875, and dated the 23rd Junė 1875, 1
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Newzam
Nicholson and William Mather at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd June 1875.
We, WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATHER, both of
Newark-upon-Trent, in the County of Nottingham, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING
AND COLLECTING HAY AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machines for
making and collecting hay and similar substances, whereby such
machines are rendered less liable to breakage, and made more effective
in work.

page_text: The first part of these improvements relates to haymaking machines
where a second sliding pinion is used for reversing the motion of the
forks. We employ a catch or trigger which will fit into grooves in
the periphery of each pinion socket in such a way that it is only when
G
the grooves are brought into the proper position that the said catch can
be lifted or depressed, and one or the other pinion allowed to slide into
the proper gear. One pinion is thus firmly kept in a certain position
when the other is moved, and by this arrangement the driving wheels
and pinions cannot be improperly geared so as to cause breakage.
The second part of their improvements relate to machines for 1
collecting hay or similar substances by which the teeth of horse rakes
can be adjusted in relation to the surface of the land, either in a
parallel line, or in such a way that they will be higher at the centre
or at the ends so as to adapt them to the form of a ridge or furrow.
In horse rakes where a straight or through axle is used we fix 1
brackets to the axle, which brackets carry rods on which the teeth
rest. We use by preference a bracket at each end and two brackets
in the centre of the rake, and the rods are so connected by screws or
other contrivances to these brackets that they can be lifted or lowered
either in a straight line, or at the ends, or in the centre, at pleasure, 2
the teeth being lowered in the centre when raking in the furrow, or
raised when raking along the ridge.
Another plan is to make the bar on which the teeth sockets pivot
adjustable in a similar manner, and where a rocking frame is used
having a bar or rod on which the teeth rest, as well as a bar on which ?
the teeth sockets pivot; either or both of these bars may be arranged
to be lifted or lowered, and a like effect produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Newzam Nicholson and William Mather
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATHER, both of Newark-upon-Trent,
in the County of Nottingham, Engineers, send greeting.
8

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
3 cessors, give and grant unto us, the said William Newzam Nicholson
and William Mather, Her special licence that we, the said William
Newzam Nicholson and William Mather, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Newzam Nicholson
and William Mather, our 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 MACHINES FOR MAKING AND COLLECTING HAY
OR SIMILAR SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said William Newzam Nicholson and William Mather, our
executors, or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said William Newzam Nicholson and
William Mather, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 Drawings annexed, and to the letters or figures marked
thereon, that is to say :—

page_text: that they will be higher in the centre or at the ends so as to adapt them
to the form of a ridge or furrow.
And that the same may be better described and understood we have
appended one Sheet of Drawings with letters and figures of reference
marked thereon.
.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 illustrate the first part of our Invention, and of
these Figures 1 and 2 are respectively part transverse and longitudinal
sections of a haymaking machine with our improvements therein.
A and A* are the two sliding pinions, each having a groove round
the periphery of their prolonged bosses. When both the pinions are
out of gear with both the actuating or driving cog wheels B and B*,
these grooves marked D and D* are opposite each other, and the catch
or trigger E can be placed in either groove, according as to which of the
pinions it is desired should be moved into gear. Thus in Figure 2 the
catch is shown in the groove of the pinion A*, thereby locking it against 1
any lateral movement, leaving the pinion A at liberty to slide into gear
with either of the wheels B or B*, as may be required. The catch or
trigger is pivotted at one of its extremeties F in such a manner that it
has a vertical motion only, the other end being provided with a suitable
handle for raising or depressing it, as desired.
Figure 3 shows a modification of the same arrangement. In this
case the collars D and D* are provided on the pinions A and A* in lieu
of grooves, and the catch E has grooves in its upper and under surfaces
corresponding with the collars D and D*, the action being the same as
described in Figures 1 and 2. In Figure 3 the catch is shown lifted up,
locking the pinion A, leaving the pinion A* free to slide into gear with
either of the wheels B or B*. The method of securing the pinion
that is in gear is not shown, but it is similar to what is in ordinary
use.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the second part of our Invention,
and of these Figures 4 and 5 represent respectively a part transverse
section and an end elevation, partly in section, of a horse rake. A is
the axle; B, B, B, B, are brackets secured upon it, carrying screws
O, C, C, C. These screws pass through eyes in the ends of rods D, D,
in such a manner that by turning any of the screws O, O, the corre-
sponding end of either rod D, D, is raised or lowered as required. The
teeth E are pivotted in the usual manner on the bar F, and pass over

page_text: and rest on the rods D, D, so that on raising or lowering one or both
ends of the said rods by the screws. O the height of the points of the
teeth from the ground can be regulated. The full and dotted lines in
Figure 4 show the position of the teeth at their lowest and highest
points. In Figure 5 the outermost ends of the rods are shown at the
lowest, and the middle ends in their highest position in a suitable form
for raking along a ridge.
It is obvious that by reversing this arrangement," fixing the rods
lowest in the centre and highest at the ends, the teeth will be in a form
proper for raking along a furrow. By similar means great facilities are
given both for regulating the teeth to the contour of the ground to be
raķed, and for adjusting their height-to suit the nature of the crop to be
gathered.
Figure 6 shows a modification of the bracket B in which the
regulating screw is replaced by a link O having an eye at one end
to carry the rod D, its upper end passing through a slot in the bracket B,
and being there secured by a screw or cotter passing through holes in
the link O. The full and dotted lines show the positions both of the
teeth and the link O at their lowest and highest positions.
Figure 7 shows another modification in which the brackets B are
placed on the opposite side of the axle A. In this case the teeth rest
on the axle, the rod Fon which they pivot being supported from the
brackets B by the screws C; by turning these screws the teeth are
lowered or raised, as shown by the full and dotted lines. In this, as in
the former case, the screws can be replaced by links, as shown and
described in Figure 6.
Figure 8 shows another modification applied to rakes that have a
rocking frame. Here the brackets B are fixed to or form a part of the
rocking frame H, and oscillate with it about the axle A. The screws O
regulate the height of the rods D, the full and dotted lines showing the
teeth in their highest and lowest positions.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be carried out, we claim and desire to protect
by these Letters Patent as follows:-
First. The application of a catch or trigger locking one or other of
the sliding pinions in haymaking machines, and allowing the one not so

page_text: locked to slide, substantially in the manner described and shown in the
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Secondly. The application or arrangement of adjusting, raising, or
lowering the teeth of horse rakes, substantially as shown and described,
or any modification of the same.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Newzam Nicholson and
William Mather, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
. thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.