Improvements in Reaping Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reaping Machines.
We, JAMES HORNSBY and JOHN INNOCENT both of Spittlegate Iron Works,
Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows: —
This invention has for its object improvements in reaping machines and relates
especially to an arrangement in which the rakes and the knife crank are driven from
the main road wheel by two entirely separate driving trains whereby the draft of the
machine is lessened. The arrangement is also such as to admit of the necessary
adjustment of the height of the knife being obtained in a convenient manner.
The main road wheel is fast upon the outer end of an axis and upon the inner end
of this axis is a chain pinion which can be rendered fast with the axis by means of a
sliding clutch. This chain pinion drives the rake and a ring of internal teeth upon
the road wheel drives the knife crank. The further arrangement of the driving trains
will be described later.
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The axis of the road wheel supports a bearing on a bracket or arm which we call
the "axle bracket;
this projects from the axle in a downward and rearward
direction.
In the hinder end of the axie bracket a socket is formed and this socket receives
into it a hollow cylindrical pivot at the back of a second bracket which we call the
gear bracket. The two brackets are thus jointed together with the hollow pivot
parallel to the axis of the main wheel.
The gear bracket has upon it a bearing for the axis of the knife crank which pro-
jects forward in front of the pivot; it also has a standard formed upon it which
carries the rake. The platform of the machine the finger bar on which the knife
works and also the pole of the machine are all connected with the gear bracket. The
fore end of the gear bracket is suspended by a link from an arm on a lever handle by
which it, and the knife with it can be raised and lowered. The lever handle is
mounted upon a stud upon the axle bracket and on the handle there is a bolt which
can enter notches in an arc formed on the axle bracket so that the handle may be
locked fast to the axle bracket in various positions and with the gear bracket more or
less raised as may be required.
The ring of teeth on the main road wheel gears with a pinion on an axis which
passes through the hollow cylindrical pivot of the gear bracket and this serves as a
bearing for it. The axis of the pinion carries at its further or inner end a bevilled
wheel and this gears with a bevilled pinion on the axis of the knife crank. The knife
crank is connected with the knife by a connection in the usual way and so the knife
is caused to make many movements to and fro for each rotation of the main wheel.
The rake head rotates about an upright stud axis on the top of the rake standard;
the rake arms are jointed to the rake head and they are controlled in their movements
by a cam path extending around the stud axis. Upon the under side of the rake
head there are bevilled teeth and these engage with a pinion on an horizontal axis
carried in a bearing on the top of the rake standard. Upon this axis there is a chain
pinion and an endless driving chain passes around this pinion and the corresponding
pinion upon the axis of the main rod wheel. The endless chain passes also over a
roller in rear of the chain pinions; this roller is carried by an arm jointed to the
axle bracket and a spring presses upon the arin and holds the roller against the chain
so as to keep it from falling slack when the gear bracket is lowered. When the
gear bracket is raised the roller yields and allows the endless chain to adjust itself
to the increased distance between the two chain pinions which drive the rake. By
this train of gear the rake head is driven so that it rotates somewhat more slowly
than the main wheel.

page_text: The pinion which engages with the teeth upon the main wheel can slide upon its
axis and there is a spring clutch in connection with it which disengages automatically
when the machine backs. This pinion can also be taken out of gear by means of a
hand lever. The chain pinion on the axis of the main wheel is also held fast by a
sliding clutch. The two clutches above mentioned are coupled together so that if the
machine backs both the knife gear and the rake gear cease to operate and when
moving forward both can be thrown out of gear simultaneouly by the same handle.
Dated this 6th day of December 1889.
JAMES HORNSBY.
JOHN INNOCENT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reaping Machines.
We, JAMES HORNSBY and JOHN INNOCENT both of Spittlegate Iron Works,
Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this 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 has for its object improvements in reaping machines and relates
especially to an arrangement in which the rakes and the knife crank are driven from
the main road wheel by two entirely separate driving trains whereby the draft of
the machine is lessened. The arrangement is also such as to admit of the necessary
adjustment of the height of the knife being obtained in a convenient manner.
Figure 1 is a plan partly in section of a portion of a harvesting.machine showing
these gear trains and the parts in connection therewith.
Figure 2 is an elevation of this portion of the machine.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the rake head.
The main road wheel a is fast upon the outer end of an axis 6 and upon the inner
end of this axis is a chain pinion c which can be rendered fast with the axis by means
of a sliding clutch d. This chain pinion drives the rake and a ring of internal teeth a¹
upon the road wheel drives the knife crank. The further arrangement of the
driving trains will be described later.
The axis of the road wheel supports a bearing e¹ on a bracket or arm e which
we call the "axle bracket; " this projects from the axle in a downward and rearward
direction.
In the hinder end of the axle bracket a socket e² is formed and this socket receives
into it a hollow cylindrical pivot f¹ at the back of a second bracket f which we call
the gear bracket. The two brackets are thus jointed together with the hollow pivot f¹
paraller to the axis of the main wheel.
The gear bracket f has upon it a bearing 2 for the axis of the knife crank which
projects forward in front of the pivot; it also has a standard f³ formed upon it which
carries the rako. The platform of the machine the finger bar on which the knife
works and also the pole of the machine are all connected with the gear bracket f.
The connection with the pole can be adjusted by means of the lever bandle glas
shown. The fore end of the gear bracket f is suspended by a link h from an arm on
a lever handle i by which it, and the knife with it can be raised and lowered. The
lever handle is mounted upon a stud ¹ upon the axle bracket and on the handle there
is a bolt which can enter notches in an arc e formed on the axle bracket so that the
handle may be locked fast to the axle bracket in various positions and with the gear
bracket more or less raised as may be required.
The ring of teeth a' on the main road wheel gears with a pinion ¹ on an axis k
which passes through the hollow cylindrical pivot f1 of the gear bracket and this serves
as a bearing for it. The axis of the pinion carries at its further or inner end a
bevilled wheel k² and this gears with a bevilled pinion 1 on the axis 1 of the knife
crank. The knife crank is connected with the knife by a connecting rod in the
usual way and so the knife is caused to make many movements to and fro for each
rotation of the main wheel.

page_text: The rake head m rotates about an upright stud axis f4 on the top of the rake
standard 3. The rake arms m¹ m' are jointed to the rake head m and they are
controlled in their movements by a cam path n extending around the stud axis f*.
Upon the under side of the rake head there are beville teeth m² and these engage
with a pinion o¹ on an horizontal axis o carried in a bearing on the top of the rake
standard. Upon this axis there is a chain pinion 03 and an endless driving chain P
passes around this pinion and the corresponding pinion c upon the axis 6 of the main
road wheel. The endless chain p passes also over a roller q in rear of the chain pinions;
this roller is carried by an arm jointed to the axle bracket e and a spring 201
presses
upon the arm and holds the roller against the chain so as to keep it from falling
slack when gear bracket fis lowered. When the gear bracket is raised the roller q
yields and allows the endless chain to adjust itself to the increased distance between
the two chain pinions c and o² which drive the rake. By this train of gear the rake
head is driven so that it rotates somewhat more slowly than the main wheel.
7"
The pinion which engages with the teeth on the main wheel can slide upon its
axis and there is a clutch's in connection with it which is held in gear by a spring
operating upon the clutch fork s¹ as is shown at Figure 4. The clutch disengages
automatically when the machine backs the clutch teeth on the pinion being suitably
inclined. This pinion can also be taken out of gear by means of a hand lever t.
The chain pinion c on the axis of the main wheel is also held fast by a sliding
clutch d in connection with which there is a spring tending to hold the clutching
parts together. The two clutches d and s above mentioned are coupled together by
a lever u connecting the two clutch forks d¹ and s¹. If the machine backs both the
knife gear and the rake gear cease to operate and when moving forward both can
be thrown out of gear simultaneously by the same hand lever t. The axis of the
lever t is cranked at its lower end and a rod connects it with the lever u.
In throwing the clutches out of gear the handle is moved far enough to carry
the crank over the centre up to a stop where the springs then retain it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A reaping machine in which the rake is driven by an endless chain passing
around a pinion on the axis of the road wheel and another pinion on an axis geared
by bevelled gear with the rako head and in which the chain automatically adjusts
itself to the varying distance between the pinions.
2. A reaping machine in which the axle of the road wheel carries an axle bracket
having a socket receiving the hollow pivot of a gear bracket on which is the bearing
of the knife crank and in which machine teeth carried by the road wheel engage
with a pinion upon an axis passing through the hollow pivot of the gear bracket and
geared by bevelled gear with the axis of the knife crank.
3. A reaping machine in which the knife and the rake are driven by independent
gear trains with clutches so coupled together that the two trains are thrown in and
out of gear simultaneously.
1000
JAMES HORNSBY.
JOHN INNOCENT.