IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Gibson, of St. Andrew's Works, Gallow-
gate, Newcastle-on-Tyne, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
AND MOWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 29th April 1862, and dated the 16th November 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Gibson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
November 1861. -
I, MATTHEW. GIBSON, of 'St. Andrew's Works, Gallowgate, Newcastle-on-
Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and mowing
machines.
In constructing reaping and mowing machines in order to reduce the
friction between the knife bar and the finger bar, and to prevent them from
becoming choked, I form the knife bar with projections on its under side.
These projections are received in grooves formed across the necks of the..
fingers; the bottom of the groove across each of the fingers is made to
incline upwards from each of its ends, so that each projection only rests upon
an edge across the centre of the groove in which it is received. The back of
the knife bar has also projections formed on it, behind the centre of each
knife; these projections work against projections on the edge of the finger-bar.

page_text: As the knife bar is moved to and fro the projections on its under side remove
at each stroke from the necks of the fingers any matter that might otherwise
lodge and obstruct the motion of the knife bar; the projections behind the
knife bar prevent, in a similar manner, any matter from lodging between the
edges of the knife bar and finger bar: When the knives are attached to
the under side of the knife bar the knives may be formed with projections on
their under side, in place of the projections being formed on the bar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Matthew Gibson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
GIBSON, of St. Andrew's Works, Gallowgate, Newcastle-on-Tyne, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her inost Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Matthew Gibson, Her special licence that I, the said Matthew
Gibson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Matthew Gibson, 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 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Matthew Gibson, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 Matthew Gibson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping and' mowing
machines.
In constructing reaping and mowing machines, in order to reduce the
friction between the knife bar and the finger bar, and to prevent them from
becoming choked, I form the knife bar with projections on its under side.
These projections are received in grooves formed across the necks of the
fingers; the bottom of the groove across each of the fingers is made to incline
upwards from each of its ends, so that each projection only rests upon an edge
across the centre of the groove in which it is received. The back of the
knife bar has also projections formed on it behind the centre of each knife;
these projections work against projections on the edge of the finger bar. As
the knife bar is moved to and fro, the projections on its under side remove at
each stroke from the necks of the fingers any matter that might otherwise
lodge and obstruct the motion of the knife bar; the projections behind the
knife bar prevent, in a similar manner, any matter from lodging between the
edges of the knife bar and finger bar. When the knives are attached to
the under side of the knife bar the knives may be formed with projections on
their under side in place of the projections being formed on the bar.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto

page_text: or attached to the knife bar, they may form a portion of or be attached to the
finger bar A..
Figures 4 and 5 shew sections similar to Figures 2 and 3, but in these
Figures the knives are carried on the upper edge of the knife bar, in place of
.on the under side, as shewn in Figures 2, the projections E are therefore
formed on the under side of the knife bar.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Gibson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
MATTHEW GIBSON. (L.S.)