NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE ATTACHED TO CERTAIN KINDS OF REAPING MACHINES FOR THE PURPOSE OF BINDING INTO PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest George Cook Bomford, of Fladbury, near
Pershore, in the County of Worcester, Farmer, for the Invention
of "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE ATTACHED TO
CERTAIN KINDS OF REAPING MACHINES FOR THE PURPOSE OF BINDING INTO
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest George Cook
Bomford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th March 1875.
I, ERNEST GEORGE COOK BOMFORD, of Fladbury, near Pershore, in
the County of Worcester, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE
ATTACHED TO CERTAIN KINDS OF REAPING MACHINES FOR THE PURPOSE OF BINDING
INTO SHEAVES OR BUNDLES WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN CUT BY THE SAID MACHINES,”
to be as follows:
-

page_text: apparatus when applied to self-delivering, reaping machines effects the
tying up, by means of string, of the grain cut by the machine into
sheaves or bundles.
The said machinery or apparatus is. constructed as follows:-The
essential parts of the machinery or apparatus consist of mechanical
combinations by which a loop or string is formed and is passed on to the
sheaf to be tied, its ends twisted together and forced into the sheaf, the
said sheaf being so tightly bound by the said loop that the twisted ends
of the loop forced into the sheaf are retained there' securely.
The loop is formed by means of a rotating arm or looper, which taking 1
hold of the string from which the loop is to be made, and which is
supplied from a ball of string supported by the machine, carries the said
string around a hollow cylinder at the end of or constituting a pro-
longation of the receptacle or box into which the cut grain is delivered
by the reaping machine. The said looper has a pair of jaws at its end 1
by which it takes hold of the string, and when it has performed a
rotation and has formed a loop around the hollow cylinder described a
pair of cutting forceps cut off the string thus made into a loop, and at
the same time grip or take hold of its two ends. The loop thus formed
is drawn from off the cylinder on to the sheaf, its motion at one side 1
being effected by the forceps which hold its ends, and the opposite side
of the loop is moved by means of a screw. By means of the said forceps
and screw the loop is carried around and to the middle of the sheaf, but
during the travelling of the forceps which hold the ends of the loop a
rotatory motion is given to the said forceps, whereby the ends of the loop 2
aro twisted. The carrier to which the said forceps are attached is
carried by an endless band and travels along a rail or guide bar
situated for the most part in a line with the axis of the sheaf..
1
'
That portion of the rail or guide bar which is near the middle of the
sheaf is bent nearly at right angles to the other portion, so that when
the forceps arrive at that part of the rail or guide bar the carrier is.
forced by means of a spring or equivalent arrangement down the said
angular portion of the rail or guide bar. By this motion the forceps are
thrust into the sheaf carrying the twisted ends of the loop with them,
the loop having been so shortened by the twisting of its ends that it
now binds the sheaf tightly. By the action of a wedge the jaws of the
forceps are opened slightly whereby they loose the twisted ends of the

page_text: loop which are left in the sheaf. The forceps retire by their carrier
ascending an incline on the guide bar or rail and are moved forward
by the endless band to which they are attached. The said endless band
carries two pairs of the said forceps, one of which is operating while the
other is performing its return motion.
The motion of the several moving parts of the apparatus is derived
from the reaping machine by means of gearing which drives the endless
band carrying the two pairs of forceps. Bevel gearing connects the
looper with the shaft of one of the pulleys over which the endless
band passes. The looper by means of a pulley and band gives the
required motion to the screw which, together with the forceps, carries
the loop forward. The looper also carries the eccentric herein-after
referred to.
The sheaf is released from the receptacle containing it by projecting
bars revolving with the toothed wheels, at each end of the receptacle
coming in contact with studs fixed on the bottom of the said receptacle,
the bottom is thus caused to slide back and the sheaf falls. When the
bars pass the studs the bottom is returned to its former position by the
action of springs. A picce of tarpauling or other fabric is fixed to that
end and side of the receptacle in which the screw works, the said tar-
pauling being free at the other end and side. The sheaf is thereby
allowed to drop freely, and when the bottom of the receptacle springs
to its place it brings the tarpauling with it. The use of this tarpauling
is to allow the spring to pass freely between the sheaf and the bottom
of the receptacle without catching in the straws. The jaws of the
looper are opened by means of a wedge-shaped bar. The two pairs of
forceps on the endless band are opened by a wedge raising the top jaw,
and the said forceps receive their rotatory motion by means of a small
pinion travelling in a rack. The motion of the strap of the eccentric
herein-before referred to causes the lid in which the screw works to
press the sheaf tightly up and thus assist the pushing in of the forceps
by keeping the sheaf firm.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ernest Georgo Cook Bomford in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 31st August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ERNEST
GEORGE COOK BOMFORD, of Fladbury, near Pershore, in the County of
Worcester, Farmer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Ernest George Cook Bomford, Her special
license that I, the said Ernest George Cook Bomford, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ernest George
Cook Bomford, 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 "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE ATTACHED TO
CERTAIN KINDS OF REAPING MACHINES FOR THE PURPOSE OF BINDING INTO SHEAVES
OR BUNDLES WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN CUT BY THE SAID MACHINES,” upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ernest George Cook
Bomford, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
describo and ascertain the naturo 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 Ernest George Cook Bomford,
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 :-
My Invention consists of machinery or apparatus constructed and
working in the manner herein-after described, which machinery or
apparatus when applied to self-delivering reaping machines effects tho

page_text: tying up, by means of string, of the grain cut by the machine into
sheaves or bundles.
The said machinery or apparatus is constructed as follows:-The
essential parts of the machinery or apparatus consist of mechanical
combinations by which a loop of string is formed around the sheaf to be
tied, its ends twisted together and drawn into the sheaf, the said sheaf
being so tightly bound by the said loop that the twisted ends of the
loop drawn into the sheaf are retained there securely.
The loop is formed by means of a rotating arm or looper, which
taking hold of the string from which the loop is to be made and which
is supplied from a ball of string supported by the machine, carries the
said string around the sheaf as it lies in a divided box or receptacle into
which the cut grain is delivered by the reaping machine. The said
looper has a double forceps at its end by which it takes hold of the
string, and when it has performed a rotation, and has thereby made a
loop around the sheaf the string is cut off, and the two ends held by
the forceps aro twisted. The loop is thereby diminishod in size and
tightened around the sheaf, and the twisted ends are drawn into the
sheaf and held there by the pressure of the inner part of the sheaf upon
them. The bound sheaf is allowed to fall from the box or receptacle in
which it has been bound by the temporary removal of part of the
bottom of the box or receptacle. The sides of the box are mado
collapsible so as to press the sheaf near its middle, and thereby aid the
binding of the sheaf. The spring forceps are opened at the required
times by means of a wedge. The twisted ends of the loop are drawn
into the sheaf by a spring forceps, and when the forceps detach them-
selves from the said twisted ends the latter aro held firmly in the sheaf
and the sheaf is thereby securely bound.
The motions of the several moving parts of the apparatus are derived
from the reaping machine by means of gearing. The revolving motion
of the looper is taken from a toothed wheel working loosely on the
bracket inside which the main shaft works. The driving gearing gives
to this wheel two revolutions to one revolution of the main shaft. The
rotatory motion of the forceps carried by the looper, and by which
rotatory motion the twisting of the ends of the loop is effected, is given
by means of a band and pulleys. The opening and closing of the
collapsible sides of the box or receptacle are effected by a double cam on

page_text: one end of the main shaft, while two cams on the other end of the
shaft respectively operate the forceps by which the twisted ends of the
loop are drawn into the sheaf and withdraw and replace the sliding
bottom of the box or receptacle.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figuro 1 represents in plan, and Figure 2, in end clevation, my new
or improved machinery or appartus to be attached to self-delivering
reaping machines for binding into sheaves or bundles wheat or grain
cut by the said machines; Figure 3 is an elevation and section of
a portion of the same. The same letters of reference indicate the same
parts in cach Figure.
a, a³, is a receptacle or box divided at its middle, in which box the
slicaf to be bound is delivered from the reaping machine. The sides 11
and 2 of the part a of the box are capable of assuming alternately the
positions indicated in dotted lines, and those represented in full lines.
The said sides 1 and 2 turn upon hinges at a³, and are moved as required
in the way herein-after described. The bottom 16 of the part a² of the
box is capable of sliding laterally from the part a for allowing the 2
slicaf after it has been bound to fall from the machine, as hercin-after
described. The string from which the loop for binding the sheaf is
formed is taken from a reel or bobbin turning on a spindle fixed on
the side of the bottom of the sheaf box a. c is the main shaft of tho
machine to which and to other moving parts of the machine motion is 2
communicated by the gearing d, e, as hercin-after explained; fis_a_
-cranked arm or looper bolted to the toothed wheel g. By the rotation
of the said wheel which works loosely on the bracket of the main
shaft c the looper is carried round the box a, the direction of its motion
being that indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. The looper carrics at
its end a double spring forceps. These forceps consist of three. parts,
namely, a central rigid part 7 on either side of which are spring blades i
and, each of the said spring blades i ork forming with the central
part a pair of forceps. The spring blades and in their normal
positions press near their ends on the central part 4, and are lifted from
the central part h for the purpose of receiving the end of the string from
which the loop is made by means of a wedge 1, tho configuration of

page_text: which is best seen in Figure 3. The string m of which the loop is made
passes through a hole in the heel of the wedge l, and when the forceps
in their motion advance upon the wedge 2, the said wedge passing
between the fixed central part and one of the outer blades i or %, the
said blade is raised from the central part 1, as shown in Figure 1, and
when the forceps has passed from off the heel. of the wedge 1, the
spring blade i or k resumes its normal position and seizes the projecting
end m² of the string between it and the fixed part h..
".
•
In starting to make a new loop the end of the string is seized between
the blades and h. The string thus held at its end by the forceps
is by the travelling of the looper f carried round the sheaf in the
box a, a, the said string being, drawn from off the reel through the hole
in the heel. The looper if having made one revolution the string
requires to be cut off and the detached ends also scized by the forceps.
This is effected as follows:-During the revolution of the looperf the
position of the wedge has been changed, the said wedge having moved
from the-right to the left-hand side of the central part of the forceps,
Figure 1; so as to present its sharp edge between the fixed part hand
the spring blade i of the forceps, so that when the looper fis commencing
its second. revolution the blade i is lifted from the part 7, and passing
over the heel of the wedge grasps tlic string between it (the blade i)
and the fixed part h. The blade iis provided with a knife edge by
which it cuts; off the string at the same time that it takes hold of. it.
The forceps when tho looper f starts on its second revolution has thus
hold of both ends of the string which has been passed. round the sheaf
lying in the box a, a, and during the second revolution of the looper f
the loop is drawn round the sheaf and its ends at the same time twisted
and the size of the loop thereby diminished.
,
a
The twisting of the ends of the loop is effected in the following
manner The forceps h, i, k, are carried by an axis working in the end
of the looper f, and by means of a pulley 12 on the said axis band o,
pulley p, and friction roller q bearing upon the annular bearing
rotatory motion is communicated to the said forceps and the twisting of
the ends of the loop effected. The twisted ends of the loop are drawn
into the sheaf by means of the spring forceps 8: carried by the arm't
worked by the lever u. These spring forcops s. being forced through the
sheaf to the end of the forceps h, i, k, are made to spring upon the
twisted ends of the loop, as indicated in dotted lines, in Figure 1...

page_text: When the forceps & are pulled back into the position represented in
Figure 1 they draw the twisted ends of the loop into the interior of the
sheaf, and when the whole of the twisted ends of the loop have been
brought into the sheaf the forceps & detach themselves from the said
ends.
The position which it is required that the forceps h, i, k, should have
as they approach the wedge is obtained in the following manner :-v is
a fixed guide having the figure represented; and wis a spring arm
carried by the pulley n, the said spring arm as the forceps approach the
wedgo strikes against the side or v³ of the guide v, and is in either
case guided into the groove v' therein, and the required position of the
forceps as they approach the wedge is thereby secured. The slight
change of position required in the wedge is effected in the following
way: The said wedge is carried by an arm a supported near one end
on the link y, and jointed at its other end to the cranked lever <. The
said cranked lever is geared to the moveable side 1 of the box a, a².
The said moveable side 1 of the box and the opposite side 2 are made to
compress the sheaf near its middle during the time the looper fis
revolving by assuming the inclined positions indicated in dotted lines in
Figuro 1, and as the side 1 takes its inclined position the wedge is
brought into the position at which it presents its point or thin edgo
between the blade i and the fixed part h.
The opening and closing of the sides 1, 2, of the box upon their
hinges a³ are effected by the short arms 3, 4, carrying rollers 5, 6, which
rollers bear against a cam 7, and are pressed thereto by the spring:
band 8. The cam 7 is slightly elliptical, and gives the required motion
to the moveable sides 1 and 2 of the box. As the looper ƒ has to per-
form two revolutions to effect the binding of the sheaf, the wheel g
carrying it works loosely on the bracket of the shaft c, and is made to
rotate twice while the shaft c makes one rotation. This is effected by
making the spur wheel e gear with the loose spur wheel 7, and the spur
wheel d gear with the spur wheel d², the gearing wheels d, e, being fixed
on the driving shaft c². On the end of the main shaft c are two cams 10
and 11, the cam 11 acting through the connecting rod 12, vertical
shaft 13, and connecting rods 14 and 15, gives a to-and-fro motion to
the bottom 16 of the part a² of the box a, and by drawing outwards the
said bottom 16 when the binding of the sheaf has been effected, allows
the sheaf to fall from the machine. By the return of the sliding

page_text: bottom 16 the box a, a³, is made ready for the reception of another
sheaf. The cam 10 effects the working of the spring forceps & through
the connecting rods 17, u, and t. The rollers on the ends of the rods 12
and 17 are kept to their bearings against the cams 11 and 10 respectively
by springs not shown in the Drawing.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as
the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Inven-
tion, but I claim as my Invention of new or improved machinery to be
attached to self-delivering reaping machines for the purpose of binding
into sheaves or bundles wheat or other grain cut by the said machines,
the arrangements or combinations of the parts of the said machinery or
apparatus, hercin-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, for carrying a string around the sheaf to be bound, cutting off
and twisting the ends of the said string, and drawing the said twisted
ends into the interior of the sheaf and afterwards liberating the bound
sheaf from the machine, the several parts being constructed and actuated
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest George Cook Bomford, havo
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
ERNEST GEORGE COOK BOMFORD. (L.s.)
JAMES W. WAGSTAFF,
Moor Pershore,
Worcestershire.