IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS IN WHICH CHAINS ARE USED FOR COMMUNICATING MOTION
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Lord,- of Todmorden, in the County of York,
and Richard Norfolk, of Beverley, in the same County, Managing
Directors of the Beverley Iron and Wagon Company, Limited, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS IN WHICH CHAINS
ARE USED FOR COMMUNICATING MOTION."
Sealed the 16th October 1866, and dated the 19th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Lord and Richard
Norfolk at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 19th April 1866.
We, EDWARD LORD, of Todmorden, in the County of York, and RICHARD
NORFOLK, of Beverley, in the same County, Managing Directors of the
Beverley Iron and Wagon Company, Limited, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES, WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS IN WHICH CHAINS
ARE USED FOR COMMUNICATING MOTION," to be as follows:-
Our improvements consist in certain improved modes of tightening the-
chains employed in communicating motion from the driving wheel to the
driven wheel. One of these wheels is fixed to an axle revolving in a hole-
placed eccentrically in a circular bush fitting into a fixed socket. By turning

page_text: this bush partly round the distance between the two centres of the wheels is
varied; or the same object may be accomplished by fixing the axle in a
sliding bearing regulated by set screws or other equivalents. In both these
cases universal joints must be applied to the axle that is moved to compensate
for the varying positions of the journal. When the centres of the driver and
driven wheels are fixtures the universal joints are dispensed with and the
chain is tightened by a roller on a stud, the position of which is moveable on
a lever or in a slide to take up the slack of the chain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Lord and Richard Norfolk in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we EDWARD
LORD, of Todmorden, in the County of York, and RICHARD NORFOLK, of
Beverley, in the same County, Managing Directors of the Beverley Iron and
Wagon Company, Limited, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Edward Lord and Richard Norfolk, Her. special license that we,
the said Edward Lord and Richard Norfolk, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Edward Lord and Richard
Norfolk, 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 REAPING MACHINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS IN WHICH CHAINS ARE USED FOR COMMUNICATING
MOTION," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Edward
Lord and Richard Norfolk, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of our or 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Edward Lord and Richard Norfolk,
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 (that is to say):-
Our improvements consist in certain improved modes of tightening the
chains employed in communicating motion from the driving wheel to the
driven wheel. One of these wheels is fixed to an axle working in a hole
placed eccentrically in a circular bush fitting into a fixed socket. By turning
this bush partly round the distance between the two centres of the wheels is
varied; or the same object may be accomplished by fixing the axle in a
sliding bearing regulated by set screws or other equivalents. In both these
cases universal joints must be applied to the axle that is moved to compensate
for the varying positions of the journal. When the centres of the driver
and driven wheels are fixtures the universal joints are dispensed with and the
chain is tightened by a roller on a stud, the position of which is moveable on
a lever or in a slide to take up the slack of the chain.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation we will proceed to describe the two accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, which represent our improvements applied to a Beverley
reaping machine,. but we wish to observe that our, improvements are equally
applicable to other agricultural implements in which chains are used for
communicating motion.
On Sheet 1,. Figure 1 is an elevation of a reaping, machine to which our
improvements are applied; Figure 2 is an end view, and Figure 8 a plan of
part of the same. On Sheet 2, Figures 4 and 5 are two views of our
improved driving apparatus drawn on an enlarged scale; Figures 6 and 7
are parts of our improvements drawn full size; and Figures 8 and 9 are two
views of a few links of the chain which we prefer to employ in combination
with our improvements.
:
In Figures 1,2, and 3, a, a, are the supporting wheels which are connected
to the axle 6 by catches and ratchet; wheels in order that the axle may be
turned round when the niachine is moving forwards, but that when the
machine is being backed no motion is given to the axle. To the axle b is
fixed the spur wheel c, gearing into the pinion d on the cross shaft e, to which
is keyed the bevel wheel gearing into the pinion f', see Figure 3*. This
pinion is fixed to the shaft f, the lower end of which is cranked, and drives
is also fixed
by: means of the motion bar f³ the knife bar q.; to the shaft
the toothed wheel 9, which by means of the endless chain h communicates
motion to the toothed wheel i, seen also in Figures 4 and 5; this wheel is

page_text: g
keyed to the short shaft j, which revolves in a hole placed eccentrically in
the bush k, see Figures 6 and 7, and this bush fits in the socket 1, the bracket
of which is secured to the framework of the machine. To the end of the
bush k is fixed the handle k', and to the socket is cast the disc with holes l';
the pin passes through holes in the bandle and disc to hold the bush in its
desired position. By turning the handle k¹ partly round the distance between
the centres of the wheels 9 and i can be varied. In Figure 7 the busk k.is
shewn with the centre of the shaft directly below the centre of the bush,
consequently the centres of the wheels g and i are nearest to each other or in.
the positions they would be placed in when the chain,h is put on the wheels;
but when the chain becomes stretched or worn and, it is necessary to tighten
it, the handle is turned partly round to allow the pin 2 to be put into.
another hole in the disc 1. In proportion as the chain requires tightening.
the handle is turned further round until it has been turned half round, at.
which time the centre of the shaft will be above the centre of the bush;
thereby increasing to the greatest extent the distance between the wheels and
at the same time tightening the chain. to its utmost limit. The variations. in
the positions of the centre of the short shaft j.necessitate the application of. a
universal joint for transmitting the motion of the shaft ; to the horizontal
shaft m on which are the bevel or mitre wheels n and o for driving the
wheel pl on the diagonal shaft p, shewn in Figures 1 and 3. This shaft has
pulleys on it to work the endless bands or chains, to which are fixed fingers or
teeth for delivering the cut corn in swathes at either side of the machine
as required. The end of the shaft j is forked to receive one end of the
link m', the other end of which fits in a fork at the end of the shaft m; the
wheels n and o are fast on the bush m³, which slides on a feather key fixed in
the shaft m. By moving the bush m³ to one side or the other the direction of
motion of the shaft p is reversed, the object of which is to traverse the corn.
when cut to one side of the machine or the other, as required. The reel r is
driven by a crossed strap from the pulley m³ on the shaft m, as shewn in
Figures 1 and 3. Our improved mode of tightening the chain h may be
niodified by supporting the shaft j in a sliding bearing, the position of which
is regulated by a set screw, as shewn in Figure 10, or the chain h may be
tightened without moving the centres of the driver and driven wheels, thereby.
dispensing with the universal joints above, described by a roller or pulley
mounted on a stud projecting from a lever, as shown in Figure 11, or the
stud of the tightening pulley may be fixed in a slide, the position of which : is
regulated by screws.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner

page_text: of performing the same, we declare that we claim the improved modes of
tightening chains for communicating motion from one part of a reaping
machine or other agricultural implement to the other, as shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Lord and Richard Norfolk,
have hereto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day of October,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
EDWD LORD.
(L.B.)
RICH NORFOLK. (L.B.)