IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINERY
Year: 1884

page_text: JAMES HORNSBY and JOHN INNOCENT both of Spittlegate Iron Works Grantham
in the County of Lincoln Agricultural Engineers do hereby declare the nature of
our.invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINERY to be as follows:-
Our improvements relate to that class of Harvesting Machinery which first cuts
the crop and then elevates it to be bound into bundles. In such in chines the
heads of grain of the uncut crop are brought towards the cutters by a reel and us
the crop is cut it falls on the travelling apron running in a horizontal position; by
this apron the cut grain is conveyed to an elevating apparatus which generally
consists of a double set of canvasses and after being elevated the orop is bound into
bundles. In all inachines of this class it is found in work that as the crop is cut
and falls on the horizontal travelling apron the heads of the crop which fall on the
apron towards the back end of the machine travel across the machine towards the
elevators quicker than the stubble end of the crop which as it is cut falls close at
the back of the cutters causing the head ends of the crop to pass up the elevators
considerably in advance of the stubble ends and making a rough and somewhat
uneven sheaf. One part of our Invention is intended to remedy this and cause
both ends of the cut crop to travel at the same rate across the platform so that both
ends of the crop shall be carried up the elevator at the same time instead of one
being in advance of the other. This part of our Invention consists in making the
platform apron in two or more parts and causing that part of the apron next to the
cutters and which carries the stubble end of the crop to travel at a quicker speed
than the apron or aprons which carry the head ends of the crop. This may be
done by making the two ends of the roller which drives the aprons of different
diameters, that end of the roller next to the cutters being the largest to drive the
front part of the apron at a quicker speed while that part of the roller towards the
back end of the machine is made of smaller diameter to drive the canvas that
carries the head ends of the crop slower-The drive roller being of the largest
diameter at that end next to the cutters causes that part of the apron to stand
higher than the back aprons and this allows the laths which are made fast across
the aprons to get a better hold of the stubble end of the cut crop. Another part
of our invention is to more easily and quickly adjust the machine to cut the crop at
the height required. On the gear frame of the machine we mount two quadrant

page_text: shaped brackets one bracket on each side of the main drive wheel. These brackets
have teeth on one side of each bracket and are geared with two pinions one pinion
being fixed to each end of the axle that passes through the centre of the main
drive wheel. We make fast with one of these pinions a worm wheel and in a
bracket carried on the main drive wheel axle we mount a worm which gears into
the worm wheel. This worm is fixed on a short axis carried by the bracket and is
free to rotate in the bracket. One end of this worm axis projects through the
bracket and is of suitable shape to carry the end of the winding rod; the other
end of this rod which reaches from the worm axis to the back end of the machine
is fitted with a winch bandle so that by rotating the handle one way or the other
it drives the worm and causes the worm wheel with the two pinions and the main
wheel axle to revolve and thus to raise or lower the toothed quadrants with the
machine and thus place the cutting apparatus at the height desired To keep the
worm and the bracket that carries the worm in the proper position wo mount a
friction roller on the side of the worm bracket the roller being free to move up or
down in the curved path of the quadrant shaped toothed brackets. This curved
path also serves as a guide for the main wheel axle and raising pinions or in place
of a friction roller it may be a radius rod one end of the rod secured to the frame
the other end of the rod jointed to the worm bracket or other mechanism to hold
the worm and bracket in a proper position so that the winding rod which is
jointed to the worm axis may cause the worm to rotate with as little friction as
possible The novelty of this part of our Invention is that the winding rod is
jointed to the worm axis and the worm brackets is guided by any suitable means
independent of the winding rod.

page_text: WE GAMES HORNSBY JOHN INNOCENT DOLD Of Grantham in the County of
Lincoln Agricultural Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINERY and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our improvements relate to that class of Harvesting Machinery which first cuts
the crop and then elevates it to be bound into bundles.
Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Fig: 1 is a back elevation.
Fig: 2 is a plan view.
Fig 3 is a plan view shewing our mechanism for adjusting the machine to the
proper height of cut. Fig: 4 is an elevation of the same.
Fig: 5 is a view of our mechanism for adjusting the height of the machine this
view is shewn partly in section.
Fig: 6 is another view of the same bracket.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
In Fig. 1 A is the main or driving wheel of the machine, B and B¹ are tho
endless travelling aprons or bands on which the crop falls when it is cut and by
which it is conveyed to the elevating aprons C, C, which lift the crop and deliver
it on the platform D where it is bound into bundles or sheaves.
It is usual to make the aprons B and B¹ in one piece also the drive rolls E
and El in one piece of the same diameter It is found in work that as the crop is
cut and falls on the horizontal apron the heads of the crop which fall on the apron
towards the back end of the machine travel across the machine towards the
Elevators quicker than the stubble end of the crop which as it is cut falls close
bebind the cutters causing the head ends of the crop to pass up the Elevators
considerably in advance of the stubble end thus causing the sheaves when they are
bound to be very rough and uneven One part of our invention is intended to
remedy this and cause both ends of the cut crop to travel at the same rate across
the platform so that both ends of the crop may pass up the elevators at the same
time Our improvements consists in making the horizontal apron in two or more
parts and to make that part of the apron nearest the cutters travel faster than the
other part or parts. The roll which drives these aprons is shewn at E, and E'
being of the largest diameter at the part marked E which causes the apron B to
run faster than the apron B¹ which is driven by that part of the roll marked E'.
The roll being of the largest diameter at E causes the apron B to stand higher than
the apron B¹ and this allows the laths which are fastened to the aprons to get
better hold of the stubble end of the crop. The roll may be driven in any con-
venient manner we prefer to drive it by the chain wheel F, which is driven by the
usual chain at the back of the machine.
Another part of our invention relates to the adjustment of the machine to cut
the crop at the proper height and consists of two quadrant shaped brackets G,
and G¹ fixed to the gear frame one bracket on each side of the main drive wheel A,

page_text: The brackets G and G¹ have teeth on one side of each bracket and are geared with
two pinions H and H, which are made fast to the main axle I With the pinion H
a worm wheel J is connected and a worm K, is mounted in a bracket L, and which
is pivoted on the main wheel axle or the worm wheel The bracket L, is held in
position by a friction roll M mounted on a stud N on the bracket L the roll M
being free to move up or down in the curved path in the bracket G. To the worm
axis O, is connected a universal joint P and rod Q with the handle R, supported
by the bracket S, so that by rotating the handle R, one way or the other it drives
the worm and causes the worm wheel with the two pinions and the main wheel
axle to revolve and thus to raise or lower the toothed quadrants with the machine
and so place the cutting apparatus at the height desired We do not confine
ourselves to the use of the friction roll M to keep the brackets L in position other
means may be employed, one method would be to have a radius rod as shewn at T',
in dotted lines in Figs: 3 and 4, one end of the rod being attached to the machine
frame the other end to the bracket L, The novelty of this part of our invention is
that the rod Q is jointed to the axis O, and the bracket Lis guided by any suitable
means independent of the rod Q.
Having thus described the nature of our invention and the manner of performing
the same we would have it understood that we claim
First. In harvesting machines making the apron that conveys the cut crop to
the elevators in two or more parts as shewn and described with reference to
Figs 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
Second. Causing the apron nearest the cutters to travel at a quicker speed than
the apron behind it, substantially as herein before described with reference to
Figs 1 and 2.
Third. The combination of mechanism for adjusting the height of the machine
substantially as herein before described with reference to Figs 3 and 4.
Fourth. The employment of a rod Q jointed to the worm axis in combination
with the mechanism for adjusting the height of the machine as shewn and described
with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.
Dated till do 100K