IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Fewster Wilkinson, of 25, Bloomsbury
Street, Bedford Square, London, Agricultural Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 8th July 1856, and dated the 30th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Fewster Wilkinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th day of January 1856.
I, THOMAS FEWSTER WILKINSON, of 25, Bloomsbury Street, Bedford Square,
London, Agricultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES" to be as
follows, and consists in an apparatus for removing the grain or corn from the
platform of a reaping or mowing machine, and depositing it on the ground at
the side of the machine in heaps suitable for binding.
Underneath the platform are two rakes rigidly attached to each other, which
move transversely to the course of the machine. These rakes are provided
with teeth, rigidly attached to a shaft working in bearings fixed to the rake,
and which teeth project up perpendicularly through slots in the platform. One

page_text: of these rakes, by suitable mechanism hereafter mentioned, moves the corn to
the centre of the platform, and the other rake moves it to the ground at the side
of the machine, and as soon as such motion is completed, the projections on the
shafts of the rakes come in contact with a projecting pin, which causes the teeth
to assume a horizontal position, to allow the rake to move to the other side of
the platform to again remove the corn, and when the rakes have completed
such motion, the projections strike against other pins, causing them to again
assume the perpendicular position. Instead of employing spur gear, wheels, and
horizontal crank, I employ bevil wheels and vertical crank, and to the vertical
wheel on the driving shaft I gear into it a horizontal wheel having on one of
its arms a pin. Into this pin fits a slotted lever, having its fulcrum at one
end thereof, so that as the horizontal wheel revolves, it causes the lever to
vibrate and give to the rakes which are attached to the other end of the lever
(which is slotted) by a pin of the rake fitting therein) the motion-above men-
tioned. The rakes may be guided in any suitable manner. At the end of
the platform, where the corn is raked off, I use an elevated shaft with
dependent teeth, which are held in position by a catch until released by the
approach of the rake, so as to compress the corn and deliver it on the ground
in a compact form for binding.
For the purpose of gearing and ungearing the cutting and raking appa-
ratus with the driving axle, I place the before mentioned vertical wheel loose
thereon, the boss of which wheel is provided with a ratchet clutch, and gearing
into it is another ratchet clutch, sliding on the axle, but is made to revolve
with it. The sliding clutch is pressed against the ratchet clutch on the
wheel by a spring, so that when the sliding clutch is drawn back or ungeared
from the ratchet clutch in the wheel by the driver, by any suitable mecha-
nism, the cutting and raking ceases, but immediately the driver releases the
sliding clutch, the force of the spring causes it to gear with the ratchet clutch,
and gives motion to the cutters and rakes. Instead of employing two rakes,
one rake may be used, moving the whole distance of the platform. The rake
or rakes may be rigidly attached to the long lever, and the opening in the
platform made to suit such arrangement.