IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES
Year: 1884

page_text: We WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATHER, both of Newark
upon Trent in the County of Nottingham, Agricultural Engineers do hereby
declare the nature of our Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES, to
be as follows:-
Our Invention relates more especially to that class of Horse Rakes in which the
axle revolves simultaneously with the teeth when the latter are lifted to clear them
in working, but it is also applicable in part to those Rakes in which the teeth
partially revolve about a fixed axle.
In one modification of our Invention we make the axle of a combination of a
plain rectangular bar and an angle bar which are bolted together with distance
pieces between them.
The teeth, which are constructed of round steel, have their upper ends turned at
right angles in a horizontal direction and rest in the angle of the angle bar of
the axle; to hold them in their places covering plates are provided and bolted
to the table of the angle bar. These covering plates are made with a groove in
which the horizontal portion of the teeth can rotate, and also they have vertical
slots to limit the rise of the teeth. Set screws may be screwed into the head of
the slots so that the rise of the teeth may be adjustable, or flat or spiral springs
may be inserted in the slots so as to hold the teeth down. With a alight modifi-
cation of the groove and slots the covering plates may be used to hold the teeth
upon either the top or bottom of an axle made of either an angle or a channel
iron bar.
To connect the teeth of Rakes to a plain rectangular bar we form vertical slots
in the bar the distance apart of the teeth, through these slots the teeth, formed as
above described, are passed; and plain grooved covering plates bolted to the bar
bold the teeth by their horizontal ends, the horizontal and vertical movements of
the teeth being controlled by the slots in the bar.
Another plan, where the teeth are required to have no vertical play, is to turu
their ends at right angles in a vertical direction. The vertical ends of the teeth
pass behind or in front of a plain rectangular vertical bar and through holes in the
top and bottom of clips. Grooves are made in the bottom part of the clips to
retain the teeth in a vertical direction, the front part of the clips which pass round
the face of the bar have set screws to clamp against the bar and hold all firmly in
position. Each clip may be made to hold one or more teeth.

page_text: In Rakes where the axle revolves on the teeth being liftod; the stripper rods
having one end fast to a stationary part of the framing, we make a provision at
the junction of their other end with the axle so that they can slide on the rotation
of the axle.
We also utilize this sliding motion as a means of quickly throwing the lifted &
teeth back to the position for raking.
To do this we place a spiral spring upon the stripper rods, bearing with one end
against a projection on the axle in which the stripper rods slide and having at the
other end a means of regulating its compression. On the teeth being raised and
the axle revolved the spring is compressed and a force stored up to give the teeth 1
a quick start back on their being lowered.

page_text: We WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATHER of both of Newark
upon Trent, in the County of Nottingham Agricultural Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of our Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and.
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In the accompanying sheet of drawings Figures 1. 2 and 3 represent in part
section, elevation and plan one Modification of our Invention.
We construct the axle H of the Rake of a plain rectangular bar N and an angle
bar O fastened together with distance pieces P between them and furnished with the
usual round ends on which the Wheels of the Rake can revolve. The teeth T of
the Rake have their inner ends turned horizontally at right angles as shewn at t
in Figure 3, and lie in the root of the angle Bar O of the axle. To retain the
teeth in position covering plates R, are provided and bolted to the angle bar O;
horizontal grooves are made in the covering plates R, to receive the ends t of the
teeth T and in which they can turn. Vertical spaces r are also formed in the
covering plates R to allow the teeth to rise and clear any inequality of the ground
in raking. In Figure 4 is shewn a modification of one of the vertical spaces r in
which the rise of the tooth T is controlled by a Spiral Spring S, a flat spring
or a set screw may be used for the same purpose of limiting the rise of the
tooth T.
In figure 4 the axle is shewn made of a single channel bar O and the covering
plates R are slightly modified so as to hold the teeth T on the top of the axle bar.
The same arrangement of covering plates also answer to carry the teeth on the
top of an axle composed an angle bar, either alone or in combination with a flat
rectangular bar,
Figures 5 and 6 shew a method of connecting the teeth of rakes to their axle
having a plain rectangular bar N.
We form vertical slots r in the axle bar, the requred distance apart of the teeth,
through these slots the teeth T, having their inner ends turned at right angles as
above described, are passed and plain grooved covering plates R are bolted to the
bar N and hold the teeth in position by their horizontal ends. The horizontal
and vertical movements of the teeth are controlled by the slots r formed in
the bar N.
Figures 7 and 8 show another method of connecting the teeth of rakes to
a plain rectangular axle bar N where the teeth are required to have no vertical
play.
In this case we turn the ends of the teeth T at right angles in a vertical direction
as shewn at t, and pass them behind or in front of the plain rectangular bar N and
through holes formed in the top and bottom of the Clips R. Grooves are made in
the bottom part of the Clips R to retain the teeth in a horizontal direction. The
fronts of the clips R which pass round the face of the bar N are provided with set
Screws U to clamp against the bar N and hold all firmly in position. Each clip
may hold one or two teeth as shewn in Figure 8.

page_text: Figure 9 shews the method of attaching the stripper rods F to our improved
rake having a partially rotating axle. We make their outer ends fast to a fixed
portion of the frame of the rake as at f.
The inner ends of the stripper rods F pass under the axle H through a slot in a
bracket shown in section at G, they are supported by a rod K. passing over the
top of the axle and through a slot made in an extension g of the bracket G so that
the axle H may partially revolve between the rods F and K.
Upon one or more of the stripper rods F is placed a spiral spring L bearing with
one end against the bracket G and with its other end against an adjustable stop
on the stripper rod F.
When the axle of the rake rotates to lift the teeth T the bracket G turning with
it compresses the spring L as shewn in the dotted lines and so stores up a force to
return the raised teeth quickley back to their proper position for raking when the
rake is released. Those stripper rods F which do not carry a spiral spring L are
made without the upper carrying rod K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
I. The combination of the plain rectangular bar N and the Angle bar O forming
the axle of a Horse Rake as shewn in Figures 1. 2 and 3.
II. Attaching the teeth of Horse Rakes to their partially rotating axles as
described and shewn in Figures 1 to 8 or any mere modification thereof.
III. The method of attaching the stripper rods to the partially rotating axle
of Horse Rakes by means of the Bracket G as shown in Figure 9.
IV. The employment of the Spiral Spring L on the Stripper rods of Horse Rakes
in combination with the partially rotating axle H and the bracket & for the
purposes described and shewn in Figure 9.
Dated 31st August 1885.
. GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicants.