IMPROVEMENTS IN HOLDING FINGERS USED IN REAPING OR MOWING MACHINES OR OTHER MACHINES OF LIKE CHARACTER
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Tenwick, of Grantham, in the County of
Lincoln, Moulder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOLDING
FINGERS USED IN REAPING OR MOWING MACHINES OR OTHER MACHINES OF
LIKE CHARACTER.”
Sealed the 17th June 1870, and dated the 9th February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Tenwick at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1870.
I, JOHN TENWICK, of Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Moulder,.
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HOLDING FINGERS USED IN REAPING OR MOWING MACHINES OR OTHER MACHINES.
OF LIKE CHARACTER," to be as follows :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in holding fingers
used in reaping or mowing machines or other machines of like character..
It is applicable to every variety of reaping or mowing machines, and also to,
every variety of machines for the cutting of standing crops. The finger
is made in the ordinary way, except that I make a mortice upon cach side
of the finger where the knife works, into each of which mortices I insert

page_text: a piece of hardened steel to form the cutting edge of the finger against
which the knife works, and I make the pieces of steel and the mortices
upon each side of the finger in such a form that they keep themselves
perfectly tight without the aid of any screw, bolt, nut, or any foreign
substance whatever. The pieces of steel can be removed; sharpened, or t
renewed at any time without in the slightest degree damaging the body
of the finger. In the bottom side of the slot in the finger where the
knife works I form a recess or hollow to prevent the friction caused by
the knife passing and repassing through the slot.
--
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Tenwick in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TENWICK, of Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Moulder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Tenwick, Her special licence that I,
the said John Tenwick, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Tenwick, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOLDING FINGERS USED IN
REAPING OR MOWING MACHINES OR OTHER MACHINES OF A LIKE CHARACTER,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Tenwick, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I,..the said John Tenwick, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in folding fingers used
in reaping or mowing machines or other machines of like character.
It' is applicable to every variety of reaping or mowing machines, and
also to every variety of machines for the cutting of standing crops. The
finger is made in the ordinary way, except that I make a mortice on
cach side of the finger where the knife works, into cach of which mortices
I insert a piece of hardened steel to form the cutting edge of the finger
against which the knife works, and I make the pieces of steel and the
mortices upon each side of the finger in such a form that they keep
themselves perfectly tight without the aid of any screw, bolt, nut, or
any foreign substance whatever. The pieces of steel can be removed;
sharpened, or renewed at any time without in the slightest degree
damaging the body of the finger. In the bottom side of the slot in tho
finger where tlic knife works I form a recess or hollow to prevent the
friction caused by the knife passing and repassing through the slot.
My Invention can be more readily understood by referring to the
Drawings which accompany this Specification, but I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not bind myself to the exact shapes and dimensions
shown therein, as these can be altered in their details as is found necessary
in practice.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the finger. a, a, are the pieces of hardened steel
or jaws; b, b, b, is the finger.
Fig. 2 is a sido elevation. a is the stoel jaw; b, b, b, b, is the finger.
Figs. 3 and 4 are a plan and section of the steel jaws a, a, detached
from the finger; Fig. 5 is a back clevation shewing cavities c, c, in which-
the steel jaws marked a, a, in the other Figures are inserted to form a
cutting surface for the knife.
Fig. 6 is a section of the finger and steel jaws at 6' marked in Fig. 2.
a, a, are the jaws; b, b, is the finger.
-
Having now described and explained my said Invention, and the
means of carrying out the same, I claim the use of the two moveable
pieces of hardened steel or other suitable material to form the cutting
edge of the finger, one of which pieces of hardened steel or other suitable

page_text: material is inserted upon cach side of the finger in male or female,
dovetailed, or other suitable mortices, so as to securely hold the pieces of
hardened steel or other suitable material in the finger and enable them
to perform the necessary functions required without the aid of any screw,
bolt, rivet, or nut, or any foreign agent whatever..
I also claim that in the bottom side of the slot of the finger where the
knife works I form a hollow or recess to prevent the friction caused by
the knife passing and repassing through the slot.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Tenwick, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.