IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adam Carlisle Balett, of Thirsk, in the County of
York, Agricultural Engineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
AND MOWING MACHINES"
Sealed the 9th March 1877, and dated the 11th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adam Carlisle Bamlett
nt the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th September 1876.
ADAM CARLISLE BAMLETT, of Thirsk, in the County of York, Agricultural
Engineer. "LMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
This Invention consists,-
Firstly. In giving by the following devices an intermittent raking action to the
rakes of self-raking reapers, the rakes are as usually mounted on a pivoting bracket
furnished with rollers and guided by a cain, on which the rollers run. In order to
give the rakes the required intermittent raking action, I construct a portion of the
cam by preference on the outside, with an upper and an under working face, and
by a hinged incline I causo the rake bracket rollers to take either the upper or
under face of the cam, the hinged incline being actuated by a movable projection
on it coming into contact with a projection revolving on or with the rake axis; the
raking action is entirely suspended by the driver actuating the hinged incline by a
bell-crank and cord arrangement, arranged within reach of his foot.
Secondly. The Invention relates to two wheeled self-raking reapers, and consists
in so mounting the rake spindle bracket that the platform may be readily folded up
for transport. I binge the rake spindle bracket to the shoe or platform, holding it
for working in a vertical (or nearly vertical) position by a stay attached to the
platform shoe or finger bar. When it is required to fold up the platform, this stay
is removed and replaced by one attached to the main frame or its equivalent, still
keeping the rake spindle bracket in a nearly vertical position, then the platform
can be folded up, first removing one or more of the rakes in the usual manner as
may be required.
Thirdly. The Invention relates to that class of mowing machines (invented by
me many years ago) which are furnished with a swivel wheel carried by a short
pole in advance of the knife, now in order to transfer more effectively the weight
of and pressure on this wheel to the main driving wheels, and thus increase - their
Davis 8/1
'
.

page_text: driving power, I attach the driver's seat to the rear end of this short pole;
weight thus nearly balances the weight of and pressure on the swivel wheel.
bis
The Invention consists, fourthly, of an improved method of making wrought-iron
fingers, steel faced both on the upper and under side of the slot. I form the finger
blank of iron with a piece of steel welded across the centre of it where the slot 5
comes, the piece of steel being about twice the width of the slot, the slot is then
sawn out in the usual manner, and it leaves a portion of steel both on the upper
and under side of the slot which is hardened and tempered in the usual manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Adam Carlisle Bamlett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
March 1877.
ADAM CARLISLE BAMLETT, of Thirsk, in the County of York, Agricultural
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
This Invention relates to improvements in reaping and inowing machines.
The first part of the Invention relates to means of controlling the raking action
of the rakes of self-acting reapers, so that it shall be rendered continuous or inter-
mittent, or be suspended or stopped as desired.
This part of the Invention is illustrated on the accompanying Drawings in
Figures to 5. The rakes are mounted in the usual manne on a pivotted
bracket 2, furnished with rollers 3, running on a guide can 4 (shown in dotted
lines) bolted to the flange 5. Now in order to have complete control over the
rakes 1, so that their raking action may be rendered continuous or intermittent, or
be suspended or stopped, I construct a segment or portion of the cam 4 (preferably
on the side opposite the rakes when they are raking) with upper and. undor
guiding faces 6, 7, (shown in section in Figures 1 and 2), and I cause the rollers 3
to take either the upper face of the cam continuously when the rakes are all required
to act, or to take the face 7 thereof while travelling the segment above referred to,
either intermittently as required when one or more, but not all of the rakes me
required to act, or continuously when the raking action is required to be suspended
or stopped, by means of a hinged incline 8, which when required tuins the rollers
to the under surface of this segment of the cam, and thus raises the rakes out of
raking action, as shewn by the clotted lines, Figure 1; Figure 3 shews the double
cam 4 detached, and gives a clearer view of the incline 8. The latter is made with
a stop 9, above which is a projection (not shown) which prevents the incline
being raised higher than is necessary to allow the rollers 3 to pass fieely under
it when they are required to travel the under cam surface 7. The cam is also
provided with a duplicate hinged incline 10, stop 11, and projection; the object of
this incline is to guide the rollers upwards with a smooth motion, from the under
cam surface 7 to the upper face of the remaining portion of the cam.
In the enlarged views, Figures 2 and 5, are shewn the means by which the
incline 8 is actuated in the working of the machine. These means consist of pro-
jections 12, 13, 14, and 15, (Figure 4) of different lengths, and which revolve with
the rake axis 16, and of a crank 17, the depending armis 18 of which carry a sliding
spindle 19, on which is a roller 20; the spindle 19 can be set in different positions
by means of a pin 21 placed in any of the holes 22 In the revolution of the rake
axis 16 one or more of the projections 12, 13, 14, 15, come against the roller 20,
depending upon the position in which the latter is set, and thus raise it and a bell-
crank arm 23 (Figure 5), radiating from the crank axis 17, and on which arm is a
piu 24, which engages in a notch 25 in a connecting link 26 depending from the
tail end 27 of the incline 8, which turns about the centre 28, and which end 27 is
thus raised and the incline depressed, which causes the rollers 3 to keep the upper
face 6 of the cam 4, and keep the rakes 1 in raking action. In this arrangement the

page_text: incline 8 is kept open (in the position shown in the dotted lines, Figure 5) by the
weight of its end 27 and that of the link 26, except when closed as above described.
The projections 12, 13, 14, 15, varying in length, it follows that when the roller 20
is placed so as to come in contact with only the projection 15, its pin 21 being set
in the outermost hole 22, but one sheaf will be delivered in each revolution of the
rake axis 16; but when set to come in contact with the projections 15 and 13, its
pin 21 being then set in the next inner hole 22 two sheaves will be delivered in
cach revolution, and four sheaves will be delivered in each revolution when the
roller is set to come in contact with all the projections, the pin 21 being then set'in
the innnermost hole 22, as shown, all the four rakes being then brought into raking
action.
The raking action may be entirely suspended by the driver whose seat is at 29
(Figure 1), drawing the link 26 clear of the pin 24 by means of a cord 30 attached
to the link at 31 Any desired action of the rakes may then again be rendered
automatic by properly setting the roller 20 and releasing the cord 30, when the
spring 32 causes the notch 25 in the link 26 again to engage with the pin 24.
The Invention clates, secondly, to two wheeled self-raking reapers, and to
combined reaping and mowing machines, and consists in so mounting the rake
spindle bracket that the platform may be readily folded up for transport.
This part of the Invention is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7; I hinge the rake
spindle bracket 33 to the shoe or platform at 34, holding it in a vertical or nearly
vertical position for raking by means of a stay 35, one end of which is bolted to the
bracket 33, and the other end to the finger bar 36. When it is required to fold up
the platform and cutters, the stay 35 is removed and replaced by a stay 37 (shown
in dotted lines) attached to the main frame or its equivalent, and which still keeps
the bracket 33 in a nearly vertical position; the platform and cutters can then be
folded up, as shown in dotted lines (first removing one or more of the rakes in the
usual manner as may be required), and held up by a rod 38. Many existing systems
of self-raking deliveries may be adapted to the rake spindle 16 It will be observed
that the finger bar is attached to the fiame by a double joint at 34 and 39, and
may be held in position by any of the usual devices, but for transport I prefer on
account of the extra weight to be supported to sling the hinge bar 34 on to the
main axle 40 at 41 by a simple hook bent somewhat in the form of an S as shown.
The Invention relates, thirdly, to that class of mowing machines (invented by me
many years ago), which are furnished with a swivel wheel 42 carried by a short
pole 43 in advance of the knife *bar 36 Now in order to transfer more effectively
the weight of and pressure on the wheel 42 to the main driving wheels 44, and thus
increase their driving power, I attach the driver's seat 29, (Figure 8), to the rear end
of the pole 43, bis weight thus nearly balances the weight of and pressure on the
wheel 42
The Invention relates, fourthly, to an improved method of making or forging
the fingers of mowing and reaping machines, steel faced on the upper and under
sides of the slot.
This part of the Invention is illustrated in Figures 9 to 18 These fingers are
forged by the well known process of die stamping; Figures 9 to 12 shew the pile
prepared for stamping. I form the pile by welding a pieco of steel 45 of about
twice the width of the slot across the centre (where the slot comes) of a wrought-
iron blank 46, and by subsequently welding another piece of wrought iron 47 on to
the steel piece 45. The pile thus prepared is brought to a welding heat, and placed
under a dic stamp, which by a few blows forges it into shape (Figures 13 and 16),
it is then taken to a sawing or inilling machine, and the slot 48 sawn out, as shewn
in Figures 14 and 17; Figure 15 is, a cross section of Figure 14 through A, B, and
Figure 18 is a similar section of Figure 17, and shews the slot steel faced both at
its top and bottom; Figures 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18, shew what is known as the
skeleton finger. It is desirable to use a mild welding steel, and to anneal the
fingers before sawing out the slot; the fingers are subsequently hardened and
tempered in the usual manner.

page_text: Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention,-
First. The novel and peculiar application to the rakes of self-acting reapers, of
the above described means of controlling the raking action thereof, so that it may
be rendered continuous or intermittent, or be susponded or stopped as desired, and
of any simple modification thereof.
Second. The mounting of the lake spindle bracket, of two wheel self-raking
reapers, and combined reapers and mowers, in such a manner as that the platform
may be readily folded up for transport, substantially as above described.
Third. The increasing of the driving power of the main driving wheels, in that
class of mowing machines herein-above referred to, by mounting the driver's seat in
the manner described.
And, Fourth. The above described improved method of making or forging the
fingers of mowing and reaping machines steel faced on the upper and under sides
of the slot.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adam Carlislo Bamlett, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Solicitor and Patent Agent,
5, Serle Street,
Lincoln's Inn.
A. C. BAMLETT. (L.S.)