IMPROVEMENTS IN BINDING SHEAVES OF GRAIN, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Courteen at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd April 1878.
HENRY COURTEEN, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester, Agricultural
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BINDING SHEAVES OF GRAIN, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates to a peculiar mode or method of automatically binding
sheaves as fast as the crop is cut, and also to a peculiar combination or arrange-
ment of self-acting machinery or apparatus for effecting such mode of binding.
According to one part of my said Invention I propose to employ for the purpose
of binding the sheaves ligatures of stout paper, paper strengthened with fibrous
material, or any cheap textile fibrous material alone, such as cotton, in the form of
a ribbon, the said ligature after having been wound one or more times round the
sheaf being secured by the aid of strong paste or any other suitable strong adhesive
cement.
My improved binding machine, which constitutes the second part of my Inven-
tion, may be used either in conjunction with or independently of the reaping
machine. It is mounted on running wheels, transmitting motion to the several
parts, and is drawn by horses or other power. In the front part of the machine
there is provided a series of parallel endless bands fitted with arms or projections
for the purpose of raising the cut corn either direct from off the ground or from a
platform, on to which it has been delivered by the reaping machine.
The corn as fast as it is elevated is delivered on to a platform or holder, by
proference made slightly trough-shaped, from which platform it is pushed laterally
at regular intervals by the aid of two revolving rakes, the one being, by preference,
rather shorter than the other, so as to deliver the corn in two portions at intervals
in lieu of all at once into the binder proper. This binder consists essentially of
two pairs of curved arms, one arm in each pair (which, by preference, I make
double or forked) being fast on the end of a revolving spindle, which works freely
inside an outer tubular spindle carrying the opposite arm of the pair. On the
outer end of the inner spindle there is fitted a break wheel, and on the same end
Drine 971

page_text: of the tubular spindle there is mounted a spur pinion in gear with a toothed
quadrant.
A duplicate arrangement of arms and spindles is provided on each side of the
machine, the two working in concert. The corn is delivered as before described
between these arms, the tubular spindles are then rotated by the quadrants, causing
the arins carried on such spindles to turn over and compress the corn in the form of
a sheaf or bundle against the opposing arins, which are prevented from moving by
the application of any suitable break to the break wheels. So soon as the first
part of the corn has been delivered to the binder the end of the ligature is brought
down by a vertically reciprocating guide on to the said corn, and the second half
of the sheaf is then delivered on to the first half, leaving the end of the ligature
inside the sheaf. The whole is then caused to revolve one or more times by the
action of the pinions and quadrants overcoming the resistance of the breaks, and
the ligature is thus wound round the sheaf, so as to bind it together, and is then
severed by a self-acting cutter. The reverse notion of the quadrants opens the
arms of the binder once more, and the sheaf is allowed to drop out, to be replaced
by a fresh delivery of corn, and so on.
The binding material is wound on to a drum or roller, from which it is drawn off
as required, a self-acting break coming into operation at the required intervals in
order to check the rotation of the drum, and thus prevent unnecessary slack.
As the material passes to the before-mentioned vertical reciprocating guide, paste
or any other suitable adhesive material is applied thereto by a rotary brush or
otherwise, the brush being driven from one of the tubular spindles of the binder
by a ratchet and pall arrangement, which allows it to act only at the time the
shenf is being bound.
•
The cement may either be applied continuously to the entire length of ligature
or only at intervals, as may be found most suitable in practice.