IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Graham Lawson, of 20, Budge Row,
Cannon Street, in the City of London, Seed Merchant, &o., for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES."-A commu-
nication from abroad by William F. Goodwin, of Metuchen, New
Jersey, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 19th April 1872, and dated the 26th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Graham Lawson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th October 1871.
I, HENRY GRAHAM LAWSON, of 20, Budge Row, Cannon Street, in
the City of London, Seed Merchant, &c., do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVESTING MACHINES," a com-
munication to me from abroad by William F. Goodwin, of Metuchen,
New Jersey, in the United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention in harvesting machines consists in an improved con-
struction and arrangement of the driving mechanism, also of the framing,
and in the mode of attaching the cutting apparatus or finger bar to the
framing.

page_text: The machine is mounted on two wheels connected to an axle by
ratchet couplings, so that when moving forward the axle turns with
the wheels, but if the machine is backed the axle and driving gear
connected therewith do not turn.
The driving mechanism consists of a worm wheel fixed on the main
axle, which gears with a screw or worm shaft, and causes it to revolve
so as to impart a suitable velocity to the cutters.
It is preferred to employ the form of worm and wheel gear constructed
as described in my Provisional Specification the 26th of October 1871,
enclosed in a case fixed to or cast in the same piece with the framing,
an adjustable, pivotal, or antifriction bearing being provided to take
the end thrust of the worm shaft, also made in accordance with and
as described in the said Patent, so far as applicable to this particular
case. The worm shaft is carried through the tubular frame of the
machine, and carries at the outer end a crank or crank plate, to which
is attached a connecting rod or pitman coupled by a ball and socket
joint to a lug or standard on one end of the reciprocating sickle bar.
The crank plate is screwed on the worm shaft and the screw thread,
so made that the motion of the mechanism, which is always in one
direction, causes the crank plate to be always kept securely screwed
on.
The frame of the machine, which may be of iron or other suitable
material, either cast in one piece or made in sections, forms two sides
of a triangle, the main axle forming the remaining side. The ends of
the two branches of the frame are connected to the axle, and turn freely
round it as a centre. Both arms of the frame are made tubular, and
through one of them, which is at right angles with the main axle, the
worm shaft passes and carries at its outer end, inside a tubular coupling
piece, the crank plate previously described. The cutting apparatus or
finger beam arranged at right angles to the worm shaft is attached to
the said tubular coupling, which is lodged in the angle formed at the
junction of the two branches of the frame, and so arranged that it may
be turned round an axis concentric with that of the worm shaft. A
tubular coupling piece or sleeve, its axis at right angles to the worm
shaft, is made on or fixed to the end of the shoe or shoe standard of the
'cutting apparatus; this piece comes opposite to and corresponds with
the end of the coupling tube on the framing, and the two are connected
or locked together while working by two hooked flanges on the one, into

page_text: which enter corresponding projections formed on the other, in such
manner that by turning the finger bar round in a direction parallel with
the main axle of the machine the two coupling pieces become disengaged
from cach other, and the cutting apparatus can be removed from the
machine. The tubular coupling pieces are made sufficiently large to
allow the necessary play for the connecting rod or pitman which passes
through both of them. Instead of the connecting rod the back of the
sickle bar may be extended so as to pass through the coupling pieces,
and carry at that end a swivelling standard having a slot in which the
crank pin works.
The tongue or tongue plate, which carries the driver's seat and lifting
lever, has its rear end hinged on the axle and sliding collars, and set
screws are provided on the axle, so that the tongue may be laterally
adjusted thereon so as to overcome sidė draught.
The cutting apparatus can be readily adjusted to any desired height
or set at any required angle without interfering with the working of
the driving mechanism.
The frame may also be swung underneath the axle to change the
machine from a front to a rear cut, and vice versa.
The machine as described is suitable for horse draught, but it may be
anced as to be suitable for steam or other power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Graham Lawson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
GRAHAM LAWSON, of 20, Budge Row, Cannon Street, in the City of
London, Seed Merchant, &c., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Graham Lawson, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Graham Lawson, my executors, adminis- ;
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Graham Lawson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,.

page_text: 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 Ohannel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HARVESTING MACHINES," a communication to him from abroad by William
F. Goodwin, of Metuchen, New Jersey, in the United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Graham
Lawson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing:
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar monthis next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Graham Lawson, 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 thereof, that is to say:
This Invention relates to improvements in harvesting machines wherein
by the peculiar construction of framing and driving mechanism combined.
therewith the various necessary movements in working the machine can
be effected with great facility, readily adjustable, and combined with
lightness of draught.
In order to make the Invention more clearly understood I will now
refer to the annexed Drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved machine taken in line 2
x, x, of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a plan of said machine.
Figure 3 a perspective view showing the manner of attaching the
cutting apparatus.
Figure 4 a horizontal section of the same.
And Figure 5 shows a modification of means for connecting the cutter
bar and crank shaft.
In all the Figures corresponding letters refer to corresponding parts.
The machine is mounted on two wheels B, B, connected to an axle A
by ratchet couplings, so that when moving forward the axle A turns with 3
the wheels B, B, but when the machine is backed the axle A does not

page_text: The driving mechanism consists of a worm wheel D fixed on the main
axle A, which gears with and causes to revolve a screw or worm F¹ made
on or fixed to the shaft F. The worm wheel D and worm F' work in a
closed case c fixed to or cast in one piece with the framing C. The end
thrust of the worm shaft is taken on the point of a set screw a¹, which
forms an adjustable pivotal bearing for the said shaft. The worm wheel
D and worm F¹ may be constructed in the ordinary manner, but it is
preferred to employ the form of wheel and worm constructed as described
in my Patent of the 26th October 1871, No. 2870. The worm shaft F
passes through the tubular frame C, and its outer end f¹ is screwed and
carries a crank or crank plate G, to which is attached a connecting rod
or pitman coupled by a ball and socket joint to a lug or standard L on
one end of the reciprocating sickle bar M. The screw thread f¹ is so
made that the motion of the mechanism, which is always in the same.
› direction, causes the crank or crank plate G to be kept securely screwed
on the shaft F.
The frame C of the machine is so made that the parts a, b, form two
sides of a triangle, the main axle A forming the remaining side. The
frame C may be made or cast in one piece, or made in sections a, b, c, d,
and F, and screwed or otherwise securely fastened together. The ends
c, d, of the branches a, b, are connected to the axle A, and turn frecly
round it as a centre. The branches a, b, are made tubular; the worm
shaft F passes through the branch a, which is at right angles or nearly
so to the axle A.
Section E is made in an angular form and has a cap piece F" provided
with a hub e which forms a bearing for a tubular coupling piece H
which carries the outer end of the worm shaft F located in the socket
formed between sections F and cap E', and adapted so as to turn on
an axis concentric with that of the worm shaft F, thus allowing the
cutting apparatus connected to the piece H to be set at any required
angle. The swinging end of coupling piece H has an annular head or
ring H', provided with two lips or hooked flanges h, which extend each.
about one-fourth part (more or less) of the circumference of the annular
head, and are arranged upon opposite sides thereof. A tubular coupling
piece or sleeve I', its axis at right angles to the worm shaft F, is formed
on or fixed to the shoe J, or shoe standard I of the cutting apparatus;
this piece comes opposite to and corresponds with the annular head
or ring on the coupling piece H. The face of coupling piece I' is

page_text: provided with two projections i, which enter behind the hooked flanges h
on the ring H', and serve to connect or lock together while working the
shoc J and the coupling H, sufficient play being allowed to admit of the
finger bar being adjusted at any required angle for cutting. The hooked
flanges and the projections i are so arranged relatively to each other
that by turning the sleeve I' through an angle of ninety degrees or
thereabout upon the sleeve H¹, the flanges and projections become dis-
engaged from each other, and the shoe J and cutting apparatus or finger
bar K attached thereto can be removed from the machine. The tubular
coupling pieces H, I, are made sufficiently large so as to allow the neces-
sary play for the connecting rod or pitman which passes through both
of them. Instead of this connecting rod the back of the sickle bar may
be extended so as to pass through the coupling pieces H, I',
and carry
at the end a swivelling standard L', having a slot in which the crank
pin works, as shown in Figure 5. The framing C being freely hinged.
on the axle allows of the cutting apparatus being adjusted at any required
height; the frame can also be swung underneath the axle to change the
machine from a front to a rear cut without affecting the working of the
driving mechanism. The tongue or tongue plate N, which carries the
driver's seat and lifting lever, has its rear end hinged on the axle A, and
sliding collars with set screws O, o¹, are provided on the axle so that the
tongue may be laterally adjusted thereon so as to overcome side draught.
Parts of the machine not particularly described or referred to may be
constructed and arranged in any usual or desired manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried
into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not restrain or restrict
myself to the precise details above described, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the main features of the Inven-
tion; but what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
First. A main or cutter frame which vibrates about the worm wheel
shaft as a centree provided with bearings for a worm screw shaft
arranged tangentially to the worm wheel as described.
n
Second. In combination with the main or cutter frame, a worm wheel
the main axle driving a Worm ՈՒ screw shaft carrying a crank

page_text: whereby motion is communicated directly to the cutters without the
interposition of other gearing, as described.
Third. The employment of an adjustable pivot bearing to carry the
rear end of worm screw shaft or that end opposite the crank or crank
wheel, as set forth.
Fourth. The screw on the forward or crank end of the worm shaft,
operating in combination with the crank or crank plate, as described.
Fifth. The tubular hinged coupling provided with a flanged annular
head, as described, for the purpose set forth.
Sixth. The flanged annular head with corresponding tubular coupling
piece with projections, or their equivalents on the hinged coupling and
shoe or shoe standard for uniting the cutting apparatus and main frame,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Graham Lawson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
H. GRAHAM LAWSON. (L.S.)