IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wallace, of Haldane's Mill, near Alexandria,
in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, Smith and Agricultural
Implement Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 15th July 1862, and dated the 23rd January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wallace at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
January 1862.
I, JOHN WALLACE, of Haldane's Mill, near Alexandria, in the County of
Dumbarton, North Britain, Smith and Agricultural Implement Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
MACHINES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention of improvements in reaping machines has. for its object to
improve the cutting action of the knives.
I carrying out the Invention in practice, the knives are a series of pointed
or angular sided blades attached to a bar, to which a reciprocating motion is
imparted, this motion causing the blades to work between and within a series
of bent back fingers; and the Invention consists in causing each knife point to
traverse at least one-half further at each stroke than the distance between the
knife points or the distance between the fingers. In a convenient modification
of the parts a reciprocating traverse of about three inches, and which is that at
present commonly adopted, is given to the knife bar, but the knife points and

page_text: fingers are made only about one and a half inches apart, or about one-half the
pitch commonly adopted. With this arrangement each knife point traverses
a distance equal to twice that between the fingers or knife points. In other
modifications there may be only one knife point for each two fingers, or again
there may be only one finger for each two knife points. Other proportions
between the two may also be adopted. It is preferred to drive the crank by
which the knife is worked directly from the first motion shaft, the requisite
speed being obtained by means of a screw worm of coarse pitch being formed
or fixed on the crank spindle, and gearing with a suitable wheel on the first
motion shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Wallace in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WALLACE, of Haldane's Mill, near Alexandria, in the County of Dumbarton,
North Britain, Smith and Agricultural Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Wallace, Her special licence that I, the said John Wallace,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Wallace, 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 REAPING MACHINES,"
upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said John Wallace, my execu-
tors 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 months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Wallace, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention of improvements in reaping machines has for its object
to improve the cutting action of the knives.
These knives are a series of angular sided blades attached to a bar to which
a reciprocating motion is imparted, this motion causing the blades to work
between or through and within a series of bent back or grooved fingers which
are fixed to the machine, and the Invention consists in causing each knife
point to traverse at least one-half further at each stoke than the distance-
between two adjacent knife points, or the distance between two adjacent fingers.
This end may be obtained by various proportions of the parts, provided the various
proportions are made to correspond. Thus if the usual length of stroke or
traverse of the knife bar, namely, three inches, is adopted, the pitch or
distance between the knife points or fingers or both may be reduced. I,
however, find it preferable to give a somewhat longer stroke, say four and a
half inches to the knife bar, and with this stroke the pitch of both knife points
and fingers may range from one inch to two and a half inches. It is not
absolutely necessary to make the pitch of the knife points the same as that of
the fingers, as there may be, for example, only one knife point for each two
fingers or only one finger for each two knife points.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing it may
be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings representing a reaper as constructed with what I at present believe
to be the best practical adaptation of my improvements.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a plan of the reaper, the
casing for covering the gearing being supposed to be removed in both Figures,
and Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged section and plan of portions of the cutting
details. The same reference letters mark the same or like parts in all the
Figures.
It will be unnecessary to particularise those parts of the reaper which are
well understood and have received no modification under the present Inven-
tion excepting where a reference to them assists the explanation of my
improvements.
The main carrying wheel A is mounted in the usual way upon a rectangular
frame B, to one side of the reaping details. The axle or shaft of this wheel
carries a worm wheel C (or wheel with inclined teeth) which can be thrown
into gear with the shaft by means of a clutch D, actuated by the handle E,
this clutch being acted upon by a spring which tends to keep it in gear. In

page_text: gear with the worm wheel C there is a worm F, indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 1, fast on a horizontal or nearly horizontal shaft G, revolving in.
bearings bolted to the side of the frame B. These wheels C and F are of such;
sizes in this example that the latter makes sixteen turns for each turn of the
former, and to reduce the friction as much as possible the worm Fis immersed
or partly immersed in oil contained in a box H, attached to the framing B,
and which box at the same time protects the parts from dirt. The front end
of the shaft G is formed with the usual crank I, which by means of the con-.
necting rod J causes the knife bar K to reciprocate horizontally. This knife
bar K is suspended and guided at its near end by the radius bar L, and it
works in front of the bar M, to the under side of which the fingers N are
attached, as is best seen in Figure 3. The fingers N being closer together than
usual are made as narrow as possible whilst they are of a little extra depth to
give the necessary strength. The fingers are grooved or as it were bent back,.
the angular or pointed parts of the knife blades k working through the grooves
according to a well-known plan, and as will be easily understood from Figure 3.
In this example the knife points k are pitched at one and a half inches apart,
and the fingers N are also pitched at one and a half inches from point to.
point. The throw of the crank I, and consequently the stroke of the knife.
bar K is four and a half inches, so that each knife point crosses through three
fingers or through three intervals between the fingers at each stroke instead of
through only one as according to the common practice. The knife may be
made up of as many pieces as points, but it is preferred to have each piece to.
include two points as shown in the Figures, or it may be made up of other
proportions of pieces as may be found convenient.
I have described the motion of the knife as derived from a worm wheel and
worm, as I find this arrangement very convenient and suitable for obtaining a
proper speed of the knife as compared with the onward traverse of the.
machine, and it is also successful in practice. The requisite motion of the
knife may, however, be obtained by various other contrivances which are
already in use in reapers or have been proposed therefor.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described and delineated, and that I do
not claim separately the driving the knife bar by means of a worm wheel
and worm, but that what I consider to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,-
The constructing and arranging of the cutting details of reaping machines

page_text: so that the knife traverses at least one-half further at each stroke than the
distance between two adjacent knife points or the distance between two
adjacent fingers, substantially as herein-before described, and the combining
of the worm wheel and worm-driving arrangement, with improved pro-
portions of the fingers, knife points, and knife's stroke, substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wallace, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JOHN WALLACE. (L.S.)