Improvements in Grain Binders.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec, 1894-Accepted, 9th Feb,
i
1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Grain Binders.
I WILLIAM C. BARKER of 18 Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, forming part of this Specification, and to the figmes and letters of
reference marked thereon :-
The present invention relates to improvements in grain binders, and it has for
its object to improve the construction and airangement of the devices, for feeding
the grain to the binding apparatus; and it consists in certain novelties of construc-
tion and combination of parts, all as will be hereafter fully descubed, and the
novel features pointed out in the claims at the end of this Specification.
In the drawings,
Figure represents a sectional view though the table of a binder, showing the
application of the invention; Figure 2 a side view of the same;
Figure 3 a top plan view with a portion of the casing for the pickers removed,
Figure 4a sectional view on the line of Figure 2
Figure 5 is a detail view showing the construction of the cam and lever for
operating the clutch, the end of the casing being removed to show the pickers,
Figure 6, an end view showing the general construction and operation of the
gearing for operating the knotting mechanism
Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view showing the clutch for operating the
picker shaft.
Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate similar parts.
The letter A represents the grain table of ordinary or any approved con-
struction, B, the binding arın, pivoted below and vibrating up through a slot in
the same, cari ying the cord, and provided with the ordinary grain cut off C on its
outer side
Dis on elevator, a belt being shown merely as one form for cauying the grain
from the platform to the binding table, and E giam packers (in the present instance
represented by arms on a shaft operating through the table in the usual manner)
to pack the giam against the cord The clevator and packers shown will serve to
indicate the position of these parts, which may be of any approved form.
I represents a standard forining a part of the binder frame having an over-
hanging tubular aim G, in which the knotting shaft operates, and secured to said
arm G is an aim G' having at its outer end the lateral extension G' which is bolted
to the upper portion of the casing 1', m which the pickor fingers operate To the
bottom of this casing is secured one end of the breast plate F, having the usual
slot and supported directly from the aim G through the knotto frame, whilst
its other end is connected to a 1od or biace G³, fastened to the top of arm G and
extension G, for the purpose of steadying and bracing the parts.
The knotting mechanisin I may be of any of the ordinary types, and 16, at before
intimated preferably supported below the arm G.
The shaft for operating the knotter extends though the arm G, and is provided
on its rear end with a large gear wheel 1, meshing with a gear 2, the latter being
connected so as to be driven from sprocket wheel 3, mounted on a stud on the

page_text: frame, a suitable clutch 21 being interposed in aid connection.
The wheel 3 18
driven from a suitable constantly rotating shaft by a chain 4, and the teeth are
made a trifle larger than usual, extending beyond and parallel with the chain, and
mesh with a wheel 5 on a shaft 6, supported on arm G, from which shaft the
pickers are operated, as will be described. The shaft 7, carry ug the binder arm,
is vibrated from the wheel by means of a pitinan 8, connected to an aim 9, on
said shaft, and the clutch 21 between wheels 2 and 3 is adapted to be operated at
proper times to cause the connection and disconnection by means of a tripping
arm 10, arranged beneath the knotter in the ordinary or any preferred manner.
The operation of the various parts described, causing the placing of the cord
around the grain and, in connection with any well known form of knotter, tying
it, will be understood by one skilled in the art. Suffice it to say, however, that
wheel 3 is continuously rotated, and the connection and disconnection of the knotter
are accomplished at determinate times in the usual way
The inner and lower portion of the casing 1' is provided with slots 11 for the
passage of the picker fingers and at opposite ends it is provided with bearings for
the ends of a shaft M, having two or more cranks Al' formed thereon on opposite
sides, as shown.
00 represent the picker fingers, preferably curved as shown, and journalled on
the cranks M' M', while then rear ends are pivoted to links nn, bung upon a shalt
or rod N, secured in the casing. The points at which the links are pivoted on the
shaft N are preferably a short distance above the encle described by the cranks
when rotated, and the length of the links is such that they nearly reach the plane
of the axis of shaft M, so that the pickers when moving down will describe an arc
with a radius nearly the length of the pickers, the pivotal point being the point of
connection with the link, which latter remains nearly stationary during the down-
ward movement This construction also causes the upward and forward movement
of the pickers to be of very short duration, as they will then be turned on an aro
with the crank as the centre of motion
The slotted face of the casing 11 is preferably so shaped relative to the line of
movement of the operating ends of the pickers that the latter will be retracted
during the upward and forward movement, but will be projected to nearly their
full length during the downward and rearward movement.
As a means for operating the pickers at the proper times and protecting the
mechanism, a supplemental casing is provided secured to the arm G' and the
breast plate, and in its outer end journal one end of a shaft P, the other end
extending into a clutch section R on shaft M and rotating loosely therein part of
the time, as shown in Figure 7. Upon the shaft P, near one end, 14 splined a
moveable clutch section Q, adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with
the stationary section, the former operation being caused, preferably, by a spring Pl
and the latter by devices farther on described. The outer end of shaft P 18
provided with a sprocket wheel 11, connected by a chain 12 with a corresponding
wheel 13 on shaft 6, which is driven continuously in one direction.
Sindicates a bell crank lever pivoted upon bracket g in the casing, having a pin
entering a groove in the clutch section Q, operated in one direction by spring P
and in the other by tension on the rod connected to one end and to the end of a
lever S', pivoted on the aim G', said level having a small rollers thereon, normally
held in engagement with a cam T on the knotter shaft. This cam and lever are
so shaped and positioned that the lever will be moved and the clutch sections
separated during the binding operation, but will be permitted to engage and rotate
the picker shaft while the bundle is being formed.
The
The pas are all so arranged and connected that the grain falling on the
platform is elevated and deposited upon the table, where the packers pack it
against the cord extending from the eye of the binder aim to the knotter.
pickers are also operated from the shaft 6 in the manner described and act upon
the top of the grain, preventing its lodgment against casing l' and feeding it under
the breast plate.

page_text: When sufficient grain has accumulated to form a bundle, an ordinary tripping
device, operated by level 10, throws the wheel 2 into operation, causing wheel, 1
and the knotter shaft to be operated and the upward movement of the binder
arm through the grain on the table. As soon as the binding arm starts upward
the cam T causes the disengagement of the clutch Q R and holds the clutch dis-
engaged all the time the knotter shaft is 1otating and forming the knot. When,
by the continued motion of the wheel 1, the knot has been tied, and while the
binding arm is descending, the depressed portion of cam T reaches the roller * ou
the lever S', thereby allowing the spring P¹ to engage the clutch sections and
cause the rotation of the shaft M and pickers G as before described. During the
time the knot is being formed the binding aim is of course elevated, and the grain
being fed against it by the elevator will press up against the breast plate and
casing, but the latter will hold it and prevent its becoming entangled in the
picket operating devices, and when the latter are again thrown into operation the
fingers, moving outward and downward, will carry it beneath breast plate and into
proper position, another bundle being formed against the cord, as before.
In this form of binder, were no pickers provided at the end of the breast plate,
the gain might clog at this point, and were no casing employed covering the whole
of the operating devices, for them the grain would soon become wound in them,
interfering with their proper operation,
The anangement of the pickers at the outer end of an arm supported entirely
upon the over hanging aim of the frame and the manner of operating them from a
shaft extending close to said aim are advantageous, as the machine is thereby
rendered more compact and more free space is provided over the binding table than
in prior arrangements, where the shaft operating the pickers is a long one,
extending clear to the side of the machine, where the diving mechanism for the
knotter is located In said priot devices it is also necessary to provide a guard for
these shafts their entire length, or else the grain is liable to become twisted around
them in the first instance increasing the weight and cost of the machine, and in
the second serious inconvenience in operation, but in the present machine the con-
struction of the pickers is such that they operate in very small space and are
protected from all liability of the grain clogging them, and, moreover, the machine
is much simpler and can be made cheaper than the forms open to the above noted
objections
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature the said inven-
tion and in what mannei the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim 18.-
1. In a binder, the combination with the standard, the overhanging arm
supporting the knotting mechanisin, and the intermittingly-iotated knotter shaft, of
the arm extending from the outer end of the overhanging arm, the short picker
shaft having the sprocket wheel, and the pickers supported entirely upon said last
mentioned arm, the rotating shaft mounted in beings upon and close to the
overhanging arm, the sprocket wheel on the shaft, and the chain connecting the
two sprockets, substantially as described.
2. The combination, with the standard, the overhanging arm, the shaft
extending close to the arm, the intermittingly rotated knotter shaft and the
knotting mechanism supported on the overhanging arm, the arm extending from
the outer end of said overhanging arm, the casing at the end, and the breast plate
connected to the casing aud overhanging arm, of the short picker shaft, connections
embodying a chain between the picker and first mentioned shafts, and a clutch
operated from the knotter shaft for causing the rotation of the pickers, substantially
as described.
3. In a binder, the combination, with the arm G, the arm G' thereon, the breast
plate and the slotted casing connected to the last mentioned arm and breast plate,
of the short picker shaft journalled in the casing and the pickers, operated thereby,
the shaft mounted in bearings upon and extending close to and parallel with the

page_text: arm G, and connections-such as a chain-between said shaft and the picker shaft
for operating the latter from the former, substantially as described.
4. In a binder, the combination, with the aim G, the huotter shaft, the knotter,
the arm G', the picker shaft supported entirely on the outer end, thereof, and the
pickers connected thereto, of the shaft extending close to and parallel with the
notter shaft, connections-such as a chain-for operating the picke shaft from
the last mentioned one, a clutch aanged between the two shafts, a spung for
causing the normal engagement of the clutch, and a cam on the Luotter shaft for
discugaging the clutch sections during the tying of the knot, substantially as
described.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1894.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.