IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING STANDING CROPS, AND GATHERING THE SAME INTO SHEAVES OR BUNDLES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of
16, Castle Street, Holborn (City), London, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING STANDING
CROPS, AND GATHERING THE SAME INTO SHEAVES OR BUNDLES."-
A communication.
Sealed the 27th August 1853, and dated the 12th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Edouard
Loradoux Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 12th March 1853.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street,
Holborn (City), London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
STANDING CROPS, AND GATHERING THE SAME INTO SHEAVES OR BUNDLES," to
be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention relates to the cutting parts, and is
intended to prevent the cutter teeth becoming clogged in the fingers,
through which they work, and against which they cut, by pieces of
straw, stalk, &c., which collect between the fingers and knives. It

page_text: consists in constructing the cutter teeth with a rib or projecting piece
on one face, which enters into the fingers with the teeth, and pushes
from the slot in the fingers all pieces of straw, stalk, &c., which may be
taken in by the knives.
The second part of this Invention relates to the carrying back of the
grain or other produce after it is cut and falls into the machine, and the
depositing it on the back part of the machine, in suitable quantities, to
be bound into sheaves or bundles. This part of the Invention consists
in giving the endless apron, upon which the grain or produce is
received when cut, an intermittent motion, so that it will remain
stationary for a time, and receive a suflicient quantity for a sheaf or
bundle, and then will carry it back to where it is gathered up and
bound.
The third part of my Invention relates to certain means of collecting
or gathering the grain or produce, after it has been deposited by the
endless apron, into sheaves or bundles, ready for tying up or binding. It
consists in one or more pairs of hooks, which are operated by suitablo
mechanism, driven by the running gear of the machine, so as to be
drawn together at suitable times to collect the grain or produce, to be
bound by a proper attendant, and are thrown apart to release it when
bound, and to be ready to receive the next quantity deposited by the
intermittently moving endless apron.
Fig. 1, in the accompanying drawing, is a plan of a machine having
these improvements; those parts of the machine in which no improve-
ment is contemplated are for the most part omitted.
Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section of the principal working parts.
Fig. 3, is a transverse section of one of the fingers, with a front view
of one of the cutter teeth.
Fig. 4, is a transverse view of the collecting hooks.
Similar letters of reference indicato corresponding parts in cach of
the several Figs.
A, is the frame of the machine; B, is the main or driving wheel;
and C, its shaft, which carries an eccentric D, and a toothed wheel
E, which is shewn in dotted lines inside the driving wheels.
The wheel E, gears with a smaller wheel F, on a shaft G, which

page_text: carries a belt pulley H; and from this pulley a belt Q, runs to a fast
pulley I, and loose pulley J, on the shaft K, of the driving roller L, of
the endless apron M; N, is a rocking shaft, receiving motion from the
eccentric D, and carrying an arm 0, which is connected a connecting
rod P, with a sliding bar V, on which are two pins a, a, which, as the
bar work back and forth, play between two oblique strips b, b, on a belt
shipper c, and make the latter change the belt Q, from the fast to the
loose pulley, on the shaft K, and thus give motion to the apron M, at
intervals.
R, R, are the collecting hooks, which are attached to arms, whose
lower ends rest in notches in part of the frame, as shewn in Fig. 3.
The hooks of each pair are attached, one to the sliding bar S, and
another to a sliding bar S'; the said bars being arranged transversely.at
the back of the machine, and being caused to reciprocate, one in the
opposite direction to the other, across the machine, by means of two
oblique rods d, d, which are attached to the sliding bar Q, and work in
eyes e, c, attached to the bars S, S'.
T, are the cutter teeth, which work in the common way in front of
the machine, and are of well-known form. Each has a rib f, of metal,
(see Figs. 2, and 3,) rivetted or otherwise secured to the under side or
face, and a recess is made in the slot, through which the knife works in
the finger, to allow the rib to enter or pass through.
The crop is cut in the usual way, and the grain, straw, stalk, &c.,
falls on the apron; and when a sufficient quantity is on the apron, it is
carried back in two quantities, the space above the apron being divided
in the centre, and is deposited between the collecting hooks, when the
apron stops, and the hooks close upon it, and collect it in the form of a
sheaf or bundle.
Two attendants are ready on the back part of the frame, and pro-
vided with bands to bind up the sheaves or bundles thus collected. The
hooks then open, and the sheaves or bundles are left free. When the
apron next moves to deposit the quantities for other slicaves or bundles,
the bound sheaves or bundles are carried off the back of the machine
by a roller U, which receives motion through a band g, from a pulley h,
on the shaft K.

page_text: What I claim as my Invention is: 1st. The rib or projection f, on
the under side or face of each cutting tooth, for the purpose of pre-
venting the teeth being clogged in the fingers.
2nd. Giving the endless apron M, an intermittent motion, for the
purpose of carrying the grain, straw, stalk, &c., back, and depositing it,
in suitable quantities to be bound into sheaves or bundles, substantially
as set forth.
3rd. The collecting hooks R, R, operating in any way substantially
as described, for the purpose of collecting the grain, straw, stalk, &c.,
together into the form of sheaves or bundles, ready for tyeing.
4th. The combination of the collecting hooks and intermittently
moving carrying apron, as specified.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, in the Great
Seal Patent Office, on the 12th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn,
City, London, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, Her
special licence that I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention, communicated to me by a foreigner
residing abroad, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING STANDING
CROPS. AND GATHERING THE SAME INTO SHEAVES OR BUNDLES,"
upon

page_text: the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Auguste Edouard
Loradoux Bellford, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bell-
ford, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, and the drawings here-
unto annexed (that is to say):
The first part of this Invention relates to the cutting parts, and is
intended to prevent the cutter teeth from becoming clogged in the
fingers, through which they work, and against which cut, by pieces of
straw, stalk, &c., which collect between the fingers and knives. It con-
sists in constructing the cutter teeth with a rib or projecting piece on
one face, which enters into the fingers with the teeth, and pushes from
the slot in the fingers all pieces of straw, stalk, &c., which may be taken
in by the knives.
The second part of this Invention relates to the carrying back of the
grain or other produce after it is cut and falls into the machine, and
the depositing it on the back part of the machine, in suitable quantities,
to be bound into sheaves or bundles. This part of the Invention con-
sists in giving the endless apron, upon which the grain or produce is
received when cut, an intermittent motion, so that it will remain sta-
tionary for a time, and receive a sufficient quantity for a sheaf or
bundle, and then will carry it back to where it is gathered up and
bound.
The third part of the Invention relates to certain means of collecting
or gathering the grain or prdouce, after it has been deposited by the
endless apron, into sheaves or bundles, ready for tying up or binding.
It consists in one or more pairs of hooks, which are operated by suitable
mechanism, driven by the running gear of the machine, so as to be
drawn together at suitable times to collect the grain or produce, to be

page_text: bound by a proper attendant, and are thrown apart to release it when
bound, and to be ready to receive the next quantity deposited by the
intermittently moving endless apron.
Fig. 1, in the drawing, is a plan of a machine having these improve-
ments; those parts of the machine in which no improvement is
contemplated are for the most part omitted. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal
section of the principal working parts. Fig. 3, is a transverse section
of one of the fingers, with a front view of one of the cutter teeth.
Fig. 4, is a transverse view of the collecting hooks. Similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several Figures.
A, is the frame of the machine; B, is the main or driving wheel; and
C, its shaft, which carries an eccentric D, and a toothed wheel E, which
is shown in dotted lines inside the driving wheel. The wheel E, gears
with a smaller wheel F, on a shaft G, which carries a belt pulley J,
and from this pulley a belt Q, runs to a fast pulley I, and loose pulley
J, on the shaft K, of the driving roller L, of the endless apron M. N,
is a rocking shaft receiving motion from the eccentric, D, and carrying
an arm O, which is connected by a connecting rod P, with a sliding
bar V, on which are two pins a, a, which, as the bar works back and
forth, play between two oblique strips b, b, on a belt shipper c, and
make the latter change the belt Q, from the fast to the loose pulley on
the shaft K, and thus give motion to the apron M, at intervals.
R, R, are the collecting hooks, which are attached to arms, whose
lower ends rest in notches in part of the frame, as shown in Fig. 3.
The hooks of each pair are attached, one to a sliding bar S, and another
to a sliding bar S'; the said bars being arranged transversely at the
back of the machine, and being caused to reciprocate, one in the opposite
direction to the other, across the machine, by means of two oblique rods
d, d, which are attached to the sliding bar Q, and work in eyes c, c,
attached to the bars S, S'.
T, are the cutter teeth, which work in the common way in front of
the machine, and are of well-known form. Each has a rib f, of metal,
(see Figs. 2, and 3,) rivetted or otherwise secured to the under side or
face; and a recess is made in the slot, through which the knife works in
the finger, to allow the rib to enter or pass through.

page_text: The crop is cut in the usual way, and the grain, straw, stalk, &c., falls
on the apron, and when a sufficient quantity is on the apron it is carried
back in two quantities, the space above the apron being divided in the
centre, and is deposited between the collecting hooks, when the apron
stops, and the hooks close upon it, and collect it in the form of a sheaf
or bundle. Two attendants are ready on the back part of the frame,
and provided with bands to bind up the sheaves or bundles thus col-
lected. The hooks then open, and the sheaves or bundles are left free.
When the apron next moves to deposit the quantities for other sheaves
or bundles, the bound sheaves or bundles are carried off the back of the
machine by a roller U, which receives motion through a band g, from
a pulley h, on the shaft K.
I claim--First, the rib or projection f, on the under side or face of
each cutting tooth, for the purpose of preventing the teeth being clogged
in the fingers.
Secondly, giving the endless apron M, an intermittent motion, for
the purpose of carrying the grain, straw, stalk, &c., back, and depositing
it in suitable quantities, to be bound into sheaves or bundles, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Third, the collecting hooks R, R, operating in any way substantially
as described, for the purpose of collecting the grain, straw, stalk, &c.,
together, into the form of sheaves or bundles, ready for tying.
Fourth, the combination of the collecting hooks and intermittently
moving carrying apron, as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth
day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three.
A. E. LORADOUX BELLFORD. (L.S.)