IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH COMBINED REAPING AND GRAIN-STRAW MACHINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lamb Hancock, of Cotterill Road, Dalston, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND CONNECTED WITH COMBINED REAPING AND GRAIN-STRAW
MACHINES."
BINDING
Sealed the 21st January 1879, and dated the 24th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lamb Hancock at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th July 1878.
JAMES LAMB HANCOCK, of Cotterill Road, Dalston, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH COMBINED REAPING AND
GRAIN-STRAW BINDING MACHINES."
The object of this Invention is to secure tufts of grain straws by a sewing
operation in or upon a harvester, between the cutting and the delivery, to form,
preferably, a flat sheaf.
One method of carrying the Invention into practice is to cause the grain straws
as they are cut by the knives of a reaping machine, in the usual manner, to fall and
accumulate against a blade or shield which is fitted over a horizontal inclined end-
less band or apron. This shield is on centres, to be turned over at intervals of time
to release the accumulated straws and to permit them to fall on to the apron, which
travels continuously or intermittently in a direction at right angles to the line of
draught of the machine. The straws thus carried are brought into contact with
spikes of an intermittent moving spiked roller, or of a short band, to form tufts or
small bundles, which are then secured together by needles and twine, cord, or by.
wire, until sufficient is formed to make about what is termed a sheaf; a knot is then
made in the twine, cord, or wire as to prevent the last sewn tuft of that series from
becoming loose. Another knot is made at a slight distance from the last one, to
secure the first tuft of the next series, when the operation of sewing continues as
before.
After the second knot of the second series is formed the twine, cord, or wire
between the two end knots are severed by a cutting appliance, and the next move-

page_text: ment of the spiked roller or short band causes the first series of tufts to be released
and to fall or slide down a platform on to the ground. The straws in tufts, thus
sewn or secured together are deposited upon the ground in a thin-like layer, some-
what like a row of flat fencing. They are of sufficient bulkiness to stand upright
against one another as to form a kind of open "stook," through which the air has
free access for drying the straws previous to their removal for stacking purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Lamb Hancock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
January 1879.
JAMES LAMB HANCOCK, of Cotterill Road, Dalston, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH COMBINED REAPING AND
GRAIN-STRAW BINDING MACHINES."
The object of this Invention is to secure tufts of grain straws by a sewing
operation in or upon a harvester, between the cutting and the delivery, to form,
preferably, a flat sheaf.
One method of carrying the Invention into practice is to cause the grain straws
as they are cut by the knives of a reaping machine, in the usual manner, to fall
or accumulate against a blade or shield which is fitted over a horizontal or in-
clined endless band or apron. This shield is on centres, to be turned over or back
at intervals of time to release the accumulated straws and to permit them to fall
on to the apron, which travels continuously or intermittently in a direction at right
angles to the line of draught of the machine. The straws thus carried are brought
into contact with spikes of an intermittent moving spiked roller, or of a short
band, to form tufts or small bundles, which are then secured together by needless
and twine, or cord, until sufficient is formed to make about what is termed a sheaf.
A series of knots are then made in the cord by the needle, previous to the first of
the next series of tufts being fed to it, when the same operation of sewing is con-
tinued, until sufficient for another sheaf is formed, and so on.
The sewn tufts or small bundles of grain straws are drawn from the needle by a
reciprocator fitted over or by a second spiked roller, and when removed to a
sufficient distance the cord is severed by a cutting appliance through the close series
of knots, and the series of sewn bundles being released are allowed to fall off the
board on to the ground, or, more properly speaking, upon the stubble, in a flat layer,
somewhat like a row of flat fencing. The layer of straws by resting upon the
stubble, and the tufts being a short distance apart, permit the air and sun to pass
through and into them, as well as rain-water to fall off, and moisture to be evapo-
rated, thereby expediting the drying and the weathering operation, processes not
attained when the usual sheaf is made. The series of sewn bundles are of sufficient
thickness to stand inclined against one another for stooking

page_text: The method of carrying my Invention into practice is exemplified by the follow-
ing description, and by the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
In Figure 1, A is the endless belt as a platform for receiving the straws after
being cut by the reciprocating knives, in the usual manner. This travelling belt
carries the straws in a direction transverse to the progress of the machine and
presses them against flexible bars or springs B, B, from which they, in small
quantities, are taken by the spikes C, C, on the roller D, the spikes carrying or
pushing the small bundles in succession beyond a hole in the table E, on to which
they come by the action of the spiked roller, in order that the needle F may pass
,into the hole and sew each bundle in succession, in the manner or needles of sew-
ing machines, the loop for the shuttle to pass through being formed by a claw of a
lever which moves across the path of the cord wheel stands away from the needle
when down.
Just inside the finger bar, and between it and the travelling platform, I purpose
fitting a plate or surface G, Figures 3 and 4, inclined toward the rear, that the
straws as they are beaten by the reel, and are cut, rest temporally in a kind of
recess, and against a shield or screen H, from or by which, when turned or
moved on its centres, the accumulated grain straws fall on to the endless apron A.
The spring blades B, B, act as checks to the feed of straws to the needle or
needles, should more than one be used.
W is a spiked roller to draw the tufts, as they are sewn, away from the needle,
that they may fall from the delivery board c when severed as a series connected.
The needle F, in Figure 1, is of the ordinary kind, but extra large in proportion,
and, as the needle cord loops are formed under the table E, a shuttle a, similar to a
weaver's shuttle, is passed through them under the action of pickers, like the
shuttle of a weaver's loom, the pickers being actuated by gear and springs from the
mechanism of the machine.
Figure 2 is a view of sufficient of a combined reaper and binder on which the straws
from the endless belt A are lifted by a second endless belt or elevator A¹ that they
may fall into a pocket or cradle I, and in which a quantity can be separated to form
a small bundle by the feed J, this having a partial circular motion in its downward
travel as to gather the straws from the cradle to behind the needle, or a hook F,
which is here shown, that a sewing by a single cord may be effected. The cord is
below the table, and the part to be taken by the hook of the needle in its up stroke
is thrown across the path of the needle by a short lever fitted for the purpose. The
loop of this thread is in the hook of this needle in the lift motion, and as the needle
descends the loop leaves the hook and rises up the needle stem, the loop being held
by tension, that when the needle again lifts the loop passes over the hook and
escapes from the needle, whereby a knotting takes place to hold each bundle of
grain straws in contiguity to the next. To ensure the loop passing over the hook
at each up stroke of the needle, I purpose using a hinged barb K, which will fall over
upon the hook in the up stroke, and turn back.in the down stroke, that the loop may
ride over the barb and free itself from the stem.
In Figure 1, the binding and delivery are effected in line, or about in line, with
the cutting apparatus and platform, the machine being arranged to travel behind
the axial line of a fore carriage, from the wheels of which the whole of the
mechanism is governed and actuated.
By Figure 2, the straws are elevated from the platform to the cradle as to enable
the bearing wheel or wheels to be arranged under the binder apparatus.
Figure 3 is a plan or top view of a combined reaper and binder on or by which
grain straws can be gathered in small bundles, and attached by a sewing operation
as before referred to.
In this machine, the endless belt or platform A rises at the end near the table E
to lift the grain straws above the level of the platform, and deposit them thereon
for the gathering blade or arın J, which separates and draws the straws in small
quantities to form tufts for the sewing apparatus to secure them in succession.
The sewing apparatus in this machine is composed of two curved needles F, F,

page_text: (one needle only may however be fitted) attached to arms or needle bars L, L,
actuated from centres M, M, by eccentrics N, N, or they may be cranks on a
shaft P rotated by the wheel Q from the prime mover through intermediate
gearing.
The gathering arm J is suspended from a transverse bar R and is caused to move
to and fro under the action of an eccentric or crank S by the rod P. The needles
in their descent enter a shuttle box T, that the shuttles may pass through the loops
formed by a drag upon the cord or twine, by stuffing boxes in the table, as the
needles lift to complete the binding stitch.
The shuttles are of the ordinary kind, and are driven to and fro by cranks U, U,
Figure 4, that have a horizontal motion imparted to them from bevil gear V
actuated by the prime mover.
W is a roller having one row of spikes X only; this roller is supported on the
arms Y from the centre Z, that it may rest upon bearings that the spikes may enter
the tufts and gradually draw them away from the needles while the knots are being
formed, the movement of the roller being in relation to a couple or more stop
levers b, b, which rise up through the table and check the feed to the arm J while
the knots of the cord are being formed. The sewn tufts as they leave the roller aré
pushed along the delivery board c, which I prefer should be inclined that they may
fall on to the ground. At intervals of time, the feed is stopped, and the sewing is
continued to form a series of knots in the cords without tufts, to enable a severance
of the cords between those knots to be effected without releasing the tufts which
form the end of one series and the first of the next. The extra knotting and the
severing of the cords is accomplished when a sufficient number of tufts have been
sewn to make what may be termed a sheaf, for falling on to the ground, as before
described.
.
Figure 5 is a view of stitching produced by two threads, as by machine, Figures 1,
3, and 4; and Figure 6 is a view of a few tufts as produced by a single thread
sewing, as by machine, Figure 2.
In some cases the shield H can be dispensed with, the cut straws then falling
direct upon the endless travelling belt A.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
The improvements in and connected with combined reapers and grain-straw
binding machines, whereby tufts or small quantities of straws can be secured by a
sewing operation between the cutting and the delivery, to form a flat sheaf, as set
forth, and as shown in the annexed Drawings, instead of a round sheaf with a
single binding for itself as hitherto.
Secondly. Securing small quantities of grain straws by a sewing operation upon
a combined reaper and binder, between the cutting and the delivery, to form a flat
sheaf, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lamb Hancock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
JAMES LAMB HANCOCK. (L.S.)