IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES.
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Thomas Burgess, of Brentwood, in the
County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND
MOWING MACHINES.'
Sealed the 18th December 1868, and dated the 23rd June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Thomas Burgess
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd June 1868.
I, CHARLES THOMAS BURGESS, of Brentwood, in the County of Essex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has, firstly, for its object to improve the lubrication
of the working parts of reaping and mowing machines. In order to give
a constant supply of lubricating material to the crank pin which gives
motion to the reciprocating knife or cutter bar I form the stem of the
connecting rod which connects the crank pin with the knife hollow to
form a reservoir for containing a supply of oil. From the end of this

page_text: hollow reservoir the oil may pass to a bearing which receives the crank
pin, through a small hole, through which a wick of cotton is passed or
the oil may be otherwise supplied from the reservoir to the bearing. The
hollow stem may be filled with oil through a hole in its side which at
other times is closed by a cork or otherwise. In order to give a constant
supply of oil to the bearings of the revolving axes of reaping and mowing
machines I employ oil vessels which are open at one end only, and the
exterior of this end has a screw thread cut upon it to screw into a
recess on the outside of the bearing, and from the bottom of this recess
a small hole leads to the inside of the bearing, and through it the oil
passes slowly from the oil vessel to the shaft. A washer of flannel or other
material may be placed at the bottom of the recess so that the oil shall
have to pass through the washer before coming to the shaft. By thus
employing a closed oil cup to screw into a recess on the outside of a
bearing all chance of dirt getting into the bearing is avoided. I prefer
to form each oil cup of a glass phial placed with its mouth downwards
into a metal cylinder which is open at top and closed at bottom. The
closed end is formed with a screw projecting from its centre of smaller
diameter than the exterior of the cylinder, so that when the screw is
screwed into the recess on the exterior of the bearing which is to receive
it the end of the cylinder may come closely against the exterior of the
bearing and so prevent any dirt passing into the axis. The phial is
cemented into the cylinder by plaster of Paris being poured into the
space between them, and a small hole is formed through the screw and
the end of the cylinder, so that when the apparatus is removed from a
bearing the phial can be filled with oil, and when the apparatus is in use
oil can pass from it to the shaft. Slots are formed on opposite sides of
the metal cylinder so as to expose the opposite sides of the glass phial;
the amount of oil in the phial can thus at all times be readily seen.
The next part of my Invention relates to a mode of setting the cutter
of reaping and mowing machines to cut at different heights from the
ground. For this purpose in place of the brackets or framing which
carry the cutter and the gearing for transmitting motion thereto being
carried by a straight axle which both passes through them and also
serves as the axle of the running wheel or wheels of the machine, I
form the axle of the wheel or wheels with cranks or eccentrics at its
ends, and these cranks or eccentrics pass through and support the

page_text: brackets or framing of the machine. By this means the brackets or
framing can by turning the axle by a lever handle be set at different
heights from the ground, and the axle can then be retained from turning
by a catch or bolt on the framing entering a notch in a disc carried by
the axle. By thus supporting the framing of the machine upon
eccentrics or cranks on the axle the gearing carried by the framing can
also be moved into and out of gear with the toothed wheel on the axle, as
the pinion which gears with this toothed wheel and which is carried by
the framing can by turning the axle be moved towards or away from the
toothed wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Thomas Burgess in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
THOMAS BURGESS, of Brentwood, in the County of Essex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Thomas Burgess, Her special
licence that I, the said Charles Thomas Burgess, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Thomas
time
Burgess, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Thomas Burgess, 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Thomas Burgess, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has, firstly, for its object to improve the lubrication
of the working parts of reaping and mowing machines. In order to
give a constant supply of lubricating material to the crank pin which
gives motion to the reciprocating knife or cutter bar I form the stem of
the connecting rod which connects the crank pin with the knife
hollow to form a reservoir for containing a supply of oil. From the end
of this hollow reservoir the oil may pass to a bearing which receives the
crank pin through a small hole, through which a wick of cotton is
passed, or the oil may be otherwise supplied from the reservoir to the
bearing. The hollow stem may be filled with oil through a hole in its
side, which at other times is closed by a cork or otherwise.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shews a longitudinal
section of a connecting rod formed in the manner I prefer for carrying
out this part of my Invention. a is the end of the rod which is to
receive the crank pin; b is the hollow stem which forms the oil reservoir;
6' is a small passage leading into a cup or chamber c above the bearing
which is to receive the crank pin, and the oil is supplied continuously
to the bearing from this cup by a wick of cotton, one end of which lies
in the cup and the other passes down to the bearing through a hole, as
shewn. The wick can be inserted into this hole through an opening c¹
formed at the top of the cup; this opening is ordinarily closed with a
stopper and cover, as shewn. d is the opening into the hollow stem b
through which the stem can be filled with oil, and which at other times
is closed by a cork.
In order to give a constant supply of oil to the bearings of the
revolving axes of reaping and mowing machines I employ oil vessels
which are open at one end only, and the exterior of this end has a
screw thread cut upon it to screw into a recess on the outside of the
bearing, and from the bottom of this recess a small hole leads to the
inside of the bearing, and through it the oil passes slowly from the oil
vessel to the shaft. A washer of flannel or other material may be placed

page_text: at the bottom of the recess so that the oil shall have to pass through the
washer before coming to the shaft. By thus employing a closed oil.
cup to screw into a recess on the outside of a bearing all chance of dirt
getting into the bearing is avoided. I prefer to form each oil cup of
a glass phial placed with its mouth downwards into a metal cylinder
which is open at top and closed at bottom. The closed end is formed
with a screw projecting from its centre of smaller diameter than the
exterior of the cylinder, so that when the screw is screwed into the
recess on the exterior of the bearing which is to receive it the end of
the cylinder may come closely against the exterior of the bearing, and
so prevent any dirt passing into the axis. The phial is cemented into
the cylinder by plaster of Paris being poured into the space between
them, and a small hole is formed through the screw and the end of the
cylinder, so that when the apparatus is removed from a bearing the
phial can be filled with oil, and when the apparatus is in use oil can
pass from it to the shaft. Slots are formed on opposite sides of the
metal cylinder so as to expose the opposite sides of the glass phial;
the amount of oil in the phial can thus at all times be readily seen.
Figure 2 shews a vertical section and Figure 3 a side view of a closed
lubricator or oil vessel, such as is above described for supplying oil con-
tinuously to the bearings of the revolving axes of reaping and mowing
machines. a is the glass phial fixed by plaster of Paris within a metal
casing 6, at the lower end of which is formed a screw thread of smaller
diameter than the casing, and this screw thread screws into a recess on
the outside of the bearing until the lower end of the casing comes against
the top of the projection in which the recess is formed, and so effectually
prevents any dirt passing down into the bearing; c, c, are washers of
flannel placed at the bottom of the recess, and c¹ is a perforated metal
washer placed between the flannel washers and the shaft; d, d, are slits
formed on opposite sides of the metal casing, so that the amount of oil
in the phial can readily be seen.
The next part of my Invention relates to a mode of setting the cutter
of reaping and mowing machines to cut at different heights from the
ground. For this purpose in place of the brackets or framing which
carry the cutter and the gearing for transmitting motion thereto, being
carried by a straight axle which both passes through them and also
serves as the axle of the running wheel or wheels of the machine, I

page_text: form the axle of the wheel or wheels with cranks or eccentrics at its
ends, and these cranks or eccentrics pass through and support the
brackets or framing of the machine. By this means the brackets or
framing can by turning the axle by a lever handle be set at different
heights from the ground, and the axle can then be retained from turning
by a catch or bolt on the framing entering a notch in a disc carried
by the axle. By thus supporting the framing of the machine upon
eccentrics or cranks on the axle the gearing carried by the framing
can also be moved into and out of gear with the toothed wheel on the
axle, as the pinion which gears with this toothed wheel and which is
carried by the framing can by turning the axle be moved towards or
away from the toothed wheel.
Figure 4 shows a diagram side view of the running wheel and framing
of a reaping and mowing machine, in which the framing which carries
the cutter is supported on an eccentric or crank on the axis of the
running or driving wheel, so that by turning this axis the frame carrying
the cutter can be set at different heights from the ground in the manner
above described. In this Figure a is the running wheel; b, the framing
carrying the cutter bar c and also the gearing which transmits motion
thereto from the toothed wheel d, which as usual is fixed on the axle
of the running wheels and is concentric with this wheel; e is the axle,
shewn separately at Figure 5; this axle has fixed upon it the handle e',
by which it can be turned, and is also formed at its two ends with
cranks which support the side irons to which the pole is fixed, and
which also support the frame b; f is a catch carried by this frame, which
can be dropped into notches in the disc es which is concentric with the
crank pins e¹.
Figure 6 is a diagram view showing the effect of turning the axle e
so as to bring the centre of the crank pins into the several positions
Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4. When the crank pin is in the position No. 1 the
cutter bar will be in its position nearest to the ground. When it is
moved into either of the positions Nos. 2 and 3 the toothed wheel g,
which works with the toothed wheel d, will be out of gear therewith,
whilst if the crank pin is moved into the position No. 4 the wheels d and
y will again be brought into gear with one another, and the cutter will
then be at its greatest height from the ground. By this arrangement
not only can the cutter be set to cut at either of two heights from the

page_text: of the driving gear out of gear with the toothed wheel d on the axle of
the running wheel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Thomas Burgess have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight.