IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF BINDING SHEAVES OF WHEAT AND OTHER CORN, AND IN APPLIANCES OR IMPLEMENTS THEREFOR.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Antoine Péne, of Paris, France, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF BINDING SHEAVES OF WHEAT AND
OTHER CORN, AND IN APPLIANCES OR IMPLEMENTS THEREFOR.'
"
Sealed the 1st September 1877, and dated the 5th March 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Jean Antoine Péne at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th March 1877.
JEAN ANTOINE PENE, of Paris, France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
BINDING SHEAVES OF WHEAT AND OTHER CORN, AND IN APPLIANCES OR IMPLE-
MENTS THEREFOR."
"
Time is money, as the saying goes. And this is a proverb doubly true when
applied to the work of harvest time. Every agriculturist knows by experience that
to perform this work rapidly is not only to gain money, but often also to avoid great
loss. But he also knows that every year it becomes more difficult to procure a
sufficient number of labourers for this purpose. I have endeavoured to simplify the
portion of this work which requires the most labourers, and I have had the satisfac-
tion to be in great measure successful. The means I use for this purpose are the
following-1st. Bands of tarred rope graduated by means of knots, to enable them
to be used for sheaves of all sizes, and which I shall call "graduated bands." 2nd.
An implement serving at the same time for taking up the crop, passing the band
under the sheaf, tying the sheaves and making the knot, to which I give the name
of "binding hook."
The said band is made of two threads well twisted, and loosely formed into a rope,
and is provided with a knot n at one of its ends, and towards the other end with
a certain number of knots at intervals of about 3 to 4 inches (about 8 to 10
centimètres).
Fig. 1 represents a knotted band. Fig. 2 and 3 are front and side views of the
implement above mentioned, which consists of a wooden rod provided at one of its
ends with a double metal hook a terminating in a point, and which is shown separ-
ately in Figs. 5. At about 5 inches (about 12 centimètres) from the other end is
fixed the tying handle b. The extension c serves also as a handle for one part of
the operation. Fig. 4 shows the implement in a different shape, in which the slot i
serves to seize the end n of the band in order to pass it under the sheaf. The labourer

page_text: carries the bands suspended by the middle to his belt on his left hip. He uses the
implement in holding it by the part c for taking up the crop and forming the sheaf,
as well as for passing the band beneath it, and by the handle b to tighten the sheaves
and make the knot.
This latter operation, which is the most important, is performed in the following
manner: The implement having been inserted up to the handle b between the two
thread of the bands and against the knot which may be deemed the most suitable
according to the size of the sheaf, the knot n is then seized by the hook. The
implement is held by the handle b with the right hand, and the waving end d of the
band is taken in the other hand, and the tying is effected in the usual way, until
the extremity of the implement comes out from between the two threads which are
immediately brought together and hold the knot n when it is disengaged from the
hook. The rope being very thin, and the force required to effect the tying being
considerable, the palm of the left hand is protected by a leather pad.
The following are some of the advantages presented by my new or improved
system :-
1st. Four men are sufficient for tying up the crop as fast as it is cut by a reaping-
machine, whereas six have very great trouble in performing this same labour in the
ordinary way.
2nd. All the corn lost in consequence of the use of bands made of the crop itself
is economised, and this represents a large sum of money. a year. In less than
three years the bands and implements entirely pay for themselves by the economy
realised in labour alone, and a duration of ten years may reasonably be assigned
to them, without taking any other precautions but placing them in a case and in
a dry spot after the threshing, for they are in no way damaged in the operation.
In experiments which have been made with the view of determining the power
of resistance to labour of the said bands, we have been able to bind and tie a sheaf
forty times properly with the same band, after which it hardly yet showed any
signs of wear.
3rd. There is no danger of the sheaves getting untied in the different manipula-
tions which they have to undergo, and yet they are untied with the greatest ease
when desired.
4th. When they can no longer be used as bands, the ropes will still possess a con-
siderable value for other purposes.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, what I claim and desire to secure
by the Royal Letters Patent is,―
1. The rope band for binding the harvest crops, graduated by means of knots,
substantially as and for the purpose described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
2. The implement for the application of the said band, designated under the name
of "binding hook," substantially as and for the purpose set forth and represented in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Antoine Péne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. A. PEN E.
(L.S.)