IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GATHERING AND TYING WHEAT AND OTHER CEREALS IN THE FIELD, AND PART OF WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TO A REAPING MACHINE
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John James and Samuel Burden
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 25th March 1873.
We, JOHN JAMES and SAMUEL BURDEN, both of Leicester, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR GATHERING AND TYING WHEAT AND OTHER CEREALS IN THE FIELD, AND
PART OF WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TO A REAPING MACHINE," to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for
gathering wheat and other cereals (after it has been cut by means of a
reaper or otherwise) and tying the same into sheaves. The gathering
mechanism consists of a number of arms (by preference four) which rise
and fall independently of each other on a transverse rocking shaft
The lower
working in bearings at the front end of the machine.
curved ends of these arms rest upon the ground, and collect the cut
wheat or other cereal as the machine is drawn along. On one end of
the shaft which carries the gathering arms there is keyed a projecting
arm, which at every revolution of the running wheels is depressed by a
cam or tappet keyed on the axle of the running wheels, each depression

page_text: of the projecting arm causes the gathering armis to be elevated, carrying
with them the wheat which they have collected and which is deposited
into or between a pair of nippers or holders herein-after described.
So soon as the cam or tappet has passed over the end of the pro-
jecting arm the gathering arms will fall by their own gravity to
their normal position again in readiness to collect a fresh supply of
wheat. The holder's or nippers, into or between which the gathered
wheat is discharged from the gathering arms, are carried on a revolving
shaft which works in bearings at the rear of the machine. Four or
more of these holders or pairs of nippers (according to the size of the
machine) are mounted on the revolving shaft, each holder being brought
alternately into position to receive a supply of wheat from the gathering
arms to be tied into bundles or sheaves. These holders each consist of
a pair of jaws, one of which is rigidly fixed to a disc keyed on the
revolving shaft, the other jaw being hinged thereto and made to open
and close by means of friction rollers and wedges carried between metal
plates attached to the ends of sliding rods, which by their motion cause
the jaws to close at the proper time and secure the wheat between them
whilst being tied into bundles, and open the same again after the wheat
has been tied, in order that the bundles may be removed therefrom; on
cach side of these holders or nippers are four dummies which prevent
the sheaf overbalancing. The shaftwhich carries these holders may be
rotated by means of pitch wheels and chains from the axle of the
running wheels, or by any other suitable means. The holders having
received a supply of wheat from the gathering arms are by their rotation
brought into a position for tying.
-A band or rope of
The tying is effected in the following manner :-
straw or other suitable material is passed over the wheat contained in
the holder, and the ends thereof placed between two double curved or
S shaped plates or bars of metal mounted one above the other on a
vertical rotating spindle. The upper one of these curved plates is keyed
into the upper end of the said vertical spindle, whilst the lower one
is carried loosely thereon, and is provided with friction rollers which
work tightly in a groove formed in a metal plate attached to the framing
of the machine. On rotating the vertical spindle the two ends of the
band become nipped and securely held between the two curved plates,
which by their further rotation twist the said ends so as to connect
them firmly together. By the time that the twisting of the ends of

page_text: the band is effected the wheels which impart motion to the twisting
mechanism are thrown out of gear by means of an arrangement of levers
acted upon by the cam or tappet which actuates the gathering arms,
thereby releasing the twisted ends from between the curved rotating
plates. The twisted ends may then be passed under the band in order
to more effectually secure the same. By the time one sheaf is tied
another holder is supplied with wheat from the gathering arms, and is
brought into position for tying. The previously tied sheaf is released
from its holder by means of a wedge carried on the sliding plates before
mentioned, which wedge forces open the jaws which secure it. The
whole of the mechanism is carried on two running wheels, which as they
rotate impart the necessary motions to the several parts of the appa-
ratus by means of pitch chains and gearing, or by other suitable
appliances.
If desired, the whole or any part of the above-described machinery
may be combined with a reaping machine.