IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES ADAPTED TO BE WORKED BY ENGINE OR ANIMAL POWER
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Fox, of Graveley, in the County of
Cambridge, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
ADAPTED TO BE WORKED BY ENGINE OR ANIMAL POWER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Fox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th May 1876.
WILLIAM HENRY Fox, of Graveley, in the County of Cambridge.
IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REAPING MACHINES ADAPTED TO BE WORKED BY ENGINE OR ANIMAL
POWER."
The object of my improvements is to provide means whereby a reaping machine
is made adaptable for steam or other power, the great advantago being that in
cutting the action of the machine is backwards and forwards across the field instead
of round as at present, thereby enabling corn, however much laid, to be cut equally
well as that which is standing, and this without the loss of time occasioned by the
ordinary machine, which is obliged to travel round empty in some cases three sides
out of four of the field.
In carrying out my improvements I prefer to adopt mainly the following
arrangements:-Two steering wheels are placed one before and one behind the
driving wheel or wheels so as to give the machine a steady motion, said wheels
being fitted to suitable framing. The said framing carries a knife bar which is
fitted with a double set of fingers, one set being on either side. Through each set
of fingers a cutting knife works, and therefore on both sides of the bar a cutting
edge is presented. To the knife bar is attached by hinges or suitable fastening
the sheafing board, on which the corn as cut is laid and is removed therefrom by the
rakes (in sheaves) as at present adopted. The board being hung on hinges can on
the machine arriving at the headland be reversed, so that the second set of knives
which during the last draught have remained quiet under the board will be brought
into operation. The dividing irons of the machine are such as to admit of
backward and forward action.
This apparatus is adapted for an ordinary self-raking reaper to be worked by
horses, the great advantage in my arrangements being the facility of cutting laid
crops. Like results are also obtained by use of steam power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Fox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
November 1876.
WILLIAM HENRY Fox, of Graveley, in the County of Cambridge. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REAPING MACHINES ADAPTED TO BE WORKED BY ENGINE OR ANIMAL
POWER."
The object of my improvements is to provide means whereby a reaping machine
is made adaptable for steam or other power, the great advantage being that in
cutting the action of the machine is backwards and forwards across the field
instead of round as at present, thereby enabling corn, however much laid, to be cut
equally well as that which is standing, and this without the loss of time occasioned
by the ordinary machine, which is obliged to travel round empty in some cases
three sides out of four of the field.
In carrying out my improvements I adopt substantially the following arrange-
ments: Two steering wheels are placed one before and one behind the driving
wheel or wheels so as to give the machine a steady motion, said wheels being fitted
to suitable framing. The said framing carries a knife bar which is fitted with a
double set of fingers, one set being on either side. Through each set of fingers
a cutting knife works, and therefore on both sides of the bar a cutting edge is
presented. To the knife bar is attached by hinges or suitable fastening the
sheafing board, on which the corn as cut is laid and is removed therefrom by the
rakes in sheaves, as at present adopted. The board being hung on hinges can on
the machine arriving at the headland be reversed, so that the second set of knives
which during the last draught have remained quiet under the board will be brought
into operation. The dividing irons of the machine are such as to admit of back-
ward and forward action.
This apparatus is adapted for an ordinary self-raking reaper to be worked by
horses, the great advantage in my arrangements being the facility of cutting laid
crops. Like results are also obtained by use of steam power.
Having thus far described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and incidentally intimated in what manner the same is to be performed or carried
out in practice, I will now proceed (aided by the accompanying Drawings) to
further and particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to be
performed or carried out in practice, that is to say :—
Figure 1, elevation of my machine; Figure 2, plan of same.
Figure 3, diagram view, shewing how the machine is worked across the field
backward and forward.
Figure 4 is detail plan view of knives and knife bar.
In these Figures A represents steering wheels, actuated by ordinary steering
apparatus A placed at the ends of the frame A' of the machine; B, driving wheel;
C, knife bar with a double set of fingers c (Fig. 4), between which sets of fingers
the cutting knife C' works. The knife working between the fingers is provided
with a cutting edge on both sides, or separate knives may be used on either side;
D is the sheafing board, which is hinged to the knife bar. The board being hung
in this manner allows of same being reversed when the machine arrives at the
headland; E, rakes as at present used.
In using my Invention with steam power the rope or chain is attached to the
end of the frame at 6, and the machine worked across the field, as will be seen
in Figure 3. One set of knives is brought into operation, and as cut the crop is
deposited on the sheafing board D, and the rakes E remove the same in sheaves as
at present. When the machine arrives at the headland the sheafing board D is
reversed and the second set of knives is brought into play, cutting the crop, which

page_text: is received on the sheafing board and removed by the rakes as before described.
In regard to the rakes they are so constructed that they will not interfere with the
man steering.
The Figures show my arrangements as when worked by steam power, but when
horse power is employed it is worked or drawn by a polo or shaft from the outside
of the frame, which is so constructed as to be reversable, so that the machine may
be worked to and fro..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of "Improvements in Reaping
Machines adapted to be Worked by Engine or Animal Power," substantially as the
same is herein-before set forth and described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings, wherein the following are peculiar and important points, viz :—
1. The double set of knives and fingers.
2. The reversable sheafing board, which admits of the machine working to and
fro across the field as herein-beforo described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Fox, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.