Improvements in Mowing Machine Knife Grinders.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1899-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mowing Machine Knife Grinders.
I, HENRY ALLEN PRYOR, of 70, Chancery Lane, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has
been communicated to me from abroad by The Empire Implement Manufacturing
Company, a Corporation formed under and by virtue of the Laws of the State of
New York, having their office at corner of Broadway and Schuyley Street, in
the City and County of Albany, State of New York, United States of America,)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combina-
tions and arrangements in parts and devices, as hereinafter set forth and pointed
out in the claims. The main object of my invention is to provide a simple and
effective machine by means of which the knives of a cutter bar may be quickly
sharpened by grinding while in place on the bar, and have their original angles
and edges and bevels preserved. Other objects and advantages of the invention
will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken
in connection with the annexed drawings, forming a part of the specification.
In the accompanying drawings which are herein referred to,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine.
Fig. 2 is a transverse elevation of the same with the abrading wheel broken
away, showing concealed parts.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation with the cutter bar, with its attached knives secured
therein.
Fig. 4 is a transverse end elevation of the same.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view, broken, of the cutter bar rest which connects
the clamps for securing the cutter bar when grinding.
Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a side elevation and plan view of one of the
two clamps for holding cutter-bar.
Fig. 9 is a vertical side elevation of said clamp.
Fig. 10 is a plan view of a part of said clamp.
Fig. 11 is a vertical side elevation of the other of said clamps.
Figs. 12 and 13 are respectively a plan view and side elevation of parts of
said clamp.
Fig. 14 is an enlarged section of the sliding bar socket.
Fig. 15 is the sliding bar to which is attached cutter-bar rest and clamps.
Like marks of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.
As illustrated in my drawings, A designates the bed plate of my machine
which is preferably made of iron and is provided with stationary jaw, 1, and
adjustable clamp bolt and nut, 2, by which the machine can be temporarily
secured to a convenient part of a mowing machine or other suitable place where
the machine can be held stationary when required for use. B is a vertical
socket which is secured to bed plate, A, and provided with adjusting screw 3
and set screw, 4. C is the frame for supporting the operating mechanism, which

page_text: is hereinafter described, and is provided with a spindle, 5, which fits into and
is passed down through vertical socket, B, with its lower end resting on adjusting
serew, 3, said adjusting. screw is for the purpose of accurately bringing the face
surface of the abrading wheel to bear on the bevel edge of the knives in the
operation of grinding as hereinafter specified. On said frame, C, are arranged
journal bearings, 6, 7, 8, 9, and lugs, 10. Said lugs are perforated to receive
slide rods, 11, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. In journal bearing, 6, rotates driving
shaft, 12, which is provided at one end with crank, 13, next to which is securely
fastened spur wheel, 14; at the opposite end of said shaft, 12, is mounted
pinion, 15, which is securely fastened to said shaft and rotates with the same
by means of key, 16, which key also holds the shaft in journal bearing, 6, and
allows said shaft to rotate freely. Rigidly secured to one end of shaft, 19, is
spur wheel, 17, and pinion, 18; said shaft is passed through and is rotated in
journal bearing, 7, and held in place by means of key, 20, pinion 18 being in
mesh with spur wheel, 14. Spur wheel, 21, and pinion, 22, are rigidly secured
to shaft 23, said shaft is passed through and rotates in journal bearing, 8, with
spur wheel, 21, in mesh with pinion, 15, and held in place by a key. 24 is a
spur wheel provided with a shaft, 25, rigidly secured thereto and rotated in
journal bearing, 9, and secured in place by key, 26, through outer end of said
shaft, with said spur wheel in mesh with pinion, 22, and is provided with slotted
crank arm 10¹. D is a journal bearing case in which is secured spur wheel, 27,
and pinion, 28, which are loosely mounted on journals 29 and 30 and are in mesh
with each other, and pinion 31, which is rigidly secured to shaft, 32, and freely
revolves in journal bearing case, D: spur wheel, 27, is connected and made to
mesh properly with spur wheel, 17, by means of connecting rod 33, one end
of which is mounted on shaft 19 and its opposite end is mounted on shaft 29,
which admits of being actuated in either direction, keeping the said spur wheels
in perfect mesh with each other. E is a journal bearing in which revolves
shaft, 32; to one end of said shaft is secured abrading wheel, F, the opposite end
of said shaft is passed through journal bearing, 34, of journal bearing case, D;
rigidly secured to said shaft, 32, and within said journal bearing case, is pinion,
31, which meshes with pinion, 28, and holds journal bearing case, D, in position
with journal bearing E. Journal bearing E rests upon and has securely attached
thereto on its under side, slide bearings, 35, which operate on slide rods, 11; one
of said slide bearings is provided with lug, 36, to which is pivoted one end
of pitman, 37, the opposite end of said pitman is pivoted to slotted
crank arm 10¹ of spur wheel, 24; by this means when in operation, journal
bearing, E, and slide bearings, 35, together with abrading wheel, F, water cup, G,
which is hereinafter described, and journal bearing case, D, are caused to move
backward and forward on slide rods, 11, imparting an automatic movement to
same, as shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 2. Length of said backward
and forward movement is regulated by adjusting pitman, 37, in the slotted
arm, 10', of spur wheel, 24, by means of pivot stud, 38, which stud is firmly
secured at any desired position in slotted arm, 101, by means of bolt and nut, 39.
A water cup, G, surmounts the journal bearing, E, and has an open communica-
tion with the bore of said journal bearing. The shaft, 32, has a passage, 40, whose
inner end is formed at an angle to the line of said passage and is open at the
periphery of said shaft to form a water inlet opening, which, by the rotation
of the shaft, 32, will be brought into intermittant communication with the
opening in the lower end of the water cup, G, and the outlet opening of said
passage will form a constantly open communication with a water chamber, 41,
formed in the center of the abrading wheel, F. Said abrading wheel is provided
with a screw threaded metal attaching device, 42, made in said abrading wheel
and is rigidly held in place by flange or web, 43, and extends from the outer
surface of said wheel to the wall of water chamber, 41, for the purpose of
attaching the abrading wheel, F, to the shaft 32; the opposite wall of said
water chamber is made solid and has no opening or outlet; said shaft is provided

page_text: with a screw thread cut on its end to receive the said attaching device and by
screwing abrading wheel, F, tight against collar, 44, it is firmly held in place,
thereby preventing any possibility of a leakage of water therefrom, as shown
by parts broken away in Fig. 4. The abrading wheel, F, is made porous so
that the water from the chamber, 41, will percolate through the pores and ooze
from every part of the surface of the periphery of said wheel and the water
so supplied will prevent the friction produced by said wheel in its operation of
grinding from heating and drawing the temper from the knives, and it should
be understood that by centrifugal force generated by the rapid rotations on the
abrading wheel, F, the water will be thoroughly diffused through all parts of
the latter so that no portion of its surface can remain in a dry condition.
Attached to the upper surface of bed plate, A, are vertical bearings, 45, in
which operates rocking shaft, 46; on said shaft is mounted slide bar socket, 47,
by means of journal bearing, 48. The slide bar socket and journal bearing can
be moved to any desired position upon rocking shaft, 46, and is secured in place
by means of set screw, 49. To the under side of slide bar socket, 47, is rigidly
attached stops, 50; pivoted to said stops are supports, 51; the object of said stops
and supports is, for securely holding slide bar socket at angles, as shown by
dotted lines in Fig. 4, also in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3, by said
supports resting in socket, 52, attached to the side of bed plate, A. The slide bar
socket can be moved from the horizontal position to either of the angles shown
by dotted lines in Fig. 4, by means of rocking shaft, 46, and securely held in
place by one of the stops, 50, resting on the upper surface of bed plate, A, while
the support pivoted to the oppositely located stop is drawn up and also rests on
said bed plate, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. H is the slide bar which
operates in slide bar socket, 47; said slide bar can be adjusted at any desired
point on slide bar socket and held in position by thumb screw, 53. Rigidly
attached to the upper surface, at or near the end of slide bar, H, are clamp
parts, 54 and 55 which are each provided at its outer end with socket, 56, in
which rests spiral spring, 57. At the opposite end of clamp parts, 54 and 55,
is hinged cutter-bar rest, I, at one end of which is located arm, 58, and at the
opposite end arm, 59. On the outer surface of said arms are sockets, 60, made
to conform with sockets, 56, for the purpose of holding and keeping in place
spiral spring, 57. Hinged to one end of arm 58, is clamp part, 61, which is
perforated at or near its outer end to admit of said clamp part being closed down
on cutter-bar rest, I. to hold said cutter-bar rigidly in position by means of
bolt, 62, and nut, 63. On the upper surface of arm, 59, is loosely mounted
clamp part, 64, which is made to close down on and more securely hold in
position cutter-bar when grinding, by means of bolt and nut, 65. J is a hand
lever loosely mounted on and near the center of slide bar socket, 47, by means
of bearing, 66, and bolt, 67. K is a slotted indicating pointer, attached to the
side of slide bar socket, 47, and held in place by means of screw, 68, and can
be adjusted in relation to the face of the abrading wheel so that when the cutter-
bar is at either angle, the edge of said abrading wheel will be at the outer edge
or dividing line of the knives on the cutter-bar and in position for grinding
and in which position the abrading wheel passes over the bevel cutting edge of
the knife grinding from one edge of the face surface of said abrading wheel to
the opposite edge by which operation the face surface of said abrading wheel will
always remain in perfect condition. Abrading wheel, F, is rotated and moved
backward and forward through intermediate gearing, by means of power being
imparted to hand crank, 13. L is a section of a cutter-bar used in mowing
machines with a series of knives attached.
My invention is operated in the following manner:
A cutter-bar, L, is placed on cutter-bar rest, I, when the same is in a horizontal
position and is held in place by clamp mechanism, and is adjusted for grinding
by shifting slide bar, H, so that indicating pointer, K, is at the dividing line
between the knives of said bar, and held in place by thumb screw, 53; the slide

page_text: bar is then tilted at the angle provided by the stops; the bevel edge of the
knife is thus made to come in perfect contact with the face of the abrading wheel
and is held close up to the same by means of the spiral springs, 57. Should
said springs at any time prove not strong enough, then the necessary friction
can be obtained and the bevel edge of the knives can be brought in closer contact
with the abrading wheel, by raising the cutter-bar by means of the hand lever, J.
The backward and forward movement of the abrading wheel grinds the..knife
from heel to point, retaining the original bevel until the knife. is worn out.
After grinding the edge of the knife, the slide bar socket, 47, is tilted to the
opposite angle and the same process is gone through; then the slide bar socket is
returned to its horizontal position and the slide bar is shifted so that the indicating
pointer is at the next dividing line between the knives and then tilted to the
angle and the several operations above described should be continued until: each
cutting edge of all the knives has been properly sharpened. The slide bar socket
can be adjusted on the rocking shaft, 46, by means of the set screw so that the
knives which are partially covered by the knuckle joint at one end of the cutter
bar can be perfectly ground. By this mechanism the knives are all ground
uniform and the face of the abrading wheel is kept perfectly level by the manner
in which it grinds, until the abrading wheel is worn out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention (as communicated to me from abroad) and in what manner the same.
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is: -
1. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars, the combination of a bed-
plate, A, provided with a stationary clamp jaw, I, for adjustably carrying a
frame support C, and sockets 52, arranged on the oppositely located vertical sides
of said bed-plate, in which rests supports 51 and vertical bearings 45 of a
rocking shaft 46, as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars, the combination of a bed-
plate, provided with a clamp jaw and an adjustable clamp bolt and nut; a vertical
socket for adjustably carrying a frame support C, and sockets arranged on the
oppositely located vertical sides of said bed-plate, in which rests supports 51;
vertical bearings and a rocking shaft of a sliding bar socket 47, adjustably mounted
on said rocking shaft and provided with stops 50 and 51; and an adjustable
indicating pointer K, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. In a machine for grinding cutter-bars, the combination of a bed plate pro-
vided with a stationary clamp jaw and an adjustable clamp bolt and nut; a
vertical socket for adjustably carrying a frame support C, and sockets arranged
on the oppositely located vertical sides of said bed-plate, in which rests supports
5.1, vertical bearings and a rocking shaft, a sliding bar socket, adjustably mounted
on said rocking shaft and provided with stops and supports, an adjustable indicat-
ing pointer, of a sliding bar, H, fitted to be adjustably moved longitudinally on
said sliding bar socket and carrying a cutter bar rest, I, provided with means
substantially as specified, for adjustably holding a cutter-bar; and spiral springs,
57, as and for the purposes specified.
4. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars, the combination of a bed
plate provided with a stationary clamp jaw and an adjustably clamp bolt and nut;
a vertical socket for adjustably carrying a frame support and sockets arranged
on the oppositely located vertical sides of said bed plate in which rests supports;
vertical bearings and a rocking shaft; a sliding bar socket adjustably mounted
on said rocking shaft and provided with stops and supports; an adjustable
indicating pointer; a sliding bar, H, fitted to be adjustably moved longitudinally
in said sliding bar socket and carrying a cutter-bar rest provided with means
substantially as specified, for adjustably holding a cutter-bar and spiral springs
of a hand lever, J, arranged to raise said cutter-bar rest to bring the cutting edge
of the knife in closer contact with the face surface of the abrading wheel as
herein specified.

page_text: 5. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars, the combination with a
cutter-bar holder; frame, C, provided with the downward projected spindle, 5;
abrading wheel, F', carried by said frame, of the bed plate, A; vertical socket, B,
secured to said bed plate and receiving said spindle; adjusting screw, 3, working
up through the bottom of said socket and against the lower end of said spindle
and set screw, 4, working in a side of said socket and against said spindle,
whereby the circumferential face of said abrading wheel may be adjusted in
relation to the beveled edge of the knives, held by said cutter-bar holder, as set
forth.
6. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars, the combination with a
cutter-bar holder; frame, C, provided with the downward projected spindle, 5;
abrading wheel, F, carried by said frame; gear mechanism also carried by said
frame and adapted to revolve said abrading wheel of the bed plate, A; vertical
socket, B, secured to said bed plate and receiving the said spindle of frame, C;
adjusting screw, 3, working upwardly through the bottom of said socket and
against the lower end of said spindle and set screw, 4, working through a side
of said socket and against said spindle, whereby the said abrading wheel may be
held properly adjusted in relation to the edge of the knife held by said cutter-bar
holder and be revolved in contact with the said edge of the knife, as set forth.
7. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars, the combination with a
cutter-bar holder; frame, C, provided with the downward projected spindle, 5;
abrading wheel, F, carried by said frame; gear mechanism also carried by said
frame and adapted to revolve said abrading wheel; mechanism also carried by
said frame and adapted to impart a reciprocating movement to said abrading
wheel while it is being revolved, of the bed plate, A, vertical socket secured to
said bed plate and receiving the said spindle of frame, C, adjusting screw, 3,
working upward through the lower end of said socket and against the lower end
of said spindle and set screw, 4, working through a side of said socket and against
said spindle, whereby the said abrading wheel may be held adjusted in relation
to the beveled edge of the knife held by the cutter-bar holder, and be moved
reciprocatingly the length of the beveled edge, while its circumferential face
is being revolved in contact with said beveled edge of the knife, as set forth.
8. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars, the combination of a
vertical socket; a frame support having a spindle adjustably fitted into said
vertical socket; an adjusting screw; a set screw; and the operating mechanism
substantially as specified mounted on said frame support; a journal bearing case,
one end of which is mounted on shaft, 32, the opposite end connected to shaft 19
of the operating mechanism by means of connecting rod, 33, of a journal bearing,
E, as and for the purposes specified.
9. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars, the combination with a
porous abrading or grinding wheel, containing the centrally located water cham-
ber, 41, having a solid or closed front end wall; the internal screw threaded metal
piece, 42, having its inner end provided with flange, 43, and seated centrally
in the rear side wall of the said chambered abrading wheel and clamping it from
its chamber side, and the revolving shaft, 32, having a screw threaded end screw-
ing into the said flanged metal piece, 42, and collar, 44, on said revolving shaft
and clamping on the outer sides of the rear side wall, of the water duct, 40, made
longitudinal and central in the said revolving shaft, 32, and the water cup, G,
intermittantly connecting with said water duct, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
10. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars of mowers, the combination
with a cutter-bar holding-bed which is adjustable in either direction, relatively
oblique to the axis of the grinding wheel and devices connected with said bed
for supporting said cutter-bar with its knives at right angles to the plane of said
bed, and adapted to be moved at will lengthwise on said bed; of a vibrating
frame having its rearward end supported on a pivot shaft arranged parallel with
the line of direction of said bed when the latter is parallel with the axis of the

page_text: grinding wheel; of a grinding wheel mounted on a shaft which is supported in
the free end of said vibrating frame and having its peripheral face in its cross
direction, parallel with the axis of the pivot shaft of said frame; of a drive
wheel; gear mechanism between said drive wheel and said grinding wheel and
gear mechanism, and an adjustable vibrating device between said drive wheel
and the vibrating frame, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
11. In a machine for grinding knives of cutter-bars of mowing machines,
the combination with a base piece from which the operating parts of the machine
are supported; a vertically adjustable sectional standard mounted on said base-
piece; a gear frame connected with the upper section of said standard; of a drive
gear mounted on said frame; a vibrating frame having its rear end pivoted on
the shaft of said drive wheel; a grinding wheel mounted on a shaft carried by
the free end of said frame; a gear mechanism between said drive wheel and
grinding wheel; a vibrating lever pivoted on the frame carried by the upper
section of the standard; a connection between one end of said lever and the
vibrating frame; a driven wheel also carried by the frame carrying said vibrating
lever; a pivoted connection between said lever and the said driven wheel and a
gear between said driven wheel and the drive wheel, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
12. In a machine for sharpening the knives of cutter-bars of mowing machines,
the combination with a cutter-bar holding-bed which is adapted to be adjusted
obliquely in either direction in relation to the axis of the grinding wheel and also
adapted to be vibrated toward and from the same; a vertically adjustable stan-
dard; a frame connected with said standard and a drive wheel mounted on a
shaft carried by the said frame; of a vibrating frame having one end thereof
pivoted on the shaft of said drive wheel and extended therefrom in a direction
transverse to the direction of the length of the cutter-bar holding frame; a
grinding wheel carried by the free end of said vibrating frame; a gear mechanism
between the drive wheel and said grinding wheel; a driven wheel mounted on
a shaft carried by the frame carried by said standard; a vibrating lever also
pivoted on said frame and a pivoted connection between one of its ends and the
said vibrating frame and a pivoted connection between its opposite end and a
pivot carried by said driven wheel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 21st day of September 1899.