IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard, of Bedford, in the County of
Bedford, Agricultural Engineer, and Edward Tenney Bousfield, of the
same Place, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard and
Edward Tenney Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 20th November 1866.
We, JAMES HOWARD, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Agricultural
Engineer, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, of the same Place, Engineer, d'o
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows :-
The object of this Invention is to increase the efficiency of reapers and
mowers. The first head of the Invention relates to an improvement in the
arrangement of the mechanism for giving motion to the knife bar of
-reapers
and mowers; in the arrangement of the blades on the cutter bar; and a means
of altering the inclination of the knife bar. The second head relates to
improvements in the construction of the reel of reapers, and the apparatus for
delivering the cut crop from the machine.
It has hitherto been found a difficulty to bring the crank shaft which works
the knife bar sufficiently low to keep the rod which connects the crank shaft

page_text: and knife bar and transmits motion to the latter at a proper angle for effi-
ciently delivering the thrust. Now in order to effect this, and at the same
time to economise space, the shaft which carries the pinion that gears with the
ring of bevil teeth on one driving wheel of the machine is fitted at one end
with a spur wheel, which drives a pinion on the crank shaft; this shaft is
mounted horizontally and parallel with the shaft that takes the motion from
the driving wheel. The two shafts are mounted in the same casting, the
crank shaft being below the other, but in the same vertical plane; this
arrangement allows of the speed of the knife bar being altered by shifting the
spur gearing.
"
As an improvement in the arrangement of the knives we make the knives
of, say, one-half the breadth of those hitherto used, and give the bar the same
length of traverse as heretofore; this arrangement gives an increase of "pitch
to the knives and double the length of cutting surface, and thereby ensures the
knife edges keeping much longer than ordinarily. In order to alter the pitch
of the finger bar, the female joint, which receives it, and which is ordinarily a
fixed part of the frame, is made to receive a slight axial motion through a
lever within reach of the attendant. By means of this lever the attendant
can alter the inclination of the finger bar, as desired, while the machine is
in motion, and through a catch retain it at that inclination.
.
The chief object of the improvements in the reel (which is intended
to gather in the corn to the cutters and sweep it off when cut at the side of
the machine) is to increase its efficiency. The bars of the reel are carried at
one end only (as is common) by radial arms, and one or more of the bars is fitted
with rake teeth. The radial arm carrying the raker is.hollow and forms &
socket for a rod which carries the raker; this rod receives an-axial motion in
its socket, and it is fitted at both ends with a projecting lever; these levers-as
the reel rotates by striking against cam projections will give the desired axial
motion to the rod which carries the raker, and will thus move round the rake
bar and cause it to sweep off the cut corn. Instead of depending on the action
of the levers and fixed cams a coiled spring attached to the rod may be wound
up as the reel rotates, and being suddenly freed it will cause the rake bar to
sweep off the corn; this arrangement serves to equalize the power to be
given out by the machine. Or the rod may receive an axial motion by means
of a pair of mitre wheels, one of which is fixed to. the framework which
carries the reel shaft, and the other is keyed, on the axis of the rake arm, so
that the rake in being carried round with the other arms of the reel makes
also a revolution in its socket, and it is by the combined. movement that the
cut crop is swept from the platform. Sometimes we dispense with the

page_text: ordinary reel altogether, and substitute therefor gatherers made to revolve in
the same manner as described for the rake arm.
It is also proposed to apply to the rake bar, instead of the rigid tines
heretofore used, elastic tines made of cane or stiff fibrous material, which
when sweeping over any irregularities in the surface of the platform will yield
or accommodate itself thereto.
In order further to increase the efficiency of-the machine it has been found
desirable to give a slower movement to the rake as it passes the platform than
to the other arms of the reel; this differential movement is obtained in the
following manner:-The reel is driven by a chain wheel mounted excen-
trically to the reel shaft, and provided with a radial slot into which projects &
pin from an arm keyed on the reel shaft; this pin, as the chain wheel "is
rotated, transmits through the arm rotatory motion to the reel shaft, the speed
of which will constantly vary with the varying position of the pin in the radial
slot; these variations. are so adjusted that the speed of the axle will be at its
minimum while the rake is passing over the platform. At the rear end the
platform is. hinged and. secured by a screw and link to allow of the hinder
part being raised: or lowered to suit the delivery of various kinds of crops.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES.
HOWARD, of Bedford, in the. County of Bedford, Agricultural Engineer, and
EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, of the same Place, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date.the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield, Her special licence
that we, the said James Howard and Edward-Tenney Bousfield, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James
Howard and Edward Tenney Bonsfield, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,..and Isle of Man, an Invention.

page_text: for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Howard and
Edward Tenney Bousfield, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-.
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in 5
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Howard and Edward Tenney
Bousfield, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what I
manner the same is to be. performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
The object of this Invention is to increase the efficiency of reapers and 1
mowers, and to this end our Invention relates, firstly, to an improvement in
the arrangement of the mechanism for giving motion to the knife bar of
reapers and mowers; and, secondly, to improvements in the construction of
the apparatus for delivering the cut crop from the machine.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 shews in side elevation a reaping a
machine constructed according to our Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view, and
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same.
Referring to the first head of our improvements we would remark that
hitherto a difficulty has been experienced in bringing the crank shaft which
works the knife bar sufficiently near the ground to keep the rod which con-
nects the crank shaft and knife bar, and transmits motion to the latter in the
best position for efficiently delivering the thrust. Now in order to effect this
our first improvement, and at the same time to economize space we adopt the
following arrangement :-a is a shaft having its bearings in the off-side of the
framing A, and set radially with respect to the axle of the carrying wheels 8
B, B. The shaft a carries a pinion 6 which gears with the ring of bevil
teeth b¹ on the driving wheel B of the machine. At its outer end the shaft a
is fitted with a spur wheel c, which gears into and drives a pinion d on the
crank-shaft e; this shaft e is mounted parallel with the shaft a, and like it has.
its bearings in, the side framing A; the two shafts a and are therefore s
mounted in the same vertical plane. A rod f connects the crank pin of the
shafte with the knife bar 9, and the lowest position of the crank pin being.
nearly in a line with the knife bar a nearly direct thrust will be transmitted
through the rod f to the knife bar. This arrangement also allows of the

page_text: speed of the knife bar being altered to suit various crops by simply changing
the spur gearing for wheels and pinions of different relative speeds.
The second head of the Invention which relates, as before stated, to
improvements in the apparatus for delivering the cut crop from the machine,
has for its main object to increase the efficiency of the raking portion of the
reel. The bars h, h, of the, reel are formed of bent arms, supported at one
end only (as is common with reel bars), by their attached ends being inserted
in radial sockets cast with the reel boss; i is a bar also fitted with rake teeth
and supported at one end by a strong radial arm, which is capable of
turning in its socket. To give great steadiness to this arm it is prolonged
past the centre of rotation of the reel, and secured by an extension of the
radial socket past that centre; and to increase the stiffness of the rake bar a
stay rod is used to form a second connection between the arm and rake
bar i. Upon the radial arm is keyed a mitre wheel k which gears into a
similar but stationary wheel ¹ fixed on the framework. Through the centre
of this wheel k¹ passes the shaft 7 of the reel, and it is supported in bearings
at the top of the framing; this shaft 7 receives rotary motion through a chain
wheel mounted on the shaft, the wheel being driven by an endless chain m
passing up from a chain wheel n on the axle of the carrying wheels. From
the above explanation it will be understood that the rake in being carried
round with the other arms of the reel rotates also in its socket, and it is by
this combined movement that the cut crop is swept forward and delivered at
the side of the platform. Sometimes we dispense with the ordinary reel
altogether, and substitute therefor gatherers made to revolve in the same
manner as described for the rake arm. In order further to increase the
efficiency of the machine the speed of rotation of the reel at the time that the
rake is passing over the platform is reduced. This differential movement we
obtain in the following manner :-The chain wheel which transmits motion
to the reel shaft we mount upon an excentric boss carried by a quiescent
sleeve shaft o, through which the reel shaft passes (see the detached view,
Figures 4). In the chain wheel & we form a radial slot, into which projects a
pin o¹ from an arm o² keyed on the reel shaft Z; this pin as the chain wheel is
rotated transmits through the arm rotary motion to the reel shaft, the speed of
which will vary with the constantly varying position of the pin in the radial
slot. These variations are so adjusted that the speed of the reel shaft shall
be at its minimum while the rake is passing over the platform.
Having now explained the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in
the Construction of Reaping and Mowing Machines," and explained the

page_text: manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that
under the above in' part recited Letters Patent we claim,—
First, transmitting motion to the knife bar through the arrangement of
gearing above described, and for the objects above set forth.
Secondly, giving an axial motion to the arms of rake bars of reaping or 5
harvesting machines, in the manner and for the purpose above described. .
Thirdly, giving a differential speed to the reels of reaping machines in the
manner and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Howard and Edward Tenney
Bousfield, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Eighteenth day of 1
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
seven.
JAMES HOWARD.
(LS.)
EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)