IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Wood, of Bramford, in the County of
Suffolk, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES."
Sealed the 15th August 1862, and dated the 20th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
February 1862.
I, CHARLES WOOD, of Bramford, in the County of Suffolk, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE
RAKES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in horse rakes has for its object so con-
structing borse rakes that by a proper disposition of the parts, and arrange-
ment of the levers for unloading the rake, as little exertion as possible is
required of the person using the rake. For this purpose the person using
the rake is mounted on a seat or platform which is so placed as to act by
its weight, and the weight of the attendant, as a counterbalance to the teeth
of the rake when they are being raised to deliver their load of collected.
material, as well as a counterbalance for the weight of the shafts. By a
suitable arrangement of a lever or levers which are acted upon by preference
by the feet or foot of the attendant, the teeth are raised as required. It
may however be sometimes found desirable to employ the hands or hand

page_text: of the attendant instead of or in conjunction with the feet or foot for the
purpose of raising the teeth in combination with the balancing or counter-
acting weight due to the position and arrangement of the seat or platform
and the attendant.
In constructing a rake on the above principle it is sometimes found
desirable to make the main centre of motion in the axles of the wheels, and
the rake may then be made to discharge itself by the attendant connecting
by suitable levers, in connection with a clutch brake or otherwise, the axles
with the wheel or wheels which will cause 'the axle to turn and raise the
teeth out of work, and upon releasing the clutch or brake they will drop
into work again.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filell
by the said Charles Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WOOD, of Branford, in the County of Suffolk, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Wood, Her special licence that I, the said
Charles Wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Charles Wood, my 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Wood, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their bands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in 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 I; the said Charles Wood, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention of improvements in horse rakes has for its object so con-
structing horse rakes that by a proper disposition of the parts and arrange-
ment of the levers for unloading the rake as little exertion as possible is
required of the person using the rake. For this purpose the person using
the rake is mounted on a seat or platform, which is so placed as to act by
its weight and the weight of the attendant as a counterbalance to the teeth
of the rake when they are being raised to deliver their load of collected
material, as well, as a counterbalance for the weight of the shafts. By a
suitable arrangement of a lever or levers which aro acted upon by preference
by the feet or foot of the attendant the teeth are raised as required. It
may however be sometimes found desirable to employ the hands or hand
of the attendant instead of or in conjunction with the feet or foot for the
purpose of raising the teeth in combination with the balancing or counter-
acting weight due to the position and arrangement of the seat or platform
and the attendant.
In constructing a rake on the above principle, it is sometimes found
desirable to make the main centre of motion in the axle of th wheels,
and the rake may then be made to discharge itself, by th
'attendant con-
necting by suitable levers in connection with a clutch break or otherwise,
the axles with the wheel or wheels which will cause the axle to turn and
raise the teeth out of work, and upon releasing the clutch or break they will
drop into work again.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate what I believe to be the simplest
method of carrying out my Invention.
Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2 is a front elevation; Figures 3 and 4 are
sectional elevations. The same letters refer to the same parts in all the
Figures.
a, a, are the wheels, the axle arms for which are fixed to the angle iron
bar b. Three brackets c, c, c, are fixed to the bar 6 upon which the teeth e, e,
of the rake are mounted and have their independent centre of motion. The
brackets c, c, extend backwards towards the rear of the rake and carry the
lifting bar f. 9, 9, are adjustable slides for elevating or depressing the rod d.
h; h, are similar adjustable slides for the lifting bar f. By means of these
two adjustments the points of the teeth may be set to any required distance
from the ground. The shafts k for the horse are hinged to the bar b, at
the points i, . The seat ; for the driver is fixed to the shafts k by the
supports 1. m, m, are arms fixed to the bar b carrying the treadle or foot-

page_text: board n. The driver by depressing the treadle n causes the bar 6 to turn
round, and by means of the brackets c, c, to depress the rod d and at the
Isame time to raise the lifting bar f, the teeth are thus raised to discharge
the collected material. o is a lever, having its fulcrum on one of the supports
1, and is attached to the bar 6 at the point p, by means of which the driver
can raise the teeth to discharge the load instead of using the treadle, or
in conjunction therewith. 9 is a catch lever for locking the treadle when
not required for lifting the teeth. It will be seen that it is necessary to
release the catch lever q before unloading the rake by the treadle, and that
the seat or platform is so placed as to act by its weight and the weight of
the attendant, as a counterbalance to the teeth of the rake when they are
being raised to deliver their load of collected material.
Figures 5 and 6 show a modification in which the attendant connects
the bar with the wheels a, a, by means of the lever r, the rods s, s, and
the clutches t, t, which will cause the bar 6 to turn round and raise the
teeth, and upon releasing the clutches they will drop into work again.
The Drawings shews two different kinds of clutches, but in practice they
would be both alike. In this modification tho weight of the driver also
assists in raising the teeth.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details or modifications of any of the arrangements shewn, but
what I claim is, so arranging the seat or support for the attendant that their
weight shall partly counterbalance and assist in raising the teeth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Wood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
CHARLES WOOD. (L.S.)