IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Culpin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1882.
THOMAS CULPIN of No 36 Worship Street in the county of Middlesex
IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
"
The object of this invention is First Hinging or pivotting the "off divider
behind the cutter bar so that it may rise and fall from that point and find its own
touch upon the ground without reference to the angle at which the knives or the
platform may be set. By this means the divider will more readily adapt itself to
the uneveness of the ground.
Secondly Adjusting the hinged or pivotted "off divider" so that it may be set
with its point at any desired elevation for dividing the straws at any height from
the ground
Thirdly Making the "off divider" in sections and hinging or pivotting such
sections near the point that they may be more or less spread outward or upward
or both outward and upward or be brought together as desired for more effectually
dividing the straws
Fourthly Controlling the dummy and rake arms automatically by a segmental
plate or its equivalent actuated by the switch
"off divider"
to a portion of the platform or to a fixed support on the platform behind the cutter
and finger bar instead of in front as heretofore so that its front or point end may
more readily adjust itself to the uneveness of the ground. I form a shoulder on
the outer end of the knife bar or on the shoe by which such outer end is carried'
to take the weight of the divider and to steady it.
According to the first part of my invention I hinge or pivot the
According to the second part I fit a slotted plate to the divider and by a bolt
and tightening nut I set the point of such back pivotted divider at any desired

page_text: elevation from the ground giving it a full upward action from said point when
passing over uneven ground
According to the third part I form the divider in two, three or more pieces and
so hinge or pivot them at their front ends to the point portion that they or any
one or more of them can be lifted or spread upward or outward as desired and be
retained in their respective positions or by fitting them with loose fitting straps
they may be set at any desired distance apart, by nuts and bolts.
According to the fourth part of my Invention, in order to control the rakes so
as to cause any number to act as dummies and pass over the platform without
discharging the cut crop, I so arrange the switch that it is held partly open by a
stop lever. I provide the switch with a drop paul which is free to fall into the
teeth of a segmental plate. When the roller on the rake arm in its rotation
impinges the switch causing it to completely close, the drop paul on the switch is
moved one tooth forward on the segmental plate then after the rake arm roller
passes off the switch its spring causes it to return to the stop taking with it the
segmental plate one tooth.
Attached to the stop lever of the switch is a catch or paul, taking into a second
set of teeth on the segmental plate, to retain the segmental plate in its position
until it is moved up to its extreme point, when a projection on the segmental plate
removes the switch stop and segmental plate catch. A double arm spring causes
the switch to open and the segmental plate returns to a position determined by a
hand lever which can be adjusted by the operator.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Culpin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1882.
#+
THOMAS CULPIN of No 36 Worship Street in the County of Middlesex
IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
The object of this Invention is :-
First; hanging or pivotting the "off divider" behind the cutter bar so that it
may rise and fall from that point and find its own touch upon the ground without
reference to the angle at which the knives or the platform may be set. By this
means the divider will more readily adapt itself to the unevenness of the ground.
The First part of my Invention in clearly shown in the annexed drawings
Figure 1 which represents the off divider A of a Reaping or Harvesting machine
pivotted at B as the fulcrum on which its point C and the fore part D of it may
rise and fall, the pivot B being situate behind the cutters E and finger bar F. By
thus hinging or pivotting the off divider the fore part is free to rise and fall to the
inequalities of the ground over which the machine may be travelling and thereby
prevent the point entering the ground and retarding the forward motion of the
machine as is common when the off divider is a fixture or when it is pivotted in
front of or at the cutter portion of the same. The lower edge of my rear pivotted
off divider rests upon the shoe G or on a support provided for it so that it cannot
fall below a red level.
may
be
Secondly; adjusting the hinged or pivotted "off divider" so that it
"sett" with its point at any desired elevation for dividing the straws at any height
from the ground.
The Second part of my Invention is represented at Figure 2 of the annexed
drawings in which the outer side of one of my back hinged or pivotted off dividers
is shown with the off wheel H and its axle pin in the slotted bar I by which the
platform is "sett" by the axle pin being held at the desired elevation.
This second feature consists of a slotted plate J on the divider for the bolt K to
be fixed at any desired part thereof by the tightening nut L so as to sett the point
of the divider at any angle within the limit of the slot, as in dotted lines, above the
ground in order to give it a full upward action from said point when passing over
uneven ground.
Thirdly; making the "off divider" in sections and hinging or pivotting such
sections near the point that they may be more or less spread outward or upward
or both outward and upward or be brought together as desired for more effectually
dividing the straws.
The Third part of my Invention is shown at Figure 3 with the blades or strips
M M spread open from the joint pins N, N, which are so arranged on or to the
point portion of the divider that one strip moves at a different angle to the other,
one of said strips moving upwards and the other outwards or spread. The amount
of spread is governed by the plates P P and pinch nuts which are provided for the
bolts fitted in the slots. These strips can be closed to, as shown at Figure 4.
The Fourth part of my Invention relates to certain means or appliances for
controlling the dummy or rake arms_automatically by a segmental plate or its
equivalent actuated by the switch. For this purpose I so control the rakes, and
cause any number to act as dummies and pass over the platform without
discharging the cut crop.
This will be clearly understood by reference to Figures 5 to 13 of the annexed
drawings. I so arrange the switch Q that it is held partly open by a stop lever R.

page_text: I provide the switch Q with a drop paul S which is free to fall into the teeth of a
segmental plate T. When the roller U on the rake arm V in its rotation impinges
against the switch Q it causes it i:e: the switch to completely close and the drop
paul S on the switch to take into one of the teeth on the segmental plate T then
after the rake arm roller passes off the switch its spur W causes it to return to the
stop taking with it the segmental plate one tooth. Attached to the stop lever R
of the switch Q is a catch or paul X taking into a second set of teeth Y on the
segmental plate T to retain the segmental plate in its position until it is moved up
to its extreme point when a projection Z on the segmental plate T removes the
switch stop and segmental plate catch. A double arm spring W₁ causes the switch
to open and the segmental plate to return to a position determined by a hand
lever Z¹ which can be adjusted by the operator on or over any one of the studs K³
on the plate Z³.. The studs have numerals on them indicating the number of rakes
the attendant wishes to convert, into dummies. The segmental plate T has a rod Z³
attached to its pin Z for its connection to the hand lever Z¹.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
:
First Hanging or pivotting the off dividers of Reaping and Harvesting
machines behind the cutter bar as described and substantially as shown at Figure 1
of the annexed drawings for the purposes set forth.
Secondly Adjusting the rear hinged or pivotted off divider of a Reaping
machine as described and substantially as shown at Figure 2 of the annexed
drawing for the purpose set forth.
Thirdly-Making the off divider of a Reaping machine in movable sections
jointed at their front ends as described and substantially as shown at Figures 3
and 4 of the annexed Drawings for the purpose or purposes set forth.
:-
Fourthly The arrangement of appliances hereinbefore described and shown at
Figures 5 to 13 of the annexed drawings by which any number of rake blades
may act automatically as dummies when a hand lever is set.
i
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Culpin have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty fourth day of November in the year of our Lord, One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two
THAM
זזז III