Improvements in Knotting Mechanism for Sheaf Binding and Straw Trussing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date o Application, 2nd Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knotting Mechanism for Sheaf Binding and
Straw Trussing Machines.
We, JAMES HORNSBY, JOHN INNOCENT and ISAAC TROLLEY, all of Spittlegate
Iron Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
By our invention we dispense with that part of the well known knotting
mechanism termed the "tucker." Also we attain greater certainty in action.
Also we arrange and actuate in an improved manner the knife by which, as soon as
the knot is tied the string is cut.
We alter the shape of the needle and we cause its breast to be brought up to or
past the nose of the knotter. To allow the breast of the needle to go past the
knotter we make in it an indent or cavity, so that although the breast of the
needle passes the nose of the knotter, nevertheless the knotter has room to turn.
Also there is on the knotter plate an incline which guides the string and places it
further over the nose of the knotter; to receive this incline, we provide another
indent or cavity in the needle breast. In this way it is arranged that the nose of
the knotter may project across the breast of the needle on one side whilst the
knotter plate overlaps it on the other side. These indents or cavities on the
opposite sides of the needle breast allow the needle to support the string near
to the point where the string lies against the nose of the knotter, whilst at the
same time the string is supported on the other side and near to the knotter by a
shoulder on the knotter plate. Thus the string is held in a position such that
cannot escape from the nose of the knotter when it rotates.
When the knot is prepared the string has to be cut to allow the sheaf to fall
away; we provide for this purpose a lever turning upon a pin joint which connects
it with the knotter plate or it may be the knotter bracket. The lever is armed
with a blade which by the movement of the lever about the joint is brought
against the string at a point between the string retainer and the nose of the knotter
and so the string is severed. The knife lever receives its movement from one of the
discharging arms which as it advances to discharge the sheaf strikes against a
projection upon or connected with the knife lever. A spring brings the knife lever
back when its action is complete.
In order to allow of the free escape of the string knotted around the bound sheaf
a discharging slot has to be provided in the knotter plate and sometimes failure of
the knotting mechanism has been found to. occur from the string which passes
beneath the sheaf finding its way into the discharging slot prematurely whereas it
should rest upon the shoulder at the entrance to the discharging slot until the knot
is ready. To prevent this premature escape of the string into the discharging slot
we provide a spring guard at the entrance to the slot; this guard serves to retain
the string but yields easily when the sheaf is forced down by the discharging
levers.
Dated this First day of December 1893.
JAMES HORNSBY.
JOHN INNOCENT.
ISAAC TROLLEY.

page_text: Improvements in Knotting Mechanism for Sheaf Binding and
Straw Trussing Machines."
We, JAMES HORNSBY, JOHN INNOCENT, and ISAAC TROLLEY, all of Spittlegate
Iron Works, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare
'the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described. and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
By our invention we dispense with that part of the well known knotting
mechanism termed the "tucker." Also we attain greater certainty in action.
Also we arrange and actuate in an improved manner the knife by which, as
soon as the knot is tied the string is cut.
We alter the shape of the needle and we cause its breast to be brought up to or
past the nose of the knotter. To allow the breast of the needle to go past the
knotter we make in it an indent or cavity, so that although the breast of the needle
passes the nose of the knotter, nevertheless the knotter has room to turn. Also
there is on the knotter plate an incline which guides the string and places it
further over the nose of the knotter; to receive this incline, we provide another.
indent or cavity in the needle breast. In this way it is arranged that the nose of
the knotter may project across the breast of the needle on one side whilst the
knotter plate overlaps it on the other side. These indents or cavities on the
opposite sides of the needle breast allow the needle to support the string near to
the point where the string lies against the nose of the knotter, whilst at the same
time the string is supported on the other side and near to the knotter by a shoulder
on the knotter plate. Thus the string is held in a position such that it cannot
escape from the nose of the knotter when it rotates.
When the knot is prepared the string has to be cut to allow the sheaf to fall
away; we provide for this purpose a lever turning upon a pin joint which connects
it with the knotter plate or it may be the knotter bracket. The lever is armed
with a blade which by the movement of the lever about the joint is brought
against the string at a point between the string retainer and the nose of the
knotter and so the string is severed. The knife lever receives its movement from
one of the discharging arms which as it advances to discharge the sheaf strikes
against a projection upon or connected with the knife lever. A spring brings the
.knife lever back when its action is complete.
In order to allow of the free escape of the string knotted around the bound sheaf
a discharging slot has to be provided in the knotter plate and sometimes failure of
the knotting mechanism has been found to occur from the string which passes
beneath the sheaf finding its way into the discharging slot prematurely whereas it
should rest upon the shoulder at the entrance to the discharging slot until the knot
is ready. To prevent this premature escape of the string into the discharging
slot we provide a spring guard at the entrance to the slot; this guard serves to
retain the string but yields easily when the sheaf is forced down by the discharging
levers.
In order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the drawings annexed.

page_text: gure front view or a portion of the needle and the 'knotter and the
*knotter plate appears in section.
Figure 4 is a plan partly in section of the parts represented in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is an elevation showing the position of the parts when the knotting
.hook commences to form the knot.
Figures 6 and 7 are an elevation and a plan respectively.
a is the knotter axis, 6 the knotter wheel, c the string retainer and d is the
knotter or knotting hook, these parts are arranged in an ordinary manner:
For each knot which is tied the knotter makes a complete revolution and the
spindle of the string retainer one third of a revolution, both in the direction from
right to left as seen in Figure 1.
e. is the knotter plate beneath or against which the sheaf is packed. is the
"knife which severs the string when a sheaf has been bound. The parts are shown
in Figure 1 in the position they occupy when the formation of the sheaf com-
mences. The string it will be seen is held fast in the string retainer, it lies over
the nose of the knotter and then descends through the slot in the knotter plate
passing to the needle which in this figure is not shewn. In Figure 2 the position
is the same excepting that the string beneath the knotter plate is shown deflected
to the right as it would be by the packing of the sheaf against it. In this figure
is the slot in the knotter plate along which the needle advances and retires.
is the incline on the knotter plate which leads the string well on to the nose of
the knotter and forms a shoulder to support it. ³ is the discharging slot by which
when the sheaf is bound and the knot is tied, the latter descends as the sheaf is
delivered. is the spring attached to the under side of the knotter plate; the
string is shown lying against the spring and notwithstanding the pressure of
the sheaf against the string it is prevented from passing along the delivering
slot e. It is obvious that in place of the spring e a yielding latch supported by a
spring may be employed.
In Figure 3 the front or breast of the needle g is seen. The needle advances to
lay the string around the sheaf and against the nose of the knotter. At g' is
clearly seen the hollow in the breast of the needle which allows it to advance well
up to or past the nose of the knotter without impeding its rotation. At e there is
seen the summit of the incline on the knotter plate which leads the string across
the nose of the knotter and forms a shoulder to support the string. g is the cavity
in the breast of the needle which accommodates the incline e². In Figure 4 the
needle is shown in section through the part g¹.
"
By the means described the string is laid upon the nose of the knotter in such an
advantageous position that the use of a
""
tucker or such like separate instrument
to place the string is unnecessary; the knot indeed is made with more certainty
than when a tucker is employed.
In Figure 5 the sheaf is complete, the needle has come fully forward and has
laid the string again into the string retainer, the knotter is about to revolve
to form the knot. In this figure it will be observed that the string which
passes over the sheaf has not yet passed into the discharging slot, the spring et
which however is not seen in this figure prevents it from doing so.
In Figure 6 the knot is on the nose of the knotter, the string has been cut and
the needle is retiring. The string retainer has made its movement to obtain a
fresh hold on the string. The sheaf is just about to fall away being driven
out of the machine by the ejector h. The knife f is shown in Figure 7 and in
several other figures; it is carried by an arm which is mounted to turn freely on
a stud on the bracket which carries the knotter plate and in connection with it are
two other arms and 3. The army is pressed upon by a coiled spring operating
in a direction to withdraw the knife. The arm when the ejector advances is
struck by a finger upon it; this throws the knife forward and the string is cut.
To allow the knot to escape freely the knotter is at this time permitted to direct
its nose more or less to the left or in the direction in which the sheaf is
delivered.
2

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. Recessing the breast of the needle at g' to receive the nose of the knotter
and admit of the breast of the needle advancing further towards the knotter than
would otherwise be possible.
2. Recessing the breast of the needle at g² to receive an incline which leads the
string across the nose of the knotter.
3. The spring part e' which prevents the string which extends from the nose of
the knotter to the upper side of the sheaf from prematurely passing along the
discharging slot.
4. Mounting the knife upon an arm pivotted upon the knotter plate or its
bracket and actuating it by a finger h¹.
5. Knotting mechanism substantially as described and represented by the
annexed drawings.
Dated this 28th day of December 1893.
JAMES HORNSBY.
JOHN INNOCENT
ISAAC TROLLEY