AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HORSE RAKES."
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard, of Bedford, Agricultural Implement
Maker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF HORSE RAKES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th March 1860.
I, JAMES HOWARD, of Bedford, Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF HORSE RAKES," to be as follows:--
In manufacturing that class of horse rakes in which the tines are raised
from the ground by the depression of a bar upon the extended heads of the
tines it has been found necessary to support the lever handle when not in
action by a catch or spring, or their equivalent, for the purpose of relieving
the tine depressing bar of the weight of the lever, or to hold up the depressing
bar itself by a similar contrivance, in order to keep it out of contact with the
tine heads, and thereby leave the tines free to follow the irregularities of the
land over which they are drawn. Now the object of the present Invention

page_text: is to dispense with these appliances for holding up the lever handle or depress-
ing bar, and to cause the weight of the hand lever to counterbalance the
weight of the depressing bar, and keep it, when not in action, clear of the tine
heads. To this end I crank the lever which carries the handle and joint it
to the draught frame by means of a radius rod, the joint pin of which forms
a moving fulcrum for the lever. The smaller limb of this lever I joint to a
bent bracket arm which is securely attached to, and carries the depressing bar.
This bracket arm rocks on, and is supported by the tine fulcrum rod. When
therefore the lever handle is pulled down this bracket arm will cause the
depressing bar to raise the points of the tines from the ground, and when
the lever assumes its normal position the bracket arm will raise the depressing
bar clear of the extended heads of the tines.
In some cases I propose to employ two bracket arms to carry the de-
pressing bar, and a double lever handle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Howard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HOWARD, of Bedford, Agricultural Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Howard, Her special license that I, the said James Howard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Howard, 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 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 for "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HORSE RAKES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Howard, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Howard, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked marked thereon (that is to say) :-
In manufacturing that class of horse rakes in which the tines are raised
from the ground by the depression of a bar upon the extended heads of the
tines it has been found necessary to support the lever handle (when not in
action) by means of a catch or spring, or other equivalent contrivance for the
purpose of relieving the tinc-depressing bar from the weight of the lever, or to
hold up the depressing bar itself, by a similar contrivance in order to keep
it out of contact with the tine heads, and thereby leave the tines free to follow
the irregularities of the land over which they are drawn. Now the object of
the present Invention is to dispense with these appliances for holding up the
lever handle or depressing bar, and to cause the weight of the hand lever
wholly or partially to counterbalance the weight of the depressing bar, and
keep it (when not in action) clear of the tine heads.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn a sectional elevation of a
horse rake, constructed according to my present Invention. It will be seen
that the lever a, which carries the handle is cranked and jointed to the
draught frame b, by means of a radius rod c, the joint pin 1 of which forms
a moving fulcrum for the lever a. The smaller limb of this lever is jointed
at 2 to a bent bracket arm d, which at its opposite end is securely attached
to, and carries the depressing bar e.
This bracket arm rocks on, and is sup-
ported by the tine fulcrum rod f. When, therefore, the lever handle a is
pulled down as indicated by red lines in the Drawing this bracket arm d will
cause the depressing bar e to push down the heads or outer ends 3 of the tines
9, and thereby raise the points of the tines from the ground. When the
lever a assumes its normal position the bracket arm & will raise the depressing
bar e clear of the extended heads of the tines, as seen in the Figure.
In some cases I propose to employ two bracket arms to carry the depressing
bar, and a double lever handle, the several parts being arranged, combined, and
constructed on the principle herein set forth.
Having now described my Invention of an improvement in the construction
of horse rakes, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid,

page_text: the arrangement or construction of parts herein set forth, or any mere modifi-
cation thereof, by which the weight of the levers for raising the tines out of
work are made wholly or partially to counterbalance the tine-depressing bar.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Howard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JAMES HOWARD. (L.S.)