IMPROVEMENTS IN RAKES FOR REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents with his Petition, on the
25th September 1872.-A communication from abroad by Lewis
Budd Bruen, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAKES FOR REAPING
MACHINES," a communication, to be as follows:-
The object of the said Invention is the attachment to a reaping
machine of a self-acting rake, whereby the crop is collected in bundles,
and the latter are deposited in rows as the said machine moves
forward.
According to the said Invention the grain platform frame in front of
which the cutters are placed has hinged or otherwise jointed to it a cover
consisting of a slotted frame. The grain platform frame has a solid
bottom. In the interior of the sides of the said frame longitudinal
grooves are cut for the reception of a sliding bar which extends across

page_text: the frame and supports an axle whereon are fixed adjustable fingers.
On the top of the said supporting bar I place a slide formed with slots
through which studs project. These slots and studs permit the slide to
move to and fro without becoming detached from the aforesaid sup-
porting bar. Other slots are cut in the said bar to permit the finger
levers to drop down when the said slide is moved to one side.
To the end of the grain platform frame under the aforesaid cover is
attached a rod whereon are fitted slide blocks or guides to which are
jointed the arms of one end of a compound lever, consisting of a series of
crossed arms or bars jointed to each other. The arms of the other end
of this lever arc in like manner jointed to guides on a rod attached to
the aforesaid supporting bar.
To the bottom of the grain platform frame I attach a slotted piece;
through its slot projects a stud or button which forms a sliding fulcrum
for the compound lever, and serves to guide the same in the said slotted
piece. This stud also serves for the attachment of a rod whereby the
said fulcrum stud is connected to a lever which may be operated by the
travelling wheels of the machine, or may be controlled by the driver.
By moving this lever to and fro the compound lever is opened or closed,
and the fingers which protrude through the slotted cover are caused to
travel backward and forward, and thereby the cut crop is removed from
the platform and deposited in bundles without the aid of separate rakes.
The box formed by the combination of the grain platform frame, the
bottom, and the slotted cover will take up any loose portions of the crop
which would otherwise be left on the ground.
The rake is attached to the machine by suitable supporting picces;
under one of these pieces I place a cam for moving the aforesaid slide
laterally, and on the other side of the machine and at the opposite end
thereof are placed two other cams, one of which raises the fingers by
acting on a lever. Two springs also assist in operating the said fingers
by alternately pressing and releasing cranks attached to the aforesaid
supporting bar.