IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
A communication.
Sealed the 1st January 1858, and dated the 20th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th July 1857.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES,"
to be as follows :-
The improved reaping and mowing machine, which forms the subject of the
present Invention, combines various improvements in this kind of machinery,
and consists of a rectangular frame supported by a pair of wheels, either
of which can act as the driving wheel, or they may both be made to act
in unison; secured to the spokes of these wheels are spur wheels gearing into
pinions placed loosely on the ends of a horizontal shaft. To this shaft are
permanently secured two caps, within each of which a pawl is secured, and
these pawls catch into the teeth of ratchet wheels, which are attached to the
inner sides of the pinions. On the horizontal shaft is fitted a bevil wheel

page_text: gearing into a bevil pinion at the upper end of an inclined shaft, which runs
in suitable bearings attached to the rectangular frame. At the lower end of
the shaft is a crank pulley, to which one end of a connecting rod is attached,
the opposite end being pivotted to the sickle or cutting apparatus which works
between the fingers upon the finger or cutter bar. The cutter bar and
apparatus connected therewith is suspended from the machine by a hinge or
universal joint, so as to allow it to accommodate itself to the uneven surface of
the ground. To the inner end of the finger or cutter bar is secured an inclined
bar, the upper end of which is attached to a small rod by a pivot forming the
hinge or universal joint, which will allow it to accommodate itself to the uneven
surfaces of the ground. As the machine is drawn along, the spur wheels which
are attached to the driving or running wheels actuate the piuions, and the
teeth of the ratchet wheels by catching against the pawls cause the horizontal
shaft to rotate, and motion is thereby cominunicated to the sickle or cutting
apparatus through the medium of the inclined shaft and connecting rod. In
case of the machino being moved backwards the sickle or cutting apparatus is
not operated, as the teeth of the ratchet wheels then move under their
respective pawls, and the machine can be moved back as readily as an empty
cart. When the machine is required to move on a curve, either to the right
or left, the knives are kept in proper motion, hence the danger of clogging is
obviated. When the machine is not in operation the cutter bar can be
disconnected from the wheels. By placing the machine on two wheels, either
of which is at liberty to act as a driver independent of the other, whilst, at the
same time, they act in harmony, the machine is rendered strong and durable;
and all the weight being placed on the wheels where it is required to give
power to the stroke of the knife, the machine is less liable to clog, and runs
easy, while, at the same time, all side draught is overcome.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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
IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, 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 calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The improved reaping and mowing machine which forms the subject of tho
present Invention combines various improvements in this kind of machinery,
and consists of a rectangular frame supported by a pair of running wheels,
either of which can act as the driving wheel, or they may both be made to act
in unison. Secured to the spokes of these wheels are spur wheels gearing into
pinions placed loosely on the ends of a horizontal shaft. To this shaft are
permanently secured two caps, within each of which a pawl is secured, and
these pawls catch into the teeth of ratchet wheels which are attached to the
inner sides of the pinions. On the horizontal shaft is fitted a bevel wheel
gearing into a bevel pinion at the upper end of an inclined shaft, which runs
in suitable bearings attached to the rectangular frame. At the lower end of
the shaft is a crank pulley, to which one end of a connecting rod is attached,
the opposite end being pivoted to the sickle or cutting apparatus, which works
between the fingers upon the finger or cutter bar. The cutter bar and
apparatus connected therewith is suspended from the machine by a hinge or
universal joint, so as to allow it to accommodate itself to the uneven surface of
the ground. To the inner end of the finger or cutter bar is secured an inclined
bar, the upper end of which is attached to a small rod by a pivot forming the
hinge or universal joint, which will allow the finger bar and sickle or cutter bar

page_text: to accommodate themselves to the uneven surfaces of the ground. As the
machine is drawn along, the spur wheels which are attached to the driving or
running wheels actuate the pinions; and the teeth of the ratchet wheels, by
catching against the pawls, cause the horizontal shaft to rotate, and motion is
thereby communicated to the sickle or cutting apparatus through the medium
of the inclined shaft and connecting rod. In case of the machine being
moved backwards, the sickle or cutting apparatus is not operated upon by the
gearing, as the teeth of the ratchet wheels then move under their respective
pawls, and therefore the machine can be moved back as readily as an empty
cart. When the machine is required to move on a curve, either to the right
or left, the knives are kept in proper motion, hence the danger of clogging is
obviated. When the machine is not in operation the cutter bar can be
disconnected from the wheels. By placing the machine on two wheels, either
of which is at liberty to act as a driver independent of the other, whilst, at tho
same time, they act in harmony, the machine is rendered strong and durable;
and all the weight being placed on the running wheels where it is required to
give power to the stroke of the knife, the machine is less liable to clog, and
runs easily, while, at the same time, all side draught is obviated or prevented.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved
machine; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig 3 is a plan or top view of
the same; Fig. 4 is a detached view of one of the pinions and a portion
of one of the spur wheels, the pawl and ratchet of the pinion being shewn;
Fig. 5 is a detached plan or top view of one of the pinions.
The frame A of the machine is of rectangular form, and is supported by two
running wheels B, B, each of which has a separate axle C, and also a spur
wheel D secured to the inner sides of the spokes and gearing into a pinion E.
Both of these pinions are placed loosely on the ends of a horizontal shaft F,
which runs in suitable bearings a, a, Fig. 3, on the frame A. To this shaft
F there are perinanently secured two caps G, within each of which a pawl bis
secured, as seen best in Figures 4 and 5; and theso pawls catch into the
teeth of the ratchets H, HI, which are attached to the inner sides of the pinions
E, E. The pawls have small springs c directly over them, one over cach,
which keeps them in the teeth of the ratchet. I is a bevil toothed wheel
securely attached to the shaft F, as seen in Fig. 3. The wheel I gears into a
bevel pinion J at the upper end of an inclined shaft K, which runs in suitable
bearings d, d, attached to the frame A. Directly behind the pinion J on the
shaft K. there is also a fly or balance wheel L, which serves to prevent little
irregularities in the action of the machine or of its wheels from affecting the
action of the sickle or cutting instrument. At the lower end of the shaft there

page_text: is a crank pulley M, to which one end of a connecting rod N is attached, the
opposite end being jointed to a sickle or cutting bar O, working between
fingers e, e, upon the finger bar P. To the inner end of the finger bar P there
is secured at a right angle an inclined bar Q, the upper end of which is
attached to a small rod f by a pivot 9, forming a joint or hinge, the rod f being
itself secured within a cylindrical socket h by a nut h' screwed upon the end of
the rod f, which has a thread cut thereon for this purpose. The socket h
is fastened to the underside of the front cross piece i of the frame; the bar Q,
therefore, runs lengthwise of the frame, and at its side, as shewn in the Draw-
ings; also, at the inner end of the finger bar P, the brace rod R is connected
by a pivot j, (Fig. 2,) the outer end of this brace rod being attached to the
under side of the back part of the frame A by a pivot k. As the machine is
drawn along, the running and driving wheels B, B, of course move in the
direction indicated by the arrow 1, Fig. 4; and the spur wheels D, D, by
moving in the same direction, cause the pinions E, E, to move in the direction
of the arrow. The teeth of the ratchets II, H, catch against the pawls b and
cause the shaft F to rotate, and motion is thereby communicated to the sickle
bar O through the shaft K and connecting rod N. In case of the machine
being moved backwards the sickle bar O is not operated, as the spurs and
pinions then being moved in the directions indicated by the arrows 2 and 2',
the teeth of the ratchets H, H, slip underneath their respective pawls. The
cutter bar is permitted to rise and fall bodily, or either end may rise and fall
according to the irregularities of the ground, in consequence of its connection
to the frame A by the bar Q, for the upper end of this bar is connected to the
frame by an universal joint, the pivot g allowing the finger bar and bar Q to
rise and fall bodily, and the ability of the rod f to turn in the socket k
permitting either end to rise and fall; the brace rod R serves to steady.
the finger bar while it is moved, and so prevent it from being wrenched out of
place by the resistance of the grass or other obstacles, and thus the finger bar
is, under all circumstances, at liberty to conform to the unevenness of the
ground, and consequently the sickle will perform its work better and with
greater uniformity than it otherwise could do.
I would here observe that I am aware that hanging the finger bar from the
main frame, so that it can yield to the irregularities of the ground, is not
entirely new, this having been done by prolonging the finger bar, or by
attaching to it another bar, prolonged beyond and in the rear of the main
frame and driving wheels; the finger bar, as thus extended, being hung from
the front cross piece of the frame by rods, the ends of which are hooked
in staples respectively to the extended finger bar and to the front cross piece.

page_text: The chief objection to such an arrangement is, that as the machine passes over
the grass already cut, and which is left spread upon the ground at the previous
passage of the sickle, the extension of the finger bar pushes it up before it, and
finally takes it up and carries it along until it falls off in large quantities, thus
heaping the grass and preventing it from drying so thoroughly as it would do
if evenly spread on the surface of the ground; at the same time, this gathering
of grass, by choking the crank in front of it, either renders the working of the
sickle bar very difficult or stops it altogether. This difficulty, it is obvious,
cannot occur where (as in the present improvement) the finger bar ends on the
inner side of the machine, and the brace rods properly pivoted there, are
carried up to the main frame, to the rear of which they are also pivoted (to
such part thereof, and by such connections as may be found best adapted
to the purpose). This arrangement leaves the ground entirely free in rear
of the running or driving wheels, and within the line described by the forward
motion of the inner end of the sickle bar.
Having now described the improved machinery for reaping and mowing, as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim, as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode, herein shewn and described, of
sustaining and bracing the finger bar, and at the same time permitting of its
freely rising and falling according to the unevenness of the ground, whereby the
objection heretofore made against machines of this description, viz', that they
take up and carry the grass mown at the previous passage of the mower,
is entirely obviated, as above set forth and described.
I also claim the combination of the finger bar P and the inclined bar Q, with
its universal joint at the part where the latter is attached to the main frame,
substantially as and for the purpose above set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)