Grain Conveying Devices for Automatic Binders.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
[Communicated from abroad by THE DEERING HARVESTER Co., of Chicago, in
the County of Cook and State of Illinois, United States of America.]
Grain Conveying Devices for Automatic Binders.
I SAMUEL SIDNEY BROMHEAD of 97 Newgate Street, London Patent Agent,
(a cominunication) 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:-
The object of the invention is to make possible the use of more substantial
material than canvas for endless conveying devices. In the production of its
conveying device sheet metal, preferably sheet steel, is employed, and the invention
consists in forming plates of such length as to constitute the width of the conveying
device, and so placed that a number of them properly jointed will form the length
of the conveyor.
In the drawings three conveyors are shown, each having a different form of
jointing of the plates that constitute it, and the device attached to a barvesting
machine in the position of what is known as "grain adjuster" is also shown, that is,
its drum adapted to rotate on vertical axes, and the plane of the working surface
of the conveyor vertical relative to its edges, the latter parallel with the binder
table.
Fig. 1 is a front view of a "left-hand cut" harvesting machine with so much of
the binding attachment and of the giain elevating devices as to show the proper
relation of the endless conveyor when used as a "butt adjuster."
Fig. 2 is an edge view of the grain conveyor when the latter is used as a platform
conveyor, or the figure may be considered as a plan view of the grain adjuster of
Fig. 1.
Figs. 3 and 4 show a modified form of hinges and "slats."
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the grain conveyor designed to show the method of
jointing shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 7 shows one of the preferable shapes into which are cut the sheets of metal
that form the grain conveyor.
Fig. 8 shows one method of jointing the blanks together.
A is the elevator frame of an ordinary grain harvester. The elevating conveyors
are shown in dotted lines. They are shown in dotted lines as it is not deemed
necessary to show the details of construction, having shown the latter in other
portions of this figure and in other figures. The description will be confined
particularly to the device when used as shown in Fig. 1 as a butt adjuster.
A1 and A2 are portions of the harvester frame, and A³ a bracket in which the
sbaft A is journaled that supports and drives the grain adjuster.
B represents a portion of the main binder frame and B₁ the binder supporting
frame in bearings on which is the packer shaft B2, having the usual cranks, and the
packers B3 supported on and moved by the same.
C is the endless conveyor. Immediately above the conveyor, as shown in Fig. 1,
is the grain shield D.
E is the rod by which the adjuster is moved so as to move its lower end to the
rear or to the front of the binder table, as required.
From preference the drums which move the conveyor are made a pentagonal
prism, and the idle roller around which it runs also polygonal, but the latter may be
round if the metal plates are made sufficiently thick so that they will not bend in
being drawn around it; in fact the roller that moves the conveyor may be

page_text: cylindrical if provided with sprockets to give the conveyor positive movement.
As stated, however, if the rollers are prismatical better results are reached because
the drums are rendered capable of giving positive movement to the conveyor. As
it is wished to run the conveyor perfectly loose so as to avoid all friction, the drum F
with sprockets f is provided. The drum F', of course, being simply an idler to
keep the conveyor drawn to its working position, requires no sprockets.
0:4
G is one of the conveyor frame supports. The other one, which is adjacent to
the binder table of Fig. 1, is not shown, as it is wholly between the two parts of
the conveyor. Suffice it to say that it is like G, and that it and G, suitably
connected, form the swinging frame when used as a butt adjuster. When used,
however, as a grain conveyor, the parts G and its fellow may be bolted to the
elevator frame A or the platform frame of a grain harvester. Into the piece G,
preferably made of wood, the shaft A is journaled, and also the gudgeons of the
polygonal drum F. The blanks are cut into the form shown in Fig. 7, from a sheet
of metal of width equal to the length of the blanks required for the grain conveyor,
whether it be inches in width or feet. The blank C is notched, (see Fig. 7) at c,
leaving the tongues e¹ and c². Within the notch e is the sub-notch c³ which, when
the conveyor is completed, forms a hole through which the sprockets, (when
sprockets are used) of the driving drum pass. Upon the other edge of the blank
is formed the tongue having a length a little less than equal to the notch c and
upon either, in either longitudinal direction relative to this tongue are the spaces c
and c. The lengths of these spaces are a little greater than the length of the
tongues c and so that the tongue e of one plate may enter the space c of the
adjacent blank. These blanks are formed as shown in Fig. 8, where a single blank
is represented as having the tongues formed into tubes. Through these tubes thus
formed is thrust a hardwood cylinder, as seen in the figure which represents it as
but partly thrust in place through the tubular portions of the jointed plates. If
thin metal is used it is found preferable to make the tongues of such length that
they may receive the rivets c. The use of thicker metal, however, is preferred, in
which case rivets will not be necessary. The wooden cylinder and the surrounding
tubes are made of such diameter that the joints may serve as the slats of
the conveyor; that is to say that the joints may perform the office as what
are known as "slats " on ordinary canvas grain conveyors. If desired, however,
the stick may be dispensed with and the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or some other
suitable form be shown.
In the latter case, near the middle of the blank are cut one or more places
having tongues that can be rolled into the form H. Upon the other edge are
formed the tongues H2, that may be rolled around the tubes H, as shown in Fig. 3.
The edge H3 of the plates is formed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, turning them at an
angle relative to the main portion of the conveyor so as to permit them to
perform the office of slats. This form is preferable where great aggressiveness is
necessary.
In some of the forms represented in the drawing both edges of each plate are so
turned that when the said plates are connected the turns form at the same time the
"slat" of the conveyor and the hinge. In another form substantially the same
construction is shown, but one edge of the plate is extended so as to form what is
in effect a more aggressive "slat."
Strips of wood and possibly metallic plates have been secured to endless belts so
as to form conveyors, but a construction in which plates jointed together without
the use of belts, chains, or similar parts, is new.
In the drawings only one tongue and two notches are shown, the number
necessary for a narrow conveyor, but the number of notches and tongues may be
increased to correspond with any width of conveyor desired.
But one opening in each plate is shown for the passage of the sprocket that
projects from the driving drum, but few or many may be used as desired.
The polygonal drum under some circumstances will be sufficient to actuate the
grain conveying device, but the use of sprockets, as shown,
preferred, in order

page_text: to give it positive movement. By having the joints of the plates wholly upon one
side a polygonal drum with acute angles can be used and thus more aggressiveness
of said drum made available because of the corners not needing to be cut away to
permit any portion of the hinge to pass them. By providing the openings adjacent
to the joint of the hinged plates the sprocket of the driving drum is given sufficient
surface to operate upon to prevent the wearing that would follow the use of
sprockets operating upon the edges of the metal if the said openings were formed
away from said joints.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is:
1. As an article of manufacture a grain adjuster belt adapted to operate in
conjunction with a grain binder and packer fingers, said belt composed of strips of
material pivotally connected together, their edges tongued and notched and
formed into tubes and connected to each other by a rod of wood, said tubes made
so as to perform the office of "slats" wholly upon one surface of said belt, and
have holes adjoining said tubes and thus adapted to permit the entrance of
sprockets of the wheels employed to drive it in order that the said sprockets of
the latter may have a large engaging surface with the said belt, substantially as
described.
2. A grain straw conveyor consisting of a series of thin metal plates hinge-
jointed together by means of tongues and notches, the said tongues ali rolled into
the form of tubes that lie wholly upon ope side of the said metal plates, rods passing
therethrough, openings in the said plates adjacent to said tubes in combination with
a wheel, its sprockets adapted to pass through the openings thus provided and act
upon the surface of said tubes in giving motion to the said grain conveyor; sub-
stantially as described.
3. A grain straw conveyor consisting of a series of plates jointed together, said
plates of a length equal to the width of the conveying device to be produced, and
having the tongues c1, c2 and c', and the notches c, c and c, said tongues and said
notches adapted to intermesh with adjacent tongues, and said tongues bent into
tubular form and thus adapted to have pivot rods pass therethrough, the said notch
or notches having a supplemental notch c³ for the admission of the sprocket for
moving the said conveying device, all combined, substantially as described.
4. As an article of manufacture a grain adjuster belt adapted to operate in
conjunction with a grain binder and packer fingers composed of strips of material
pivotally connected to each other, said pivotal connection adapted to form
projections wholly on the outer surface of said belt and having notches or holes
adjoining said pivotal connections adapted to receive sprocket teeth for propelling
the same, substantially as described.
5. A grain-straw conveyor consisting of a series of plates jointed together, one
or both of said edges of said plates adapted to form such a protrusion from the
operative surface adjacent to the grain acted upon as to aggressively engage the
latter and thus convey it, said joint so located and formed as to serve as a slat or
otherwise aggressive member for engaging the grain, substantially as described.
6. A grain-straw conveyor consisting of plates jointed together, said plates of a
length equal to the width of the conveying device to be produced, and having the
tongues c, and and the notches c c, c and rivets c, said tongues and said
notches adapted to internesh with adjacent notches and tongues and the material
of the said tongues bent into tubular form and thus adapted to have pivot rods
pass therethrough, substantially as described.
7. A grain-straw conveyor consisting of a series of tongued and notched plates,
the said tongues bent into tubular form and so adapted that the tubes of one section
thus formed can intermesh with the tube or tubes on the adjacent section, and have
a cylindrical rod pass through said tubes to form the said joints, substantially as
described.

page_text: 8. A grain-straw conveyor consisting of a series of jointed plates having slats or
lugs thereon in combination with polygonal driving drums and a suitable frame for
supporting the same, substantially as described.
9. A metallic link belt composed of strips of material pivotally connected to
each other, said pivotal connections adapted to form suitable lugs for aggressively
engaging the grain, combined with polygonal drums for operating the same,
substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of March 1905
S. S. BROMHEAD.