IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHEAF-CARRIERS FOR HARVESTING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: We JAMES HOWARD, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, both of Bedford, in the
County of Bedford, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHEAF-CARRIERS FOR HARVESTING
MACHINES" to be as follows:-
--
The object of our present invention is to improve the construction of sheaf-
binding and trussing machines as hereinafter set forth.
Our said invention relates partly to the sheaf-carrier of a harvesting machine.
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to us August 26th A D. 1882,
N° 4093, the sheaf-carrier is a cradle designed to carry a sheaf when turning at
the corner of a field or plot being cut, which cradle is operated at the will of
the driver. It is, however, often desirable that the carrier should hold a number
of sheaves in order to facilitate the after operation of setting them up in
shocks or stooks. Various attempts have been made to effect this object but most
of the devices employed for this purpose are cumbrous and more or less difficult
to manage.
Our invention, so far as it relates to this part of the machine consists in the
combination of jointed leaves or flaps with supporting and adjusting or operating
devices as hereinafter described the said leaves or flaps being placed in such a
position as to receive the sheaves as they pass from the binding table and flapper
boards.
One of the leaves or flaps is hinged under the flapper boards in a similar manner
to the sheaf carrier or cradle described in the said former specification; the other
leaf is hinged on extension arms or brackets secured to the main frame, as herein-
after described.
The height of the sheaf table is so regulated that the leaves are well clear of
the ground when they drop into a vertical position to allow the free egress of the
sheaves. The leaves of the sheaf table are so connected by suitable levers that
they fall and rise simultaneously and are operated at the will of the driver by
mechanism similar to that described in our specification filed in the Patent Office
July 9th 1884 N° 9967, or by other suitable means.
When the desired number of sheaves has accumulated on the sheaf table, the
attendant or driver, by a foot-lever, causes the leaves of the table to open in the
manner of a trap-door; the accumulated sheaves are thus deposited on the ground
in a convenient position for stooking.

page_text: Our improved devices may also be used for carrying a single sheaf, for the
purpose of dropping the same out of the track of the horses' feet when turning at
the corner of the field or plot being cut.
As a modification of the above described part of our invention the leaves of the
sheaf table may be made to lift and close automatically in the manner described
in the Specification of Letters Patent N° 9967, 1884, the jointed leaves being held
by a catch or bolt.
The sheaf-carrying table is supported by two brackets or arms, which fit into
sockets on the frame of the harvester so that they may be readily detached from
the harvester frame when not required for use.
Our improvements also relate to the knotting mechanism of sheaf binding and
trussing machines. In our knotting mechanism, as heretofore constructed, there
is a gripper-disc arranged in combination with a piece which we term the string
holder or gripper, and which has in it a groove in which the string is held.
According to our improvements we now duplicate the groove in the string holder
or gripper; that is to say we make a double recessed or channelled piece somewhat
like the letter E in transverse section, and we combine therewith a double gripper
disc or two gripper discs notched on the periphery as heretofore. The notched
edges of these discs enter the said grooves and the position of the twine or string
held by, and between, these parts assumes a sinuous form corresponding to that of
the intervening space. By these means the string is held more securely, without
being so much pinched at the sides of the disc or discs as with the ordinary single
grooved gripper; and the stoppages often caused by the slipping of the twine from
the gripper are avoided.

page_text: "
We JAMES HOWARD, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, both of Bedford, in the
County of Bedford, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO SHEAF CARRIERS FOR HARVESTING MACHINES
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to the sleaf-carriers of harvesting machines.
In the specification of Letters Patent granted to us August 26th A.D. 1882,
No 4093, we have described a sheaf-carrier or cradle designed to carry a sheaf when
turning at the corner of a field or plot being cut, which carrier or cradle is operated
at the will of the driver to discharge the sheaf.
In the specification of other Letters Patent dated July 9 A.D. 1884 N° 9967 we
have described improvements whereby we provide for the collection and simultaneous
discharge by the carrier of any desired number of sheaves.
Our present invention is designed to simplify the construction of the sheaf-
carrier and its adjuncts, so that it will act more advantageously than heretofore to
deposit the sheaves in such a manner as to facilitate the after operation of setting
them up in shocks or stooks; and it consists in the combination of jointed leaves
or flaps, with supporting and adjusting or operating devices as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is a plan of as much of a sheaf binding machine as is necessary to
illustrate the application of our invention thereto.
Figure 2. is a side elevation of the sheaf-carrier, illustrating the method of
connecting it to the binder frame and showing the carrier closed.
Figure 3 is a similar elevation shewing the sheaf-carrier open.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
a indicates the main frame of the binder; b, b, are arms or cantilevers for
supporting the leaves or flaps c, c', forming the sheaf-carrier or sheaf carrying
table.
The leaf c is supported upon pivots & fitted to turn freely in bearings e, attached
to the arms b in such a position that the axis of the said leaf c is under the
flapper-board f. The other leaf c¹ is supported by pivots 7 carried in bearings e
on the arms b. When the leaves c c are in a horizontal position, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2, they slightly overlap each other and form a continuous table.
One advantageous result of our improvements is that the said leaves when
released drop freely, by their own weight, into a vertical or nearly vertical position,
as shewn in Figure 3, and therefore need no counterweight or other means to force
them into this position.
For raising and supporting the leaves or flaps c c', after they have been released
to discharge the sheaves collected upon them, the following mechanism is provided,
that is to say to the axes of the leaves c, c¹, are secured levers h, h. The lever h
projects above its axis and the lever h¹ below its axis. The said levers are connected
at their free ends by a rod i, so that they will move simultaneously. The leaves

page_text: can be maintained in a raised or closed position at the will of the driver; or caused
to operate automatically by mechanism similar to that described in the specification
of the said former Letters Patent No 9967, or by other suitable means.
We provide for attaching the sheaf-carrier to the binder so that it can be readily
removed therefrom if desired; for this purpose to each beam a are secured two
metal straps or sockets k, k, into which the arms b, b are adapted to be inserted.
The said arms may be held in the sockets by bolts or pins, or by other desirable
means.
The height of the sheaf-table is such that, without requiring adjustment for
different heights of cut, the leaves will always be well clear of the ground when
they drop to discharge the sheaves; the free egress or discharge of the sheaves from
the said table at any time is thereby ensured, and all danger of injury to the
apparatus by contact of the leaves with the ground is avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
First. A sheaf-carrier consisting of a pair of leaves or flaps both of which are
hinged or pivotted at their ends upon projecting arms or cantilevers, and one of
which is hinged under the flapper-board, all substantially as, and for the purpose,
specified.
Second. The combination of the flaps or leaves of the said sheaf-carrier with
the means or devices for supporting and for adjusting or operating the same,
substantially as described.
Dated this 10th dose of Tn 100
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicants.