IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Carl Pieper at the Office of-
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
February 1868.
I, CARL PIEPER, of Dresden, in the Kingdom of Saxony, at present
resident at 39, Finsbury Square, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reaping machines.
The machine consists of a frame supported near its forward end on
wheels which also actuate or drive the operating parts of the machine.
These wheels are encircled by cutting blades which are fixed around
a ring at the bottom of a conical frame having a vertical axis driven
by bevilled gear from the axle of the driving wheels; exterior to the
cutter frame and concentric with it is another revolving conical frame
having on its sides a number of radial arms and at its lower edge a
flange or ledge which stands immediately over the ring of cutters.
Behind the main driving wheels the frame of the machine is supported
on wheels which are able to lock about a centre or perch pin, and

page_text: behind these again are shafts in which a horse may be harnessed so
as to push the machine before him through the standing crop. The
crop is thus cut by the rapidly rotating rings of cutters at a short
distance from the land and it then whilst still erect passes on to the
flange or ledge of the outer conical frame and between the radial arms
thereon. The ring to which the cutters are fixed also carries inclines
to assist the crop up on to the flange or ledge immediately above.
The outer conical frame with this flange or ledge and the radial arms
upon it revolves about a vertical axis but more slowly than the cutter,
and it carries the cut crop to one side of the machine where fixed
inclines guide the crop outwards from the centre and place it still
erect on the fore end of a horizontal receiving board which passes
along the side of the machine. The crop being now no longer sup-
ported by the radial arms of the outer conical frame as the machine
travels forward falls down flat on to the receiving board with the
ears to the rear of the machine and it is discharged from this board
from time to time in sheaves at the side of the machine by a rake
which stands along the inner side of the receiving board, and this rake
at intervals moves out or across the receiving board and sweeps from
its surface the crop accumulated thereon; it is caused to do so by a
cam or tappet on the outer conical frame acting through levers upon
the rake. The return of the rake may be caused by a spring. Any
crop which falls whilst the rake operates is received on to the stem
or head of the rake which is horizontal, and as the rake returns a
fixed board on the frame sweeps it off on to the receiving board. To
steer the machine I mount a vertical axis upon it with a steering
wheel at the top, and to a barrel on this axis chains are attached
which lead from it over guide pulleys, one on either side of the frame,
to the axle of the locking wheels, which can thus be caused to incline
one way or the other or more or less as may be desired. The vertical
axis carrying the inner conical frame with the ring of cutters is hollow
and the axis of the outer conical frame passes through it. Both cones
are so arranged that their distance from the ground can be adjusted
without throwing them out of gear with the driving parts, so that
they may cut the crop higher or lower as may be desired, or by further
lifting the cones they may be thrown out of gear for travelling. The
under-
lifting of the cones is effected by suspending them from arms,
neath which are inclines which usually revolve with the cones, but
the workman when he desires can hold the inclines stationary and

page_text: the arms then continuing to move on ride up upon them. The forward
part of the cutting ring may also be raised for travelling by drawing
back the top bearing of the revolving conical frames towards the
rear of the machine so as to throw the cones into an inclined position.