IMPROVE, MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by David Ball Parsons at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th January
1863. Partly a communication from abroad by Walter Abbott Wood,
residing at Hoosick Falls, New York, in the United States of America.
I, DAVID BALL PARSONS, formerly of Hoosick Falls, New York, in the
United States of America, but now of No. 77, Upper Thames Street,. in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE,
MENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
In constructing reaping and mowing machines according to. this Inven-
tion, the frame of the machine is mounted on the axle of the carrying
wheels, so as to be able to pivot thereon independently of the pole, which is
attached to the same axle. The cutter bar is jointed to the front of the frame
on one side, and a lever is combined with the frame in such a. manner that by
means of it the cutter bar may both be lifted a short distance without.changing
its horizontal position, so as to carry it over obstacles whilst it is at work, and
also may be turned up into a vertical or nearly vertical position, so as .to. reduce
the width of the machine for passing through gateways or narrow passages.
The lever is jointed at its lower end to the frame, and at a distance above the
centre a chain is attached, which is then passed over a pulley. on the pole,. and
afterwards attached to the fore part of the frame; then by moving the lever
the fore end of the frame is drawn up towards the pole, and the cutter bar is
thus raised. When the lever is further depressed it comes against a stud
projecting up through the frame and pushes it down, and the lower end of this
coming against a projection from, the cutter bar beyond its centre causes it to

page_text: tilt up; or in place of causing the cutter to tilt by depressing the stud a piece
may be jointed to the inner end of the cutter bar, so as to project beyond its
centre, the further end of this piece being connected with the pole by a link.
Then when the cutter bar is lifted by the lever, as already described, the jointed
piece turns about its centre (the link preventing its further end rising), and
this goes on until the cutter bar has moved horizontally for a sufficient
distance, and then a shoulder on the jointed piece comes against a projection
on the cutter bar, and renders the joint stiff, and then as the raising of the
cutter bar is continued this bar is compelled to turn with the piece jointed to
it, and thus it is tilted up as is required; or the lever may be caused to tilt
up the cutter bar by gearing the axis of the lever by means of bevilled toothed
wheels, with a second axis at right angles to the first axis, and formed with a
crank at its end; this carries a crank pin working in a slot in a connecting
rod, which at its other end is connected with the cutting apparatus. The slot
in the connecting rod allows the cutter bar to be raised or lowered horizontally
a short distance by means of the lever, and also to follow the unequalities of
the land, but when the lever is moved through a considerable angle the
rotation of the crank brings its pin to the end of the slot in the connecting
rod, and then any further movement of the lever acts to tilt up the cutter
bar.
When the cutter bar is not arranged to be raised and lowered horizontally
whilst at work, by pivotting the frame on the axle, as above explained, similar
means may be employed for adjusting the height of the cutters and cutting
apparatus, the pole which, as before, is fixed to the axle, is connected in rear
thereof; the frame, which rocks on the axle, as before, is connected at its
rear end by a suitable adjustable connecting link or piece with the continuation
of the pole, and according as the length of this connection is increased or
decreased the cutter bar will be raised or lowered.
In order that the neck or axis of one of the running wheels of a reaping or
mowing machine may be capable of being adjusted to a higher or lower
position in respect to the framing of the machine, such neck or axis is fixed
on a plate which is fastened to the framing of the machine by a suitable screw
or bolt at a distance from the neck or axis, about which the plate is capable of
moving as on a centre. At the other side of the plate there is a curved slot
with another screw or bolt passing through it, and securing the plate to the
frame; by this arrangement the plate and also the neck or axis thereon are,
by merely slackening the screws or bolts, capable of being placed in any
desired position, and they are there secured by screwing up the screws or
bolts.

page_text: In order to discharge the cut crop from the platform of a reaping or mowing
machine, I employ, as has before been proposed, a rake attached to and
actuated by an endless travelling band running round the sides of the said
platform; the rake is carried by the band along the back of the platform and
up one side; then it passes along the front of the platform, and in so doing
gathers up the cut crop to one side, and lastly, in returning along the other
side of the platform it pushes off the bundle or shock which it has gathered on
to the ground at the back of the platform.
According to the present Invention, in order that such rakes may act more
effectually than heretofore, and deliver the crop in more compact bundles or
shocks, I arrange it in the following manner:-The rake consists of a stem
with teeth at one end, and with a flat board attached to it immediately behind
the teeth, and so as to stand vertically to the surface of the platform. This
stein is jointed at about the middle, and its further end is hinged at the back
of the platform and on one side thereof. The discharge of the crop takes
place at the corner where the rake is jointed, and from the arrangement
described it results that the cut crop, having been collected up against a
board fixed at the side of the platform, by the passage of the rake across the
front of the platform is then by the teeth of the rake drawn directly backwards,
and at the moment of delivery the board on the rake stem is parallel or nearly
so with the side of the platform, and the bundle or shock is nipped together
between it and the side board, so that it is delivered in a much more compact
form than formerly, and the delivery is entirely at one corner of the platform
in place of all along the back thereof as formerly.
In some cases I hinge a platform to the back of the cutter bar; this plat-
form is in no way connected with the frame, but is supported at the back by a
small wheel or a sledge runner resting on the land. This arrangement is a
convenient one where the cut crop is cleared off the platform by hand labor,
as it allows the platform to be placed close to the ground, and nearly hori-
zontal, it being able to rise and fall with any inequalities of the land, whereas
when the platform is connected with the frame it is rigid, and has to be
sufficiently inclined to pass clear of all the irregularities of the surface.
A platform is in some cases used consisting of several parallel boards with
open spaces between them, the back ends being unconnected. This platform
is hinged to the cutter bar, and is capable of being raised to and held at a
proper angle from the land when receiving the cut crop, and of being lowered
downwards on to the ground when delivering the cut crop.
A holding or
pressing bar is used with this platform in order to press the cut crop against
the land when it is to be delivered from the back end of the platform. The

page_text: action is as follows:-When the platform is lowered on to the ground, and
the pressing bar presses the cut crop against the land, the stubble projects up
through the openings in the platform, and entering in amongst the cut crop
retains it until the platform passes away from underneath. The holding or
pressing bar and the platform are actuated by a treadle within reach of the
foot of the driver.
In order that the cutters of reaping and mowing machines may not clog
when cutting crops in which there is a considerable quantity of dead bottom,
I, as has before been proposed, make the knives sufficiently long to cut up to
the points of the fingers or guards, these being for the purpose made in two
parts, an upper and a lower, and according to the Invention the guides for the
cutter bar are formed entirely by the lower parts of the fingers or guards,
whilst the upper parts, in order to avoid clogging, are kept at a distance from
the cutter bar, except just at the points of the knives, where they are required
to support the crop whilst it is being cut.
The driving wheels of reaping and mowing machines are commonly made
with projections at their peripheries to give them sufficient hold on the land
to enable them to drive the cutter bar. These projections when the machine
is being drawn from place to place over hard roads, cause it to be much
shaken; this I obviate by the use of a moveable tyre, which can be slipped
on the wheel over the projections, and there .secured and drawn up tight by
screws.