IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Georgo Edward Jeffery and Edward
Christopher Blackstone at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
8th December 1877.
GEORGE EDWARD JEFFERY and EDWARD CHRISTOPHER BLACKSTONE, of the Firm
of Jeffery and Blackstone, of Stamford, in the County of Lincoln, Agricultural
Implement Makers "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES."
Difficulties have been found in working horse rakes mounted on extra high
travelling wheels, owing to the great distance the lever handle has to move in order
to raise the teeth high enough to deliver the hay or corn in windrows, and for which
purpose the teeth are more or less counterbalanced to enable a man or boy to lift
them easily. The teeth being thus nearly balanced, a small quantity of hay is
sufficient to turn them on their centres, whereby they miss a portion of the material
they should collect unless the full weight of the teeth is allowed to rest upon the
ground, and the teeth are held there by a locking lover until a sufficient quantity
of hay has been collected for the rake to require emptying.
The object of my Invention is to obviate these defects, and this is effected,-
1st. By making the horse rake teeth to move at a quicker speed than the lifting
lever, say two to one. The path of the lifting lever is thus reduced in a like pro-
portion, thus bringing it within easy reach of man or boy, and it can be worked by
them with the least possible fatigue, and at the same time the machine does its
work properly.
2nd. The adjustability of the lever to suit the manipulator, whether walking or
riding, is done by simply altering the position of the single lifting lever and gearing
to suit the reach of different operators. We also adopt a V section of steel for the
teeth, this form being the strongest and lightest, and delivers its load better than
any other form.
3rd. We make the main or travelling wheel axles to revolve in bearings. The
ends of the irons which form the bearings are continued in one direction forward to
the draught shafts, which are bolted to them. They are also made of sufficient
length in the other or rear direction to enable the teeth or delivery irons to bo
attached to them. These irons, when the rake is adjusted for work, remain

page_text: stationary, and the axle above revolves in the bearings, as also in the hubs or naves
of the travelling wheels.
4th. The teeth are fixed to a bar at a certain distance from the main axle, and
this bar is attached to the main axle by fixed levers, so that when the axle is made
to revolve the bar goes with it and lifts the teeth. This is done by toothed gearing;
a segment of a cog wheel is keyed on the axle of the rake, and into this wheel a
largo wheel gears. To this wheel the lifting lever is fixed by a movable bolt.
When the attendant uses the seat on the implement the lever bolt is put in the
foremost hole of the large wheel, but when the attendant is walking by the side
of the implement the lever bolt must be put in the second hole. The alteration for
height of lift to suit either man or boy is done by altering the position of the cogs,
viz., by unscrewing a nut on the lever stud, and by sliding the lever and wheel
out of gear with the small wheel, and then placing the lever in the required position
to suit the operator. The wheels are then slidden into gear again, and the nut
screwed on.
5th. The lifting lever is provided with a simple locking apparatus, which holds it
firmly in the required position. We also adapt to the lifting gear for self-acting
horse lakes a cam or excentric, whereby the teeth may be raised up or lifted to
varying heights, according to circumstances. This lifting gear is also provided
with clutches, which may be thrown in and out of gear when required.