IMPROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bell, of South Inch-Michael, in the County
of Perth, North Britain, Farmer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 9th February 1858, and dated the 1st September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st September
1857.
I, GEORGE BELL, of South Inch-Michael, in the County of Perth, North
Britain, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows, that is to
say:―
This Invention relates in the first instance to the propelling or actuating
reaping machines of various kinds, the draught pole being moveable instead
of being fixed, as is usual in such machines, and there is a separate pole for
steering by. The draught pole works above the steering pole, and and is
furnished with a strong spring. The fan or reel for gathering the severed
grain is capable of being raised and lowered by means of a cord or chain to be
worked by the attendant at the steerage pole, so that the proper elevation to
suit the crop can be easily secured whilst the machine is actually at work. The

page_text: reaping cutter is worked by causing the cutter bar to revolve, from one end
being coupled to a lever actuated by the driving wheels of the machine. The
holding fingers have the loose part above instead of below the cutting knife.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Bell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BELL, of South Inch-Michael, in the County of Perth, North Britain, Farmer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Iler reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Bell, Her special license that I, the said George
Bell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Bell, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
nike, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
au Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for ." IM-
PROVEMENTS IN REAPING AND MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Bell, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Bell, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be pèr-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates in the first instance to the propelling or actuating
reaping machines of various kinds. The draught pole being moveable instead
of being fixed, as is usual in such machines; and there is a separate pole for

page_text: steering by. The draught pole works above the steering pole, and is furnished
with a strong spring. The fan or reel for gathering the severed grain, is
capable of being raised and lowered by means of a cord or chain, to be worked
by the attendant at the steerage pole, so that the proper elevation to suit the
crop can be easily secured whilst the machine is actually at work. The reaping
cutter is worked by causing the cutter bar to revolve, from one end being
coupled to a lever actuated by the driving wheels of the machine. The
holding fingers have the loose part above instead of below the cutting knife.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures on the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended, for the purpose of showing
certain modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried
out in practice.
Figure 1 on my Sheet of illustrative Drawings is an elevation or side view
of my improved reaping and mowing machine; Figure 2 is a plan corre-
sponding thereto. The reaping machine shown in my illustrative Drawing is
of that class in which the draught pole projects from the back part of the
machine, and the horses harnessed thereto drive the implement in front of
them. The main framing A of the machine consists of two triangularly shaped
side frames, connected to each other by transverse stays. The framing A has
bolted to its under sides two pendent bearing plates B, which are secured by
a cotter to the main axle C of the machine. The main driving wheels D are
either keyed to the outer extremities of the axle C, and rotate therewith, or
the inner part of the boss of the wheel D, is made with ratchet teeth upon its
periphery. A stud is fixed to one of the spokes of the wheel, on which is centered
a pawl; the free end of this pawl falls into the teeth of the ratchet wheel.
When the machine is driven forward the pawl catches in the teeth of the ratchet
wheel, and the driving axle C is carried round with the motion of the wheel
D; but upon the machine being drawn backwards the pawl slips over the ratchet
teeth, and no motion is communicated to the axle C. To the side frames A is
bolted a rectangular-shaped frame E, to which the guiding or steering pole F
is attached. The draught pole G, to which the horses are harnessed, by means
of swing trees, in my improved reaping machine is supplementary to the
steerage pole F, by which the driver raises the forepart of the machine over
any inequalities of the ground. The front extremity of the draught pole G is
connected by means of a bolt to the socket H, which is firmly secured to the
steerage pole F, or to the cross rail of the framework. Upon the upper side
of the draught pole is fixed a blade or other spring I, the free end of which

page_text: enters a guide or bridling J, bolted to the steerage pole F. The bolt by
which the draught pole is attached to the socket H serves as a centre upon
which the pole turns; the pressure of the spring I against the bridling J keeps.
the draught pole in contact with the steerage pole, excepting when the latter
is depressed by the driver. The forepart of the machine is support upon the
small driving wheels K, which rotate upon an axle carried in bearings
pendent from the under sides of the framing A.
As the machine passes
over the ground, if these front wheels K fall into a rut or hollow of
any kind, it is necessary to raise the forepart of the machine, otherwise
the cutter would come in contact with and enter the ground. The lifting
of the forepart of the improved machine is readily effected by the peculiar
arrangement and combination of the steerage and draught poles. To the
backward extremity of the steerage pole F, and at right angles thereto,
is attached a guiding bar L, in the backward face of which is fitted a pair
of handles M. The guiding bar L is made to turn easily in a vertical plane
upon the bolt by which it is attached to the steerage pole. To prevent the
guiding bar from descending beyond the horizontal line, it rests in a socket
or catch N, fixed to the under side of the steerage pole F; this arrangement
admits of the guiding bar being moved either to the right or left hand side of
the machine, as required. By means of this duplex arrangement of a fixed
steerage pole F, and a moveable draught pole G, the driver has full command
over the machine, thereby enabling him to readily depress the steerage pole
and raise the front wheels K whenever they sink into any rut or hollow.
Upon depressing the steerage pole F, it separates from the draught pole G,
which remains in its horizontal position by reason of its being attached to the
harness of the horses; the machine turns upon the main axle C, and the front
part is thereby raised. Upon the driver releasing the handles of the steerage
pole the pressure of the spring I brings the draught pole again in contact
with the steerage pole. The arrangement of the cutting or shearing portion
of the machine is similar to that heretofore used in machines of this kind,
but the mechanism for actuating the same has been modified and improved.
The cutting apparatus consists of a series of pointed bars or fingers O, which
are riveted to the under side of a metal plate P; this plate is bolted to the
end of the framing A. The fingers are each made with a horizontal
opening midway between its upper and lower surfaces to allow of a steel
serrated cutter Q sliding to and fro laterally in these openings. The cutter
bar Q, is made with angular teeth, which are finely notched or serrated upon
their edges, similar to the ordinary sickle edge. The cutter Q derives its

page_text: lateral reciprocatory movement from the axle C of the main driving wheels
D; the axle has running loosely upon it a bevil wheel R, which gears with a
pinion S keyed upon the end of the crank shaft T. This shaft is carried in
bearings bolted to the framing of the machine, and to the crank pin is
attached a connecting rod U: The other end of the connecting rod U is fast
to a lever V,' which is centred upon a stud fixed to the framing of the
machine. The front end of the lever V is connected by a link to the end of
a curved bar W; this portion of the arrangement is shown in dotted lines in
the plan, Figure 2, of my Drawing. The curved bar W is riveted to or may
form a continuation of the cutter Q. When the bevil wheel R is in motion
the rotatory movement of the crank imparts a reciprocatory motion in a
lateral direction to the lever V and to the curved bar W, which causes the
cutter Q, to be moved rapidly to and fro between the fingers 0. The two
broad pointed plates, which form a part of the plate P, to which the fingers O
are bolted, serve to divide and guide the grain or grass towards the cutters as
the machine travels onwards. The bevil wheel R is only brought into
operation during the time the machine is actually employed in the reaping
operation. The engagement and disengagement of the wheel is effected by
means of the coupling X, which is made with a groove to slide to and fro
upon a feather made on the main axle C. The coupling is actuated by means
of the hand lever Y, which is centred upon a stud carried by a bracket
pendent from the under side of the frame E. By means of this arrangement
the driver can instantly connect or disconnect the cutting apparatus as he may
require. Another mode of arranging the gearing for actuating the cutter
with sufficient rapidity is to fit a spur wheel of sixty-one teeth upon the axle
C; this wheel gears with a pinion of twenty-one teeth carried upon a shaft, on
which is keyed a bevil wheel of about sixty teeth. This bevil wheel gears
with a pinion of about fifteen teeth, keyed to the end of the cutter crank
shaft. The latter wheel and pinion are preferred to be upon the other side
of the machine. At the back of the bevil wheel R is a pulley which gives
motion by means of the belt Z to a pulley fitted overhead upon the transverse
shaft a, which is fitted in bearings carried upon the upper part of the framing
A. The shaft a has keyed to it, just outside one of its bearings, a bevil wheel
b, which is in gear with a bevil pinion c fast to the upper extremity of the
angular shaft d. The upper end of this shaft d is carried in a bearing bolted
to the side frame A, and its lower extremity rotates in a footstep bearing
fixed to the lower part of the framing. There is a corresponding shaft fitted
upon the opposite side of the machine, and upon these shafts are fitted wooden

page_text: rollers, which serve to distend the endless apron or belts e, upon which the
grain falls as it is severed by the cutters. The gathering reel fin front of
the machine is carried upon a horizontal shaft, the bearings of which are
bolted to the moveable frame g. The frame g is centred upon the shaft h,
the bearings of which are carried by the brackets i; these brackets are bolted
to the side frames A. Motion is communicated to the gathering reel f from
a pulley j fast to the extremity of the shaft a; the pulley j, by means of the
endless belt k, gives motion to the pulley l, on the shaft h. This shaft also
carries another pulley m, from which and the belt n the pulley o on the shaft
of the gathering reel ƒ derives its motion. The moveable frame g being
centred upon the shaft h may be raised or lowered as required to suit the
height of the crop to be cut. This adjustment of the height may be effected
with great, ease by the driver whilst the machine is in motion. To the
backward end of the frame g is fastened a cord or chain p, which is carried
downwards and passed under a pulley 9 fitted beneath the steerage pole F.
To the free end of the cord p is attached a rod r, which is carried in guides s
fitted to the steerage pole; the rod r terminates in a handle t within easy
reach of the driver when. he is guiding the machine; by pushing this handle
inwards the reel ƒ may be lowered down in close proximity to the apron e, or
vice versa. Instead of attaching the cord or chain p to a rod r, the cord or
chain may be carried along to the back of the machine, so as to be within
reach of the driver. By the addition of these several improvements or modi-
fications thereof to the reaping machine, the implement is rendered far more
manageable in use than hitherto.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of reaping and mowing
machines as herein-before described.
Second, the mechanical arrangements for communicating a rapid lateral
reciprocatory motion to the cutter, as herein-before described, or any merc
modification thereof.
Third, the use and application of a moveable draught pole in addition to a

page_text: fixed steerage or guiding pole, in order to give the driver a more effective
control over the machine, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of regulating the height of the gathering reel
from the cutter by means of the mechanical arrangement herein-before
described, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Bell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
GEO. BELL. (L.S.)