US1257192A - Machine for pulling flax. - Google Patents

Description

J. G. CRAWFORD & R. M. BENNETT.

MACHINE FOR PULLING FLAX.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 1. I9l6.

' Pat/en Feb 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

l. G. CRAWFORD & R. M. BENNETT,

MACHINE FOR PULLING FLAX.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7| 19l6.

l fiwfll gn memm Feb.19,19186 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

name.

JAMES GLASGOW CRAWFORD, 0F BELFAST, AND ROBERT MALCOLM BENNETT, OF CARRYDUFF, IRELAND.

MACHINE FOR PULLING- FLAX.

Application filed September 7, 1916.

To aZZ'w/wm it mag concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES GLAscow CRAWFORD and ROBERT MALCOLM BENNETT. British subjects, residing at Belfast, Treland, and Carrydufi, county Down, l-reland, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lvltiClllIlQS for Pulling Flax, of which the following is a speci fication.

The invention relates to a machine for pulling flax from the ground in which a rotary drum is fitted with a number of combs mounted at intervals across the periphery set at such an angle asto enter the growing flax and engage the bolls of the flax as the drum rotates.

It consists in the particular construction and dispositionof parts operated by a motor which also propels the machine.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, whereof:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmental perspective view, on a greatly-enlarged scale, of the stripping mechanism.

Referring more particularly to said drawing, 1 designates a rotary drum, which is arranged at the forward end of a suitably designed frame or chassis 2, and is mounted upon a horizontal shaft 3. This drum is open at its opposite sides, and its peripheral wall or shell is formed by a series of symmetrically-disposed members 4, which are carried by supporting posts or bars 5, connected intermediate their ends in some suitable manner to the shaft 3, four of such members being utilized in the construction illustrated. These members have their end portions bent or extended laterally in opposite directions, as shown; and between the free edges of the forward extension of each member and the rear extension of the preceding member, there is provided an open space 6, through which a comb 7 is projected and retracted. The combs thus extend transversely of the drum, for the full width thereof, and each is carried at its opposite ends-by a pair of'a'rms 8, pivoted to transverselyarranged rods 9 mounted within the drum, the swinging movements of the rods necessary to efiect the forward Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 118,901.

and backward movements of the combs into and out of operative position being obtained by means of angularly-arranged links 10 and 11. One pair of these links is provided for each comb, so that four pair in all are used, all of the pairs being located at the same side of the drum, as will be apparent upon inspection of Fig. 2. The linksare of unequal length, as shown, the front links 10 being somewhat longer than the rear links 11, and the meeting ends of the links being pivotally connected to the ends of the transverse bars 12 which form the backs or bodies of the combs. T ie outer ends of the said links are pivotally connected to rollers 13, each of such rollers forming a joint or coupling between the inner ends, the short link 10 of one pair of links and the long link 11 of the succeeding pair, so that all of the combs are thus connected together for synchronous movement.

During the rotation of the drum, which is effected in the manner subsequently explained, the rollers 13 are caused to travel along the groove 14 provided in a statir'inary cam 15, that is fixed to the adjacent side rail of the chassis, with the resultthat the. desired in-and-out movements of the combs are produced, the distance between one comb and the next being suliiciently greater than the length of the flax stalks, to allow for the full length of the flax between any pair of combs. The drum is preferably mounted in such a manner as to permit its position to be adjusted in accordance with the length of the flax to be pulled and for this purpose the ends of its supporting shaft 3 are journaled in bearing blocks 16, which are slidably fitted in vertically-slotted brackets 17 fixed to the chassis.

Directly to the rear of the drum, there is arranged an endless band or conveyer 18, which receives the flax from the drum and carries it transversely across the machine to a binder 19, where it is bound into bundles and discharged from the machine at the side away from the standing crop. The binder is such as is commonly employed 011 reaping and other agricultural. machines, and for that reason is merely indicated diagrammatically. Tt is omitted from Fig. 1 for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the gearing hereinafter referred to.

Mechanism is preferably provided for inrespectively, to horizontal shafts 9.6 and 25.

The latter are supported inside plates 27, suitably attached to thechassis, and to their inner facesthere arerfixed in some desired 7 way two tracks 28 whose rear portions are inclined inward at 29'; see Figs 2 and 3. These tracks preferably consist of spaced upper and lower rails, between which extend the twisted or spirally bent ends 30 of the bars 20, the arrangement being such as to cause a partial revolution of said bars about their axes just before they reach the end of their traverse along the tracks; This rotary movement of the bars serves to free their pins from the flax, which is stripped therefrom by means of a set of. longitudinal fingers 31 interposed between the chains 22 and the conveyer 18, said fingers being spaced apart to permit the pins to travel therebetween.

The machine as a whole is preferably of the self-propelled type, as shown, its movement being efiected by means of a motor indicated diagrammatically at 82, Fig. 1. This motor may be connected up in any suitable'manner to drive the traction wheels 33, and is also utilized to actuate the drum, the conveyer and the binder. In the construction illustrated, the motor is caused to drive a cross-shaft 34, provided at one end with a gear 35 and at the other end with a sprocket 36, the former meshing with and driving a gear 37 which is mounted on a stub shaft 38 and has fixed to it a sprocket 39, the said stub shaft being mounted in the chassis. The sprocket 89 is connected by a chain 40 with alarger sprocket41, fixed to the axle 42 whereon. the traction wheels 33 are mounted. The sprocket '36 is connected by a driving chain 43 with a sprocket 44, fixed to the drum shaft 3, to rotate the latter, said chain having its lower stretch fixed to the front shaft 26 of the pin-bar chains 22. The conveyer 18 and the binder 19 may be driven in any desired way from the motor, illustration being omitted by in driving engagement with sprocket 45, which is fast on the end of a reason of the diagrammatic showing of'the binder.

In operation the machine is driven forward into the crop of standing flax," the combs 7 of the overhanging drum 1 engaging the heads of the flax stems while the wheels 33 traverse a portion of the ground already cleared of the crop. The combs are set to enter the growing flax at such an angle that as they move forward and upward they engage the bolls of the flax and pull the flax stalks out of theground, the shape of the drum being such that. the forward extension or bent portion of the periphery forms breast or lever which assists in the pulling as the machine travels forward, whilethe 'rear extension providesa recessed portion which allows the unpulled flax to remain standing almost perpendicular,-and thepulling combs to beset at the most favorable angle forengagin'g the fiagas' shown in the drawings. When the combs-in their'revolution pass over the topof the drum, they are withdrawn by the cam 15 disengaging.

is stripped off bythe fingers 3'1. The speed of rotationof the drum in relation to the speed of the tractioirwheels 33and traverse" of the machine is regulated so that each comb enters the standing flax to the rear of where the previous one leaves it. lVhat we claim as our invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1.- In a machine for pulling'flax, a rotary drum constructed with'a slotted periphery;

combs pivotally mounted within the interior of the drum. and-arranged to move-in and out through the slots in its said periphery; means for rotating saiddrum; a stationary element located in juxtaposition to said drum and provided. with a closed cam groove; a set of rollers, one for each comb, arranged to travel in said groove; and link connections between said combs nd rollers to cause the travel of the latterin unison during the rotation of the drum, so as to effect the in-and-out movements of the combs.

2. In a machine for pulling flax, the combination, with pulling means; of a delivery conveyer; and stripping means, comprising an endless traveling element embodying rotatably mounted bars provided with pins adapted to engage the flax stalks, strip them from said pulling means, and deposit them upon said conveyer 3. In a machine for pulling flax, the combination, with pulling means; of a delivery conveyer; and stripping means, comprising an endless traveling element embodying a plurality of rotatably-mounted bars provided with pins adapted to engage the flax stalks and strip them from said pulling means, means for periodically imparting a rotary movement to said bars so as to elevate their pins, and means cooperative with said pins at such time to disengage them from said stalks and thereby deposit the latter upon said conveyer.

at. In a machine for pulling flax, the combination, with pulling means; of a delivery conveyer; and stripping means, comprising an endless traveling element embodying a plurality of rotatably-mounted bars provided with pins adapted to engage the flax stalks and strip them from said pulling means, a pair of tracks with which said bars are engaged at opposite ends during a portion of their travel, said tracks having parts thereof offset so as to impart a rotary move mentto said bars to elevate their pins, and means cooperative with said pins at such time to disengage them from said stalks and thereby deposit the latter upon said conyeyer.

In a machine for pulling flax, the combination, with a rotary drum having its periphery provided with a series of slots; and means for rotating said drum; of a series of pulling combs carried by said drum and arranged to be projected and retracted through said slots; and means for automatically effecting the in-and-out movements of said combs during the rotation of the drum; said drum having its periphery formed adjacent each comb with a forwardly projecting breast to assist the comb in its pulling ac t1on.

6. In a machine for pulling flax, the combination, of a rotary drum having its pe riphery formed by a series of symmetricallydisposed members whose end portions are extended laterally in opposite directions, the free edges of the forward extension of each member and the rear extension of the preceding member being spaced apart to provide a slot; means for rotating said drum; a

series of pulling combs carried by said drum and arranged to be projected and retracted through said slots; and means for automatically effecting the in-and-out movements of said combs during the rotation of the drum; the forward extension of each of said members forming a breast to assist the adjacent comb in its pulling action.

7. In a machine for pulling flax, the combination, of a rotary drum having its periphery formed by a series of symmetricallydisposed members whose end portions are extended laterally in opposite directions; means for rotating said drum; and a series of pulling combs, one for each of said members, carried by said drum, one comb being located between the forward projection of each member and the rear projection of the preceding member; each of said forward projections forming a breast to assist the adjacent comb in its pulling action.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

JAMES GLASGOW CRAWFORD. RC-BERT MALCOLM BENNETT. Witnesses J 011x MGQUADE, Crms. J. KILMARTIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O."

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