US4401A - Improvement in reaping-machines - Google Patents

Description

-W- Fa. -KETCHUNL .Reaping Machin.

Patented 'March' 7, 1846.'v

Unirse *MT1-:s Affini Fries..

\VM. F. KETOl-IUM, OF BUFFALO, NFHY YORK..

IMPROVEMENT IN REAPlNe-MACHNES.

Speeilcation forming part of' Letters Patent No. 4,40l, dated March 7, l'crLlti.

To all wim/1t t 1111/14/ conce/11:

"le it known that l., WTM. F. KETCHUM, of hif'fal o city, county of Erie, State of N ew York, have invented a new and Improved Machine to Reap Grain; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and 'exact description.

The nature of' my invention consists in a reaping-niachine constructed of a simple framework of about six-feet square, on which is placed a platform of' wood or iron. At the fore part are stationary pointed projections or prongs of steel, Ewing-between two projections a space left, between which the knives play. The prongs by themselves are slit or cleft horizontally in the projecting part, so as to divide said proj ecting part in two, of which the lower one is made considerably shorter, but leaving still a part of the slitthrough which in the whole width ofthe machine; a movable l blade of steel,with proper knives, (cut out,) is

inserted. The knives are sharp both ways, and in correspondence with the width of the prongs. The blade and knives are set in motion by elbow-levers, so that they move from side to side in quick succession, and through the said slit. The grain that approaches the knives between the prongs is cut from both sides. The grain is previously to cutting brought to lean over the knives by a revolving apron with hanging projections. As soon as the grain is cut by the said knives it falls on a square rolling shaft, which carries the grain to a platform where an attendant provided with rake pushes the grain from the platform against a loose-hanging cloth, from where' it falls on the ground in good order for binding'.Y The reaping-machine is set in motion by horsepower, which is attached on a beam connected with the rear part of the upper and lower frame-work of said machine, so that the machine is pushed before the horses. At the extremity of said beam is a single wheel on an upright shaft, the'shaft going through a hole in the beam. At the upper part of the shaft is a cross-piece fixed, by which the driver may direct the machine at pleasure, in sitting or standingv on asmall platform fastened to said beam, the fore part of the machine resting on a revolving shaft, this shaft reaching the whole width of the machine from' side to side. On said shaft are fixed several wheels of a proper diameter7 these wheels having projections on their surface to prevent them slip- To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, l will proceed to de-l .scribe its construction and operation, 'a'nd refer for illustration to the accompanying drawings, being a part of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the reaping-maehine. A A A represent the lower frame; B, the platform on which the giain falls; C, upright posts, l) l) D, the upper frame-work; E, the back plank, behind which the attendant' takes his stand; F, the beam, G, a platform for the driver, H, the direction-wheel, l, the upright shaft; J, the cross-piece Vfor directing the wheels and machine 5 L, a brace for beam T and the lower frame-work, A, M M, a movable 'frame connected by hinges I) b to the frame D', o o, the

`hangin g cloth against which tliegrain is raked from the platform B, N, a roller moving on pivots c c between the movable frame M M; O, another roller of a larger diameter, moving also ou pivots Ybetween the upper frame, l) D, both these rollers having projecting fiangcs Z d d d at their extremities to prevent the revolving apron, which is between them expanded, from slipping sidewise, the dotted line l? l showing the revolving apron, Q, a plank to cover the wheel-work, R It, iron braces with screws to fix the movable frame M M to its proper place; S, arevolving square shaft with sharp edge for the purpose of carrying the grain after being cut from the knives tov the platform B, T, an iron grooved 4pulley to receive the strap or string from the pulley U, which is on the shaft O; V, the strap or string of the pulleys T and U, W' XV, the fore piece of wood, fastened to the lower irame in front of the machine. ln this piece are inserted and fixed the prongs c e c e. X X X is the movable steel vknife-blade land the knives f ff; g g, clef'ts in the steel blade to keep said blade in its proper position by the pins 7l 71. h,- Y, a fender wit-h a wire, Z, to divide the grain before the machine, l, a cover over the main shaft and the driving-wheels, (shaft and driving-wheels are shown in Fig. 2 at 3 and 4;) 2, a cog-wheel on the axle or shaft 3, Fig. 2, which meshes in the next wheel, 5, (5 and 6 being on one axle,) (i meshing into 7, (7 and 8 heilig on one axle,) and 8 meshing into 9. At the axle of this wheel is the pulley l() fixed, which communicates motion by the strap y to the pulley U on the shaft O and the revolving apron l l?, the pulley U giving also motion to the square-edged shaft S by the string V. At the shaft ot' the pinion 9, opposite to the pulley 10, is a plate or crank, 11,-fixed. To this crank is a rod, 12, connected at the one end, and at the other end of the rod is an elbonelever attaehed,13, the other end of the elbow-lever, but by a staple, 14C, to the steel blade X X. 15 is the small platform or stand for the attendant, who has to remove the cut grain from the platform B.

Fig. 2 shows the reaping-machine in view from the under side. The same letters are used at the same partstof the machine through all figures. Therefore a repetition of the same in Fig. 2 may be omitted. the. hanging projection on the revolving apron.

Fig. 8 represents the arrangements of the cog-wheels, pulleys, main shaft 3, and the driving-wheels l, and partl)r the rod and lever connected at lll with the knife-blade, a), a', a', Y, and V, the straps or strings which connect the ulleysl0, ll', and T.

Fig. -L shows one of the prongs c inserted into the fore piece, \V, on a large scale of actual size, the dotted lines a: showing the kniteblade, and ff the knives, ,1/ y, the cleft, and h the pin through the cleft; let, the staple to receive the one end of the elbow-lever 13, and l2 is a part of the rod from the crank 11.

Fig. 5 shows the steel blade, knives, and the cleft together.

'The operation of the said reaping-1nacl1ine may be described as follows: The horses being attached to the beam F, the driver takes his station on the little platform g, and the attendent stands on the plank or platform 15. In driving on the horses the machine is putin motion, the driver directing the machineby turning the direction-wheel H by the handle K. The driving-wheel 4 being rolled on the ground, by which the main axle or shaft 3 and :v x represent- The revolving apron being in motion, and having the hanging projections a' x w w striking the standing grain and bending the stems or straw in the progress of motion over the knives toward the platform B, the knives, being in quick successive motion from side to side, cut the grain as fast as it approaches the fore piece W'. The grain so cut will fall on the square roller S. The roller, being in quick'motion, also carries t-he grain in regular order on the platform B, from where the said attendant with. his rake shoves the grain from the platform l toward the hanging cloth (100 o to the ground alongside of the track, where it will fall in good order for binding. The fender 1/ and wire divide the grainyin passing on beforeit reaches the machine, and prevent grain or straw from arresting the operation by entering into or between the wheels, &c.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl. The manner ot' constructing the rackteeth, the same consisting of two plates of unequal length, and eachv set being made separate and not as a whole plate ils-heretofore.

2. The arrangements of having the operating parts-as the driving-wheelsunder they platform on which the cut grain falls, as illustrated in the specification and drawings.

3. Using 011e or more revolving sharp-edged shafts, S', for the purpose of carrying the eut grain from the knife-blade to the platform l5, in the manner set forth.

fituessesz PETER VON SCHMIDT, T. C. DOWN.

The square-eyed shaft S is set in mo- Y

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