US1929964A

US1929964A - Scythe snath

Info

Publication number: US1929964A
Application number: US641540A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stanley J Birge
Original assignee: Seymour Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Seymour Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1932-11-07
Filing date: 1932-11-07
Publication date: 1933-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1950-10-10

Description

Patented Oct. 10, 1933 SCYTHE SNATH Stanley J. Birge, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Seymour Manufacturing Company, Seymour, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application November 7, 1932. Serial No. 641,540

8 Claims.

This invention relates to scythes, and is particularly directed to providing improved means for attaching the scythe blade toV the handle, o1' snath, as it is called. A special object of the invention is to provide attaching means which shall automatically dispose the blade in a plane inclined to the axis of the end portion of the snath to which it is secured. The invention consists of certain features and elements herein 'l0 shown and described, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a face View of a Scythe blade detached= from the snath.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on a larger l5 scale, taken as indicated at line 2-2 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section similar t0 Figure 2, but showing the blade twisted out ofthe plane of the tang. Y

Figure 4 is a face view of the end portion of the snath provided with a tting for securing the scythe blade thereto, in accordance with this invention. l

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figure 4Y and includingin fullY lines the blade tang and a portion of the blade.

Figure 6 is a detail section taken as indicated at line 6 6 on Figure 5.

A scythe blade as commonly made includes a blade portion proper shownl at 1 in Figure 1, andv a tang, 2, extending transversely from the end of the blade for securement to the handle or snath. The tang, 2, is substantially at, with its extreme end portion turned dow-n atr3 vto form a hook designed to engage in a slot or aperture usually provided in the tting on the snath to which the tang is to be attached. As manufactured, the tang portion, 2, and the blade portion 1, lie substantially in the same plane, but it is common practice for the user, after attaching the /iwtang to the snath or handle, to twist the blade portion slightly at the constriction, 4, so as to throw the blade itself into a plane somewhat inclined to the plane of the tang, 2. The result is indicated by the position of the sectioned portion of the blade at 1x in Figure 3,. My improved construction avoids the necessity of this twisting operation. Y

As seen in Figure 4, the end portion, 5, of the snath, is provided with a metallic tting which 5U includes a ferrule, 6, encompassing the reduced extreme end portion of the snath, and a plate, 7, which is preferably integral with the ferrule, 6, and overlies a flattened area, 8, on one side of the snath, 5. This flattened area, 8, as seen clearly in Figure 5, is inclined with respect to the axis of the end portion 5, of the snath, so that when the tang, 2, is clamped against the plate, 7, it also isv inclined to said axis, and the plane of the blade portion, 1, instead of being parallel to the axis of Vthe snath, as in most constructions, is inclinedV by 60- substantially the same amount as the blade is inclined by the twisting operation illustrated in VFigure 3. This gives the blade a better angle of approach when used by persons of average height.

For securing the tang in clamped relation to the plate, '7, I provide an eye-bolt, 9, Whose eye` portion is carried inr a metallic pocket, 10, dis'- posed at the extreme end of the snath, and preferably made integral with the ferrule portion, 6. This partl of the construction is quite similar to that shown in Patent No. 1,824,123. The pocket includes a constricted lower portion which accommodates the shank, 1l, of the eye-bolt, and through which the threaded end of the shank projects to receive the clamping nut 12. VIf L desired, a spring locking washer,` 13, may be in.-Y terposed between the nut, 12, and the outer face of the pocket, 10, against which it bears. The eye portion, 9, of the` eye-bolt encompasses the tang, 2, as seen in Figure 6, and as it is drawn 8m down into the pocket, 10, clamps the tang firmly against the outer face of the plate, '7. Preferably, the under surface, 9a, of the eye, 9, is inclined to the axis of the eye, as seen in Figure 5, so as t0 bear firmly against the inclined tang, 2.

Since the outer wall of the pocket, 10, sup'- plements plate, 7, in supporting the tang, 2, itH Will be seen that the provision of the pocket, 10, beyond the end of the wood snath, 5, avoids reducing the wood as much as would be necessary to secure an equivalent inclination of the tang and blade if some other type of fastening means were used. With the present arrangement the portion of the wood at the extreme end which is most reduced is reinforced by the ferrule, 6, so that the inclined mounting of the tang actually involves no substantial weakening of the snath.

To somewhat increase the inclination of the tang without further reducing the snath, 5, the thickness of the plate, 7, may be tapered from its upper end toward the ferrule, as shown in Figure 5. Comparison with Figure 4 will show that this brings the thick portion of the plate, '7, adjacent the square holes which are provided to I l receive the bent end portion, 3, of the tang, 2. These holes are placed somewhat closer than in most standard plates in order to shorten the plate and thus secure the maximum inclination With the minimum removal of Woodvfrom the snath, 5. The tapering of the plate, '7, bringing 110i its thick portion adjacent these apertures, offsets any weakening of the plate which would otherwise result from arranging them closer together. The extreme upper end of the plate, where this extreme strength is not needed, is tapered in the opposite direction to provide a surface parallel to the axis of the snath, which gives a firm seat for the head of a securing bolt, 14, by which the plate is permanently fastened in position.

I claim:

1. A scythe snath having a fiat face at one side adjacent the scythe end, said face being inclined a substantial amount at an acute angle to the extended axis of the snath at said end, and a fitting which includes a ferrule encompassing the extreme end portion of the snath, together with a plate extending from said ferrule to overlie said fiat face with its upper surface inclined a substantial amount with respect to said axis, and clamping means adapted to secure the tang of a scythe blade flatly against said plate, thus in-- clining the blade with respect to the axis of the snath.

2. A scythe snath having a flat face at one side adjacent the scythe end7 said face being inclined a substantial amount at an acute angle to the extended axis of the snath at said end, and a fitting which includes a plate overlying said flat face with its upper surface inclined a substantial amount with respect to said axis, together with clamping means adapted to secure the tang of a scythe blade flatly against said plate for tilting the blade with respect to the axis of the snath.

3. A scythe snath having a flat face at one side at an acute angle to the extended axis of the snath at said end, and a fitting which includes a plate disposed to overlie said fiat face and tapered in thickness longitudinally so that its outer face is more inclined to the axis than the flat face of the snath, together with clamping means adapted to secure the tang of a scythe blade fiatly against said outer face of the plate.

4. In combination with a scythe snath, a fitting *for securing the tang of a scythe blade thereto,

said fitting including a ferrule fitting encompassing the extreme end portion of the snath with a plate extending from said ferrule to overlie an adjacent part of the snath, said plate being disposed as to its upper surface in a plane inclined by a substantial amount at an acute angle to the extended axis of the snath at said end, and a pocket disposed With respect to said fitting beyond the ferrule-forming part of said fitting with an eye-bolt in said pocket through the eye of which bolt the tang is adapted to extend, and means for drawing the eye into the pocket for clamping the tang against the plate.

5. In combination with a scythe snath, a fitting for securing the tang of a scythe blade thereto, said fitting including a plate applied to the upper surface of the snath disposed as to its outer face in a plane inclined at an acute angle to the extended axis of the snath at the scythe end thereof and a pocket disposed with respect to said fitting beyond the end of the snath, with an eye-bolt extending transversely of said axis in said pocket, the tang of `the blade being adapted to extend through the eye of the bolt, and the inner surface of said eye which engages the face of such tang being inclined in accordance With the inclination of the plate, and means for drawing the eye into the pocket for clamping the tang against the plate.

6. In combination with a scythe snath, a fitting for securing the tang of a scythe blade thereto, said fitting including a plate `disposed in a plane inclined at an acute angle to the extended axis of the snath at the scythe supporting end and extending longitudinally of the latter, with a pocket disposed with respect to said fitting beyond the said end of the snath, and an eye bolt in said i pocket through the eye of which bolt the tang is adapted to extend, together with means for drawing the eye into the pocket for clamping the tang against the plate.

7. In the combination defined in claim 6, said plate being tapered in thickness longitudinally of the snath, so that its outerface is inclined to the axis ,of the snath more than its inner face.

8. In combination with a scythe snath having a flat face at one side adjacent the end, said face being inclined at an acute angle with respect to the extended axis of the snath at the scythe supporting enda,f itting for securing the tang of the scythe blade to the snath including a ferrule encompassing the extreme end portion of the snath, and a plate extending from said ferrule longitudinally to overlie'said flat face, said plate being tapered in thickness longitudinally so that its outer face is more inclined to the axis than the flat face of the snath, and a pocket disposed beyond the ferrule with aneye-bolt in Ysaid pocket, through the Veye of which bolt the tang isadapted to extend, and means fordrawing the eye into the pocket to clamp the tang against the outer face of the plate.

. STANLEY J. BIRGE.