US244263A - William j - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets -Sheet 1.

W. J. LANE. HORSE RAKE.

No. 244,263. Patented July 12,1881.

N. PETERS Pholo-Lilhographur, Washinglnll. D.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM J. LANE, OF MILLBROOK, NEW YORK.

. HORSE-RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,263, dated July 12, 1881.

Application filed December 14, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. LANE, of Millbrook, in the countyof Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Horse Hay-Rakes and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section in the line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear view, showing one side of rake. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective, showing one end of the rake-head. Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in section, showing the lever-bracket and parts connected.

My invention relates to improvements in horse hay-rakes of the class known as selfdischarging and the objects of my improvements are in a hay-rake with frictional discharging mechanism, to afford means whereby the lifting power of the hand does not in any way affect the free movement of the lever for applying or releasing the friction, and in which the force of the lever in tightening the band is applied directly to and between the ends of said band without the intervention of other parts of the rake; also, to provide more simple, inexpensive, and efficient devices for engaging and disengaging thefrictional clutches to provide an improved releasing device, and to afford facilities for the better adjustment of the height of the teeth from the ground.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the head, which is made of wood, and to which teeth a are secured in a well-known manner.

I; are the shafts, to which the head is hinged at O O are wheels having enlarged hubs 0, about which the bands 11 d are placed and held in position by means of the brackets e 0 attached to the head A.

Upon the free ends of the bands at d, behind the brackets e e, are formed loops or bearings ff, to which are pivoted the S-shaped ends of the levers D D, the other end of each-lever extending downward and backward, and said ends are connected .with each other by means of rods E E and chain F.

(No model.)

To the lower side of the head the pulleys g g are attached, and in such position that their axes are at right angles with the chain Gwhen the head A isin a position halfway between that assumed in raking and that taken when discharging. The chain G has at one end a loop, m, formed, through which the chain F may. run. The other end of said chain is connected with the discharge-lever H, and may be hooked up longer or shorter, at will. The discharge-lever His fulcrumed upon the shafts B at h, and extends below the fulcrum, where a portion, 1', projects at right angles and in such position as to be struck by the end of the foot-lever I when the rake is discharged. The foot-lever I is pivoted to a bracket, J, which has its lower portion serrated or ribbed, and has a slot, k, lengthwise, through which a bolt extends to secure it to the shafts B. This bracket J rests upon another casting, l, which is firmly secured to the shafts B, and has its upper surface formed to engage with the serrations in the lower surface of J.

K is a pressure-bar for holding the teeth down to their work.

L is a clearer, of ordinary construction, for removing the hay from the teeth when the load is discharged.

The operation when the rake is moving forward is as follows: The operator presses his foot upon the discharge-lever H, and thereby causes, through the medium of the chaiaGr,

loop m, chain F, rods E E, and levers D D, the bands d d to lock the head A and rake-wheels together, whereby the teeth are elevated. Should the operator keep his foot upon the discharge-lever H the lower end of the footlever I strikes thelower end, i, of the discharge-- lever H and presses back the foot of the operator, maintaining suficient friction upon the hubs c to keep the teeth raised so long as the operator keeps his foot upon the dischargelever. The teeth drop when the friction is released by the removal of the foot of the operator.

In some previous forms of construction the lifting-strain of the bands was conveyed to the teeth through the medium of the devices which tightened the bands, the effect of which was to prevent, to a certain extent, a prompt re lease of the friction. In other forms of construction one end of the band has been secured to the head, and the other end has been connected with a lever pivoted elsewhere than upon the first end of the band, the result of which has been a lack of that firmness, stability, and endurance necessary. The loop at allows the chain F to adjust itself so as to produce an equal strain upon each of the levers D D, and thus forms an exceedingly simple equalizer.

The pulleys g 9 should be placed with their rear portions nearly in line with the hinges b b, in order that the discharge-lever H may remain nearly stationary while the rake discharges.

It has been common heretofore to change the set or height of the teeth when raking by changing the effective length of the lever-eonnection 0, by inserting a bolt in holes made for the purpose through it. My method of changing the set by moving the lever-bracket J admits of a much finer adjustment, and it can be done quickly, as one revolution of the thumbbination with the hubs c 0, and mechanism which will, when brought into use, cause the levers D D to tighten the bands d at about the hubs 0 0, substantially as set forth.

2. The pulleys g g, when applied to the head in the manner specified, in combination with the chain F, for conveying power from the foot of the operator to the levers D D, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the directing-lever H, the chain Gr, attached on one side of the fulcrum thereof, and connected with the discharge mechanism, and the foot-lever I, adapted to come into contact with the bent end '5 when the rake-head is raised, all substantially as described.

4. The combination of the foot-lever I, ad

.justable bracket J, upon which said lever is fulcrumed, rake-head A, and connecting-rod 0, for the purpose of adjusting and limiting the downward movement of the rake-teeth, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. LANE. Vitnesses:

ENooH WILBER, PHILIP H. MERRITT.

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