US30010A - Improvement in horse-rakes - Google Patents

Description

UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL STR-OOK, OF CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN Hoses-RAKES.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 30,010, dated September 11, 1960.

speciiication, in which- Figure l represents in perspective a horserake embracing my improvements, the black lines showing the relative position of the part-s when the crop is being gathered by the rake, while the red lines represent the attitude assumed by "the raking mechanism when elevated for the purpose of discharging the gavel or to facilitate the transportationof the machine;4

and Fig.v 2 represents in perspective a del vice for securing the teeth to the rake-head in such manner that they may readily be removed or replaced.

Horse-rakes may be divided into two classes, the first of which consists ofthose in which one or more series of teeth are secured upon a rotating shaft, and thc second of those 'in which as-ingle series ot' teeth having a vertical reciproca-ting movement are attached to a rake-head. This latterl class is again susceptiole of division into two varieties, in one of which the teeth are all rigidly secured to the rake-head and nl -ove with it, while in the other the teeth are arranged upon vthe rakehead in such manner that each tooth ot` the series is capable ot' moving independently both of tbe rake-head and of its fellows. The free. dom 'of movement andfconseq'uent facility ofadaptation to the varying circumstances under which a horse-rake is required vt'o act possessed by this variety give it many advantages over the` former, and it is to this variety that my improvements are chieiiy applicable.

,The object of my invention is to provide a cheap,simple, and efficient implement adapted to thevarying wants .of the farmer; and my improvenientsconsist in arranging the rakehead and strainingframe (of which latter the pressure-bar forms a part.) in such relation to each other that the rake-head shall occupy a position near the ccnter'of the straining-frame, the two, being united together and rotating upon the `same axis, by which arrangement the 'construction of the machine is simplified `and many advantages attained in its operation, as.. 4hereinafter ,more fully set forth.

part of thisv To accomplish these objects I mount an axle (having thillswhich support the platform for the drivers seat inserted into it) upon two wheels which turn on their axle like thse of a common cart, which, in fact, this part of the` machine very much resembles. Two horizontal beams extend backwardfrom the axle-' -one near each wheelto supporttwo vertical st andards in which the rake-head is pivoted. The pressure-bar is suspended from the rake-head by means of radiusbarswhich allow it to oscillate freely onits axis. This pressure-baris suspended in very nearly the same level as the axle otthe machine, and forms part ot' an obf longframe, (which Icall the straining frame,)

to the upper bars of which are attached the Asprings which control the teeth. The rake! head therefore forms the center of oscillation 'of this frame,- as Well as ot'l the pressure-bar,...

Rake-teeth of any proper form are inserted into sockets on quadrant levers', (pivotedat.`V .their front eudto the rakehead,) and held in place by means of a pin inserted into the socket at right angles to the tooth, whichlatter can readily be removed from or -replaced in its socket by removingthe pin. Upon the top bar 'f the straining.- `frame a seriesot' springs formed of short cylinders lot' india' rubber are placed, there befmg vone 'for cach tooth. A rod passesdown throughfth'e center p' of each cylinder` and the top bar of the strain-l ingframe to about the level of the rake-head. f vTheupper end of each rod is titted withanadjusting-screw to 'regulate the strength of the spring, and to its lower end a strap is attached, which passes around the lower part of the quadrantlever and is securedto therakev tooth. The operation of these springs is such that when 'the strain is' thrown upon them, as

the teeth are elevated infpassingover obsta-4 the protubcrant portions ofv the quadrants and cles, the lower ends of the 'rods come against 5 are'drawn down perpendicular] y,instead of describing the 'arc of a circle, as theywoul'd if merely piv'oted to a pointon the front of the quadrant, by which means .the resistance of y the springs increases more rapidly than would otherwise be the case, and any. tendency to vbend the rods outof the perpendicular is pre vented.

' I .the accom!) tiring drawings, the machine is represented a mounted `upon two wheels.,

y A, turningA like those of a cart uponan'axle, vinto which thills C, are inserted. .A platform,

2 emoto l D, rests upon the axle and thills and sustains aseat, E,-for the driver: The raking mechanism is sustained by two'horizontal beams, F, projectingrearwardfrom theaxle. The

-. rake-head G turns freely in lbearingsiu the standards H, which rest upon the beams F.

'f series of quadrant-levers, I, are pivoted to tl1`e.rakehead G and turn freely upon it.

v.Each rake-tooth J is inserted into' a socket, fi,

' as shown in Fig. 2, and held in place by apin or key, i', passing through a hole inthe socket,

and a groove or slot, j, in the toothso placed 'as always to retain the tooth in its proper vertical plane.

A f pressure bar, k, is suspended from the -rake-head G by radius-bars lo', which allow it to'swing freely'aroundthe rakehead. This bar k is united at. each end. to'a vsimilarv4 bar, It, by

.means of. straps k3, the-whole forming'an obframe.7` The'-upper\bar, it?, ofthisframe is.

sustained above and in irontot the'rake-head and contains a -seri'es of perforations,through whichconbeating-rods'll passi-Each ro'd ex` tends through one of a ser-ies cylindrical rubber springs, L,-OI.1 tp i ythe bar, and' is provided with an .adjustrnglscrew, i', which" servesfto regulate the tension of th'e'sprin'g. Each rodlis bent at its l0wer -end and'con- Y nectedto a strapor'band, F, which passesun-l der and around one" of thequadrants'l a-nd' is secured to one of 'the teeth J. l

y A; lever, M, ispvo'ted to' the oorzof th'e'- plattbrm within reach ofl the drivers, and' is connected by a rod or'cord', m', to the press'- ure-bar kr Clearing-teeth N, of the usual form,.

project-from the back' part of the'axle B.

-Th'e operation ofthe machine is as follows:

The horse being harnes's'edto the machine and,

- the. parts being 'in the attitude show-ii bythe black lines inv Fig.- 1, the driveroccupies his se'atEv and'starts'tfile horse'. As he'adv'ances the springs L cause-the pointsot the'teetl J to'conform` closely t'otlieundulatio'ns or inequalities:

of the surface of theg'ro'und over which they lare dragged), and in contact with it, andthe -h'ay is consequently' gathered' up by the teeth 'withoutt-he pos'sibilityofwaste. When agavel of'suflicietvsize' h'as been' accumulated' the driver grasp's the" vhand-lever and draws itl backward unti the'partsassume theattitude shown'by-theredlinesinFig;1. Astbe teeth are lifted the 'hayisstripped from them by the clearers N and falls upon the ground'. .The'driver then releases his grasp uponA the lever andv the parts resume their original attitude. If any one of the teeth should encoun ter anobstacle in its path, it is free' to rise over it (by means of'its independent attachment to therake-head) without elevatingthe others, and is instantly drawn 'down again by f its spring when the'obstacle has beenv srmounted. The pressure ot' each tooth`upon Y the ground may-likewise be increased without affecting that of the others by means of the adjusting-screws l. lIi' the'driverdesires toA I finer-ease vthe pressure upon all the teeth at, once, he pushesthe lever M from hi'm,which I' draws the pressure-br k `toward him,aud thus from the pressure.

My method of arranging the ralzehead and.;

strainin'g-frame isa very convenient'ne, and renders the machinelmuch less complex in its -construction than it would otherwise be,ub'el lsides giving .the t'eeth a capacity for being lifted to` a greater height, and otherwise facilitating the operation of the machine. My rna'n'- nerof securing the teeth in their sock'evts'is also a great con\enience,as they are eoinstantly'y vliable, to be broken andhave Ito be removed and'replaced by new ones'. This mode of fastening the teeth may be applied' to a shank-'of v anyo't'her shape with equalsirnp'licity and' effect as to that herein described.

What I claim as my invention,'an'd desiret'o secure by Letters Patent, is

rlhe combination of he rake-head and straining-frame, when arranged and' operatingsubstantially as described, for th e' pu rpose set'forth'.

In'testimcnywhereof I-have` hereunto subscribed my name.

` Witnesses:

SnMLrRE-rslrm, PETER HEEFNER.

DANIEL'fs'rRocK.

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