US49669A - Improvement in automatic rakes for harvesters - Google Patents

Description

www y Hcfz/es Zef jf? L 9669 Pd Zen ec i VZ/865 @ZW @ff/ L4 @W W M2M v ing drawings,

level of the cutting apparatus.

VVILLIAll/I N. VHITELEY, JB., OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT lN AUTOMATICv RA KES FOR HARVESTERS.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 49,669,

dated August 29, 1865.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I ,WILLIAM N. WHrrELnY, Jr., of Springfield, in the county of Clarke and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Rake for chiues; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyin which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a reaping machine with my invention attached. Fig. 2- is a rear elevation of my improvement. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the head of the reel-shaft. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of the mechanism of the machine.

My invention belongs to that class of overhung reels which have a single inclined shaft and a stationary camway to guide the wings of the reeis in their'revolution, and it consists, mainly, in so constructing the parts composing said reel as to allow one of the wings of the same to be raised and lowered in its orbit so as to sweep near to or far from the platform at pleasure; also, in the manner of bracing and supporting the bearings of the reel-shaft, in the manner of raising and lowering the rake, and in the manner ot' holding the rake to the platform while removing the gavel therefrom.

That others may understand the construction and operation of my invention, I will describe it particularly.

A is the platform of the machine, for a detailed description of which, exclusive of the reel and rake, reference is made to the specilication in my application for Letters Patent (division A) tiled at even date herewith.

B is the inner shoe of the cutting apparatus, to the under side of which is firmly secured the arm O, a few inches of the lower end of which is so bent as to lie in contact with the under side ofthe shoe, as aforesaid, while the arm itself projects laterally from the shoe in a line with the sickle-bar, but inclined upward at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the Around the curved inner edge of the platform is erected a stout metallic flange or side board, D, which is firmly secured to the platform and inner shoe, B. To this flange D the braces E and F are bolted, one at either end.

nects the frame G to the arm C, thus increasing the stiffness and strength of the whole. The frame G consists in a central disk with radial arms g g g g projecting from its edge.

Harvesting-Ma- In the center of the said disl; is a suitable aperture for a bearing for the upper end of the reel-shaft l, which has its lower bearing at the upper end of the arm O, Figs. l and 2.

At the head or upper end ot' the reel-shaft I is the dish J, which has upon its upper side two sets of vertical parallel anges or plates, K K, each plate being semi-elliptical in form, the straight side of each being upon the surface of the disk J. The 'plates ot' each'set, respectively, are a few inches asunder, just far enough to accommodate the thickness of the reel and rake staves between them. The two sets are placed at right anglesto each other, and thus when the staves M of the reel-wings andthe rake are insertedin their proper places and secured by the pivot-bolts L they project radially from the head J, and may move verticallyou their pivots L and between the plates K K. For convenient removal the head J is secured to the top of the reel-shaft I by a pin or key, N, driven through tooth-shaft I and flanges K K (See Fig. 3.)

rlhat wing ot' the reel which serves also as a rakehas a somewhat longer stati' than the other wings, so that it sweeps nearer the platform than they do. While thewings of the reel pass some distance above the platform, as O in Fig. 2, the rake-wing l?, Fig. 1, with its rake-teeth, sweeps in aetualcontactwith theplatform. The wings of the reel and the rake are not rigidly attached to their staves, but are pivoted to them by a screw, and may be moved nearer to or farther from the end at pleasure, (see Q,Fig. 3,) and au adjustment that secures parallelism between the edges of the wings and the platform is secured to the link It, with its slotted end and set-screw.

If the wings of the reel rotated in a plane at l right-angles to the axis of the reel-shaft, so

They project upward and inward at about the same angle as the arm C.

To the upper ends of the braces E and F the frame Gis secured. Another brace, II, conmuch space would be occupied in their revolution as to render them very inconvenient and objectionable. The cam rail S is therefore placed upon the upturned ends of the arms g.

This cam-rail is so depressed on the side which is lowest or toward the platform and is so shaped that as the staft'of thereel or rake passes over that part of it it is brought near to the platform and is caused to sweep in a line parallel to the platform. As the reel or rake leaves attendant.

l stion between the reel-shaft and pulley X and the platform the cam suddenly rises, and during that part of the orbit which is opposite to the platform they are nearly vertical, and sweep through the air above the head of the driver or Having described the construction of myinvention, its operation will be readily understood. When the machine is in motion the reel-shaft I is caused to revolve by the belt over the pulleys X and X'. The reel-wings and the rake-win g necessarily revolve aboutthe axis of I when motion is communicated thereto, but the orbit through which they travel is described on a warped plane, and is not through any considerable portion of it at right angles to the axis of the reel-shaft. The eccentricityof the orbit is such that when the wings are sweep- In order to keep the staves of the reel-wings always in con tact with the cam-rail the springs T T are placed on the under sides of said staves, theirlower or free en ds pressing upon the lower edge of the cam-rail, which is there rounded and smooth, thus embracing the said rail between the spring and staff and holding them securely in contact. This arrangement, however, is not so applicable to the rake-wing, for A it is necessary that the rake be allowed sometimes to rise from the cam-rail during that part of its revolution which is over the platform,as the grain will sometimes be very thin, andnot enough be collected during one revolution of the reel to form a sufficient gavel. The attendant will then wish to ralse the rake so that it platform. When the grain is very thin the time ot' two or three revolutions of the reel and l rake may be required to accumulateasuticient quantity upon the platform. In that case the attendant will, by means of the lever Z and plate W, cause the rake to sweep over the platform as far removed from it as are the reelwings, because the plate W, being raised up, receives the rod V, with its wheel, upon its upper surface before the staff of the rake will have reached the -lowest point on the cam-rail,

high as required. y

and as the plateW has a'plane surface the That the attendant may be enabled thus to raise the rake whenever he desires to do so, the pendent rod V and plate W, with its lever L, are provided. The pendent rod V (see Fig. 3)

the lowest part of its revolution. is pivoted to the lower side of the rake-staff,

` Having described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. The plate W and lever Z, oran equivalent device, for raisingtherake away from the platform, without affecting the height of the wings of the reel, to prevent the removal ofthe gavel, when desired.

2. The combination ot' arrangement of the reel-shaft I, plate W, flanges K K, and cam rail S for the purposes of revolving, guiding, and controllingthe action of the combined rake and reel, substantially as set forth and described.

3. In combination with the staves ot an upright revolvingreel, substantially as described, the spring U, or its equivalent, `to holdsaid staves in contact with the cam rail or guide without causing said contact to be rigid and inflexible, substantially as described.

4. Connecting and sustaining the rake and reel upon the platform A by means of the arm C and the braces E, F, and H, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the rake-staftM, the pendent rod V, substantially as and forthepurpose set forth. l

In combination with the pulley X, the the main axle and pulleyX, in consequence of guide-pulley a and pin I1, for the purpose set undulations of the ground, shall not affect the forth.

When the rake is sweeping over the lower part of the cam-rail S and over the platform the rod V projects below the plate J farther than at any other time, and it is evident that if now the plate W, Figs. l, 2, and 3, be brought up close to the under side of the plate J, the rod V, with its small roller, will rest upon it and be pushed up by it, causing the rake to rise from the platform. (See Fig. 3 and the red of the attendants hand.

- The reel and rake are driven by a belt passing over a pulley, X, on the reel-shaft, and thence over vthe pulley X on the main axle. (See Fig. 4.) That a change of respective poproper operation of the belt which drives the v l WM. N. WHITELEY, JR. reel, the adjustable guide-pulley a is attached Witnesses: to the arm G and the guide-pin b is inserted E. OROSSLAND,

through the case near the clutch-rod d. GEO. ARTHUR.

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