US701251A - Reaping-machine. - Google Patents

Description

' Patented May 27, I902. J. F. APPLEBY.

REAPING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 1, 1899.)

s Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 70|,25|. Patented May 27. I902.

J. F. APPLEBY.

REAPING MACHINE.

(Applicabion filed June 1, 1899.)

(N0 Modem 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

JOHN F. APPLEBY, OF OHIOAGQILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HARVESTER KING COMPANY, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

REAPING -MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,251, dated May 27, 1902.

Application filed June 1, 1899. Serial No. 718,982. (No model.)

To a whom, it vim-y concern.-

Be it known that I,JOHN F.APPLEBY,of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful 5 ImprovemeutsiuReaping-Machines,of\vhicl1 the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in reaping-machines, and is adapted to both reapers and harvesters, but more parno ticularly to self-binding harvesters, in which, by reason of certain necessary arrangements of the binding mechauism,the draft-pole must be placed in certain positions, and which machines are so heavy that this disposition of [5 the draft-pole or tongue results in side draft.

The object of the invention is to overcome the side draft in machines of this character; and it consists, generally stated, in the employment of a ground-wheel mounted at the rear end of the tongue and adapted not only to take the weight from the necks of the draftanimals, but also to overcome side draft, while permitting the machine to be steered so as to always out a full swath.

25 The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective View taken from the front of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the grou nd-wheel,a reach connectin g the latter with the frame, and the rear end of the tongue, part of which is broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, of the reach and its braces.

I-Ieretofore in machines of this class the tongue has been pivoted directly to the main frame or to some part rigidlyconnected with the main frame. Instead ofthis arrangement I employ a reach A, which is pivoted to lugs B on the main frame and is also provided with suitable braces O D, the latter being pivt ally connected to the main frame and extending diagonally to the tongue, being bolted at its junction therewith. The usual adjustingrod E, with its operating-lever F and ratchet 5 f, is applied to the reach instead of to the tongue. At its forward end the reach is provided with the straps a, perforated to receive the cylindrical shank G of the ground-wheel I. The end of the shank G is socketed to receive the line-post II, which is held in the socket by the pin 71.. The shank G has the furcations or yoke H. To the latter-are pivoted, by a horizontal pivot J, the tongue-irons K, the latter being bolted to the tongue L. The ground-Wheel I is of the caster-wheel type, having a rim of such configuration as to prevent it from sliding or slipping laterally and to enable it to turn readily to follow the pull of the draft-animals exerted through the tongue. The shank of the ground-wheel may terminate above the strap a, and it may be mounted in a variety of ways. I have shown the stem II extended and provided with a loop at its top, through which the lines of the harness may be passed.

The ground-wheel performs several desirable functions. In the first place, it takes off all weight from the horses necks, except that of thetongue itself. In the older construction While the tongue was usually pivoted to the main frame it was also rigidly connected therewith by means of the tilting lever and its rigid connecting-rod. Therefore the pitching or rocking of the frame and at times a considerable portion of the weight was thrown upon the necks of the draft-animals. This weight was not only the vertical Weight, but the lurching of the machine laterally was likewise transmitted through the draft-tougue to the draft-animals, resulting not only in dis- 8o comfort to the animals, but in sore necks and the rubbing of the shoulders, &c. A more important result, however, due to the use of the'ground-wheel is that it elfectually prevents side draft. Any tendency of the machine to run into the grain is overcome by the bearing of the ground-wheel upon the earth a considerable distance in advance of the machine. I findit more advantageous to place the ground-wheel Well in front of the machine, and it is for this reason that I employ the reach A, although said reach might be shorter, and, in fact, omitted, the ground-Wheel being simply pivoted to the frame of the machine and the tongue hinged thereto.

A further advantage in the. use of the ground-wheel is that it renders the steering or guiding of the machine easy, since it affords a rolling fulcrum easily shifted'and responding to the pull of the draft-animals upon 1 co weight of the machine must be shifted, turning upon its main ground-wheel and the grainwheel at the outer end of the platform. Again, by reason of the fact that the machine is thus placed under easy and better control and the pulling strains reduced, the danger of breaking the tongue and its connections is largely overcome and the tongue itself may be considerably reduced in size, and consequently the draft-animals relieved from a part of the weight.

There is at the present time a demand for machines, both in harvesters and mowers, which will cut a wide swath. The lengthening of the cutter-bar tends toproduce side draft, and when an extreme length of cutterbar is employedsay, seven or eight feetthe side draft is varied considerably. By my arrangement, the steering-wheel being placed at a considerable distance in advance of the frame of the machine and having a positive engagement with the surface of the ground, the side draft is effectually overcome. It will be observed also that the tongue is hinged directly to the yoke of the steering-wheel, and thus the steering-wheel being directly connected with the tongue and guided by it is readily controlled or shifted. The tongue is preferably hinged to the yoke between the axle of the steeringwheel and the point where it is pivoted to the reach for the reason that the pulling strain upon the reach and the strains upon the rim of the wheel are thus practically offset or counterbalanced. By the employment of the reach the whiffietrees and stem of the steering-wheel are placed beyond the path of the reel.

I am aware that a truck has been employed to carry the forward end of the frame of a harvesting-machine, such truck being provided with two wheels turning upon the vertical pivot in the truck. This construction, however, was not satisfactory and its use has been discontinued. I am also aware that harvesting-machines have been used in which the tongue has been hinged to a reach, so as to have an up-and-down movement with a cas tor-Wheel applied at or near the junction of the reach and the tongue, such caster-wheel being free to turn or to shift to follow the movements of the machine. Such construction,however,is radically different from mine, because in that case the caster-wheel simply relieves the draft-animals from a part of the vertical Weight, but did not in any sense act as a steering-wheel for the machine. So far as I am aware, I am the first to employ a steering-wheel to which the tongue is hinged, so that the steering-wheel follows the movements of the tongue, and thereby controls the line of movement of the machine itself, while at the same time relieving the draft-animals from weight and shocks and preventing the side draft. The method of bracing is also important in this construction. The tendency of sidedraft acting upon the steering-wheel would be to tip or tilt the steering-wheel sidewise, thus imposing a considerable torsional or twisting strain upon the reach. This torsional strain would necessarily exert the greatest force at the joint between the reach and the frame of the machine, and unless a peculiar system of bracing is employed this joint would have to be made extremely heavy and would not, even if made heavy, be perfectly reliable and steady. To overcome the torsional strains upon the reach, I employ the diagonal brace D, which is connected to the reach-wheel forward of the .rim of the machine and is hinged or pivotally connected to the latter at a considerable distance laterally from the joint. The transverse brace C is then arranged substantially parallel to the machine-frame and acts as a truss between the diagonal brace and the reach itself, being placed near to 'but in front of the hinged joint and of the pivotal connection of the brace. This bracing therefore makes the structure exceedingly rigid and tends to minimize any rocking or twisting of the reach and to render unnecessary any extremely accurate fitting of the parts of the hinged joint.

Without limiting myinvention to the precise details of construction-or combination of parts nor to the specified uses, I claim- In a reaping-machine, the combination with the main frame of a reach connected to the forward edge of the main frame by a horizontal pivot, a ground-wheel connected to the forward end of the reach by a vertically-arranged stem mounted to turn in suitable bearings and having furcations embracing the ground-wheel, and a draft-tongue pivoted to said furcations by horizontal pivots, substantially as' described.

JOHN F. APPLEBY.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GOODWIN, E. L. HUBER.

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