US722326A - Pea-harvester. - Google Patents

Description

No. 722,326. PATENTED MAR. 10,1903.

F. W. RAPSON.

PEA HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1902- NO MODEL.

2 sums-sum 1.

PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903.

P. W. RIAPS-ON. PEA HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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*ratns Patnr PEA-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 722,326, dated IvIarch 10, 1903.

Application filed March 27, 1902. Serial No. 100,291. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern/.

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILLIAM RAPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Badaxe, in the county of Huron and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pea-Harvesters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to pea-harvesters, and more particularly to the construction of the lifters thereof, whereby the weight of the lifters augmented by a superposed mass of vines will cause the forward or working ends of the lifters to hug the ground closely, so as to effectually lift the vines on uneven or undulating ground.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which shall be simple of construction, durable in use, comparatively inexpensive of production, and effective in action.

With this and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, defined in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pea-harvester constructed in accordance with myinvention, the outer end of the cutting apparatus being broken away in order to enable me to illustrate the invention on a large scale. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view through one of the lifters. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the clamp for supporting in proper position one of the buncher-arms. Fig. 4 is a similar View of the clamp for connecting the lifter to the finger-bar of the cutting apparatus. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View through the outer end of the saddles and the lifters, showing the tenon of one of the former engaging the groove of one of the latter. Fig. 6 isadetailplan view, partly in section, of the rear end of the saddle, showing how the parts are pivoted thereto.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the cutting apparatus, which may be of any well-known or approved construction and which broadly comprises a finger-bar 2 and a reciprocating sickle-bar 3. The cutting apparatus is preferably supported a slight distance above the ground by casters 4. These elements in themselves form no part of the present invention and will only be referred to in conjunction with a description of the lifters and buncherarms.

6 denotes the lifters, each of which comprises a saddle 7, secured by a clamp 8 to the finger-bar of the cutting apparatus and preferably provided at its outer end with a tenon 9 and a curved lifter-arm 10, the forward end of which is pointed in the usual manner and the rear end of which is curved downwardly, as at 11, and is formed with a row of apertures 12, by means of which this end may be adjustably pivoted to the rear end of the saddle, through a slot 12 of which it projects. The lifter-arm near its forward end has projecting from its under side and formed preferably integral therewith a web or extension 13, having a groove or socket 14, into which projects the tenon at the forward end of the saddle, whereby said arm may have at its forward end vertical play to allow it to pass overobstructions. The clamp 8 is heldin position by a bolt 10,which engages the notches formed in the walls of a longitudinal slot 10", formed in the saddle, and receives a nut 10. This construction enables me to properly adjust the litters of the cutting apparatus.

15 denotes the buncher-arm, which, if desired,rnay haveitsinnerend formed with alatorally-projecting stud to be inserted through the aperture 16 in the rear end of the saddle and through one of the holes in the curved rear end of the lifter-arrn and serve as a pivot or fulcrum upon which the lifter-arm may vibrate. Any other suitable means, however, may be employed for eifecting this pivotal connection, and ther fore Ido not wish to be restricted to that shown and herein described. A convenient Way to support the buncherarm in proper position is by the employment of a rest 17. (Shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.)

This rest has on its inner face a groove, which snugly fits the buncher-arm and is provided with an extension 18, which is secured to the extreme rear end of the saddle by a bolt and nut 19. These buncher-arms are arranged to slide along the ground and to deposit the cut peas in windrows, the length of the arms being graduated from the far or grain end of the cutting apparatus to the near or stubble end thereof, the arms at the grain end being shorter than those at the stubble end.

-In operation as the machine is drawn along the lifters passing through the matter and tangled peas will lift them and guide or convey them rearwardly onto the buncher-arms, where they are deposited in windrows behind the mower, it of course being understood that the cutting apparatus has severed the vines before they are deposited upon the buncherarms. In the passage of the vines over the lifter-arms the weight of the vines, together with that of the lifter-arms, serves to hold the points of said arms in close contact with the ground, and thereby cause them to act more satisfactorily than they do in some machines in which the weight of the mass of vines upon the lifter-arms tends to elevate their forward ends. To overcome this objectionable tendency, springs have been employed for holding the forward ends of the 'fter-arms in close contact with the ground.

y invention, however, is constructed with a view of dispensing with these springs,

which are very objectionable for obvious reasons, and to use the weight of the harvested product as a substitute for the springs and for holding the fingers in close contact with the ground.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of my improved harvester will be readily apparent without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A lifter for the purpose described comprising a saddle formed at its rear end with a verticallydisposed slot, and a lifterarm having a downwardly-curved rear end formed with a row of apertures, said end extending through said slot, a pivot passed through the side walls of said slot and through one of the apertures, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a lifter comprising a relatively fixed saddle and a lifter-arm pivoted at its rear end to the rear end of said saddle, a curved buncher-arm formed integral with the pivot, and a brace or support bolted to the rear end of the saddle for supporting the forward end of the buncher-arm, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the finger-bar of a harvester cutting apparatus; of a litter comprising a saddle having a longitudinal slot the walls of which are formed with opposing notches, a clamp, a bolt extending through said clamp and said slot and engaging said notches, a nut upon the bolt for securing the parts to the finger-bar, a lifter-arm having its rear end downwardly curved and pivoted to the rear end of the saddle and provided on its under side near its forward end with a downwardly-projecting web formed with a socket or groove to receive the forward end of the saddle, and a buncher-arm pivoted to the rear end of the saddle, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- HBSSGS.

FREDERICK WILLIAM RAISON. Witnesses:

R. J. AVARD, OLIVER RArsoN.

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