US90273A - Improvement in harvesters - Google Patents

Description

W. A. KIRBY.

HARVESTER.

No. 90,273. Patented May 18,1869.

idlttrd stuurt WILLIAM A. KIRBY, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND DAVID M. OSBORNE, OF SAME PLACE'.

Lette/rs Patent No. 90,273, dated May 18, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. KIRBY, oi' Auburn, in the county of Cayuga, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesting-lilachines, and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of the niachine.

Figure 2 represents a vertical section through the sam-e.

Figure 3 represents a detached portion of the machine, to show the positions of the pitman-connection, when the finger-bar and cutting-apparatus is in working-position. and when it is"`0lded up for transportation.

Similar letters ot reference, where they occur in the separate iigures, denote like parts of the machine in all of' the drawings.

My invention consists, first, in hinging the axleframe of a harvesting-machine, on which two drivingwheels are hung, to bearings, or bosses, through which the shaft, on which the ninions are placed, passes, or in which it turns.

My invention further consists incombining, with two hinged frames, and with an adjustable stop, a;

hand-lever, for raising and lowering the cutters, and also for rolling the finger-bar on the ground, lto raise or lower the points of the guards, as well asfor restraining these motions within proper working-bounds.

My invention further consists in combining, with two frames and a tongue, hinged to each other', devices by which the joint between the tongue and the main frame, or the joint between the two frames, may be rendered dexible or rigid, as occasion, or the character of the work to be done may require.

My invention further consists in combining, with a two-wheeled harvesting-machine, whichhas two frames, hinged to each other, a lever-seat, connected to both frames, and spanning the joint between them, so that the driver in said lever-seat can properly balance the machine, and raise or lower the cutti 11g-apparatus at pleasurer My invention further consists in a pitmanconnection, which, when the iinger-bar and cutting-apparatus are i3 working-position, will drive the cutter, and which, when the finger-bar and cutters are folded up for transportation, will cease to drive the cutters, though the pitman continues to run, or vibrate M y invention further consists in combining, with the inner shoe oi'a harvesting-machine, an independentlyhung caster-wheel,,which shall run, when the machine is advancing, directly in front of said inner shoe, to crowd down the grass or stubble, and make a track for said shoe, and serve all the purposes of a caster wheel, when the machine is being turned around.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same,.with reference to the drawings.

A represents an axle-frame, on which the two car rying and driving-wheels. B, are hung, and on whic they loosely run,

On bracketed arms on the axle-frame are boxes,.or bearings C, which receive a sleeve, boss, or hollow shaft, D, through which the pinion-shaft E passes, and in which it turns, as will be explained.

On each of the main wheels B, there is an interna gear, F, which gears mesh into and turn the pinions c, one on each end of the shaft E.

Each of the ninions as a ratchet, or clutch, arranged in a clutch, or ratchet-box, b, with which they respectively act, so as to b e fast with,- or loose on, the shaft, as the machine may be advancing, or when either` main wheel is not turning, or is turning backward, when the machine is being turned around at the end of the swath, in the usual well-known way The sleeve, or boss D, for the sake of convenience, is cast in two parts, an upper and an under part, or with a horizontal joint, so as tn be readily put together, or taken apart, when necessary, for repairs; and

this boss forms a part of what constitutes the main frame G. i

On the upper half, or part of the sleeve D, is cast the upper half H of the case, or shell, which encloses the gearing; and on the under part of the sleeve is cast the lower part Hof said case, or shell, the two halves, or parts forming a. close encaseinent of the gearing.

The under part of the boss, and the under part of the encasing-shell H, are a part of the main frame G, to which the axle-ii-ame A is hinged, as heretofore stated, by the bearings, or boxes 0,'whi1st the upper portions of t-he boss and of the case are more in the nature of caps to such under portions.

The tongue-plate I, to which the tongue J is 'fastened, is hinged to the front of themain frame`G, as -ihown at c, so that there are two hinged connections between the pole, or tongue, and the axlei`rame A, whilst said frame itself has a rising-and-falling motion, by means of its journals resting and rolling in the hubs ofthe main wheels B B.

All of these hinged connections, or motions are, however, controlled, or controllable, so that they may yield or he rigid, as will be hereafter explained.

, To the downwardly-projecting portionsot'the main fra'meG, there is pivoted, as shown at d d, the inside shoe K, to which the linger-bar L is attached; and this linger-bar is furnished with guards M, and a cutter, N, in the usual way.

'lo thc after-portion of' the shoe K,`there is hinged one end of a colmecting-bar, or link, O; the other end ngersbar and cutters, and allow them to rest against the main irunc, as shown by the red line in fig. 3, or any'less distance or height, for passing obstructions,

andlct them down again, at pleasure, and with com parativcly slight manual effort.

'lhe crank-wheel 1t receives itsmotion through the gearing Yencasedin the shells and portion oi' the main frame.

rlhe pitrnan y is connected, by a wrist, to the crankwheel, R, but, instead of extending thence directly to the cutters N,'it is pivoted, at It, to a pendulum-rod, or hanger, t", that is pivoted, at j, to the main frame. G, (or ektemled porticnof said ii'ame and from thehiuged connection ath, a second 'pitnmm It, extends to, and is'connectedwith the cutters N, by which, when in cnttingfposition,.they are vibrated.

"The pendulum, or hanger t', and the second pitman lc, should be oi' about the `saine length, so that when the finger-bar is folded Llpagainst the main frame, as shown bythe rediliues in fig. 3, the two-l'iinged pit` m'eu, i la, will freely swing from, or upon their two pivoted points, i l 2', and without moving' the cutters, though the. main pitman g continues its motion.

The advantage oi' this pitmau-connectiou is, that the finger-bar and its appliances (the cutters) maybe raisedand folded up, Withoutdisconnecting any ofthe gearing', 'or \vlrilst the rgearing and the main pitmau continue their'm'otions, the cutters, in that condition, hav ing no motion, as it is all taken up in the two hinged pitmen,i It. v

When the inger-ba-r and cutters are lowered down into workingpositiom the cutters are reciprocated again, without any aid, assistance, or e'l'ort oi' the attendant on themachine.

To the tongue-plate I, which isvhinged to the vmain frame at c, asheretot'ore described, there is permanently afxed a lever, S, which extends rearward, so as to be readily seized by the operator in his seat.

The level-S moves past or over a curved arc, T, furnished with-a series of-holes, 3, 4, 85e., said arc being' fastened to a :lug on the sleeve G, which sleeve is really a part oi' the-main i'yame of the machine.

The lever S has pivoted to it atb, a lever, l, which is seized by the hand of the operator when he g asps the main lever S, and, 'by compressing his grip upon l the two, withdraws a bolt in theopposite end of the lever l, from "thehole in the arc, which it had for the time being occupied, and allows the lever S .tohe freely moved along or past the arc T.

When-the grip, 'or pressure upon the lever Z is removed, a spring, im, under the rear end of said lever, causes theV bolt, o`r stud at the other end to shoot into the 'first one of. th'e holes it comes. to in the are, and there.permanently hold until again released.

The lever S, extcnding'iifom the pole J, and capable oi' being rigidly united tc'the are T, crosses, or spans the joint between the pole and the main frame, which isfat c, so that, whenever the lever S is free from the arc, then there is a hinged connection between the pole and main frame; and per contra, when tlnl leve-.r S is made `fast to the arc, then there is no joint between thc pole and main frame; or, in other words, the pole may be a rigid, or a loose, or .a hinged one, in connection with the main frame, at pleasure, or as may be desired.

'llul object of' the'lever S and its connections, is to roll the finger-bar and cutters in the line oi' their advzuming-motion over the ground, seas to raise or lower the points oi' the guards, whilst the ingvr-bar is moved along in contact with thc ground. `It is also used for raising up, or h wering the iinger-bar, or cutting-appar ratus, under other circumstances, as will be hereafter explained. I

On thealter-portion of the pcrinieter'of the shell, or case H H,.t .he re is arib, or iiange, n, furnished with a series of holes, for the reception of pins, or bolts, and in the axle-frame A, there is a recess, or groove, through which this rib, or flange can move, or play.

When pins, o1" bolts are pnt into the holes in the rib, or flange n, as at 6 7, they define and limit the extent of the hinged motion between the main frame and the axle-f`rame (for it will be remembered that the case H H is substantially, if not really, a part, or por tion ofthe main frame) to those two points. If, however, a pin, or bolt be put in the arc, one immediately below, and the other immediately above the axle-frame, there will be no play, or motion between the two frames, so that, by this rib, groove, and pin, or bolt-arrange-I ment, any requisite extent of hinged motion may be had between the two frames; or,.tl 1e hinged connection may be entirely changed to a rigid one, as occasion, or the work to be done, may require.

When the connection bet-Ween the two frames is thus rendered rigid, then the lever S may be used as a raising-aud-lowering lever.

There is still another lever-connection between the two frames A Gr, viz, by means of the lever-seat U,

and its attachments thereto, and the shifting-position l of the weight of the occupant thereon.

'lhe front end of the lever-seat U, is hooked vto a stud, o, which is set in a bracket, p, which bracket is a part of, or fixed to, the main frame.

At about the center in length of the seat bar, or level', there is a toggle,'or link, V, which can be set further back or forward, in said bar, or lever, to change its fulcrum, at its upper end, whilst its lower end is pivoted, or hinged totwo rigid arms, W W, on the axle-fraaie, so that said bar, or lever has a hinged connection to the main frame, and an adjustable connection to, or with the axle-trame.

This bar, or lever Ucrosses, or spans the hinged connection between the two frames, and when said joint is not otherwise controlled, the occupant of the seat can raise up or let down the main frame, at pleasure, that is, within working-limits.

As a general thing, the flexibility-between the two frames, especially in mowing grass, would always be required, in which case the lever-seat is very desirable, in easing, or .lifting the cutters over the smaller intervcning.obstructions in its path. But even when the two frames are rigidly connected together, the lever-seat is important in easing the machine over any irregularities in the ground, which the occupant of the seat can do, by simplyswaying his body backward or fbrward, the fulcra being adj usted te the weight of the driver.

To the tong`ue-plate l, there is attached a bent arm, X, which projects outward towardV the standing grain, and downward toward a point in the line of the inner shoeli;l and in the end of this arm X, there is placed a caster-wheel, Y, which, when the machine is cutting, -runs immediatelyiu front of the inner shoe, and beats down, or bears down, the grass or stubble, where the shoe is to run, thus making a path for it to move in, without riding up, and thus pressing up the cutters.

'When the machine is being turned around, this easter-whevlv Y performs the usual duty of a caster-wheel, in taking much of the weight and strain of the machine, and very much casing the team in turning.

This duty, a bearing-wheel, placed in the front of the shoe, would not do, whilst a caster-wheel will.

.Having thus fully described my invention,

` pinions remain in gear with the drive-wheels, as described and represented.

2. Also, in combination with'the two frames, hinged together, and controlled in the extent of their motion, by an adjustable stop, arranged between said frames,

a hand-lever, for raising or lowering, or for rolling thenger-bar in the line of its advancing movement, to

raise or lower the points ofthe guards, andfor `the I purpose described. l

3. Also, in combination with the axle and the main frames, and a tongue, or pole, hinged to each other,

the herein-dcscribed special devices, by which either,- or all of said hinged joints, may be madeY rigid or ilex-k ible, as may be desired.

4. Also, in combinat'on with a two-wheeled harvest- 'ing-machine, which has two frames, hinged to each other, a lever-seat, connected to both frames, and spanning the joint between, softhat the driver in said seat may, with the lever S, raise and lower the cuttngapparat-us, as and for the purpose described.

5.Also, in combination with a pitman, a. pitmanconnection, which will drive the cutters, when they are in working-position, and cease to drive the cutter, When the finger-bar is folded up for transportation, whilst the pitman continues to work,4 substantially as described.

6. In combination with a fngerbar, so lhinged to the, inner sho'e as that it may be folded up against andA carried by the main frame, a caster-wheel, canried hy an arm, or support, independent of said shoe, but

. so thatI its journal, or turning-centre Shall be in the line of thc centres on which the ringer-bar swings,vand

in advance of said centres, so thatwhilst the linger-bar is fice to be folded up, the caster-wheel shallseve to roll down the grass irt'advauce of the sho'e, and serve the purpose of va caster-wheel, when the machine is being turned around, thewhole Mingaccornplished by an arrangement oi' devices, such as h'erein described and represented.

' WM. KIRBY. 1 Witnesses J. WRIGHT, JOSEPH Dnnme.

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