USRE1459E - Walter a - Google Patents

Description

. SAID 9.

UNITED STATI-3s PATI-LNT OFFICE.

WALTER A. WOOD, OF HOOSIOK FALLS, NEW YORK. i

Specification running part of Letters Patent No. 15,264, dated July 1, 1856; Reissue No. 1,459. dated April 21, 1863.

and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful.Improvements in Guard-Fingers for Harvesting-Machines 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part ot' this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective "iew of the linger orguard. Fig. 2 represents a side v iew ot' the saine, and as attached to the tinger beam or bar.

There are two classes of fingers or guards used in harvesting-rnachines-viz., the narrow and the wide guard, the former varying from one-half to one and ouefourth.inch in width, and the latter from one and one- .fourth or one and one-half to two and threefourths inches in width. Each of these kinds has its merit and demerit; and the object of this part of my invention is to retain in one guard the advantages of each kind without their injurious tendencies. The main value ot' a narrow guard is its lightness; but unless they are set close together the efficiency of the4 machine is sacrified to atritling original expense. The light or narrow guard may also be let into the finger-bar more readily than the wide one. The advantage of a wide guard is, tirst, that a less number are required, and the fewer the number (taking other matters hereinafter mentioned into consideration) the less the repairs and the greater the saving of power in cutting. By way of drawing amore definite distinction, take two machines, one having guards two and one-half inches wide, the other three-fourths of an inch. Put the same number of guards on each machinethat is,.so that the distance in each case from centerl to center of the guards shall be the It is obvious that the wide guard will cut the easiest and closest to the ground, for the reason that the space between their edges is less, and the grass has not so far to be pushed or carried to the edge of theguard, where it is cut by the sickle, and is -of course cut in a more upright position. There is the further advantage of taper or slope in the 'wide guard, which allows the grass to be sheared ofi" instead of being cut square ott', as against a narrow guard, which ot' necessity has but little, it' any, taper. This establishes the superiority ot' the wide guard over thenarrow one; but a wide guard cannot be used without a recess or neck between th-e cutting part of the guard and the cutter-bar, for without the recess or neck'tine dry grass and fibers of grass will accumulate on the guard under the sickle-bar (on which the knives are riveted) and clogits action. The neck, therefore, should be as narrow as possible, having. due regard to necessary strength. Wide guards are necessarilyfastenedto -the bottom of the fingerbar. The necessary thickness ot' the ngerbar, when made o't' wood, is from one and threefourths to two inches, and to allow the cut grass to readily pass over this bar the shearedges of -the nger must be raised up to allow the grass to freely pass over said bar. Here, then, are two conditionsin the finger-bar which must beprovided fon-viz., securing the guards under the bar, but making its shear-edges up near the top ot' the bar, or on a line passing over the bar. l

' To distinguishmy guard from those where a reversed angle for the sickle to cut against is used, I would mention that my recess is back-of the cut, and in no way used for the sickle to cut against. lhis part of my invention consists in the peculiar form and constructionof the finger or guard, as will be now described.

The heel of the guard is recessed or dropped down, as seen at A, so that it may be secured to the under side of the finger-bar B, as seen in Fig. 2. In front of the recess is the neck portion O ot' the guard. At this point the guard has its greatest depth to compensate for the metal taken away at the sides to form the neck, the object of `the neck being to prevent the gumming or clogging under the sickle or sickle-bar. In `advance of the neck C the guard widens out to its greatest width, and from these widened-out points it tapers to the point lD. The guard has a forked cap, E,- on its top',

y viz., the raising up of the grass to freely pass over the bar B, the sloping sides for the sickle to ont against, the narrow neck to prevent gumming and clogging, and the facility for fastening the guard under the finger-bar, but still keeping its edges against which the sickle acts high enough up to allow the grass to pass over.

It will thus be perceived that I have united in what is termed the Wide guard or iinger elements not heretofore united in one guard-viz., the raised cutting-edges, the narrow neck, the rear depression, and the forked cap, all of which aid to facilitate the cutting and allows the cut grass to readily pass over the linger-bar. Besides, the guard is of that kind known as the open77 guard, which prevents clogging or gumming under or around the sickle-bar.

Having thus fully described the nature ot' this part of my invention, what Iclaim under vthis patent as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is#- The particular form and construction of the finger or guard as herein represented viz.,

with the forked cap E, recess or depression A, raised edges a, a, and neck c behind them,

by means of which the cutting is facilitated, in the manner set forth.

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