USRE3478E - Improvement in harvesters - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENTy IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,496, dated October 15, 1861; I teissue No. 1,701, dated June 14, 1864 Reissue No.

` following is a full,clear, and exact description,

reference being had to the accom panyingdrawings, which make part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a plan or top view ofso much ot" a machine to which my improvements are appliedas is necessary to illustrate the invention herein claimed. The red lines in this ligure show the attitude assumed by the nr1rer-beam when folded for transportation. Fig. represents avertical section through the machine at the line 1* 1 of Fig. 1, looking toward the main frame. Fig. 3 represents a view in elevation of the divider side ofthe machine.

The improvements herein claimed consist, first, in a novel method, hereinafter explained, ot' constructing the coupling-frame and shoe by which the tinger-beam is suspended from the lnain frame; second, in a novel method, hereinafter explained, ot" connecting the coupling-frame with the shoe which carries the tinger-beam; third, in a novel method, hereinafter explained,of combiningahorizontally-foldingjoin ted finger-beam with a harvester.

y In order to carry out the object of the invenion herein clainmed, I4 mount a strong main frame on two driving and supporting Wheels, revolving outside the frame in suitable bearings. 'lhe machine is drawn bya tongue projecting from its front end, and has a seat for the driver mounted upon it. A laterally-projecting finger-beam carrying a suitable cutting apparatus is attached atits heel end to ashoe, nivoted at one end to a coupling-arm extend- .ng from the front end ot' the main fram-e, to which itis pivoted. The other end ot' this shoe is pivoted to a short connection projecting from a brace-bar extending parallel, or nearly so, with the driving-wheels, and pivoted to the rear inner corner of the main frame by a swivel-joint and securely fastened to the coupling-arm above mentioned. The coupling-arm and brace-bar thus arranged form two sides of a rectangular frame, which is pivoted to the l main frame, so as to vibrate on an axis diagonal to this square, thus allowing the angle 0f the coupling-frame, to which the finger-beam is attached, to freely rise and fall without cramping or straining the pivots. This coupling-trame is raised and lowered by a liftinglever supported vou the main frame and connected to the coupling-frame at or near its angie by a chain or cord. In combination with the short connection that projects from the brace-bar and supports the rearend ofthe shoe is a link, which is pivoted to the shoe and swivels in a bearing on the end of this short Aconnect-ion, the object of which is to allow the f ihger-beam to fold horizontally. The divider end of the tingerbeam is supported by a wheel mounted on an arm swinging on an axis-in other words, on a caster-wheel. By detaching the pivot of thc coupling-arm from the shoeand the pitman-connection the ngerbeam can be swung round horizontally on its pivot, so as to be parallel to the path ot' the machine, and thus take up less room in moving from field to field. When so folded the caster-wheel swings round until its arm is parallel to the linger-beam, in which position, it support-s the divider end ot' the finger-beam, and thus preventstorsion of thefolding joints.

In the accompanying drawings, which exemplify one practical way of carrying out the objects ot' my invention, two driving and supporting wheels, A A, are shown as mounted on an axle, B, turning in suitable bearings in but projecting beyond their peripheries at each end. A tongue, D, projects from the frame near its inner front corner, and a drivers seat, E, is mounted on curved support near the outer rear corner otl the frame. A strong brace-bar, F, is pivoted at its rear end to the main frame by a swivel-joint,f, and rigidly secured at its forward end to a coupling-arm, F', arranged transversey thereto, and `attached by a linkjoint,j", to the front end of the main frame. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the upper end of this coupling-arm is bent so that a line passing through it at a right angle thereto would intersect the jointf, as shown by the red dotted line, owing to which arrangement the finger-beam can be raised or lowered without cramping thejoints. This raising and lowa main frame,C, arranged between the wheels,

ering is done, in this instance, by a hand-lever, Gr, extendingforward from a point within reach ofthe driver, turning on a fnlcrum, g', on the mainframe, and connected with the couplingframe F by a rod or chain, g.

The finger-beam I is securely fastened to a shoe, H, pivoted at its front end by ajoint, k, to the coupling-arm F', and at its heel bya similarjoint, h', to short link h2, swiveling in the end of the short connection extending from the brace-bar F. By this mode of construction the finger-beam can be swungr horizontally backward until it lies parallel with the driving-wheels, as shown in red in Fig. 1. To do this the pitman and the joint h must ot' course be tlrst uncoupled.

The grain end ofthe finger-beam is provided with a suitable divider, K, and graiuboard K. In this instance the rear end of the divider is prolonged to form a support for a caster-wheel, VJ, mounted on an arm,j, turning in hearings j', inclined slightly forward from a vertical line., By this mode of construction when the nager-beam is turned back parallel with the driving-wheels the caster-wheel swings out at a right angle to its supporting-arm K, as shown in red in Fig. l, and runs in a path parallely to the driving-wheels, and still supports its end of the Jri'nger-beam-, thus preventing the torsion of the joint h2.

A reel,Ii,is mounted in an overhanging arm,

L', mounted on the divider-piece K and on a post, L2, secured upon the heel end of the tinger-beam. The reel may be driven in any wellknown way. In mowing the reel may be removed, if preferred. V

- My invention is intended to be used in a fully-organized machine. I have, however,

herein shown only those parts necessary to illustrate my invention, the details of construction of a reaper being-well known to all skillful reaper-builders.

What I claim herein is- 1. The combination, substantially as' described, ot a shoe to which the finger-beam is attached, a coupling-arm pivoted at one end to the fore part of the shoe and at the other to the main frame,and a brace-bar rigidly secured to the coupling-arm at one end and pivoted to the main frame at the other, with an intermediate coupling connecting the heel of the shoe with the brace-bar, for the purposes l set forth.

2. The combination, substantially as described, of a shoe extending behind the tngerbeam with a.` swiveling link connecting the shoe and short coupling-arm, for the purpose ot' allowing the nger-beam to fold horizontally.

3. A short arm or connection one end ot which supports the rear end of the shoe and the other end of which is rigidly combined with a brace-bar, one end of which is supported by the rear inner corner ot' the main frame and

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