USRE775E - Improvement in mowing-machines - Google Patents

Description

f y Y y 2 Sheets-Sheet l. AULTMAN & MILLER.

Mowing Machine.

QIReissuedJuly 19, |859.

No. y775.

2 Sheets-Sheet A ULTMAN-61k MILLER.

Mowmg Machine y iis N. Pimm mwmmmphnr. wnhimw, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

C. AULTMAN ANI) LEWIS MILLER, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSGNORS, BY

ASSIGNMENTS, TO C. AULTMANBUO.

MESNE IMPROVEMENT IN MOWINGi-MACHINES.

Specicaton forming part of Letters Patent No. 15,160, dated June 17', 1856; July 19, 1559.

Reissue No. 775, dated DIVISION F2.

fo all whom 'it may concern y Be it known that we, CORNELIUS AULTMAN and LEWIS MILLER, hoth of Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have iuvenied an Improvement in'Mowing-Machines, ot' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the aocon'lpanying drawings, which make partof this specitication, and in which- Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a mowing-machine which embraces our irnprovements, the finger-beam and cutter being raised on end and leaned against the side of the fra me to adaptthe machine to being drawn to or from the place of mo\-ing. Fig. 2 represents a likeview ofthe rear portion ot' the machine with the finger-beam extended upon the ground, ready for mowing. Fig. 8 represents an elevation of the rear ot the machine, showing particularly the relative positions of the parts when the ringer-beam is down on the ground ready for work and when it is raised tor, transportation. Fig. et represents a section ofthe machine on the right of the line .fr .fr of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents an axial vertical seetion through one ot' the supporting-wheels, one ot' the ratchet-wheels, and that end ot' the axle on which these wheels are mounted, and a transverse section of those portions of the trame which are cut by the plane ot' the section through the wheel and axle. Fig. 6 represents a transverse section at the line x m of Fig. 5 and an elevation of the parts to the right ot' that line, except the frame andthe rim and the outer ends ot' the spokes of the driving-wheel, showing particularly the relative position of the spring and pawl with the other parts when the pawl is ingear with the ratchetteeth. Fig. 7 represents the same view of the parts shown in Fig. 6, but with the spring'and pawl in a second and dii'erent position from `vthe one shown in that ligure; and Fig. 8 represents the same view of the parts shown in Fig. 6, but with the spring and pawl in a third position different from those shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Ve term that side of the right side which would be at the right hand of a person behind the machine and looking towards it, and the opposite side of the machine we term its left side.

In machinesfor 4mowing and reaping it is desirable 'to drive the gearing which vihrates the cutter from one only of the main wheels which carry the machine, allowing the. other carrying-Wheel to run freely independently of that which is used as a driver. It so happens, however, that the adhesion of one of the carrying-wheels to the ground is not always suif cient to overcome the resistance opposed to the motion of the cutter, and under such circumstances the driving-wheel slips on the ground without `rotating, the cutter ceases to act at the same time, (for its motion is derived from the rotation of the driving-wheel,) and a balk is made in the mowing or reaping, as the case maybe. Such a case of theslipping of the driving-wheel is mostlkely to occur when it is passing over cut grass orover uncut grass of the old crop lying on the ground, so as yeither to prevent the tread of the driving-wheel irom biting upon the earth at Iall or causing it to bite less iirmly than usual. To avoid this diculty both the carrying-wheels ot' the machine have been connected with the gearing and made drivers, so that in case'one should accidentally fail to have a rgood hold .upon thev ground the deticiency might be compensated by the other, asA both would seldom fail at the same time to have a good hold. The Plan of making both the carrying-wheels drivers,while it proved effectual for working the cutter, rendered the machine extremely diflcnlt to guide, especially in turnng'corners,and made it hard to back. Moreover, it increased the dralt and the wear and tear, and the greater part of the time without any countervailing advantages, as when the Wheels ran directly on the stubble in reaping or in mowing on hard sward free from old grass, or on smooth ground of any kind where the erop is light, or in drawing the machine from place to place Where the work is to be done. AVith a view to avoid these last-named objections,one or both of the wheels have been rendered oapableof being disconnected from the gearing andallowed to afforded a remedy for the diiculties already] the center of the pivot f to the tooth of the mentioned they have done so at the expense of too much complexity ot' mechanism, which it is the object 0f our improvement to avoid.

The accompanying drawings represent a mowing-machine whose gearing is arranged within a frame, U, supported by two large wheels, S S, on an axle, X, which is common to both the wheels and likewise to the main gear-wheel H, which is firmly keyed to it, so that whenever the axle turns the gear-wheel willv also'turn, and when the axle ceases to turn so will the gear-wheel also cease to turn.

On each end of the axle is a journal fitted to a bearing in a box, Y, on the top ofthe side beam ofthe main frame. Within each of these journal is another journal, t', Fig. 5, which tits loosely in theeye ot' the supporting-wheel, so that the wheel can revolve freely on this journal or bearing of the axle. Aratchetwheel, a, is keyed iirmly to the axle at the inner ends of each of the bearings t', the ratchetteeth being inclined in a direction opposite to that in whichf the supporting-Wheels S Srevolve when the machine is going forward.

To the inside of one of the armsof each sup.- porting-wheel a pawl, c, is pivoted, with its toothed end pointing in the direction in which the supporting-wheels revolve. When the teeth `of these pawls are depressed they engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheels, and when the machine is moving forward they lock the supporting-wheels S S', theaxle X, and the gear-wheel H together, so as to make both supporting-wheels co-operate .in driving the gearing.

For the purpose of preventing the pawls from beingthrown outof gear with theratchetwheels by the jolting ot' the machine when at work, and thereby stopping the cutter and makinga balkjn the mowing, acurved spring, d, is attached to the back of each pawl, which bears upon apin, e, on the side of the arm of the wheel near the pivot ofthe pawl, as shown in Figs. 4 'and 6, and tends constantly, when in this position, topress the pawl into gear with the ratchet-teeth. This spring is designed not only to hold the pawl in gear with v the ratchet-teeth when engaged therewith,

but also to hold it out of gear when disengaged therefrom to prevent the joltin g of the machine from accidentally connecting the carrying and gear Wheels by throwing the tooth of the pawl down into gear with the ratchetwheel, and thereby producing a shook that would be very likely to break the gearing.

The action of this spring-pawl is illustrated by Figs. 6, 7, and 8, in which the pawl c is of the usual form, and has a spring, d, bent into the torni represen ted, attached to its back. The acting portion of the spring is between the points 1 and 2,and the portion between 3 and 4 is merely for the purpose of fastening it to the pawl and holding the acting portion in a position nearly parallel to a line drawn from pawl, and at a distance from that line a little less than the distance between the center of the pin e on the arm ofthe wheel for the spring to bear aganst and the center ot' the pivot]` of the pawl, so that it will be necessary in setting the pawl on its pivot and the spring on that side of the bearingpin e next theperipheryof the wheel to deflect the spring until its tension at the middle point, 5, Fig. 7,` in the acting part of the springwill be equal to about double the `forcewhich itis required to exert upon the pawl to hold its tooth either in or out of gear with the ratchet-teeth. In the position shown in Fig. 7, whenthe middle, 5, ofthe acting part ofthe spring is bearing upon the pin in the arm, the pressure of the, spring is in the direction ot' a line drawn' through the centers of the pivot of the pawl and the bearing-pin, and therefore does not tend to depress or raise the pawl on either side of its pivot, and leaves it equally free to be'turnedei'ther'way, andvthis point 5 in the spring we have therefore designated as its neutral point, since, however hard it may press upon the bearing-pin, such pressure has no tendency to move the pawl. benow turned on its pivot so as to depress its tooth, as in Fig. 6, into gear with the ratchetteeth, thebearing ot1 the spring upon the pin :will b e changed from the point 5 to the point l, behind the neutral point 5, and the directionof the pressure will be in a line passing through the bearing-pin a considerable distance behind the pivot of the pawl, and will tend to raise the rea-r end ofthe pawl and depress its toothed end, thereby holding it `lin gear with the ratchet-teeth. It' the pawl be now turned on its pivot to raise it from the position show-n in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 8, the bearing of the spring upon the pin will be at a point, 2, between the neutral point 5 and the tooth of the pawl, and the direction of the pressure will be in a line passig through the bearing-pin a considerabledistance in front of the pivot of the pawl, and will ot coursetend to hold up the tooth of the pawl out of `gear with the ratchet-wheel.

What we claim under this patent as our in. vention is- Mounting' the two driving-wheels and one main gear-wheel upona common axle, in combination with a ratchet-wheel for each drivingwheel, eachl ratchet-wheel fitted with a pawl that can be made to stand in or out of gear with the ratchet-teethf'at will, the whole arranged and operating substantially as described. f

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names@l CORNELIUS AULTMAN.V

y 'LEWIS MILLER. Witnesses :-r

DANIEL'TONNER, FRED ORTH.

If the pawl

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