USRE843E - Improvement in harvesters - Google Patents

Description

y UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

W. S. STETSON, vOF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT lN HARVESTERS.

' Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 23,508, dated April 5, 1859; Reissue No. 843, dated October 25V, 1859.

vDlvrsroN B.

Maryland,haveinventedcertain Improvements in HarvestingMachines; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character 'which distinguishes them from all things before known,.and of the usual manner ot' making, modifying, and using the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, ofwhich- Figure lisa perspective view ofthe machine; Fig. 2, a top view of the machine, the platform being removed 5 Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal middle section of the parts between the carriage-wheels.

My invention consists in certain improvements in harvesting-machines, described and represented as follows:

A A' are the carriage-wheels turning upon the axle B. The platform C for the driver is attached fast to the pole D at the point a, andthe pole is connected with the axle by the hounds E, the ends of which have their bearings and swivel in the lugs F, fixed to the axle. The axle, which is square or rectangular between the wheels, passes through openingsin the forward ends of the two side rbars of the rectangular frame H, these openin gs being sufficiently oblong to admit of a back-and-forth motion of the frame upon the axle for the purpose of throwing the pinion K, attached to this frame, in and out of gear with the internal gear, L, upon the driving-wheel A', this pinion being upon the end of shaft M, which is supported and turns in the rear ends of the side bars, b, of the frame H. The motion .of the frame is effected lby the lever N, the fulcrum d of which is on the platformpthe branching ends e of the lever below being open forks g, which stride the cross-bar h, fixed in the forward part of the frame, this being more section in Fig. 3, where the section ofthe crossbar is shown within the arms of the fork. The'y motion of the lever back and forth moves the frame and also the pinion to and from the cogs of the wheel L.

Fixed to the inside ot' the reall ends of the side bars, b, are projecting sleeves t', which emclearly shown in the brace the shaft M, and serve as bearings for the forward endsofthe vibrating secondframe, lt, which has a common center of motion with the shaft M.

Fixed to the shaft M is the main cog-wheel S, with its bevel-gear, which takes into the pinion Ton the end of the crank-shaft V, to which-the cutters are to be connected by the crank m and a connectingrod, W, representing a portion knives are to be supported, these portions not being required to be shown her-e. The crankshaft V is so supported in its bearingp 1ra/,fixed to the frame R, that the line of its axis continued would intercept the axis of shaft vM at right angles, the crankshaft thus being always in a radial line to main cog-Wheel S, however y much the frameR may vibrate, so that the p in- .ion T, and therefore the knives also, would work freely in any position of the vibratingr frame R.

It is obvious that if the driving-pinion K were iinmovably connected with the pole D or the platform C, when the pole or the carriage rises or falls, in consequence ofnnevennessof the ground, the pinion would turn faster or slower, according as its motion was in favor'of or against its prop er rotation derived from the internal gear, L. For instance, when the machine is advancing, if the pinion should be raised, this motion would turn the pinion backward-that is to say, contrary to its proper inotion-and in consequence the knives for the time move slower, cease to cut, or be reversed, according to the relative motions of the axis of the pinion upward and the motions of the internal gear, L. This difficulty I have remedied by making the vibratory motions of the frame H independent of the motions of the platform and pole, and giving the driver perfect control over the motions of the pinion by `the lever z in the manner just described.

Itwill be seen from the construction above described that the frame It may bc swung under the machine and bringthe cutter-bar forward of the axle. The crank-shaft would still bein aradial line to cog-wheel S. From the middle of the rear portion of the frame R is hung the drop piece or shoe X, which turns freely of the finger-bar, upon which the would f 2 i LS43 on an axis, y, supported in suitable bearings on the under side of the frame R, the cutterbar being attached to tliis shoe. In consequence of the motion otframe It about axis M and themot'ion ot' the drop piece or shoe X and the knife-bar about axis y, which is directly under and in a vertical-plane with crank-shaft V, it will bey seen that the knife-bar will readily accommodate or adjust itself to uneven surfaces of ground, and will also override readily small obstacles in axis y, just described, gives a nearly-uniform cut to, the knives during the risc and fall of the knife-bar upon inequalities ofthe ground. lt will be understood that if the axis y were perfectly coincident with the axis ot' crankshaft V, the cut ofthe kniveswould be uniform, and that otherwise the kniveswould passover the knife-bar toa greater or less extent, according to the elevation or depression of the knife-bar.

The attachmentof the knife-bar to the frame R in the manner above described obviates to a great extent this diieulty and gives nearly uniform cut to the knives. My mode of adjusting the cut or set of the knives is as fol lows: At one side ofthe platform is a lever, z, having its fulcrum .fr on the side of the platform, and its shorter arm connected with the side of frame H by a pivot-bolt, d', the leverz having a slot at e', so that it may move over its fnlcrum, as the frame H is raised and lowered by its action, the slot allowing motion oil the frame and platform independently ofeach other. The lever is also provided with holes to receive the stop-pin a2, so as to set the lever vat a required adjustment. l According to the action of the lever in raising and lowering frame H will be the action in raising and lowering the points ofthe knives through the medium of the frame R and drop or'shoe X and knife-bar W.

the way. The position of rst into an upright position, turningupon axis y, and is then carried upward and forward by lifting with it the frame R, which swings on p .axis M, and the bar is then V moved onwardin a forward direction until it lies over between the carriage-wheels inthe position indicated by thered lines in Fig. 1. The cutter-bar is thus horsed in the position shown by onlytwo movements, which are etfected in (or nearlyin,

as may be) two vertical planes at right angles to each other, and lies at right angles to the axis ot' the driving-wheels, which I regard as the'most convenient position for its transportation.

`What I claim under this application, and desire to secure under this division of reissued Letters Patent, is-

1. The main frame H, which bears the pinion K, and has its vibratory motions up Aand down independent of the motions of the platform and pole, in combination with the vibrating frame R, intermediate between the said main frame and cutter-bar, as set forth.

2. Combining the adjusting-lever z with the platform C and mainframe H in the manner and for the 'purposes set forth.

3. Giving to the main frame H, which bearsy the driving-pinion K, a back-and-forth motion upon the axle-tree, as set forth. y

' W. S. STETSON. Witnesses:

UHAs. G. PAGE, WM. H. HARRISON.

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