USRE1114E - Improvement in grass-harvesters - Google Patents

Description

PATENT Oil-Tice.

JESSE S. LAKE AND DAVIDl LAKE, OF SMITHS LANDING, NEWT JERSEY,

` ASSIGNORS TO JAMES A. SAXTON.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRASS-HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 9,137, dated July 20, 1852; Reissue No. 1,114, dated January 1, 1861.

To alt whom it 'may concern.-

Be it known that we, Jnssn S. LAKE and DAVID LAKE, both of Siniths Landing, in the county of Atlantic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MowingMachines or Grass-Harvesters; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a plan view of a machine showing one mode ot' applying our said improvement. Fig. 2 represents a side view of the machine as seen in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow l, the machine being represented as reversed or facing in an opposite direction. Fig. 3 represents a portion of the frame, wheels, and cutting apparatus, looking in the direction of arrow 2. Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section on line A B, Fig. l, the cutting apparatus being shown in two positions, one in black and the other in red lines.

Fig. 5 represents a cross-section on line U D, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow 2, the parts Gr and F being shown in different positions in i'ull and dotted red lines. Figs. 6 and 1 7 represent detached parts of the mechanism used to operate the cutting apparatus.

Vhenever it may be expedient to use one or more of the several parts or branches of our improvements separate from the rest, such part or parts maybe used in connection with any suitable frame and gearing, and it is obvious 'that several parts of our improvements are applicable to various other mowing-machines in use.

Mowing-machines as heretofore constructed have not carried their cutting apparatus in a manner or way that left it free enough to conform to the surfaceof uneven ground to mow grass with sufficient evenness on such ground.

That branch of our improvements which is the subject of this patent is designed to remedy this defect; and it consists in so attaching, combining, or fastening that part of a mowingmachine to which the guard-tingers are attached to the main frame or to an intermediate coupling-piece as that the fingers, or that part to which they are attached and by which they are sustained and supported, will be free to rise or fall bodily, and also to have a free lateral or wabbling motion to enable the cutting apparatus to conform freely to the undulations of the ground over which it is drawn independentof the up/and down motions of the main frame.

In thc accompanying drawings, A A A represent a triangular frame, the front end of which is supported by a swivel-wheel, B, connected with the frame B', which is pivoted to part A at a', so that the wheel B and its frame B can freely turn either to the right or to ther left, the upper rear circular part ot' frame B working under the front of the frame A and above a projection or lip of the part A". (Shown in dotted lines, Fig. l.) The parts Af.' and A" are rigidly secured to .the front of frame A.

The rear end vof the triangular frame A is supported byV wheels C C', connected by a common axle, C, (wheel C beingloose on the aXle,) which has its bearings in downwardlyprojecting pieces B B, the upper ends of the latter being rigidly united to the rear end of lframe A and their lower endsby a cross-piece,l

A'. A sliding orcouplingpiece, I, plays loosely up and down in the mortises cut in the cross-piece A and in the rear piece of the main frame A. y

To the lower end of sliding or coupling piece I is attached theiinger support or platform G- that is, that partot' amowing-lnachine to which the guard-tin gers are fastened. In the present instance it is constructed in a circular form, the guard-fingers b being fastened to the front edge, as shown in the drawings. The under side of thepart G is cut out orgrooved,soasto permit the iron lever or connection H to be titted up into such groove, whereby the parts H and G are. fastened rigidly together, and are lushon the bottom. The part H is bent or curved up in rear of the part G, as shown inthe drawings, and is then passed through a hole or opening in the bottom ofthe piece I. The partH then extends back, passing through a guide-piece, c, and has a movable weight, d, on its rear end. The interior of the upper side ot' the part G is turned or cut out, as indicated by sections in Figs. 4 and 5. In this groove is arranged a friction device, consisting of a central ring, e, with radiating shafts', on the outer ends of which are rigidly attached the friction-rolls c. A metal ring, f, is placed on top of the radiating shafts of the rolls e for the purpose of steadying them when in operation. The rolls e' and ring e are kept in their proper position laterally by means ot thev form of the groove in the part G. (See Fig. 4.) The cutters ct are in this instance fastened to the edge of a circular frameu or wheel, F, the under inner sideof which is turned or cut out so as to iit over the part G, as indicated in the drawings. rIhe under side of the part F rests on the friction-rolls e', which support it just highenough to allow the cutters a to run close to the top of the fingers b, but not to bear with too great friction thereon.

The wheel F turns on a stationary pivot, g, which is fast in the part G. A rapid rotary motion is communicated to wheel F, whereby the cutters a are caused to pass over the iingers b by means of the main gear D on theV inside of the main driving-wheel C working in gear with pinion-wheel E, which has its bearings in frame L, and to which is attached pulley K, from which passes a band or belt, j, around pulley K', thereby giving motion -to shaft h, to the lower end ot' which a swivel piece or ringis hinged between ears h h', and to which the upper forked ends of two setsof jointed levers, it', are hinged, as shown in the drawings, while the lowerforked ends of levers t' 'i are jointed to the upper forked ends of auother set of forked levers, t" i', whose lower forked ends are in turn hinged to a ring or swivel-piece pivoted between the ears h h, made fast to the top of wheel F, as shown-in the drawings. The cutters a, are formed ot' plates ot steel, and are so made that they can be moved down as they wear away, so as to` be always in close contact with rthe lingers b, over which they pass, to cut the grass as the machine advances.

When the machine is drawn forward by the team, which is to be attached in any proper manner to the swivel-frai'ne B', lnotion is to be communicated from the main driving-wheel C to shaft h, which in turn causes the doublejointed levers 13 t" and 'i i to revolve, together with the part F, to which the cutters a are attached, while the part of the machine to which the fingers b are fastened is caused to slide forward over the ground by reason of theconp-f ling-piece l being drawn forward against the curved part of the metallic connection or lever H, while the part G or linger-support is prevented frorn twisting laterally out of its proper position at the side of the machine by means of brace or jointed levers J J, which are pivoted or hinged to the lower ends ot' the pieces B B, and also to the guide-piece c, through which the rear of the metallic connection or lever H passes and is free to slide. A washerpiece, c', is fastened to H just in rear ot' the piece I, whereby the lever H and linger-support G are kept in their proper `position when the machine is backed.

In cutting grass on soft and slippery meadows, to prevent the driving-wheel from slipping, w'e hinge a series ot' arms, P, to the inside of a ring-piece, N, on the hub of the wheel G and pass their outer ends through gnidesin the periphery of the'wheel C, so that by turning the plate N the arms P can be extended so as to take into the ground, as shown in red lines, or withdrawn, as shown in black. Plate N is kept in any desired position by means ot' nut 0, which screws upon the end of shaft C, the wheel U being made fast to said shaft. lhen the machine is in operation the team walks by the side of the grass to be cut, and wheel B" runs just clear of the standing grass, while the cutting apparatus which projects laterally inward from the main frame cuts the grass, which is then carried by the action of the part F toward themain frame, and, finally, it is delivered or laid upon the ygroundjust in rear of the wheel B, so that a clear and unobstructed space is left for the passage of the beam, wheel B, and driving-wheel U on the next round of the machine. In mowing on level ground the guard-lingers b are drawn over the ground in nearly a horizontal Vposition, and as they enter the standing grass they hold and support it while the cutters a pass over them and sever the stalks of grass in an even manner; nor is the length of stubble much, if any, longer when the machine is cutting on uneven ground, for the finger-support, or that part to which the guide-lingers are attached and upon which the cutters are supported, can freelyrock, roll, or wabble on a line at right angles to the line of motion of the machine, so as to conform to inequalities of the ground, as illustrated in red and dotted lines in Fig. 5. This is due to the fact that themetallic connection or lever H is free to turn in the coupling or sliding piece I. The front of the fingers b can also rise and fall in the arc of a circle the axis of which is in rear of the point where thc grass is cut, and which is also at rightangles to the line of motion of the machine. 'Ihis is owing to the tact that the open'- -ing in the piece I is ot' such a size as to perlnit a free rocking motion to the lever El in a plane parallel to the line of motion of the machine. The cutting apparatus can'also rise `and fall bodily independent of the up-anddown motion ofthe main frame, since the coupling-piece I is free to slide or work up and down in the pieces A and A. y

It will thus be seen that our machine is capable of performing work which has never before been accomplished bya grass-cutter-viz., so carrying its guard-ngers as that they shall Vbe free to rock, roll, or wabble laterally,'and

also to rise and fall in a horizontal or nearly horizontal plane, as above described, thus enabling the cutting apparatus to conform freely ,to the inequalities ofthe ground independently of the up and down motions of the main 1,114 Y eY frame, whereby the usefulness of a grass-haring a Seat for the driver, whose weight serves as a counterpoise or balance for the cutting apparatus, and by adjustinghis position nearer i0 0r farther from the fnlcrum k he can cause the platform Which supports the cutting apparatus to press with more or less Weight on the stubble or ground. rlhe finger-support can also be made to press with more or less force on the stubble or ground by changing the position of the` movable weight d on the lever H.

I6 will be observed that by the use of the double-jointed levers i M, in combination with the mode of connecting them with the cutting apparatus and the shaft of pulley K, the cutters are operated at all times, although the cutting apparatus is so carried as to conform to the irregularities or inequalities ofthe ground independent of the up and down motions of the main frame 0r the main drivingwheel.

Having described one practical Way in which that branch ot' our invention which forms the subject of this patent can be carried ont, we

wish it to be understood that We do not .limit ourselves to any particular cutting apparatus, main frame, or mode of operating the cutting apparatus; but

What we claim under this patent as our invention is- Attaching or fastening that-'part of a mowing-machine to which the guards4 or fingers which support and hbld the Vgrass While it is being severed by the cutter or cutters are attaehed to the main frame or to an intermediate coupling-piece, so that the guards or lingers, or that part to which they are attached and by which they are sustained and supported, will be free to rise or fall bodily, and also to have a lateral rolling or wabbling motion, to enable the cutting apparatus to conform freely to the undulations ofthe ground over which it Vis drawn 'independent of the up Vand down mo- 'tions ot' the main frame.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

JESSE S. LAKE. DAVID LAKE.

In presenee of JOHN T. LAKE, HENRY W. ROBINSON.

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