US594636A - Grain-harvester elevator - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. MACPHAIL.

GRAIN HARVE$TER ELEVATOR.

Patented Nov. 30

EYERS cq, momumu. WASHINGTON o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MAOPHAIL, OF BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO THE PLANO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

G RAINV-HARVESVTER ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,636, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed July 22, 1895. Serial No. 556 ,675. (No model.)

To all whom it may cancer-n:

Be it known that I, JAMES MAGPHAIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Grain-Harvester Elevators, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a rear elevation of a portion of a grain-harvester, showing the ground-wheel, the rear of the main frame, a section of the rear platform-sill, the elevatorframe, and a portion of the binder-incline; Fig. 2, a plan view of a supplemental roller for the upper elevator-apron, with sections of the elevator-frame sides, all parts being broken away in places; Fig. 3, avertical section of that portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a detail section taken on the line 4 at of Fig. 1, with the parts broken away about midway of the length; and Fig. 5,'a detail plan of th upper rearcorner of the elevator. V

My present invention relates to the elevator structure used in grain-harvesters for conveying the grain from the inner end of the platform upward over the main wheel and delivering it to the binder.

The improvements consist in special mechanism for keeping the upper elevator-apron taut,but at the same time elastically yielding;

also, in the relative arrangement'of the two upper rollers of the elevator-aprons, the under roller being dropped lower and set inward more than usual, and also in certain specific devices which will be clearly set forth in the description.

A description in detail of so much of a grain-harvesting machine as is necessary to an understanding of the construction and operation of my invention, with brief reference to a few of the main parts of the machine, which are necessary to show the general arrangement and operation of the present in vention, will now be given, the main features being only briefly referred to and the improved parts fully'described in-detail as to construction and operation. The particular improvements which are believed to be new wheel. The inner ends of the platform-sills are also represented, D indicating the rear and D the front sill, while the inner turn or loop of the platform-apron cl and its inner roller (1 are shown in Figs. 1 and 3. All of these parts are of normal construction and require no special description here. They do not constitute elements, in their special construction and organization, necessary to the present invention.

The elevator-frame E is in its general features of ordinary construction, consisting of side pieces a e, the former being secured to the rear member O of the upright frame and the latter to the corresponding front upright O, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. The cross strip or bar 6 is applied to the upper ends of the elevator sides, being secured to each, and thereby fastening them firmly together. In the upper ends of the elevator sides there are provided apertures or openings 6 cf, the for- 'mer at the rear and the latter at the front of the frame. These openings are of considerable length and also correspondingly wide and at their inner upper corners are enlarged somewhat to make a kind of circular seat e The lower or under elevator apron or canvas F is of ordinary construction and arrangement, being mounted on upper and lower rollers f f, respectively, the latter being journaled in the elevator-frame in any usual way; but the upper roller f, instead of being mounted at the upper end of the elevator-frame and directly underneath the correspondingroller of the upper apron, is brought downward and inward on the'elevator-frame and is journaled F, secured to the outside of the respective elevator side pieces and consisting of a straight section f running along the sides of the elevator and having bearing-apertures for jour naling the roller f therein. From this section an arm f projects outward at right angles, extending out a little way beyond the lower edges of the elevator sides, as seen in Fig. 1, the purpose of which will be hereinafter stated.

The upper elevator apron or canvas G is run around an upper roller 9 and a lower roller g in the usual way, except as to the mounting of the upper roller. The lower roller g is journaled in the lower ends of the elevator sides and is arranged just about over the lower roller of the under elevator, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3; but the upper roller 9 is mounted quite differently from the ordinary construction. Metal brackets H, substantially of plate form, are secured to the outer faces of each of the elevator sides and are provided with openings or apertures 7L, cut in the bodies of the plates, corresponding to the enlarged openings at the upper ends of the elevatorsidesjust described above, being provided with like recesses or enlargements h at the inner upper corners. The body portions of these bracket-plates are about as wide as the elevator side pieces and extend out to the upper ends of the latter, where they are angular-shaped, one edge section 71, being parallel with the lower end edge and the other, It, lying horizontal and at an obtuse angle to the former section, the upper ends of the elevator sides being of like shape. The outer or inclined edge section 702 is provided with two short lugs h, projecting straight outward and leaving an open space between them.

Leverar1ns I are j ournaled on pivot-pins 7L5, projecting from the outer faces of the brackets II above the opening therein. In what may be called the inner ends 2' of these arms or levers, which extend over the openings in the brackets, the upper roller 9 of the upper elevator-apron is journaled. The outer ends '6 of the levers extend out beyond the upper edges of the elevator-frame sides and terminate in short hooks 13 These levers being free to turn on their journals obviously the tension on the upper elevator-apron may be governed by the turning of the said levers. In order to provide for this motion of the levers or arms I, a right-angled lever J is pivoted to the outer end of a stud h, extending outward at the inner upper corner of the bracket II. This angle-lever device is on both sides of the elevator, and one arm j extends outward on each side and is connected by a short link-rod j to the outer or hook end of the swinging arms I. The other members j of the angle-lever in normal position extend lengthwise of the elevator and are connected together by a special tension device. A short link K at each side of the elevator is connected at one end to the arm 7' of the respective angle-levers. A eonneeting-rod 7c is hooked at one end to the short link at the front of the elevator and extends thence back across the elevator-frame in a plane somewhat higher than the upper edges thereof nearly to the short link at the rear side. A spring-coil 7a occupies the remaining space between the inner end of the connecting-rod and the rear link, being hooked at its respective ends to the hooks on the inner ends of these two parts, as seen in Figs. 4t and 5. The relative arrangement of these parts is such that normally this spring will be under tension, and therefore will tend to draw the arms of the levers J inward toward each other, and this force being communicated through the other arms of the said an gle-levers and connecting-rods] to the swingingjournal arm or lever I will have a tendency to draw the outer ends of said levers downward, thereby throwing the lower ends outward, and so holding the outer roller of the upper elevator-apron out against the apron to keep it taut.

The run of grain taken from the platformapron by the elevators and carried up by the latter to the binder varies in quantity. The run or stream is by no means uniform. The space between the two elevatonaprons in normal condition is intended for about the average run of grain. The frequent increase of the latter in regular work will of course produce thicker sections or bunches, which will not readily pass along the ordinary passage and will tend to obstructthe normal action of the elevator devices. The journal mechanism for the outer roller of the upper elevator-apron is for the purpose of obviating this difficulty by providing for the outward yielding of the upper apron to permit the easy passage of the heavier or thicker bunches of grain; but this yielding is under elastic tension, which restores the said apron to normal position as soon as the increased section of grain has passed. The lower-apron roller-bearings are stationary, and of course the tendency of these irregular bunches of grain is to force the upper one outward. This brings a strain upon the upper apron, which is met by the inward yielding of its upper roller, the pivoted arms or levers in which said roller is journaled swinging in the proper direction to permit this movement, which of course must bring the lower ends of said levers inward, with a corresponding outward movement of the outer ends. This action is illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and of course it relaxes the strain on the elevator-apron, so far as its ordinary feed is concerned, permitting it to move upward on substantially curved lines, as also seen in dotted lines in said Fig. 3. The movement of the roller-journal levers just described will of course bring a greater strain upon the spring owing to the connection therewith described above, and the result is that so soon as back into normal position.

the extra pressure produced by an increase in the quantity of grain carried up by the elevators has passed the tensile force of this spring will immediately act to bring the parts In order to obtain the desired action, however, the two portions of the upper elevator-apron ought to move together in the operation just described. For this purpose a kind of supplemental frame L is provided. This frame consists of two side arms Z, which are journaled at their lower ends upon the shaft of the roller g at the lower end of the upper apron G. These arms near their outer ends are connected by a stiff cross-bar Z, thereby making this frame sufficiently stiff and firm. The extreme outer ends of the arms beyond this cross-bar are provided with journal-bearings for the journals of an idle-roller M. The diameter of this roller is practically equal to the distance between the two sections of the upper elevator-apron, and the supplemental frame in which it is mounted is arranged between the said two apron-sections, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. This small frame being free to vibrate on its bearings, the roller which it carries will move outward under any increased pressure on the under section of the apron, such as described above; but on account of the size of the roller the outer section of the same apron will be carried out by it to the same point as the inner section. This action is also illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. When the increased strain on the said elevator-apron has passed, the roller drops back with the apron, assuming normal position, as seen in the lower dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 3. The position of this swinging roller-frame and its'roller when turned outward is also shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which indicates the outward swing of the frame, but without the elevator-apron inclosing it. be pivoted or journaled at the upper end of the elevator-frame instead of the lower, in which case the roller will beat the lower end of the swinging frame instead of the upper; but the action and result will be practically the same as described above and illustrated in the drawings and will therefore be understood without an additional figure in the drawings.-

A binder table or incline N must of course be provided. This is of any ordinary construction and is mounted in a well-known way on the upright portion of the main frame out-- side of the wheel and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, terminates a little below the plane of the delivery of the grain from the elevator and out-side thereof. The intervening space is covered by a plate O,which is pivotally mounted by suitable journal connection on the outwardly-extendingarms f of the brackets F, by which the said plate 0 adapts itself to the differences in the adjustment of the ele- The swinging roller-frame may vator and binder relatively to each other. Above the said incline is the usual plate P, which is secured to the upper end of the elevator-frame and extends outward therefrom on an incline over the upper path of the grain as it is discharged from the elevator. This guard-plate, as shown in the drawings, is secured to the elevator-frame by means of a cross-bar p, fastened thereto, with its ends projecting a little beyond its edges and set into the spaces between the short lugs h on the brackets H.

The operation of the mechanism specially described above will be understood fromp'ortions of the description relating to the action of the devices. In this operation when the bunches of grain are of extraordinary thickness the outer roller of the upper elevatorapron may sometimes be turned into the shallow recess in the opening of the brackets H, where it will find a kind of temporary rest, though not a stop to prevent its return to normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. p In a grain-bindingharvester, an elevatorframe; an outer elevator-apron having alower and a single upper roller, the latter j ournaled in pivoted swinging supports; a tension mechanism connected to said pivoted supports and adapted to stretch the upper apron in the direction of its length; and an under apron having its rollers mounted in fixed journals, whereby the outer apron may be pressed outward from the under apron, by irregularities in'the grain, and automatically returned to normal position after the passage of any such enlarged portion of grain, substantially as described.

2. In a grain-binding harvester,an elevatorframe, in combination with an under elevatorapron having rollers with only rotary movement, an upper elevator-apron having its upper roller j ournaled in swinging bearings, an elastic mechanism connecting with said swinging bearings and constructed to normally act thereon to throw the upper roller mounted therein outward to keep the upper apron taut, a supplemental frame, arranged between the two parts of the upper elevatorapron and pivoted at its lower end to the journals of the lower roller thereof, and a roller journaled loosely in the upper end of said frame and of a size corresponding with the distance between the two parts of the said elevator-apron when at rest, substantially as described.

3. In a grain-bindin g harvester, an elevatorframe, in combination with upper elevatorapron G,pivoted arms, I, in which the journals of the upper roller of said apron are mounted, elastic mechanism connected with said arms and constructed to turn the journal ends thereof outward to keep the apron taut, a

supplemental frame, L, arranged between the two sections of the upper apron and hav ing two side arms, Z, journaled at their lower ends on the shafts of the roller at the lower end of said apron, and a still": cross-bar, Z, near their upper ends, and an idle-roller, M, jonrnaled in the free outer ends of the armframes and filling the normal space between the two sections of the elevator, substantially as described. 7

JAMES MACPHAIL. Vitn esses:

I. A. HELMICH, ALOYSIA IIELMICH.

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