USRE842E - Improvement in harvesters - Google Patents

Description

UNITED 'STATES PATENT (MerceO WV. S. STETSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.y

i Speciricatin forming part of Letters Patent No. 23,508, dated April 5, 1859; Reissue No. S42, (lated Y' October 25, 1859.

- v Division A.

To' all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, W.,S. STETSON, of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland,haveiuventedcertain Improvements in Harxfesting-lvlachines; 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 saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 of which is a perspective view of the machine; Fig. 2, a top view of the machine, the platform being removed; Fig. 3, a verticallougitudinal middlesection 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 c, and the pole is connected with the axle by the hounds E, the ends of which have their bearings and swivel in the lugs F, fixed tojthe axle. The axle, which is square or rectangular between the wheels, passes through openings in the forward ends of the'two side bars of the rectangular frame H, these openings being suftciently 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 traine, in and out ot' 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 by the lever N, the fulcrum d of which is on the platform, the branching ends e of the lever below being open forks g, which stride the cross-bar h, lixed in the forward part of the frame, this being more clearly shown in the section in Fig. 3, where the section of the cross-bar is shown'within the arms of the fork. The motion of the lever back and r forth moves the frame, and also the pinion, to and from the cogs of the wheel L.

Fixed to the inside of the rear ends of the side bars, b, are projecting sleeves fi, which embrace the shaft M, and serve as bearings for the forward ends of the vibrating second frame, R, which has a common center of' motion with the shaft M.

Fixed to the shaft M is the main cog-wheel S, with its bevelfgear, which takes into the pinion '1 on the end of the crank-shaft V, to which the cutters are to be connected by the crank m and aconnecting-rod, W, representing a portion of the finger-bar upon which the knives are to be supported, these portions not being required to be shown here. The crank-shaft Vis so supported in its bearingspp, fixed to the frame R, that the line ofits axis continued would intercept the axis of shaft M at Aright angles, the crankshaft thus being always in a radial line to main cog-wheel S, however much the frame R may vibrate, so that the pinion T, and therefore the knives also, would work freely in any position, of the vibrating frame R.

It is obvious that, if the driving-pinion K were iminov'ably connected with the pole D or the platform C, when the pole or carriage rises or falls in consequenceot' unevenness of the ground the pinion would turn faster or slower, according` as its motion were in favor of or against its proper rotation derived from the internal gear, L. For instance, when the machine is-advancing, if the pinion should be raised, this motion would tend to turn the pinion backward-that is to say, contrary toits proper motionand in consequence the knives would for the time move slower, cease to cut,

or be reversed, according to the relative mo'- tions of the axis of the pinion upward and the motions oftheinternalgear,L. Thisdifculty I have remedied by making the vibratory mo? tions of the frame H independent of the nio- Ytions of the platform and pole andgivingthe driver perfect control over the motions ofthe pinion by the lever Z, in the manner just described.

lt will be seen from the construction above l described that the frameR may he swung under the machine and bring the cutter-bar forward of the axle. The crank-shaft would still be in a radial line to cog-wheel S. From the .Y

middle of the rear portion of the frame 1t is hung the drop-piece or shoe X, which turns freely on Van axis, y, supported in suitable bearings on the under side ofthe frame R, the cutter-har being attached to this shoe. In cousequence of the motion of the frame R about axis M and the motion of 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 be seen that the knifebar will readily accommodate or adjust itself to uneven surfaces of ground, and will also override readily small obstacles in the way. The position of axis y, just described, gives a nearly uniform out to the knives during the rise and fall of the knife-bar upon inequalities of the ground. It will be understood that if the axis y were perfectly coincident with the axis of crank-shaft V the cut ofthe knives would be uniform, and that otherwise the knives would pass over the knife-bar to a greater or less extent, according tothe elevation or depression of the knife-bar. The attachment of the knife-bar to the frame R in the manner above described obviates toa great extent this difficulty, and gives nearly anniform cut to the knives.

My mode of adjusting the cut or set of the knives is as follows: At one side of the platform is a lever, z, having its fulcruln w on the side of the platform, and its shorter arm connected with the side of frame H by a pivotbolt, a", the lever z having a slot at e', sothat it may move over its fulerum as the frame H is raised and lowered byits action, the slot allowing motion of the frame and platform independently of each other. The lever is also provided with holes to receive the stop-pin a2,

so as to set the lever at a required adj ustlnent.` According to the action of the lever in raising ing about with the machine. It will be readily seen from the construction above described that I have accomplished the horsing7 of the knife-bar in-a most simple, quick, convenient, and advantageous manner. The bar is raised ir'st into an upright position, turning upon axis y, and is then carried upward and forward by lifting with it the frame R, which swings on axis M, and the bar is then moved onward in a forward direction until it lies over between the carriage-wheels in the position indicated by the red lines in Fig. 1. The cutter-bar is thus horsed in the position shown by only two movements, which are effected in (or nearly in, as may be) twol vertical planes at right angles to each other, and lies at right angles to the axis of the driving-wheels, which I'regardas the most convenient position for its transportation.

What I claim l/under this application, and

ldesire to secure under this division of reissued Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In combination with a main frame,- H, supported upon the carriage-wheels A A', which frame bears the shaft M and main cogwheels S, a second frame hinged to and vibrating about said shaft M, so that the crankshaft on said second frame shall always be in a radial lineto the main cog-wheel S, however much said second frame may vibrate on the main frame, as set forth.

2. Supporting the crank-shaft V upon a vibrating frame, R, intermediate between the cutter-bar or its shoe X and the main frame H, when said main frame bears the main cog wheel S and said intermediate frame vibrates or turns about on axis parallel to the axis of the driving or carriage wheels, as set forth.

t W. S. STETSON.

Witnesses:

Unas. G. PAGE, WM. H. HARRlsoN.

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