Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/25

 MOWING AND KEAPING MACHINES of Haines, Ketchum, Manny, and Wood are prominent among inventors of improvements in mowers and harvesters. The practical use of self-rakers in this country dates from the invention of W. H. Seymour of New York in 1851, who arranged a quadrant-shaped plat- form directly behind the cutters, a reel to gather the grain, and a rake moving over the platform in the arc of a circle, depositing the sheaves on the ground. In 1856 Owen Dorsey of Maryland combined the reel and rake, and his improvement has been extensively used in this country and Europe, with some modifica- tions, one of which was by Johnston in 1865, who arranged it so that the size of the sheaves, or gavels as they are called, could be regulated at the will of the driver. Owing to the variety in form and the multiplicity of patented modi- fications of the several parts of the modern machines, and the impossibility of doing jus- tice to all parties in an attempt to describe all the inventions within the limits of this article, we shall give a general description only of their construction and operation. These machines FIG. 1. Mower. consist of a strong framework, so constructed as to support a driver's seat, the cutting mecha- nism, and, when used for harvesting grain, a platform on which the grain falls when cut, and from which it is raked as often as a suffi- cient quantity for a bundle has accumulated. This framework is somewhat longer than the width of the swath to be cut, which is usually 5 ft., and of sufficient width for the platform, say 3 ft., except when used for cutting grass, when the platform is dispensed with, as the mown grass is allowed to fall over the cutters directly upon the ground. On the front edge of the frame is the cutting apparatus, consist- ing of a series of iron guards or pointed fingers, which are permanently fastened to the frame and extend about 7 in. beyond its edge, parallel to each other, horizontal and pointing forward. They are about 3J in. apart, and 1% in. wide at the base, lessening toward the point. Each guard has a horizontal mortise through it, and being on a line with each other they all form a continuous horizontal mortise or slit through the whole line of guards. The cutters are formed of thin triangular plates of steel, fast- ened to a straight flat rod or plate of metal. These steel plates are arranged side by side, resembling a saw with teeth 3 in. wide at their base and 4 in. long, sharp on both sides, and terminating in a point. This saw or cutting plate is passed through the slits in the guards with the teeth pointing forward and their points coming even with the centres of the guards. One end of the saw is connected with a crank, which receives a rapid motion through intermediate cog wheels, from the tractive force and motion of the main or driving wheel. The framework with all its mechan- ism is supported by two or more wheels, the drive wheels being much larger than the others, and the axles so constructed as to admit of the platform, cutters, &c., being horizontal and suspended within a few inches of the ground. The pole is so attached to the framework as to allow the team to walk before the machine on the stubble of the last swath, while the platform with the cutters on its front edge extends on the right at right angles with the direction of the horses, so that the guards and cutters are presented to the standing grain or grass. A large reel, in front of and parallel with the series of cutters, is sometimes attached to the framework, and, being connected by a band or otherwise to the drive wheel, is made to revolve with it in the right direction to bend back the top of the standing grain or grass, past the cutters and over the platform, which tends to assist the cutting and to insure the backward fall of the grass upon the plat- form, or the ground in the rear of the machine. Some of the later machines, like the one shown in fig. 2, of which the " Champion " reaper of Springfield, O., is an example, have a sweep rake consisting of arms which, by means of a circular inclined plane, or stationary cam over which the heels of the arms are made to pass in revolving, become elevated when passing over the inner drive wheel, and lowered to the proper level when passing over the platform, so that the grain is gathered into parcels of a FIG. 2. Eeaper. suitable size for sheaves. A seat for the driver is usually attached directly behind the team, above and over the outer drive wheel in the harvester, but in the mower it is usually be- tween the two drive wheels. Some patents have been granted for machines for reaping