1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



207 



parts working constantlj' in line, giving a stroke 

 of eight inches by the eccentric, and each end of 

 the elbow being eight inches from its centre of mo- 

 tion, causes on either end a deflection of hut five- 

 eighths of an inch beyond a straight centre line. 

 At the same time, the cutters have as much velo- 

 city as the best reapers and mowers in use. They 

 make but half the reverses or vibrations, and re- 

 quire less than half the weight of cutter bar and 

 connections of either of them, while it is equally 

 strona;. 



These cutters and dividers are not dissimilar to 

 those used by the first premium mowing machine 

 at the late trial by the State Society, with the ex- 

 ception that the divider is made to fit round the 

 under side of a wrought iron cutter beam, the 

 beam itself l)eing made of two plates of wrought 

 iron rolled into a sort of trough, with their con- 

 cave faces placed together, and then firmly riveted, 

 thus forming a hollow beam. An enlarged but 

 imperfect representation of the divider is shown in 

 Fig. 3. 



Through this hollow beam a shaft is passed, 

 and at its extreme end this shaft is turned at right 

 angles to the rear of the beam about two feet, and 

 a wheel attached to its rear end, to support the 



This cut represents a transverse section of the 

 wrought iron cutter beam, with a section of the 

 cutter bar, cutters and divider. B represents the 

 cutter bar to which the steel blades are attached, 

 on its underside, — the bend of the blades being 

 upon their upper side, and sickle-edged. These 

 blades also extend back of the cutter bar, with 

 cutting angle and edges same as before it, but not 

 terminating in a poinfc. This rear projection serves 

 to cut a.nd clear the "clog" or fibre which may 

 possibly escape the forward cut and be drawn into 

 the dividers. D represents a section of the crank 

 axle which extends tiirough the hollow beam and 

 supports its outer end. C repi-esents the double 

 plate hollow beam with attaehments. A repre- 

 sents the divider,with openings and guides through 

 which the cutters pass; this divider is made very 

 true, and with sharp corners over which the cut- 

 ters pass, forming a p(>rfect shears cutting action. 

 These dividers are wider than most others, leaving 

 a space of about two inches between them, thus 

 better protecting the cutters from injury from! 

 stones, also comjiressing the grass or grain into al 

 more dense body, and better condition for the ac- 

 tion of the cutters. 



Fii 



The cut showing the mower represents wheels 

 attached, same as with the reaper. However, 

 where the fields are small, and it is desirable to 

 have it smaller, and the crop of grass or grain is 

 80 light as not to produce an excessive side draft 

 on the liorses, the forward wheels and seat may 

 . be removed, and the horses hitched closely up to 

 the machine, the driver moving back upon a seat 

 directly fjrward or over the large main wheel. 



outer end of the beam. At the inner end of this 

 shaft is attached a sort of crank or lever about two 

 feet long, extending forward towards the driver's 

 seat, with a leather strap or cliain attached to it. 

 This strap, passing upwards and over a shieve, ex- 

 tends along the large lever to the driver's seat, 

 and passing another shieve, and is then attached 

 to the foot b)ard of the driver. This main lever, 

 which is seen passing the driver's seat, is made 

 permanent to the machine itself, and is kept in its 

 desired position or elevation, by means of an up- 

 riglit post beside the seat, with a series of catches 

 and latch, operated by the driver's foot, so that 

 while the person is raising the lever with his hand, 

 with his foot he loosens or confines it where he de- 

 sii'es. 



Therefore, while he raises the lever, lifting by 

 it the side of the machine directly in rear of him- 

 self, the strap or chain is drawn over the shieves, 

 and the end of the wrench lever is raised sufficient- 

 ly to turn the crank shaft which extends through 

 the cutter beam, and by this being turned, the 

 wheel at the outer end becoming a fulcrum on the 

 ground, the beam itself must be raised at its out- 

 er end so as to maintain a uniform elevation of its 

 whole cutting front from the ground. 



The apron itself is shown with its fixtures in 

 Fig. 2, detached. It is made of a strong frame 

 work and light covering of wood and tin. The T 

 standard at its back is a breastwork to protect and 

 support the raker, who stands erect, face forward, 

 directly behind it. The delivery is at one side, 

 and has a slight elevation above the cutters, about 

 1.^ inches, and is over four feet wide. A reel^may 

 be used at pleasure, and is always sold with the 

 machine. The reel is driven by a pulley on the 

 main wheel shaft— the band passing below the 

 apron to the front side, where it passes upward 

 to and over a pulley on the reel shaft. The band 



