HARVESTING MACHINERY 139 



the honor of designing it. His machine had oscillating knives, 

 each of which were about 15 inches long and about 4 inches 

 broad at the back, where they were pivoted and worked over a 

 similar set of knives underneath like so many pairs of shears.' The 

 rear ends of the movable blades were attached to an oscillating 

 rod connected with a worm flange on a revolving shaft. It pre- 

 sented a new idea in having a canvas moving on rollers just 

 behind the cutting mechanism, which carried the grain to one 

 side and deposited it in a continuous swath. Bell also provided 

 his machine with a reel and inside and outside dividers. His 



FIG. 106 BELL'S REAPING MACHINE (ENGLAND, 1828) 



machine marks the point when the development of the reaping 

 machine was practically turned over to Americans. It never 

 was very practical because it was constructed upon wrong prin- 

 ciples, but nevertheless it was used in England for several years 

 until replaced with machines built after the inventions of the 

 Americans, Hussey and McCormick. 



187. American development. Beginning with the year 1803, 

 a few patents were recorded before Hussey's first patent, which 

 was granted December 31. 1833. These were not of any impor- 

 tance, since they did not add any new developments and were 

 not practical. The only one which gave much encouragement 

 was the invention of William Manning, of New Jersey, patented 

 in 1831. Manning's machine had a grain divider and a sickle 

 which were similar to those used later in the Hussey and McCor- 

 mick machines. 



It was in 1833 when Obed Hussey, of Baltimore, Maryland, 

 was granted his patent which marks the beginning of a period 



