22 BRIEF NARRATIVE OF THE 



they should in one revolution give the crank sixteen vibrations, more or less; 

 the saw teeth should play clear oi: the guards, both above and below. * * * 



Operation. — The power is given by locking the wheels to the main axis, 

 the machine has one square wheel box, the other round and locked at pleasure. 

 If the power should be wanted, one, two, or more horses are attached and driven 

 on the stubble before the machine, the right wheel running near the standing gram, 

 the platform with the saw in its front edge extends on the right, at right angles 

 with the direction of the horses, with the guards and saw teeth presented to the 

 standing grain — when the machine moves forward, the saw moves with the teeth 

 endwise and horizontal, the grain or grass is brought between the guards, the saw 

 teeth in passing through the guards, cut the stalk while held both above and below 

 the saw — the butts ofthe grain receive an impulse forward by the motion of the 

 machine while in the act of being cut, which causes the heads of the grain to fall 

 directly backwards on the platform— in this manner the platform receives the grain 

 until a'sufficient quantity is collected to make one or more bundles, according to the 

 pleasure of the operator, then it is deposited with a proper instrument by the oper- 

 ator, WHO MAY RIDE ON THE MACHINE." 



Here follows the dimensions of a machine suited to two horses, 

 which is only copied so far as refers to the cutting apparatus, viz: 

 "the back of the saw may be from one inch to ij^ inches wide, and 

 from three sixteenths to one quarter of an inch thick; and the steel 

 plates for the teeth should be about one-tenth of an inch thick; one 

 end of the mortice in the guard should be fitted to receive the back 

 of the saw, so that the bearing may be on the back of the saw only." 



" In this machine the following points are claimed as new and original: — 

 1st. — The straight horizontal saw, with the teeth sharp on their two sides for cutting 

 grain. 2d.~The guards forming double bearers above and below the saw, whereby 

 tht: cutting is made sure, whether with a sharp or dull edge, the guards at the same 

 time protecting the saw from rocks or stones, or other large substances it may meet 

 with, :3d.— The peculiar construction that the saw teeth may run free, whereby 

 the necessary pressure and consequent friction of two corresponding edges cutting 

 together, as on the principle of scissors, is entirely avoided. 4th —The peculiar 

 arrangement by which the horses are made to go before the machine, being more 

 natural, and greatly facilitating the use of the machine, and the general arrange- 

 ment of the points as above described. 



In cutting grass, the platform is reduced in width, and the grass falls on the 

 ground as it is cut." 



In the improvement of the guards patented in 1847, the claim 

 states, "I accordingly claim the opening above the blades A, fig. 3, 

 and at D. fig i, in combination with vibrating blades. I also claim 

 the particular application of the flush edge at the fork of the blades, 

 for the purpose described. 



The end and design of the improvements above claimed, is to pre- 

 vent the blades choking." 



En passant, wc would ask any intelligent and candid farmer 

 or mechanic who has examined a successful reaper, to compare the 

 foregoing plain specifications which all can understand, with the 

 cutting apparatus of the most successful modern machine. And 

 we would especially desire him to compare them in principle with 

 the " improved form of fingers to hold up the corn, and an iron case 

 to preserve the sickles from clogging;" not the alleged invention 

 of 1831, by C. H. McCormick, and abandoned from 1840 to 1843, 

 but the claims patented by him in 1845, [as stated in the letter 

 to Philip Pusey, M. P.] twelve years after the date of Hussey's patent, 



