Reverend Bell’s Reaper

The reaper pictured was invented by Rev. Patrick Bell in 1826
near Dundee, Scotland, and represents the culmination of British
efforts to produce a practical reaper. That it was a successful
reaper may be judged from the fact that it was built in large
numbers by Crosskill of London, certainly through 1857 a few being
exported to America.

In passing, it is interesting and not unusual in Britain, that
Rev. Bell tested his early machines in the dead of night. This was
done to prevent destruction of his machine at the hands of workmen
whose job it threatened.

Rev. Bell’s reaper had all the essentials of a practical
reaper to wit:

(1) Cutting apparatus. Grain was cut by means of a gang of
shears resembling hand grass shears. One blade of each set of
shears was fixed, the mating blades of the several sets were joined
by a bar and alternately opened and closed upon the fixed blades by
a traction driven cam. This cutting apparatus was original with
Rev. Bell.

Bell’s cutting apparatus was practical in dry, clean,
standing grain and was used for from 25 to 30 years in some Bell
reapers. It is obvious that the shears would and did clog badly in
damp grain or in green growth and the technique was replaced
throughout the world by the sickle-bar and guard system which was
invented seven years after Rev. Bell first built.

(2) Side Delivery. Rev. Bell arranged a moving canvas belt to
deliver the cut grain to the right or left side to clear a path for
the next cut. The picture referred to (I. M. A. Nov.-Dec. 1970,
Page 19) shows the right-hand delivery of cut grain. These features
were original with Rev. Bell.

(3) Grain reel adjustable fore and aft and adjustable for height
of reel. The Grain reel was known before Rev. Bell began his
work.

(4) Grain divider In fact Rev. Bell’s machine had two, short
type, as the machine was adapted to deliver the swath to either
right or left. The divider was not original with Rev.
Bell.

(5) Clutching device for disconnecting the gearing from traction
wheels while travelling idle. This device was not original
with Rev. Bell.

(6) Means for Guiding the Machine Note in the I. M. A. picture
the driver holds such a guide lever in his right hand. This device
may or may not have been original with Rev. Bell.

Reverend Bell was properly honored in Britain for the
incalculable service to his country by his inventions being
awarded, in 1868, a testimonial of 1000 pounds subscribed by the
Highland Society and other Agriculturists.

A few years ago at the Museum of Science in London the Curator
of Agriculture and I examined several models to determine whether
the British ever used the tooth and concave system of threshing.
Our conclusion was that from the earliest to the latest British
threshers only the rub-bar cylinder construction was in general
use.

When we finished our investigation my guide turned with some
pride to point out one of Bell’s original reapers standing
nearby. I looked for Rev. Bell’s cutting shears and noticed
instead a sickle-bar cutter of early manufacture. When I chided the
Curator for not having Bell’s cutting apparatus, but instead
one of American design, he read a placard attached to the machine
to me. I’m quite sure he read further than he ever had before,
since he read: ‘the cutting device on this machine has been
added at a later date.’

Turning to me he then said, ‘Well, who’s cutting device
is this?’ My answer was ‘This is Obed Hussey’s cutting
bar, by means of which all the grass and grain of the world are
cut. We Americans gave you the cutting bar, but this is not a
one-way street you gave us the threshing cylinder and the steam
engine. Why don’t you put Rev. Bell’s shears on that
machine as they deserve to be.’

I’ll be willing to bet Reverend Bell’s original reaper
hasn’t been restored yet so few people know the difference.