US1391027A - Cultivator - Google Patents

Description

L. E. WATERMAN.

c uLrlvAToR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 191?.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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L. E. WATERMAN.

A cuulvnon.

APPLICATION F-ILED OCT. 1,0, 1911.

1,391,027. Patentedept. 20, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. E. WATERMAN.

CULTIVATOH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, |911.

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

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L'. E. WAERMAN.

CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 1917.

Patented sept. 20,1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE. A

LEWIS E. WATERMAN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EMERSON-BRANTING- HAM COMPANY, 0F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS. Y

CULTIVATOB.

Specicaton of Letters Patent. Patent-ed Sept. 20, 1921.

Application led October 10, 1917. Serial No. 195,684.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Lewis E. WATERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cultivators, and the primary object is to provide one especially adapted for general cultivating purposes, that is, to meet the conditions and requirements of both field and garden cultivating.

In furtherance of this general object I' have incorporated in a cultivator in a novel manner various features of advantage, which enable cultivating in a most practical and efficient manner. Generally stated, these include the provision for shifting the cultivating gangs laterally, simultaneously with the angling or steering of the wheels so as to accurately follow the rows, adjustment of the shovel gangs laterally to accommodate variousV widths of rows, adjustment of the wheels laterally to narrow or widen the tread, automatic balancing by forward and backward movement of the wheels with respect to the frame when raising or lowering the shovel gangs, and the application of all movements and draft forces in a most simple mounting the cultivating gangs on a crossY shaft or bar or the like which is included inl the connection between the wheels for maintaining them in parallelism and which serves to support thecultivating gangs in a rigid and substantial manner and 'also permits them to be adjusted laterally to accommodate different widths of rows, andfor establishng` such a connection bweenthe gang supporting means and wheels that the latter may be moved forwardly and backwardly independently of movement of the gang supporting means, when the gangs are lowered and raised.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by those skilled in the art when the invention becomes better understood by vreference to the following specifi- Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe cultivator v with the near wheel removed for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to the preceding ligure, but showing the cultivating gangs in a raised position and the consequent movej 1 kment of parts; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary front and rear views respectively of one sideof the cultivator.

vIn the present embodiment of my iml provements a frame is provided, including spaced side bars 8 and 9, converging forwardly as shown, and pivotally connected at 11 to an interposed tongue 12. A brace bar 13 rigidly binds together and holds in spaced relation the forward portions of the side bars just at the rear of the pole, and the rear ends of the side bars are attached to and secured together by a wheel-arch or axle structure. This, in the present instance, lis designed so that the depending portions of the wheel arch may be adjusted laterally for different widths of rows and may be swung forwardly and backwardly for'balancing, as will be mentioned hereinafter and consists of a tubular sleeve member 14.- ysecured at its ends by set screws 15 in quadrant brackets designated generally by reference character 16, which are shaped to provide forward eX- tensions 17, in which the rear ends of the' side bars 9 are seated and rigidly bolted. Telescopically and rotatably mounted within each end of thesleeve 14 is an elbow wheel-arch member 18 having a depending portion 19 in turn Vrotatably fitting in a sleeve or axle-Supportingl bracket designated generally by reference character 21. As noted in Fig. 5, this axle-supporting bracket projects below the lower end of the against lengthwise movement upon said por tion 19 but is permitted to move rotatably with vrespect thereto byl reason of a pin 22 passing through the member 19 and confined at its ends in slots 23 formed in the sleeve 21. The lower end of each wheel-arch mem' ber 19 is stepped upon the upright portion of an elbow axle member 24 which is rigidly secured within the lower end of the bracket 21 by means of a bolt 25. An anti'- friction bearing is provided between the axle 24 and wheel-arch portion 19 sok that the wheels may be angled freely with practically no frictional resistance of close 'fitting and binding parts, since the weight of the cultivator is carried entirely through the bracket 21 and pins 22. A carrying wheel 26 is vmounted'on each'axle 24and a suitable sand box 27 `may be employed in connecting the wheel with the axle for preventing lsand 'and foreign matter from entering the wheel bearings.- Each wheel-arch member is further held in set vposition against lateral movement with respect tothe frame by a link 28- embracing the `portion 19 of its respective wheel-arch yjust above its bracket i v21'and connected by a bolt 29 to the quadrantbracket 16, as shown. These links have each a series ,of perforations for the reception of'fastening bolts 29, so that the wheelarchmembersmay be adjustedlater'ally and held in` predetermined position by locating the bolts 29 inthe desired holes in the links.

Erom the foregoing, it will be noted that a.

wheel-arch, thatis, an arch structure connecting the carrying wheels to the frame, is provided, permitting the wheels to be adjusted laterally tok vary the tread and to be moved forwardly and backwardly with respect tothe frame and also to be angled about an upright axis for the purpose of steering the cultivator. With reference to these movements, it will be noted that the `horizontal portion of each wheel-arch member 18 js telescopically and rotatably fitted in the sleeve member 14 and is held against telescoping movement therein by means of its respective link28, and that the axle supporting bracket21, which carries `the axle is free to revolve upon the depending portion of its. respective wheel-arch member. This gives an exceedingly simple construction, confined strictly to the general shape of the arch structure and while permitting ofthe various movements just mentioned, is so designed as to be amply strong and durable for withstanding all strains incidental to usage. The means for maintaining the wheel-arch members in upright position and for swinging them backwardly and forwardly and also for angling the wheels, will be-describedlater in connect'ionwith the descriptionof thel control and operation ofthe cultivating gangs. l

` Itis desirable that the cultivating gangs or shovel-'carryingV beams shall be pivotally supported so that they may be easily raised and lowered and shall be shiftable laterally, simultaneously with anglin'giof the wheels, allowing `the cultivator -to be easily` and quickly guided to accurately followthe rows, and shall also be capable of lateral adjustment in accordance with thewidth of rows and thus be applicable for both field and garden cultivation and shall finally be supported in a rigid and substantial manner, so as to hold to a given and set workingA relation to the plants, which is especially dev sirable when close cultiva-tion is desired, as in garden work. With theseV requirements in view, I have pivotally'suspended 'the cultivating beams or drag bars from across bar or shaft, jin turnv slidable Vlaterally on the frame and connected with the axle supporting brackets, mentioned above, in a manner to establish a steering connection be- -tween the wheels, and`have provided suitable connections between the shovel beams and cross bar for holding the same in Vfixed and adjusted relation with respect to lateral movement.' This cross bar or shaft 31 is slidably mounted in bearingsV 32, which are rigidly secured to the side bars vadjacent to the front of the cultivator, as shown. The

cultivating gangs 'Y may bel of any Asuitable or preferred construction, andin the present instance, are of the beam type designed to carry a gang 'of cultivating'shovels on each side of a row of plants. Each gang of shovels is mounted on a beam structure,

which, in this instance, consists of a pair of upon and withrespect to the rod 31 by reason Vof the slidable mounting of the beam arms 34 thereupon. An adjustable connection is established between the cross rod 31 and each lcultivating gang .for theV purpose of holding the gangs in fixed relation to the l cross rod and also of adjusting the Vgangs Y laterally thereupon.r Thisconsists of arhand lever 35 pivotally mounted at 36, centrally upon the Vcross rod and vvhavinglink connections 37 and 33 on opposite sides of the lever fulcrum, respectively with the two cultivating gangs, a quadrant and latch connection ofthe usual type being provided for holding the lever iixed in any adjusted position thereof with respect tothe cross rod. v It will be manifest,l therefore, viewing F ig. k1, that Yby adjusting the lever 35v in Y a clockwise direction Ythe Vcultivating gangs will be moved outwardly upon the rod 31 to widen the cultivating paths, and upon moving the lever in the opposite direction the cultivatinfr gangs will be moved closer together.

he means for steering the. cultivator,

that is, for angling the wheels and simul. taneously shifting the cultivating gangs lat` erally will now be described. It will first be noted that there is a connection between each axle supporting bracket 21 and the adjacent end of the cross rod 31, of such construction as to transmit the lateral movement of the cross rod 31 to the bracket 21 in an oscillating movement by which the wheels will be angled simultaneously with lateral shifting movement of the cross rod 31, and such as will permit the depending wheel-arch members to be swung backwardly and forwardly in the balancing operation of the cultivator, independently of movement ofthe cross rod, as will be described more fully hereinafter. This connection I have vdevised in simple form, consisting of a link 39 pivotally connected at its forward end at 41 to a bracket 42 secured to the adjacent end portion of the cross rod 31 and pivotally connected at its rear end at 43 to the upper end of the bracket 21. In this latter connection the bracket is shaped to provide a forwardly opening socket 44 which receives the rear end portion of the link 39 so as to confine the same against sidewise or horizontal movement on its pivot 43, thereby establishing a connection by which the bracket 21 may be oscillated on the depending 'portion 19 of the wheel arch member, the socket being of a forwardly tapering and enlarging shape, so that the bracket is capable of back and forth swinging movement in a vertical plane with respect to the link 39. Hence, while there 1s a permanent connection between the cross rod 31 and axle supporting bracket 21 by which the latter will be oscillated to angle the wheels, the bracket 21 is capable at any time 4of being swung backwardly and forwardly without interfering with the cross rod 21l or its cultivating gangs, for the purpose of balancing the cultivator when the gangs are raised and lowered, as will be mentioned hereinafter. The steering means for moving the cross rod 31 laterally is foot-operated and consists of pendant foot stirrups or levers 45 pivotally mounted on the wheel-arch sleeve 14 and having extended up-per arms 46 connected respectively to the adjacent cross rod brackets 42 through the agency of links 47 and 48V and a bell crank 49 interposed between and connected to said links and pivotally mounted on the side bars of the frame to transform forward and backward movement of the arms46 to a lateral or sidewise movement for moving the cross rodV 31 laterally. It will be evident that an'opera-tor seated on the saddle 51 carried by thebars 52, in turn secured. t0

rows. The cultivating tools may be guided in very accurate relation to the plants b-y means of a steering device of the character described.

Hand levers are provided for raising and lowering the cultivating gangs, which it will be noted, may be raised at their vrear ends about their pivotal mountings at their forward ends on the cross rod 31. These hand levers 53, one for each cultivating gang, are each pivotally mounted at 54 upon a quadrant bracket 16 and are equipped with the usual ,spring latch engagement with the notched sector of the quadrant. The levers are extended below their pivots and connected at their lower ends to their respective shovel beams, the connections shown consisting of links 55 having a one-way connection with the beams and equipped with an expansion spring 56, which permits the beams to rise when the shovels encounter any obstruction while passingover irregular ground. By means `of this arrangement, when the upper ends of the hand levers 53 are moved downwardly the cultivating gangs will be raised to an elevated position, and in the event that the machine is employed in cultivating be tween rows of trees in orchards where the limbs of the trees are low, the links 55 may be connected in the holes 57 above the pivots 54 of the levers so that when the tools arev '.in the ground the levers will be in their ing gangs, this being for the purpose of automatically balancing the cultivator, as is well known in the art, so that the front end of the pole will not be raised by the change in the center of gravity of the machine incidental to raising the shovels from the ground.` For this purpose, each cultivating gang is equipped with a rigidly forwardly and outwardly extending arm 58, which serves also as a draft member, as will be presently mentioned, and the forward end of each of these arms is connected by means of a link 59 to the adjacent sand box bracket at 61 or may be connected to any similar part fixed with respect to the axle. When the gangs are raised they will be swung upwardly and rearwardly about the fulcrum 31 and the wheels will be moved rearwardlyabout the pivotal mounting of the wheel arches 18, through the agency of the connections 58- 59, it being obvious that this movement will the wheels and the cultivating tools. This is of material importance, since the draft is not transmitted through any frame structure or Y complex mechanism, but is applied directly to its point of usage, which makes the cultivator exceedingly light of draft and easy to operate. The draft means illustrated consists of an, evener v62 pivotally mounted at 63 on the tongue 12 and equipped at its ends with pendentsa which are connected intermediate their ends through the agency of clevis links 65 or any suitable means, to the forward ends of the draft members 58, and arel adapted-to be equipped at their lower ends with Whittle-trees 66. By connecting the draft direct and low to the cultivating gangs, it is utilized to hold the shovels in the ground so that they will be kept scoured vand will perform their cultivating function in a very satisfactory manner and will have ino tendency to run out of the ground. An

adjustable connection is provided between the pole 12 and the frame of the cultivator for relatively adjusting the pole and frame to thereby* level the beams or to properly position them with respect to the horizontal in accordance with the work being done. This connection takes the form of an adjustv able hand lever 67, pivoted at 68 to a notched segment 69 with which the lever cooperates in the usual way and which is secured to the cultivator frame, and a yieldable link connection 71 between the lever and rear end of the tongue. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the brackets 12 are shaped to provide a series of openings 40 spacedsimilarly to the openings in the links 28. These openings 40 enable the links 39 to be properly adjusted when the links28 are adjusted, as

mentioned above, to narrow or widen the cultivator, it being obvious that lthe bolts L11 maybe positioned in any opening 10, corresponding with a similar adjustment of the bolts 29, for width.

In the operation of my improved cultivator, it will be understood from the foregoing description that a very sensitive steering device is provided by means of which the'cultivating shovels may be very Y accurately guided with respect to the rows by angling the wheels andsimultaneously shifting the cultivating gangs laterally upon operation of the foot stirrups 45; that the cultivating gangs are supported in a very-simple and rigid manner, so as to be easily raised and lowered and moved laterally when steering and also so that they may be adjusted laterally independent of the steering device to accommodate different widths ofy rows and to be arranged in the desiredproximity to the plants, this being especially desirable in Ygarden cultivation wherein it isnecessary features of ad'ustment and o eration Dro- Y vision 'in a simple and novel manner, for effecting automatic balancing of the cultivator when the cultivating gangs are raised and lowered, and that the `back and forward movement of the wheels lis governed by a direct connection betweenthe same and the cultivating gangs, this balancin feature be-v ing'accomplished with very little mechanism and without a'ecting in any waythemounting` or positioningof the cultivating gangs,

so that with regardto the lattera `very sim-` ple construction is possible, including theV desired adjustments; that the cultivator may Y be widened. and narrowed for field or garden cultivation lin a very simple and easy manner; and that the foregoing features are accomplished ina most direct manner by a structure exceedingly simple in view of the many adjustments and desired operating functions of the parts.v

It is believed that the operation of my improvements, and-it should be understood that while I have illustrated foregoingY conveys a clear understanding of the principles and one practical working embodiment thereof,

the construction and varrangement Yof parts might be changed and modified without d'eparting fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended' claims:

I claim: v, Y. 1. Ina cultivator, the combination of a frame, a wheel arch, a wheel connected with each depending upright portion; of the wheel arch in such manner as .to be capable of turning about theupright aXis thereof and to be movable forwardly and backfwardly withfrespect to the frame` about ,the horizontal axisV of said arch, a cross bar mounted upon and slidable laterally with respect to the frame in front of the wheel arch, shovel gangs atj tached to the cross barso yas to be'movable laterally therewith, a connection between each depending portion of the wheel arch Y and the adjacentV end. portion of the cross bar for angling the wheels whenthe cross bar Vis moved laterally and Permitting the wheels to be moved forwardly and back.-

wardly independently of movement of theV cross bar, a connection` between the shovel gangs and wheels for moving the latter forwardly and backwardlyV upon lowering and raising the shovel gangs,means for moving the cross bar laterally, yand means for rais-- l the frame, shovel beamsv pivotally attachedV tothe cross bar to swing vertically thereupon, a connection between each wheel-supporting bracket and the adjacent end portion of the cross bar for oscillating thebrackets in unison upon lateral movement of thejcgl'oss bar and permitting back 'and' forth swlnging movement of the brackets independently ofjmovement of.y thel cross bar,means forV moving jthe cross bar laterally, 'connections between the cultivator beams andwheels for moving the latter 'backwardly `and forwardly through the act of raising and lowering the beams, and means for raising and-lowering the beams.

3. In a cultivator, the combination of a frame, carrying wheels capable of being angled with Vrespect tothe line of draft and of being moved forwardly and backwardly with respect to the frame, shovel gangs mounted upon and movable laterally with respect to the frame and having each a forwardly and outwardly projecting extension in substantially the horizontal plane of the beams, means connecting the shovel gang and wheels for angling the latter upon moving the gangs laterally, an evener mounted on the frame and equipped at its ends with depending links, connections between ksaid t links and said extensions of the beams and 40 between said beams and thewheel supports, whereby draft applied to said links will be transmitted directly to the beams and wheels,

and means for raising and lowering the beams and consequently moving the wheels backwardly and forwardly through the agency of said links between the beam extensions and the wheel supports.

4c. In a Vcultivator, the combination of a frame, a wheel arch mounted thereon, an

A axle-supporting rsleeve bracket revolubly mounted on each dependingportion of the wheel arch and held against lengthwise movement thereon, an `axle rigidly secured to the lower end of each axle-supporting bracket andV equipped with a carrying wheel, laterally movable beam-supporting means'mounted on the frame forwardly of the wheel arch, each axle-supporting bracket being shaped at its front side to provide a forwardly opening socket for reception of a link which is confined against sidewise movement with respect to the bracket and is capable of vertical swingingl movement relatively thereto,l links disposed at one end in said sockets and attached to their respective brackets and connected at their opposite ends to the beam-supporting means, whereby the wheels may be moved forwardly and backwardly independently of movement of said beam-supporting means and `whereby also the wheels will be angled upon lateral `move1nent of said means, means for moving the beam supporting means laterally, and means for moving the wheelsbackwardly and forwardly;y

(5,. In cultivator, the combination of a frame, a wheel arch having depending portions, any axle-supporting bracket revoluble about each depending portion, of the wheel arch and shaped to providey a forwardly opening socket adapted to receive the end of a link in a manner to 'confine the same against lateral movement with respect to the bracket and to permit the link to 'swing vertically upon the bracket, an axle secured tothe lower end of'each axle supp-ort,wheels on the axles, beam-supporting vmeans movable laterally upon and with respect to the frame, links disposed at -one end in said sockets and connected to their respective brackets and connected at their opposite ends to said beam-supporting means, means for moving the .beam-supporting means laterally and consequently angling the wheels, and means for movingthe wheels backwardly and forwardly.

6, In a cultivator, the combination of a frame, carrying wheels, mountings for the carrying wheels so that the latter are capable of forward and backward movement with frespect 'to the frame, shovel beams pivotally mounted at their forward ends and equipped adjacent thereto with laterally extending draft members, a link connection between each of said draft members and the wheel mountings so that when the cultivating beams are raised and lowered the wheels will be moved forwardly and backwardly through the agency of Saidl connections, and draft means applied directly 110 to said forward extensions of the cultivat` ing beams.

7. In a cultivator, the combination of a frame, a wheel arch therefor having `a depending portion at each side of the frame, 115.'

an axle-supporting sleeve bracket revoluble upon each of said depending portions of the wheel arch and held against lengthwise movement on said portions, an elbow axle, the upright portion of which is rigidly secured in the lower end of each axle-supporting bracket, the lower end of each depending wheel-arch. portion being stepped through the agency of an anti-friction bearing upon the top of said upright axle portion, a wheel mounted on the axle, and means for oscillating the axle-supporting bracket on the depending wheel-arch portion for steering the eultivator.

8. In a cultivator, the combination of a frame having an upright spindle ortthe like .at each side, an axle-supporting sleeve bracket revoluble about said spindle andk projecting below the lowerA end thereof,- means for holding the bracket against lengthwise movement on the spindle, an elbow axle, an upright portion of which is rigidly secured in the lower end of the sleeve bracket, an anti-fricton bearing between the adjoining ends of the spindle and l. axle member, a wheel mounted on the aXle,'

and means for oscillating the bracket on the spindle to steer the cultivator.

V9In a cultivator, tlie combination of a frame, carrying wheels therefor capable `of fforward and backward movement for balancing purposes, cultivator beams or drag bars mounted on thel frame with capacity for raising and lowering kmovements and equipped with forwardly extending draft bars, means Afor raising and lowering the ment; about .upright axes, a dragfbar support shiftable ylaterally .ofthe frame, drag bars attached to. said support'andha'ving forwardly extending draft bars, draft means. attached to `said `draft bars, a `con-v nection between eachdraftfbar .and the adjacentwheel formovingfthe latterforwjard Y and vrearward when thedragbar is loweredV and raised,V and lmeans for raising and lowering the :drag bars.

f LE-rvis E. 'vinrrniumiv.l

i respect tothe V:frame vand 0f pivotalfmove-

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