US243130A

US243130A - Haed welkee

Info

Publication number: US243130A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1881-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 1898-06-21

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. L. HASTINGS.

Cotton Harvester.

No. 243,130. Patente'd June 21,1881.

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J. L. HASTINGS.

Cotton Harvester. Y No. 243,130. Patented June 21,1881.

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Cotton Harvester. No. 243,130. Patented June 21,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. HASTINGS, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO BERN- HARD WELKER, CONRAD REITER,'BERNHARD KRUGH, HUGH LAFFERTY, AND WILLIAM B. HOLLIS, IN TRUST FOR. HASTINGS COTTON PICKER MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

COTTON-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,130, dated June 21, 1881.

Application filed June 27, 1878. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES LANCE HAST- INGS, of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Harvesters, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to machines for pickin g cotton from the plants and it consists, first, in rods for carrying the pickers into and out of the plants, arranged in pairs, each one of a pair being supported by and pivoted to two revolving plates; secondly, in arms ex- 1 5 tending from said rods to keep them in the desired relation to the revolving plates; thirdly, in the manner of connecting the pickers to and operating them by said plates and rods; fourthly, inthe construction ofand mechanism for operatingapicker,wherebyfingers or spurs may be thrust outward from the body of the picker, and points or hooks may be thrust outward from the fingers or spurs while the picker is in the plant; fifthly, in the arrangement of 2 5 cleaning-belts with reference to the pickers and body of the machine; sixthly, in the arrangement of gears and shafts whereby the revolving plates are driven.

In the drawings, Figure lis a sideelevation 0 of a cotton-harvester embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of parts below the 7 line 1 1 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the opposite side from that shownin Fig. 1. Fig; 4 is an elevation of the rear end of the machine. 3 5 Fig. 5 is a plan view of a pair of pickers and the parts connecting them with the pickerrods, drawn larger and more in detail than in the previous figures, one of the pickers being turned quarter-way around from the position 0 of the other, and a part of the pickers being broken away, the full form of the same being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of one of the pickers taken on line 2 2 in Fig. 5, having the fingers orspurs thrust 4 5 part way out. Fig. 7 is atransverse section of a picker, taken on line 3 3 in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is'a transverse section of a picker, taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 6.

The longitudinal pieces A and cross-pieces B form the supporting-frame of the machine, which is supported by. the broad-faced rear wheel, C, and the smaller forward guide-wheel, D, the longitudinal pieces A being formed at the forward end to allow the wheel D to swivel on a pivot at a.

E is the bottom, and F is the top, of the body of the machine, both, as also the supports G for the top, having the suitable inclinations to have the picking side of the machine conform to thepyramidal form of the plants, and that the bottom of the machine may best clear the adjacentrow of plants. Two plates, H, are centrally pivoted to revolve on the upper side of the bottom E, and two plates, I, are centrally pivoted to revolve on the under side of 65 the top F. Owing to the inclination of the top, bottom, and sides of the body of the machine the shafts of the upper plates are not in the sainelines with those of the lower plates.

The picker-rods J are pivoted at their lower ends to the plates H and at their upper ends to the plates I, being pivoted rather than fixed to the plates, that the picker-rods maybe carried each one about the one central line. Arms b extend from the picker-rods, which are 7: also pivoted to the plates I, and which serve to keep the pickerrods-that is, the bends thereofiu suitable relation to the plates. The picker-rods J are formed to have as many bends or cranks as are required, in the manner shown.

A horizontal bar, K, connects the two pickerrods, being hinged on the bends or cranks of the rods by means of the boxes 0. 1 connect to the bar K two pickers, as follows: Rods or bars I are fastened to the bar K at right angles to the same. At the outer ends of the bars at is fastened a frame-piece, L. To the bar K is also fastened one end of a sleeve, M. The other end of this sleeve M is connected to a-disk, N, by the olasps e, fastened to the disk N, having bearings by which they and the disk may revolve on the sleeve, as shown. Longitudinal pieces or guides f, on either side of a picker, are fastened, each one at one end to a frame-piece, O, and at the other end. to a ring, g. On the guides f slides the frame-piece L, the bars (I sliding in recesses in the framepiece 0. The body of thepicker Pis fitted to revolve at one end in the ring g and at the other end in the frame-piece O.

A shaft, h, is fastened atone endin the body of a picker, 1?, and extends through the disk N and the sleeve M, being round to both slide and revolve in the sleeve, but squared or given other suitable shape, as far as the disk N moves, so that the latter may only slide thereon. On this shafththereis another disk, i, also fitted to slide only on the shaft h. The body of the picker 1? has a cylindrical or other suitably-formed opening part way, to allow the disks N and 'i to enter it the necessary distance.

The body 1?, as also the point Q, ofthe picker, has openings through its length for flexible stems which may be formed ofwire wound spirally, and which have openings through theirlength. These stems j are fastened, each one at one end, to the disk t, and have fastened to them, each one at the other end, a knob or finger, k. In the central openings in the stems j are other smaller flexible stems I, each one of which is fastened at one end to the disk N, and has at the other end points or hooks m, which extend through openings in the fingers 70. These points or hooks m are elastic, so that they may be drawn into the fingers 7c and stemsj, but when extended will take the hook form.

The operation of the parts described is as follows: The plates H and I being revolved will give such motion to the picker-rods J and bar K that they will thrust the pickers, while near the forward part of the machine, outward from the picking side of the machine, so that the points Q will enter the plants. In this movement the frame-piece 0 will be brought against the inner side of horizontal bars It, fastened on the picking side of the machine, and between two of which the pickers and adjoining parts are moved. When the points Q of the pickers have entered the plant the continued motion of the picker-rods J and bar K will cause, by means of the sleeve M and disk N, the stems Zto be pushed along the openings in the picker, together with the stems j. The stemsj will move with the stems l, owing to the friction between them, till both in a set are extended the proper distance from the point of the picker, when, the disk 7; being brought against the solid part of the picker, the stems Z will be pushed along still farther in the stems j, and will cause the hooks m to be extended beyond the fingers k to grasp the cotton. The pickers and other parts attached to the bar K will then be carried along toward the rear of the machine, the frame-piece O moving along the bars R, too great friction being prevented by rollers n on the frame-piece 0. This movement of the pickers toward the rear of the machine corresponds in speed, as near as may be, to the forward motion of the whole machine, drawn by horse or other motive power, so that the pickers while in the plant have no considerable amount of sidewise movement in reference to the plant. After the pickers have passed the designed distance toward the rear of the machine the continued motion of the machine will withdraw first the stemsj and l, and bring the fingers 7c beneath guards z to the point of the pickers Q, then the pickers within the machine gathering and carrying in the cotton within reach of the hooks, and thereupon the hooks m within the fingers 7c. Before the hooks m are withdrawn Within the fingers k the picker points are withdrawn from the plant and they are over acleanin g-belt, S, so that when the hooks mare drawn in, the cotton will be delivered on this belt. The furthercontinuation of the revolution of the plates H and I and movement of the picker-rods J will carry the pickers forward in the machine, 'while the points Q, are over the cleaning-belts, to be again thrust into the plants, and so on. The cleaning-belt S passes about two pulleys, o and 1), so as to move un 'der the pickers in nearly a horizontal direc tion. This movement of the cleaning-belt will revolve the pickers in their hearings in the rings g and frame'piece O to further aid in removing the cotton. The cleaning-belt S delivers the cotton to an elevating-belt, T, which carries it up and over, to be delivered into suitable reeeptacles, this belt passing about pulleys q and r, as shown.

The plates H and I are formed as gears, as shown, or are connected to gears, one of the gears, H, engaging with a pinion, s, and one of the gears, I, with a pinion, t. The gears H and I must revolve together and in the same direction, owing to pinions u engaging one with each set, as shown. The pinions s and t are on shafts which are connected by a universal joint, 11, which is employed, since the pinions s and it do not have their axes in the same straight line.

The shaft of the lower pinion, s, is connected to a shaft by a universal joint, which has a bevel-gear, w, thereon, which engages with a bevel-gear, 00, which is driven, by means of its shaft and bevel-gear x, by a bevel-gear, U, on the same shaft with the rear supporting and driving wheel 0. Another bevel-gear, to, engages with the gear 10, which gear 10 is on the sameshaft with the pulley 0, by which means the cleaning-belt S is driven.

The elevating-beltTmay be driven bya band passing from a pulley connected with the pulleyp to a pulley connected with the adjacent pulley for the elevating-belt, or by other suitable connection with the moving parts of the machine.

I have shown in the drawings only two-- that is, one set of pickers, bars It, and the adjacent parts, and one cleaning-belt; but any number of sets of pickers, bars R, and cleaning-belts may be employed, that maybe properly arranged on the picking side of the machine to the height required by the height of the plants, there being a sufficient number of crank-bends in the picker-rods J, several bends and two bars, K, being shown in the drawin gs.

It will be seen that a double machine may be made to have two picking sides, each side being similarly constructed to the one shown and described, to pick the adjacent sides of two rows of plants. 7

It is necessary that whatever enters the plants to harvest the cotton should not have movements therein to rake, and thus injure or destroy the plants, or portions thereof, and that the picking, while being done as completely as possible, should also be done delicately. These results I am able to accomplish, since I reduce the sidewise movement of the pickers while in the plant to the least possible amount, and by means of the flexible stems, which, while reaching the cotton, will not strike the plants with force to injure them, and by reason of the withdrawing of the fingers before withdrawing the pickers, in the manner described.

To insure the stems j and 1 being withdrawn to the points of the pickers before the pickers are withdrawn from the plant, I fasten a projection or lip, V, to one of the bars R, which holds the frame-piece O to the bars R till the lip V comes opposite the slot W in the framepiece 0, when the frame-piece 0 may be moved from the bars R and the pickers be withdrawn from the plant. The points Q of the pickers are of such a bevel that the sides of them next the cleaning-belt S will be parallel to the belt. That the cleaning-belt S may deliver all the cotton onto the elevating-belt T a comb and guide, Y, is placed, as shown, between them, to gather the cotton from the belt S and guide it onto the belt T, both belts having points or hooks thereon, as shown.

.The picker-rods are best formed so that the crank-bends will alternate one with another on the same rod, as shown, so that two different sets of adjacent pickers will alternate in entering the plants.

Many details in this machine may be changed or modified in various respects without alter ing the essential principles or working of my invention.

I do not herein claim matter shown and described, but not claimed in this case, which has been shown,described, and claimed in previous applications filed by me May 28, 1878, and June 14, 1878; but

I now claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the plates H, plates I, and picker-rods J, having the arms 1), substantially as hereinbefore described. I

2. The combination of the inclined plates H, inclined plates 1, picker-rods J, having the crank-bends, and bar K, substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. The combination .of the bars R, pickerrods J, bar K, frame-piece 0, bars d, and framepiece L, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination of the bars R, pickers P Q, frame-piece 0, guides f, and ring g, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination of the bars R, bar K, sleeve M, disk N, shaft h, and pickers P Q, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

6. In a cotton-harvester, a picker adapted to be thrust into the plant, and having fingers adapted to be thrust outward from the picker, with which fingers are points arranged to be projected outward therefrom for grasping the cotton, substantially as hereinbefore set forth. 7. The j combination of the picker-rods J, frame-piece 0, bars R, and pickers P Q, substantially as hereinbefore described.

8. The combination of the bodyP and point Q of the picker, and stems l, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

9. The combination of the body P and point Q of the picker, stems l, stemsj, fingers k, and points or hooks m, substantially as hereinbefore described.

10. The combination of the body P and point Q of the picker, stems l, and flexible hooks m, substantially as hereinbefore described.

11. The combination of the body P and point Q of the picker, stems l, stems j, disks N and i, and shaft h, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

12. The combination of the cleaning-belt S and pickersP Q, having the fingers 7c and hooks m to be extended and withdrawn, when arranged and operated in reference to each other substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

13. In a cotton-harvester, the combination of the inclined plates and gears H and I, pinions 8 and t, and their shafts connected by the universal joint 1;, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

14. In a cotton-harvester, the combination of the cleaning-belt S and elevating-belt T, when located and operated with reference to each other and to the pickers, having the fingers 7c and hooks m, to be extended and withdrawn substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

15. The frame-piece 0, having the slot W,

in combination with the barR and the projection or lip V, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth. 16. The combination of the cleaning-belt S, comb and guide Y, and elevating-belt T with the pickers, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

JAMES LANCE HASTINGS.

Witnesses:

EDW. DUMMER, H. W. BRIcHER.