US321919A

US321919A - Geoege a

Info

Publication number: US321919A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 1902-07-07

Description

G. A. STONE.

CORNSTALK CUTTER. y(Pat (Nn Model.)

tedJuly 7. 1885.'

No. 321,919.V

a d. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE A. STONE, OE RICHMOND, MISSOURI.

CORNSTALK-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,919, dated July 7, 1885.

Application led February 11, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it' may concern.

Beit known that l, GEORGE ALEXANDER STONE, of Richmond, in the county ot' Ray and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oornstalk-Cuttcrs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figurel is a sectional side elevation of my improvement. Fig?. is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, part being broken away.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the cutting of cornstalks in the field, so that the said stalks will be turned under by the plow, and also to promote convenience in con trolling and operating cornstalk-cutters.

The invention consists of the combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

A are the wheels, the axle B of which re volves in bearings attached to the side bars of the frame C. The faces of the wheels A are toothed or roughened to prevent'them from slipping upon the ground. The wheels Aare connected with the axle B by pawls D and ratchet-wheels E, so that the said wheels,when turned forward, will carry the said axle with them, but can be turned back without revolving the axle, and one wheel can be revolved slower than the other without effecting the reolution of the said axle;

To the forward cross-bar of the frame C is attached the tongue F, which is strengthened against side draft by the braces or hounds G.

To the inner parts of the side bars of the frame C are attached upright plates or frames H, to the upper parts of which, and over or a little in the rear of the axle B, are attached the ends of a rod, I. The rod I passes through holes in the rear ends of the levers J, six, (more or less) o f which can be used, and which are kept at the proper distance apart by tubular washers placed upon the said rod I between the said levers.

Upon thelower sides of the rear parts of the levers J are formed inclined shoulders K for the outer ends of the radial arms or cams Lto strike against to raise the forward ends of the said levers J. The forward sides of the outer y ends of the arms L are beveled to lessen the friction as the said arms come in contact with the inclined shoulders K. The arms L are attached to the axle B, and are so arranged that the alternate levers J will be raised toget-her, and that each lever J will be raised once a foot as the machine is drawn forward. 'Ihe levers J, after being raised, are forced down with a sudden impulse by spiral or other springs M interposed between the rear parts of the said levers J and the cross-bar N, attached to the plates or frames H, and which is recessed to form seats for the said springs.

To the forward ends of the levers J are loosely hinged the upper ends of Vthe bars O, to the lower ends of which are secured by bolts and nuts the cutters or knives I), so that the said cutters can be removed to be sharpened and to be replaced by new cutters when required. The cutters l? are made of such a length that their adjacent ends will slightly overlap each other, as shown in Fig. 3, to prevent any stalks from being left uncut between the cutters. With this construction, should the cutters l? strike an obstruction, the bars O can swing back to prevent the said cutters or bars from being broken. As soon as the obstruction has been passed, the bars O are swung forward into and are held in their normal position by springs Q, attached to the lower sides of the forward ends of the levers J, and which press against the rear sides of the upper parts of the said bars O, as shown in Fig. l.

The downward movement of the levers J, bars O,and cutters P is limited by a cross-bar, R`, attached at its ends to the side bars of the frame C, and against which the lower sides of the forward ends of the said levers strike.

To the forward parts of the side bars of the frame C are attached downwardly-inclined bars S,which are strengthened in position by braces T,attached to them and to the side bars of the said frame C.

To the ends of the inclined bars S are pivoted the ends of the roller U, which, as the machine is drawn forward, bends or breaks down the standing stalks, so as to bring them into proper position to be cut by the knives I).

To the side bars of the frame C, near the axle B, are pivoted the ends of a long crank, V, which crosses the machine beneath the mid- ICO dle parts of the levers J. To the crank V is pivoted the lower end of the connecting-rod \V, the upper end of which is pivoted to the lever X. lThe lowei` end of the lever X is pivoted to the bar N, so that by operating the lever X the levers J will be raised, raising the barsOand cutters l) away from the ground and bringing the shoulders K of the said levers J into such a position that they will not be struck by the arins L as the axle B revolves. The inacliine can be locked out of gear by catching the lever X upon the hook Y attached to the cross-bar Z, the ends of which are attached to the tops ofthe frames H a little in the rear of the axle B.

To the middle part of the cross-bar Z is attached the forward end of the bar a, the rear end of which is attached to the upper end of the short standard b, the lower end ot' which is attached' to the middle part of the rear cross-bar of the franie C. Several holes are formed in the bar (c to receive the lower end of the standard c, to the other end ol" which is attached the drivers seat d. so that the said seat can be readily adjusted to cause the drivers weight to properly balance the inachine.

With this construction, as the machine is drawn along a row of stalks, the said stalks will be cnt into short lengths, so that they will not obstruct the plowing and will be turned under by the plows.

The machine can be made narrow to cut a single row of stalks, or wider to cut two rows of stalks at a time.

Having thus described myinvention,Iclai1n as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a cornstalk-chopper, the combination, with the frame having upon its sidebars the upright plates or frames, of the axle having the radial arms, the levers With their upper ends pivoted to and between said upright plates or frame, said levers having contact with said arms and carrying at their forward ends pivoted ch0pper-bars, and the cross-bar secured upon the upper edges of said upright plates and having upon its under side recesses which contain springs acting upon said levers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE A. STONE.

VitncsSos:

L. N. GUILD, C. T. GARNER, Jr.