US507676A - Stalk-cutter - Google Patents

Description

`(No Model.) 2 Sheets-SheetVv 1. J. A. DUGKWORTH.

STALK GUTTER. No. 507,676: f Patentedoot. 31,1893.

(No Model.) 2 shets-snet 2.

' J. A. DUCKWORTH.

STALK CUTTER.

No. 507,676. APatented oct.- 31, 1893.

gg-9 20 42?, 2a I /7- Q3 Z 1 A UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE. l

JOSEPH A. DUCKWORTH, OF ROCKY PASS, NORTH CAROLINA.

STAI.'K-CUTTERQl SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersvPatent No. 507,676, dated October 31, 1893. Application filed May 23,1893. SerialNo. 475,256. (No model.)

To' all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. DUCK- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rocky Pass, in the county of McDowell and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Stalk-Cutter, of which the following is a specification.

A My invention relates to improvements in Ystalk-cutters; the objects in view being to produce a machine of cheap and simple construction adapted to be drawn over a iield of stalks of corn or cotton and to desiccate or sever the same into short sections or pieces whereby they may be left upon the eld to enrich the soil and thus obviate the necessity of gathering and burning; and to construct the machine so as to cut with facility and from the tops to the bottoms of stalks.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter specified and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a perspective View of a stalk-cutter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same through one of the cutting shafts. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional vien1 of the machine. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section throughone of the stationary knives, its subjacent lingerbar, and an intermediate revolving cutter. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section` through thelmachine and one of the knives.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the iigures of the drawings.

In practice I employ a vertical frame constructed of suitable timber and consisting of the opposite vertical sides l, the upper connecting cross or crown-piece 2, and the lower cross-beam 3, which is heavier than the upper piece. To the lower corners of the frame thus constructed there is attached cast-metal angle-irons 4, and the same are provided with openings through which the stub-axles 5 extend, said stub-axles accommodating a pair of opposite ground-Wheels 6, to the inner side of each of which a sprocket-Wheel 7 is secured.

The inner faces of the sides 1 and the under side of the top or cross-piece 2 are provided with vertical and horizontal bars 8 and 9, respectively. The vertical bars 8 are provided at intervals with recesses transversely disposed, and let therein and secured to the surfaces of the sides l is a series of pairs of cleats 10. These cleats 10 are graduated in length, that is, are shorter toward the lower end-of the series, so that the upper cleats extend out beyond the lower cleats, and they correspond in length to the front edges of the sides 1,which,as shown,are decreased in width toward their lower ends. Each pair of opposite cleats is connectedl at its lower corners and hence at its front andrear ends by transverse connecting bars 11, and the front bars support serrated finger-bars 12, which extend out beyond the edges of the bars 11. The upper front corners of the cleats support transversely disposed stationary cutter-bars 13, Whose upper front corners are beveled, as shown.

The lower corners of the framework are provided with4 sheet-metal convexed guards 14, and the same are designed to guide the stalks to the cutting mechanism.

The hounds 15 are secured to the bars 11 at the center of lthe machine and brace the draft-pole 16.. Each pair. of opposite bars 11 is connected by-circular braces 17, the same being constructed of half-round iron, the front portions of the braces being let into the upper faces of the bars l1 and therefore extending between the' upper sides of said bars and the finger-bars 12.

Y At each side of the center the lower beam 2 is provided upon its upper side with bearings which are coincident with the centers of Ithe circular braces, and in these bearings are stepped the Ilower ends of vertical shafts 18, the upper ends of which extend through openings formed in the cross or crown-piece 3 beyond the same, and are provided with beveled pinions 19. Short vertical bearingstandards 2O are locatedpat opposite sides of each of these pinions, and the same support a pair of transversely opposite and longitudinally aligning horizontal shafts 21. The outer ends of these shafts 21 project beyond their outer bearings, and are there provided with sprocket-Wheels' 22, which tlirough the ICQ medium of sprocket-chains 23 receive motion from those sprocketfwheels 7 located at the same side of the machine and secured to the ground-wheels. Rotary motion is imparted from the sprocket-Wheel 22V to the shaft 21, and from thence to the vertical shaft below the same by means of beveled gears 24: which are mounted in the shafts 2l and which engage with the pinions 19.

In the same plane with the openings between the bars 13 and the cutter-bars 12 the vertical shafts 18 are provided with perforations, each opening in each shaft being disposed at variance with its companions. In these openings take the butt-ends 26 of a series of curved knives or cutters 27, the said butt-ends being squared to take into the openings and fit the same, and beyond the. same reduced and secured in position by means of binding-nuts 28, all as shown in Fig. 5.

This being the construction, the operation is as followsz-As the machine is drawn along through a field of stalks, the stalks are gathered to the machine to such a degree or width as agrees with that of the machine, and are divided into halves by means of the team and draft-pole. The upper portions of the stalks first come incontact with the machine and are severed by the revolving cutters, the said stalks being caught by the tinger-bars and held during such severance. It will be seen that the revolving cutters coact with the stationary cutters to produce a shear-like cut, so that the cutting is facilitatedand the power required is a minimum. As soon as the upper ends of the stalks are cut the next subjacent cutters of the machine act upon the upper ends and so on down, each stalk being cut from its top to its bottom. The stalks are cut in such small pieces that they mayv be left upon the ground and do not require to be raked together and burned, whereby I avoid the expense and 1abor attendant upon such latter operation and enrich the soil over which they are strewn.

It is proposed in actual practice to employ a series of twelve revolving and stationary cutters, whereby the stalks are divided into twelve portions, though this number may be increased or diminished as may be desired.

The tongue is preferably braced by upper and lower L-shaped braces 2S, and a seat 29 for the driver is supported upon a standard 30 that rises from the crown or cross-piece 2 of the machine.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. In a stalk-cutter, the combination with a rectangular frame, a seriesV of finger-bars, a series of stationary beveled cutters arranged over the finger-bars and adjacent thereto, of vertical shafts in rear of the finger-bars, means for revolving the shafts, knives carried by the shafts opposite the spaces between the cutters and finger-bars, and means for rotating said shafts, substantially as specified.

2. In a stalk-cutter, the combination with a rectangular frame, the opposite sides of which f decline from their upper to their lowerends r and at their front edges, a series of finger-bars and stationary cutters arranged at the front edges of the sides, of vertical shafts in rear of the finger-bars, cutters arranged in the shafts` and adapted to operate between the finger bars and cutters, and means for rotating the shafts, substantiallyas specilied.

3. In a stalk-cutter, the combination with `the rectangular frame, the series of transverse serrated finger-bars arranged thereover, the rear transverse hars, the circular braces connecting the finger-bars and transverse bars, the vertical shafts arranged in the frame within the braces, and knives extending from the shafts and adapted to operate between the finger-bars and the cutter-bars, beveled gears surmounting the upper ends of the shafts, of standards arranged at op- A posite sides of the beveled gears, shafts arranged in the standards, sprocket wheels at the outer ends of the shafts, gear wheels at the inner ends thereof engaging those of the knife-carrying shafts, axles at the lower end of the machine, ground-wheels therefor, sprocket-wheels connected to the groundwheels, and sprocket-chains connecting the sprocket-wheels of the ground-wheels with the sprocket-wheels of the upper shafts, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto aiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH A. DUCKWORTI-I.

Witnesses:

T. M. DALE, D. E. IIUDGINS.

IOO

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