US571935A - Hand corn-planter - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

U. SHABFPER. HAND CORN PLANTER.

Patented Nov. 2 4, 1896.-

==llly// 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

URIAS SHAEFFER, or LANCASTER, onIo.

HAND CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,935, dated November 24, 1896.

Application filed August 14, 1896. Serial No. 602,753. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, URIAS SHAEFFER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lancaster, in the county of Fairfield and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Corn-Planters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hand corn-planters of that class or description in which two staffs are employed pivotally connected together and provided at the lower ends with blades for penetrating the earth, which blades are opened and closed by expanding or contracting the upper ends of the staffs or handles, which will also feed the grain to the blades.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of the same, whereby I secure important advantages with respect toefliciency in use.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hand corn-planter constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 00 :0, Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a detail view showing the hopper-lid fastener. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ring at the bottom of the hopper, and Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the casting.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates two shafts or handles, each consisting of a rectangular wooden strip or board, provided at the lower ends with a rectangular blade 2. Also secured to one of said staffs at opposite sides of the lower end by screws 3 are metal plates at, which are pivotally connected by a pivot-screw 5 with the staff. Attached to the under side of one of said stafis about midway of its height is a casting 6, provided with slots 7 for the passage of screw-bolts 8, by which it is secured to the staff. These bolts pass through the staff and are provided with nuts 9. At its inner side this casting is provided with a seed-passage 10, communicating with an inclined seedopening 12 in the staff leading to a seed-spout 13 on the inner side of the staff, which extends down to near the lower end thereof. The said casting is formed at its inner side with a stop-lug 14 and an ear 15, for a purpose hereinafter described, and at its center is formed with an upwardly-extending apertured hub 16.

The numeral 17 designates a tapering cylindrical hopper having a slot 18, through which and the staif passes a screw-bolt 19, provided with a thumb-nut 20 for holding it in place. Secured to the lower end of said hopper is a bottom consisting of an annular ring 21, provided with lugs through which pass screws for securing it to the hopper. This ring is formed with a web or solid portion 23, which is located above the passage in said casting 6. It is also formed with a curved strengthening-arm 24 and an apertured boss 25. At one end the web is formed with a stop-flange 26 and at the other end with a seed cut-off 27, consisting of a rectangular block or strip of rubber secured thereto.

A thumb-screw 28 connects the casting and bottom together, and located between said casting and bottom. is a rotatable seed-disk 28, having a number of seed-openings therein. This disk is journaled on the hub 16, and its periphery is formed with a number of ratchets 30, with which engage a pivoted push and a pull pawl or bar 31 and 32, pivotally connected with the other stafi or handle, and just between each of said ratchets is a slot or notch 33, for a purpose hereinafter described. The said push and pull bars or pawls are provided near their pivoted ends with lugs 34, with which is connected a coiled spring 35, the tendency of which is to force said pawls toward each other. The free end of the pull-pawl is formed with a hook 36, which engages with the ratchets of the disks to rotate the same, while the other pawl is provided with a hook 37 which presses against the ratchets to also rotate the disk.

The pull-pawl 31, near its free end, is pro ment of the disk. The hook 37 will also engage with the lug let to prevent the staffs from being opened too far, which would have a tendency to strain the parts. The ear 15 engages with a slot in the ring or bottom of the hopper and serves to brace the same.

The numeral 39 designates the hopper-lid, which is secured in place by a fastener 40, consisting of a piece of stiff wire of suitable size, bent to form diverging arms 41, loops or eyes 42, which are pivotally connected with one of the staifs, and a straight arm 43, adapted to engage under a pin l5, secured to the stafi, whereby the arms 41 at their junction are caused to bear upon the lid and hold it securely in place in the hopper, and by disengaging arm 43 from the pin l5 the arm 41 can be turned away from the lid, so that it can be removed.

I prefer to place a circular stationary plate 46 between the casting (3 and rotatable disk, having a seed opening or hole i7, registering with the seed-passage in the casting, as seen in Fig. 2.

The operation is as follows: The hopper is filled with corn and the blades are forced into the earth. The upper ends of the staffs or handles are then contracted, which will spread apart and allow one or more grains of corn fed from the hopper to be deposited in the ground. The planter is then withdrawn from the ground and the upper ends of the stafis are expanded'to close the blades. This movement will cause the pull-pawl to engage with one of the ratchets of the seed-drill, turning the said disk, so that one of the seedopenings carrying one or more seed will register with the seed-passage of the casting 6, feeding them to the spout, so that they will be deposited in the ground when the blades are again inserted thereinand spread apart. When the handles are contracted, the push- WWW pawl will engage with the ratchet-disk and Y rotate the same.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim is 1. In a hand corn-planter, the combination with the staffs pivotally connected together, the blades at the lower ends, the seed-spout, the castings having a seed-passage communicating with a seed-opening in one of said staffs formed with a lug and an ear, the hopper and the bottom having a slot engaging with said ear, of the stationary seed-plate, the rotatable seed -disk having peripheral ratehets and slots, the push-pawl pivoted to one of the staffs having a hook at the free end adapted to engage with said lug to limit the outward movement of the staifs, the pullpawl also pivoted to said staff, having a hook at its free end and a stop-lug near said end, and the coiled spring connecting said pawls, substantially as described.

2. In a corn-planter, of the character described, the combination with the pivoted staffs, the hopper and the hopper-lid, of the lid-fastenerconsisting of a piece of wire bent to form two diverging arms, the loops pivotally connected with one of said staffs, the straight arm and the holding-pin; substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto afi'ixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

URIAS SHAEFFER.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE J. HAMBERGER, ALEX. FINLEY.

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