US574578A - Corn planter - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.v

r M. an A. SATTLEY 5M. HBINEKB.

CORN PLANTER.

'tion and in many of the details.

NiTnn STATES PATENT Trice..

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO THE ING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SATTLEY MANUFACTUR- VCORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,578, dated January 5, 1897. I

Application filed March 23, 1896. Serial No. 584,453. (No model.)

To all whom. t may cm1/cern.-

Be it known that we, MARSHALL SATTLEY, ARCHIBALD SATTLEY, and MARTIN HEINEKE, of S pringfeld, in the countyof Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to various details of a planter, all of which are capable of conjoint use. It is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and it is dened in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming part of this speciiication, Figurel is a plan of a planter embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism used for lifting the runners and regulating their depth of penetration, such elevation being taken on sectional line X in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a seed-hopper, shank, runner, and dropping mechanism7 a wall of the shank and a wing of the runner being broken away to expose the second drop. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the lower end of the shank and rear end of a runner, parts being broken away and showing the second drop in a discharging'position. Fig. 5 is a side View of the lift-lever and adj uncts thereof. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the drill mechanism, parts of the frame being shown in section. Fig. 7 is a plan of the drill mechanism. Fig. 8 is a perspective representation of the brackets used to connect the tongue with the front cross-bar of the runner-frame. Fig. 9 is a perspective representation of the bracket used to connect the tongue with the rear cross-bar of the runnerframe.

In making a planter having the different features of our invention considerable latitude is permissible in the general construc- Vetherefore describe herein the preferred form and arrangement of parts that combine with our improved devices to form a complete planter, permit the claims to distinguish between the old and the new, and leave the old features to be constructed as we describe them or in any other Way the maker may desire.

The tongue l is slotted at its rear end, as shown at l, and it is secured to the cross-bars of the front frame in a manner to be hereinafter explained. The carryingwheels 2 2 are mounted on the axle-shaft 4, and the shaft has bearings in a rear frame, of which bars 6 G form an essential part. Seat 3 is supported from the rear end of the rearframe, and its bar 5 extends forward and downward and is fastened to the bracket 5, which is mounted on the axle-shaft. The runner-frame is composed of cross-bars 7 and 8, and the longitudinal bars of the wheel-frame connect with the front bar of the runner-frame through brackets 19 19. Bracket 9 (shown in detail in Fig. 9) is used to connect the tongue with the rear cross-bar of the runner-frame. It comprises a base orseat portion and u pwardly-turned lugs thereon. It has holes 9 in the lugs, through which the bolt passes that connects the bracket with the tongue, and it has the slot 9b in its seat portion, which provides for the bolt that secures the bracket to the cross-bar. Brackets l0, which are shown in detail in Fig. S, connect the tongue with the cross-bar S. They each comprise a seat portion and an upward extension. The upward extensions have arc slots l0 concentric with holes 9 of bracket 9. The inner faces of such extensions are corrugated or roughened, as shown at 10C, and the seat portions have slots, as lOl.

The brackets 9 and l0 provide for adjustment of the tongue to conform to different heights in teams, and also enable the tongue to be set truly central with relation to the planter. on which the tongue swings when changing the height of its forward end. The slots l()b permit the brackets l0 to be disengaged from the tongue. The slots l0-L permit the tongue to swing, and the roughened or corrugated surfaces l0c aid in holding the tongue firmly in position when the bolts are tightened.

The slot 9b in bracket 9 enables the tongue to be swung to one side or the other to find the precise center of draft, and this feature will accommodate a tongue that is somewhat crooked, as it will enable the front end to be put into the proper position, 'L'. e., in line With the center of the planter.

The seed-hoppers 1l are preferably circular, and their distinguishing The bolt in bracket 9 forms a pivotv peculiarity is that ico their lower portions are contracted to such an extent that the teeth of the disk-actuating wheel 44 are exposed. By means of this peculiarity the paw] 43, that imparts motion to the seed-disk, and, in fact, all the dropping mechanism except the cut-off and seed-disk is accessible from outside the hopper, and repairs or adj ustment-s may be made with facility and without disturbing the corn in the hopper.

The cheek-row heads 12 are fastened to the ends of the cross-bars 7 and S. rl`he checkrow shaft 14 is preferably prismatic in crosssection in order that the different arms connected therewith may line up properly and be free from danger of slippage. It has rocking bearings in collars located in the checkrow heads and in the ruimer-Shanks 20, and it has the customary forked levers 13 on its ends. Arms 15 are suitably fastened onto the check-row shaft, and they are provided with pawls, as 43, that actuate the toothed wheels 44 of the seed-disks. Another arm on the rock-shaft provides a point of connection for the retractile spring 1S, and still other arms 21 are fastened to the shaft in position to engage the rods 22 of the second drop devices. Castings 1G extend forward from the front bar of the runner-frame, and they connect with the upper forward ends of the runners 17. The Shanks 2O of the runners are divided internally into two compartments by partitions 42. The rear compartments 41 form chutes for passage of seed, and the front compartments contain the rods 22, that impart motion to the second drop devices. In the lower end of each shank is placed a second drop-valve that. is swung on a transverse pivot and is located immediately below the partition 42, which forms the front wall of the grain-chute. The valve has a finger 38, that normally extends across the seed-chute and forms a closure therefor. lt has an upward extension 3o', the upper surface of which is concentric with the pivot of the valve. It has a rearward-extended arm 35, with which rod 22 connects, and a seed-cell is formed at 7 between the finger 38 and the upper extension 3G. Immediately in the rear of the valve is a swinging door 3),that is held yieldingly closed l by a spring, as 40, or other suitable means.

\Vhen the planter is used for planting in check-rows, the corn falls from the hopper onto finger 3S and is held in the cell 37 until the next row is reached, when motion of the check row shaft is imparted to the valve through rod 22, and the corn is thrown downward and backward with a force depending entirelyon the speed of the team that is drawing the planter. rThis effectually neutralizcs the tendency of a fast-walking team to carry past, t'. e., to deposit, the seed beyond the proper check-row line, and the desired result is obtained largely through the direction of throw. If a grain of corn should tend to wedge between the valve and the rear wall of the ch nte, the rear door 39 will yield sufiiciently to save the grain from crushing and permit its passage to the ground. It is a part of the function of the planter, however, to drill corn, and in that case the second dropvalve is not needed. To provide for its detachment in such case, the upper end of the shank is cut through, as shown at a, and the arm 21 is formed, as shown in Fig. 7, supplied with the extended bearing-finger 2ln and clamped to the check-row shaft in amanner permitting` sliding adjustment thereon. Then it is desired to detach the second drop, the arm 21 is moved ou the shaft until the finger 21 is clear of rod 22, the pivot of the valve is withdrawn, and the rod and the valve are taken out through the opening or cutaway portion of the shank. Their replacement of course requires a reversal of the operation just described.

The mechanism used to drill the seed comprises an arm' 55 on the check-row shaft, a connecting-rod extending backward from arm to arm 47 on shaft 45, and a trip-finger 4G on shaft 45, connected with arm 47 and adapted to receive motion from tappets (5l ou wheel GO. rlhe shaft 45 has bearings in a journal-casting 5G, that is fastened on one of the side bars of the rear frame. The arm 47 is fastened to the shaft, and it has a recess into which a lateral projection 4S of the trip-iin ger extends. The correlation of the trip-finger and the arm is such that downward motion of the trip-finger is imparted to the arm through the lateral projection of the trip-finger, but upward motion of the tripfmger does not affect the arm. This peculiarity insures transmission of motion from wheel GO to the check-row shaft when the planter is moving forward, and permits the planter to move backward without breaking the drill mechanism. The freedom of motion in one direction which is given to the tripfinger, for the reason just explained, permits development of backlash, and when the planter is run at considerable speed or when the corn is drilled at very short intervals such backlash may present the end of the trip-finger to a tappet and either lock the wheel or break the trip-iin ger. To avoid this, a spring 51 is made to connect an extension 4f) on the trip-linger with a lug 50 on arm 47, and the function of the spring is to neutralize the backlash without in terfering with upward swing of the trip-finger in case the team should move backward while the planter is in operative position. rlhe rod 53 has a turnbuckle 52, by means of which the throw of the checkrow shaft may be regulated, and arm 54 has a stop-finger 55, that strikes against cross-bar S and limits the forward inoperative throw of the drill mechanism. An arm 58 is fixed to cross-bar 7 of the front frame, and is connected with the shaft 45 in such way that when the front frame is raised, preparatory to turning or traveling, the shaft will be rocked in a direction and to an extent sufficient to lower the trip-finger out of the path IOO IIO

of the tapp'ets. The means employed in this instance to connect the arm 58 with the shaft 45 consists of a chain 59, which connects with the bolt that fastens the foot-lever 57 to the shaft, but other connections are obvious.

When the planter is used for planting in check-rows, the trip-nger is turned forward out of the way of the tappets, spring 5l being rst disconnected at one end, and under these conditions the drill mechanism other than the tappets and trip-iinger may be used in connection with foot-lever 57 for checking short rows. The foot-lever is fastened onto the inner end of shaft 45, and it extends rearward in position to be easily reached by the driver.

The wheel 60 is fastened toa carrying-wheel 2. It has numerous holes, as 60a, circumferentially disposed, and with some of such holes the tappets G1 engage. By means of the numerous holes or equivalent provision for changing the locations of the tappets such tappets maybe set to drill the grains any required distance apart.

The mechanism employed to raise the runners clear of the ground and to regulate the depth of planting is constructed as follows: A lever 23 is pivoted on the axle-shaft and extends both forward and backward thereof. It also has an L projection 25, extending downward beneath the axle-shaft or thereabout and forming, with the front extension, a bell-crank lever. Link 29 extends upward from the front end of the lever and connects with casting 27 on the rear end of the tongue, both connect-ions of the link being pivotal. A foot-rest 26 is connected with the rear end 24 of the lever, and links 30 connect extension 25 with the downward extension 3l of the hand-lever. The tongue is slotted at l to receive the handlever, a holt extends through the tongue and the hand-lever, forming a pivot for the latter, and a notched arc or rack 32 is fastened to the tongue adjacent to the hand-lever. The hand-lever has a bolt adapted to engage notches of the rack and hold the runners raised or at any desired depth in the ground. Such bolt extends bef yond the face of the rack, and the guard-iinger 34 is pivoted to the front end of the rack in position to be swung against the stop projection 33 of the rack. Vh'en the inger is in such position, as shown in Fig. 5, it prevents the bolt from entering all notches except the last or rearward one, and so permits the runners to rise and fall subject only to pressure from the drivers feet on foot-rests 28 and 2G. rlhe links 30 are separated sufficiently to permit t-he front end of lever 23 to pass between them, and the tongue, front frame, and runners are raised through link 29 either by use of the hand-lever or of the foot-lever, or of both together.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Liftingmechanism forplanters,compris ing a hand-lever pivoted in the front frame, a bell-crank lever swung on a horizontal pivot in the rear frame and engaging the front frame with one of its arms, and a link connecting the other arm of the bell-crank lever with the lower end of the hand-lever.

2. Lifting mechanism for planters,compris ing a hand-lever pivoted in the front frame, a bell-crank lever swung on a horizontal pivot in the rear frame and engaging the front frame with one of its arms, a foot-pressure arm extended rearward from the bell-crank lever, and a link connecting the other arm of the bell-crank lever with the hand-lever.

3. Liftingmechanism forplanters,compris ing a hand-lever pivoted in the front frame, a bell-crank lever swung on a horizontal pivot in the rear frame, a link extending upward from the front end of the bell-crank lever and connecting with the front frame, and a link connecting the downward-extended arm of the bell crank lever with the hand-lever.

4. Lifting mechanism for planters,con1pris ing a hand-lever pivoted in a rearward exten' sion of the tongue, a bell-crank lever pivoted on the axle-shaft of the rear frame, a link extending upward from an arm of the bellcrank lever and connecting with the tongue, a link connecting the other arm of the bell-crank lever with the lower end of the hand-lever, a foot-pressure arm extending rearward from the bell-crank lever, and a foot-rest on the rear end of the tongue.

5. Lifting mechanism for planters, comprising a hand-lever pivoted in the front frame and supplied with a lock-bolt, a bell-crank lever swung in the rear frame on a horizontal pivot and engaging the front frame with one of its arms, a link connecting the other arm of the bell-crank lever with the hand-lever, a rack adjacent to the hand-lever and thinner than the lock-bolt thereof, and a guard-linger adapted to be swung alongside the rack and whenso swung to hold the bolt from engagement with notches of the rack.

6. Lifting mechanism forplanters,compris ing` a hand-lever pivoted in the tongue, a bellcrank lever pivoted on the axle-shaft of the rear frame, a link connecting one end of the bell-crank lever with the end of the tongue, and a two-part link connecting the other end of the bell-crank lever with the hand-lever, such two-part link being separated to permit play of forward arm of bell-crank lever.

7. Drill mechanism for planters, comprising a drive-wheel having tappets, a trip-finger mounted loosely on a shaft and adapted to be actuated by the tappets of the wheel, a rock` arm on the shaft having such engagement with the trip-linger as to partake of its motion in one direction only, a spring between the rock-arm and the trip-iinger tending to arrest backlashvof the trip-finger, and a rod connecting the rock-arm with the drop-actuating shaft of the planter.

8. Drill mechanism for planters, comprising a drive-wheel havin g tap pets, a trip-fm ger IOO IIC'

the path thereof, a rock-arm fixed on the shaft, connected with the drop-actuating shaftof the planter, and adapted to receive motion i from the trip-finger, and a toot-lever also 'fixed on the shaft of the rock-arm.

lO. A front fra-ine of a planter consisting, essentially, of two cross-bars. a tongue connected with the rear bar in any suitable manner, and brackets 10 having slot-s l0n and 1.0, and roughened faces 10C, such brackets being ad justably secured to the front cross-bar and providing for vertical adjustment of the tongue, all in combination.

11.V A front frame of a planter consisting,

essentially, of two cross'bars, a tongue con-V nected with the front bar in any suitable 1n anner, and a b 1aeket 9 connected with the rear crossvbar through slot 9 and with the tongue through holes D, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we sign our naines in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MARSHALL SATTLEY. ARCHIBALD SATTLEY. MARTIN IIEINEKE. Attest:

M. A. CHRISTY, I. II. MATHENY.

Images