US714493A - Cultivator. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED 5 ATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH ORANGE LAWRENCE, OF MONTICELLO, IOWA.

"CU LTIVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,493, dated November 25, 1902.

Application filed April 8. 1902.

economic, and simple device adapted to hoe and thin out anydrilled crop, taking two rows at once, and to follow a planter of the same width.

Another purpose of the invention is to so construct a cultivator of the type described that it may be drawn by a single horse and steered by means of horizontal handles extending rearward from the main frame,whereby the disk hoes or cultivators may he kept exactly on the rows being treated.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,

and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which sin ilarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved device; andFig. 2 is a plan view thereof, the

frame of the machine being shown as having a forward inclination.

ward and rearward direction, as is shown in Fig. 2. A crank-shaft B is rigidly carried by these hangers 11 and 12, and said shaft is provided with three crank-arms 13, 13, and 14. The crank-arms 13 and 13 are between the intermediate and end hangers and extend horizontally rearward, and the crank-arm 14 is between the two intermediate hangers and extends horizontally forward, the acute bends Serial No. 101.897. (No model.)

, in the said crank-arn1s being centrally located with respect to the hangers between which the crank-arms occur. Each crank-arm 13 and 13 is provided with two disk cutters 15, the opposing or inner faces of which are convexed and their outer faces concaved. These disk cutters 15 are loosely mounted on the crank-arm, one at each side of the center of the crank-arm at angles to each other, the angularity in the position of each set of disk cutters being such that the disks of a set approach each other quite closely at their forward ends and are quite widely separated at their rear edges, as is also shown in Fig.2. The disks of a pair are held spaced apart by washers 16 or their equivalents, and each disk is preferably provided with a hub 17, secured at its outer face, and these hubs are loosely mounted on the crank-shaft and extend to adjacent hangers.

At the central portion of the central crank arm 14 a shifting arm 18 is rigidly secured, and this arm extends upward and rearward and is provided with notches 19 in its rear edge.

The handles 20 are hinged to the rear face of the frame-beam 10 between its center and its ends, which handles are to be held in a horizontal position by the operator, and by means of the handles the operator guides the device to keep the disk cutters over a row. The handles are connected bya cross-bar 21, upon the center of which astandard 22 is secured having a forward inclination, and in this standard a slot 23 is made. The shifting bar 18 passes through this slot, which acts as a guide for the bar, and the entire standard serves as a keeper for the shifting bar.

The shifting bar 18 can be released from its keeper at any time through the medium of a lever 24, pivoted at the under side of the cross-bar 21 and having a head 25 at its inner end to engage the notched edge of the shifting bar. The lever extends out beyond one of the handles 20, and a cord or rope 26 is attached to the outer end of the lever and I to a handle, enabling a person holding the handles to operate the lever at any time. When the shifting bar 18 is released from the keeper, the frame may be given a forward and rearward inclination by simply pushing ICO the handles forward or pulling them rearward. Rings 27 are attached to the lower ends of the intermediate hangers 12, and the ends of a draft rope or chain 28 are secured to the rings.

By means of the handles 20 the device can be conveniently steered to keep the disks upon a row, and should the horse get to one side of the center between the rows the operator can still steer the device straight, as the draft will come upon one or the other side section of the draft-rope.

The shoes of nearly all planters are about two inches wide. Thus the seed is spread out to that width, and such will be about the distance between the disks of a pair at their rear or diverging edges. By adjusting the frame A forward or backward the rows can be trimmed to reduce them in width to any desired extent; but enough of the hills will be left at all times to properly support the plants that are to remain, all surplus plants being cut out by the disks.

WVhen the frame A is moved forward, the spaces between those portions of the disks acting on the rows will be made narrower and a minimum width of material in a row will be left standing; but when the frame is inclined rearward the diverging portions of the disks will he brought into action and the width of the rows will be proportionately increased. Itis evident that the change in the position of the frame may be made without stopping the horse.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a cultivator, a frame, disk cutters arranged in pairs and mounted to revolve within the frame, the forward edges of the cutters of each pair converging and their rear edges diverging, handles having a hinge connection with the frame, and a shifting bar for the frame, controlled by the handle portion of the device, whereby the frame may be given a forward or a rearward inclination, as described.

2. In cultivators, a frame, a crank-shaft secured to the frame, said shaft being provided with three crank-arms, a central forwardly-extending crank-arm and a crankarm at each side of the center, having a rearward extension, disks mounted to revolve upon the outer crank-arms, which disks converge at their forward edges and diverge at their rear edges, and handles hinged to the frame at a point above the said crank-shaft, for the purpose described.

3. In cultivators, a frame, a crank-shaft secured to the frame, said shaft being pro vided with three crank-arms, a central forwardly-extending crank-arm and a crankarm at each side of the center, having a rearward extension, disks mounted to revolve upon the outer crank-arms, which disks converge at their forward edges and diverge at their rear edges, handles hinged to the frame at a point above the said crank-shaft, a shifting bar attached to the central crank-arm of the crank-shaft, a keeper for the said bar carried by the said handles, and a releasing-lever for the shifting bar likewise carried by the handles, as described.

4. In a cultivator, the combination with a frame, a crank-shaft stationarily attached to the frame, which crank-shaft is provided with a forwardly-extending crank-arm and a crankarm at each side of the center extending rearwardly, disk cutters mounted to revolveupon the crank-arms at each side of the center of the shaft, the forward edges of which disks converge and their rear edges diverge, a draft device attached to the frame at each side of the central crank-arm, handles having a hinged connection with the frame and extending rearwardly therefrom, and means for adjusting said frame forwardly or rearwardly to change the cutting action of the disks, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH ORANGE LAWRENCE.

Witnesses:

LOUIS GARDNER, ED. N. HOWARD.

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