US718451A - Cotton-thinner. - Google Patents

Description

PATENT-ED JANils, 19.03.

G. L. GREEN. 0on0: THINNER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1902.

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N 718,451. PATENTED-JAN.13, 1903. ,G. L. GREEN.

COTTON T HINNER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2a 1902.

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PATENTED. JAN. 13,1903.

G. L. GREEN. COTTON THINNER.

APPLICATION FILEDJAN. 2.8, 1902.

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6' O lgxkgiap GEORGE L. GREEN, OF NEWARK, ARKANSAS.

GOTTON-THINNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,451, dated January 13, 1903.

, Application filed January 28,1902. Serial No. 91,636. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Independence'and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Thinner, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention is an improved cotton-thinner for destroying superfluous cotton-plants in the ridges by plowingout the latter and reducing the cotton-plants to stands at appropriate distances apart; and my invention consists in the peculiar construction and combinationof devices hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of a cotton-thinning machine constructed inaccordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken on a planeindicated by the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the same, taken on a plane indicated by the line b b of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail perspective views of the vertically-movable shovels which operate midway between the cotton-rows. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view. Fig. 7 is a detail elevation. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the vertically-adjustable thinningplows.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a ground-frame 1, which is here shown as comprising a pair of runners 2, disposed at a suitable distance apart and connected together by a cross-bar 3, the ends of which are secured on the upper sides of the runners at points about midway between the front and rear ends thereof. On the under sides of the runners 2, near the front and rear ends thereof, are keels or subrunners 4, which are adapted to run in the loose earth and across the ridges and prevent lateral movement of the ground-frame when the machine is in operation..

A pair of vertical guide-bars 5 rise from the upper side of each of the runners 2 and have their upper ends connected together by a longitudinally-disposed bar 6.

A vertically-movable plow-carrier frame 7 is here shown as comprising a pair of transversely-disposed front and rear beams 8 9 and a pair of side bars 10, which connect the ends thereof together. The front and rear beams 8-9 are provided near their ends with vertical openings through which the vertical guidebars 5 extend, and thereby the vertically-adjustable plow-carrier frame is guided by the said bars 5. Bars 11 connect the front and rear beams 8 9 together at points near the centers thereof, and from the said bars 11 rise locking-standards 12, which are provided on their front sides with rack-teeth 13. A pair of adjusting-levers 14 are fulcrumed on brackets 15, which are here shown as bolted to the bars 6, but which may be of any suitable construction and secured to the said bars in any suitable manner. The outer ends of the adjusting-levers 14 are connected to the side bars 10 of the vertically-adjustable plow-carrying frame by chains 16 or other suitable connecting elements. The inner portions of the adjusting-levers 14 may be engaged with appropriate rack-teeth 13 of the standards 12 to secure the said levers 14, and hence the plow-carrier frame, when the latter has been adjusted to any desired position. A seat 17 for the driverrhas its supporting-bar 18 secured on the center of the plow-carrier frame. In the embodiment of my invention here shown the tongue 19, by which the machine is drawn across the ridges by the team, has its rear end connected to the plow-carrier frame; but within the scope of my invention the tongue may be connected directly to the groundframe, and I do not desire to limit myself in this particular. A series of pairs of thinningplows 20 are carried by the beam 8, which forms the front side of the vertically-movable plow-carrier frame. The thinning-plows of the said pairs are reversely disposed and are so spaced apart as to leave a stand of cotton between each pair of thinningplows. Each of the latter comprises a laterally-inclined blade 21, having its inner side 22 straight and parallel with the line of draft and its outer side cut away diagonally to form a diagonally-disposed cutting edge 23, which converges forwardly to the inner straight edge 22. On the latteris an upstanding cutter and fending blade 24, the upper edge of which inclines downwardly forwardly, as shown in Fig. 8. My improved cotton-thinning machine may be provided with any desired number of pairs of these thinningplows, according to the size of the machine and the number of rows of stands which it is designed that the same shall leave at each operation across the cotton-ridges. The thinning-plows of each pair are disposed at a distance of a few inches from each other, so that the plants which pass between their inner straight edges will be left untouched to form the stands. The said thinning-plows operate closely on opposite sides of the rows of stands, and their laterally-inclined blades 21, which in the respective adjacent pairs of thinningplows are reversely disposed and incline toward each other, serve to plow out, overturn, bury, and destroy the plants intervening between the stands which are left.

Each of the thinning-plows 20 is provided with a standard 25, which may be either of the form here shown or of any other suitable form and is provided at its upper end witha vertical portion 26, which is provided on its front side with adjusting-teeth 27. On the rear side of the front beam 8 of the verticallymovable plow-carrier frame are secured metallic plates 28, which are formed with vertical grooves 29 in their rear sides, in which grooves are adj listing-teeth 30, which engage the teeth 27 of the thinning-plow standards. A lock-bar 31 bears against the rear sides of the upper portions of the thinning-plow standards to lock the same at any desired adjustment to the plates 28, and hence to the beam 8, and said lock-bar is detachably connected to the beam 8 by bolts 32 and clamps the standards of the thinning-plows to the plates 28, as will be understood.

1 further provide a plurality of shovel-plows 33, one of which is disposed to operate in rear of each pair of the thinning-plows and midway between the rows of stands, so as to plow out and destroy the plants which would otherwise be left standing between the rows by the laterally-inclined blades of the thinning-plows. The beam 34 of each of the shovel-plows is fulcrumed, as at 35, on the rear beam 9 of the vertically-movable plowcarrier frame. The latter is provided on opposite sides of the seat 17 with vertically-disposed guide-posts 36. The front portions of the plow-beams 34 form levers by means of which the shovel-plows 33 may be raised or lowered, and the said levers 37 are provided with openings 38 of such size as to allow the posts 36 to pass through them. The levers 37 of the shovel-plow beams on each side of the seat converge, and are thus connected to one of the guide-posts 36 and are adapted to play vertically thereon and to be operated by the feet or hands of the driver, so that he may elevate either of the shovel-plows at will independently of the others. On the guideposts 36 are springs 39, which operate independently of each other and each of which bears upwardly on the under side of one of the levers 37. The said springs normally depress the shovel-plows and keep the same in operation when the machine is at work to plow out and destroy the plants left between the rows of stands. In the event, however, that the plants have sprouted or come up? irregularly, so that there is no plant on a ridge where a stand should be left, the operator by depressing the lever 37 of the appropriate shovel-plow may raise the latter and cause it to leave a stand to compensate for the vacancy. The rear ends of the bars 11 project rearwardly of the beam 9 for a suitable distance, and a supporting-bar 40, which engages the under sides of the beams of the shovel-plows while the latter are at work and secures them at the correct vertical adjustment, is secured to the rear ends of the said beams 11 and has its ends bent forwardly, as at 41, and secured to the end portions of the rear beam 9.

It will be understood that when the plowcarrier frame is lowered the pairs of thinningplows and the shovel-plows which operate midway between the rows of stands left by the thinning-plows are lowered with it and that by adjusting, the said plow-carrier frame by means of the levers 14 and locking-standards 12 the thinning-plows and shovel-plows may be caused to operate at any desired depth in the ground. It will be further understood that the thinning-plows and shovel-plows serve not only to cut out and destroy the cotton-plants intervening between the rows of stands, but also thoroughly stir, pulverize, and cultivate the soil between the said rows while the cotton-plants are small, and thus greatly promote the growth thereof and correspondingly lessen the labor of subsequent cultivation during the growing of the crop. By raising the plow-carrier frame the thinhing-plows and the shovel-plows are raised from the ground, and the carrier-frame being secured by the levers 14 and locking-standards 12 in its elevated position the machine may be readily drawn to and from the field.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction and combination of devices herein shown and described, as it is evident that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. A cross-ridge cotton-thinner comprising a frame having supports to bear and run on the ground across the ridges, pairs of thinning-plows disposed across the frame, the respective plows of each pair being spaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands,

and the respective pairs being spaced apart 2 A cross-ridge cotton-thinner comprising a frame having supporting-runners with depending keels on their lower sides, pairs of thinning-plows disposed across the frame, the respective plows of each pair being spaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands, and the respective pairsbeing spaced apart to correspond with the required width of the spaces between the rows of stands, cultivator-plows disposed across the frame in rear of and in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows, and means to move the cultivator-plows vertically independently of each other and of the thinning-plows, substantially as described.

3. A cross-ridge cotton-thinner having a frame, pairs of thinning-plows disposed across the frame, the respective plows of each pair being spaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands and the respective pairs being spaced apart to correspond with the required width of the spaces between the rows of stands, cultivator-plows disposed across the frame in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows, and means to move the cultivator-plows vertically independently of each other and of the thin hing-plows, substantially as described.

4. In a cross-ridge cotton-thinner, the combination of a ground-frame, a vertically-movable frame carried thereby, pairs of thinningplows disposed across the frames and carried by the vertically-movable frame, the respective plows of each pair being spaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands and the respective pairs being spaced apart to correspond with the required width of the spaces between the rows of stands, cultivatorplows disposed across the frames and carried by the vertically-movable frame, said cultivator-plows being disposed in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows, guides for the vertically-movable frame, levers to raise and lower the same, and means to lock said levers and thereby lock said verticallymovable plow-carrier frame at any desired adjustment, substantially as described.

5. A cross-ridge cotton-thinner having a frame, pairs of thinning-plows disposed across the frame, the respective plows of each pair being spaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands and the respective pairs being spaced apart to correspond with the required width of the spaces between the rows of stands, cultivator-plows disposed across the frame in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows levers to raise and depress the cultivator-plows independently of each other, guides for said levers and springs to normally depress said cultivator-plows, substantially as described.

'6. A cross-ridge cotton-thinner having a frame, pairs of thinning-plows disposed across the frame,, the respective plows of .each pair being spaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands and the respective pairs being spaced apart to correspond with the required width of the spaces between the rows of stands, cultivator-plows disposed across the frame in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows, levers to raise and depress the cultivator-plows independently of each other, and springs to normally depress said cultivator-plows, substantially as described.

7. In a cross-ridge cotton-thinner, the combination of a ground-frame having vertical guides, a vertically-movable frame engaged by said guides, levers having fixed fulcrums and connected to said verticallymovable frame to raise and lower the latter, pairs of thinning-plows disposed across the front side of said vertically-movable frame, the respective plows of each pair being spaced apart to pass on opposite sides of the stands and the respective pairs being spaced apart to correspond with the required width of the spaces between the rows of stands, cultivatorplows disposed across the vertically-movable frame in the row-spaces between the pairs of thinning-plows and having their beams fulcrumed on the rear side of said verticallymovable frame and provided with operatinglevers whereby said cultivator-plows may be raised and depressed independently of. each other, and springs to normally depress said cultivator-plows, substantially as described.

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

GEO. L. GREEN.

Witnesses:

T. M. WALDRIP, J. P. MAGNEss.

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