US752618A - Adjusting mechanism for grain-drill furrow-openers - Google Patents

Description

No. 752,618". PATENTED FEB. 16, 1904.

FETZER. ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR GRAIN DRILL FURROW OPENERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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w. FETZER. ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR GRAIN DRILL PURROW OPENERS;

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

2 V VENTOR W1 TNESSES:

with dramas Patented February 16, d.

Farmer FFIQFW WILLIAM FETZER, OF ItIIDDIJETOI/VN, OHIO.

SPECIFICATIUN forming part of Letters Patent No, 752,618, dated February 16, 1904:.

Application filed August 29, 1903- To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM FETZER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middle, town, in the county of Butler and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjusting Mechanism for. Grain-Drill Furrow-Open ers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap-. pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in graindrills,and particularly to mechanism for lifting or depressing drills, furrow-openers, or hoes for such grain-drills.

It consists in a lever mounted so as to operate in a plane parallel with the hopper of a grain-drill or the like, means for raising or depressing the furrow-openers of the device, and means connecting the lever with the raising and lowering mechanism, the structure being such that an operator may sit upon the hopper of a grain-drill and regulate the height of the furrow-openers.

The invention also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View through a grain-drill provided with mechanism for controlling the height of the furrow-openers, the section be ing taken at right angles to the axis of the implement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view showing mechanism for controlling the height of the furrow-openers in accordance with the position of the operating-lever. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a drill, taken at right angles to the supporting-shaft thereof, the lifting mechanism being adapted for raising and lowering hoes. Fig. L is a detail edge view of the rack forming a part of this invention. 5 is adetail view in perspective of the bell-crank lever employed in connection with the operating-lever.

In the accompanying drawings I have illus trated my improvement as applied to grain drill mechanisms and will describe the same in connection therewith. The mechanism is so arranged that the opcratingdever may be if there be one on the drill.

Serial it). 171,286. (lilo model.) 4

readily grasped by an operator sitting upon the box or hopper of the drill. It has been common heretofore to mount such operatinglevers so as to more in a plane at right angles to thefaxis oi the drill, making it diliicult or practicallyimpossible to operate the same without getting down from the hopper or seat, In the present invention the lever is placed in a plane parallel with the hopper of the grain-drill or parallel with the axis of said device, so that it can be easily reached from a seat upon the implement and will in its various positions be so located as to not interfere with the mo ve-.

ment of the operator or of the means for actuating the team.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the mechanism for controlling the height of the furrow-openers is located upon one side of the grain-drill hopper 1, preferably upon the rear side, the said mechanism being made up of a rack plate or member 2, a lever 3, a bell-crank lever 4:, a pitman 5, and an arm or member secured to a rock-shaft which controls the height of the furrow-openers '1'. The rack-plate 2 is bolted or otherwise securely fastened to the wall of the hopper 1 and is provided with an arm or projection 8, which extends downwardly and is secured at its lower end to a cross-bar 9 of the drill-frame. The rack-plate is thus firmly braced in position and also acts as a brace between the hopper and the cross-bar. The rncleplate is formed with a toothed peripheral portion forming an approximately semicircular segment. The sectional portion is provided upon periphery with. rack-teeth 10 and 11. The teeth 10 upon one half of the rack are turned one way, while the teeth 11 upon the other side oi the rack are turned in the opposite way. These teeth thus have their inclined surface extending toward the center of the rack, while their radial or vertical faces or edges are turned away from the center of the said segment. The lever 3 is preferably a straight one and is pivotally mounted with the center oi the segmental portion of the rack-plate as its fulcrurnpoint. The lever is formed with a latch 12, which is normally held against the periphery of the rack-plate 2 by means of a spring 13, secured to thesaid 1ever. A hand-engaging portion 14 is pivoted to the lever and connected by a rod 15 with the said latch 12 for raising it out of engagement with the teeth of the rack-plate 2. account of the formation of the teeth 10 and 11 the rack may be pushed either direction from its central or vertical position without lifting the latch 12 by hand, since the latch will slide over the inclined edges of the teeth. Of course the latch engaging the radial edges of the teeth will prevent a return of the lever to its original position until the latch is lifted out of engagement with said teeth. The bellcrank lever 4 is pivoted at the fulcrum-point of the lever 3 and extends along the said lever a short distance, so that it may be rigidly secured thereto. In the drawings I have shown the bell-crank attached to the lever 3 by means of a bolt 16 passed through the lever, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By this construction the bell-crank 4 may be moved by the operation of the lever 3. The bell-crank is preferably bent rearwardly to a slight extent just above its fulcrum-point, as shown in Fig. 5, while its outlet end is still further bent rearwardly, so that the arm 17 will be quite clear of the rack-plate 2 and there will be ample room for the articulating-joint between the bell-crank and the link 5. The bellcrank 4 extends a sufficient distance to one side of its point of engagement with the lever 3 to form an arm 17, which is connected by the link 5 with the arm 6. The arm 6 is formed with a socket 18, adapted to fit upon the square shaft 19, and a cap-plate 20, also fitting upon said shaft, is used to secure the lever tightly upon the said shaft.- Because of the rectangular shape of the shaft in crosssection and the fitting of the socket 18 thereon the arm 6 is capable of rocking the said shaft. The connection of the link 5 with the bell-crank 4 and the arm 6 is such that said link may accommodate itselfto the movement of the bell-crank and arm, which function in two different planes. The rock-shaft 19 is provided with arms, as 21, which engage rods 22, attached to the furrow-openers 7 for raising the same, and also engage springs 23 for forcing the said furrow-openers downwardly under a yielding pressure. It will be seen that by forcing the lever to one sidethat is, so that the latch 12 passes over the teeth 10the rock-shaft 19 will be rocked so as to raise the furrow-openers out of engagement with the ground. In this position the device is in readiness to be moved to or from the field and the lever will be low enough with respect to the hopper to be entirely out of the way of the reins in driving and also out of the way when it is desired to open the top of the hopper and introduce new supplies of material. When it is desired to lower the furrowopeners at the place of work or operation, the lever is released from the teeth 10 and is brought back to its vertical position. Itmay then be depressed upon the side of the segment carrying the teeth 11 a suitable distance and cause the furrow-openers to engage the ground and open sufficient furrows for the plan-ting operation. The teeth 11 will hold the-lever in whatever position it is placed and maintain a desired pressure upon the furrow-openers. The lever when in this position will also be out of the way of the operator in driving the team and in passing from one end of the drill to the other.

The mechanism has been shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as applied to a drill having disks for furrow-openers; but it may also beapplied to other styles of drills or similar devices, and I have shown the same in Fig. 3 as carried by a drill employing hoes. In this instance the rock-shaft for controlling the position of the hoes is usually located in front of the hopper, as indicated at 24. With this construction I secure an arm 25 to the said rock-shaft 24 and connect it by means of a link 26 with an arm 27, held by a horizontalv rock-shaft 28, arranged at right angles to the rock-shaft 24 and passing beneath thehopper of the drill to the rear thereof. The operating-lever, as 29, is preferably located at the rear of the hopper and is firmly clamped, as at 30, to the rear end of the rock-shaft 28. A rack 31, similar to the rack 2, is employed; but in this instance the said rack is secured to a cross beam or sill 32, carried by the frame of the drill. The rack 31 is also provided with two sets of teeth passing in opposite directions, as shown upon the rack 2, heretofore described.

In the construction just described the operation of the mechanism is the same as above set forth with respect to the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and the hoes 33 may be raised or lowered by operating the lever 29. This lever may be operated by a person sitting upon the top of the hopper, or a footboard, as 34, may be provided, which is arranged parallel with the hopper and to the rear thereof, but is supported from the frame of the drill by brackets or bars 35 in such a manner that it is comparatively close to the ground, as clearly shown'in Fig. 3. By standing upon this footboard the operator can easily manipulate the lever 29.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the use of a single lever in connection with the furrow-openers of a drill, and it will be apparent that I may employ two or more levers for operating different sets of furrow-openers, and when employing the footboard 34 the operator can move from one lever to the other as found desirable.

It will be evident that the device may be utilized for raising or lowering or exerting pressure upon furrow openers of various styles of drills and like devices without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The rack, with its teeth extending in opposite directions on each side thereof, is preferably formed with teeth, as will be seen, of a saw-tooth shape for making it a simple and easy matter to force the lever in either direction without operating the latch by hand. It

such compactness the farmerwould have to go to the trouble of removing the lever en tirely.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In agrain-drilling machine, asupporting-v frame, a hopper extending transversely thereof, furrow-openers, a rack on said hopper, a lever pivotally supported to swing transversely of said machine, and means connected therewith for raising and lowering said furrow-openers.

2. In a graindrill, a hopper, furrow-openers, and means for lifting and depressing the furrow-openers, comprising a lever pivotally mounted upon said hopper, and movable in a plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of the said hopper, and a connection between said 'lever and said furrow-openers. 3. In a grain-drill provided with a hopper, mechanism for raising or depressing the furrow-openers thereof comprising a lever pivoted upon a transverse wall of the hopper of the drill so that said lever will drop behind the same out of the way when depressed in either direction, and means for holding it in such depressed position.

A. In a grain-drill, a hopper, extending transversely thereof, furrow-openers, mechanism for raising or depressing said furrowopeners comprising a lever fulcrumed on a longitudinal wall of said hopper, a bell-crank carried thereby, a rock-shaft for moving the furrow-openers and means connecting the bell-crank positively with the rock-shaft.

5. A mechanism for lifting or depressing the furrow-openers of a grain-drill, comprising a lever pivoted upon the hopper of the drill, and adapted to swing transversely of the drill, a rack also secured to the hopper, a latch carried by the lever for engaging the said teeth and means for communicating motion from the lever to the furrow-openers.

6. A mechanism for raising or depressing the furrow-openers of a grain-drill comprising a lever pivoted to one side of the hopper of the grain-drill, a bell-crank carried by said lever, a rock-shaft for moving the furrowopeners, an arm secured to the rock-shaft and a link connecting the bell-crank with the said arm.

7. A means for lifting and depressing furrow-openers for grain-drills comprising a lever pivoted to swing transversely of the drill, a plate pivoted adjacent to the lever, an arm projectinglaterally from the said plate, means connecting the plate with the lever and means connecting the arm of the plate with thefurrow-opener-operating mechanism.

8. A lifting and depressing means for graindrill furrow-openers comprising a lever, a shaft carrying the same and mounted longitudinally of the planter, a plate provided with a lateral arm and rigidly secured to the lever, a rock-shaft for controllingthe furrow-openers, an arm projecting therefrom anda link pivotally connecting the plate-arm with the rock-shaft arm.

9. A lifting and depressing mechanism for graiirdrill furrow-openers comprising a shaft arranged longitudinally of the drill, a lever mounted thereon, a bell-crank lever secured to the said operating-lever and connected with the furrow-opener mechanism, a rack secured to the hopper of the grain-drill, an arm projecting therefrom and engaging the framing of the drill to brace the said rack and a sleevedog carried by the operating-lever for engaging the said rack.

10. Inagrain-drill, a hopper, furrow-openers, lifting and depressing mechanism for said furrow-openers comprising an operating-lever, adapted to swing transversely thereof,

.meanssecured to one side of the lever for operating the furrowopeners and means upon the other side of the lever for holding the lever in its different adjusted positions.

11. Amechanism for lifting and depressing the furrow-openers of drills comprising a lever arranged to swing transversely of the drill,

means carried thereby for lifting and depressing the furrow-openers and means for holding the lever against rising when depressed in either direction.

12. A mechanism for raising and depressing the furrow-openers of grain-drills, comprising a lever mounted directly upon the hopper of the drill and arranged to swing transversely of the carrying-frame and means connecting the lever with the furrow-openers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM FETZER. \Vitnesses: I

J. F. SULLIVAN, GLEN HANKINS.

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