US98112A - Improvement in cultivator s - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES `vATENT y' OrrlcieC JAMES B. SKINNER, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CULTIVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 98,112, dated December 21, 1869.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns B. SKINNER, of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oultivators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

fourth, in the construction of the frame; fth,

in the manner of attaching the shovel-standards to the beams; and, sixth, in the manner of attaching the braces to the standards.

It further consists, also, in certain details of construction, which, in connection with the foregoing, will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan view. Figs. 3 and 4 represent side'elevations of a modiiication of the same, and

Figs. 5, 6, 7, and S, views of parts detached.

To enable others skilled in the artto which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe fully its construction and operation.

A A represent caster-wheels of the ordinary construction, having the yokes a a, with standards a. a.

B B represent cross-beams, which are provided at their ends with sockets, through which pass the standards c of the wheels A, as shown. Between the beams B B are placed the shovelbeams O O, which extend rearward sufficiently far to receive the shovel-standards D D, and may be'carried forward also and be united to form the pole. If desired, however, the pole may be formed of separate pieces united to the beams C, or it may consist of a single piece apart. :The rear cross-bar, c', 'is provided with n handles c2, as shown, which are located upon one side of the center. To the front cross-bar, c, is attached, by means of a suitable bolt, the draft-bar E, which has at both ends irons e e withholes e. The cross-beams B B, with the shovel-beams C C and cross-bars c c', constitute ya rigid frame-work, which has a vertical movement upon the standards c of the wheels A. lo adjust this frame-work at will, I provide on each side alcver, F, which has its fulcrum in the clevis-shaped standard f. This standard rises from. the journal of the casterwheel and extends above the periphery of the latter sufficiently far to permit the fulcrum of the lever to be adjusted vertically at will. To enable this adjustment to be accomplished, the standard, above the periphery ofv the wheel, has its sides parallel with each other, with j ust sufficient space between them to permit the passage of the lever. Suitable holes are provided in each side, and the pin upon which thelever rests is moved at will to any desired set of holes. The end of the short arm of thelever is provided with an orifice through which passes the standard c of wheels A.

G represents a washer encircling the standard c,'which rests upon the lever F, as shown. This washer is made rounding upon its lower side, so that when the lever is used the liftingpower is exerted as near the center as possible, and thus all tendency to bind is prevented. By the operation of the lever F the beams B are elevated or depressed. To retain them in any desired position, I employ the spring-stop devices shown, which may be placed above or below the levers at will. H represents a stop, to which is connected, by means of the rodh, the handle h.- h2 represents a spring. The stop H may be sprung either into suitable holesin the standard, Aas shown in Fini. l, or

into the sockets of a rack-bar, as shown in Fig. 3. rIhe latter method is believed to be preferable. The rack-bar may be attached to the standard in any suitable manner, and may or may not pass up through the lever, as

` shown in the drawings.

A modification of my lifting devices is shown in Fig. 4.

l I represents the supporting-wheel, which is connected to the frame by means of the bar i, the upper ends of which are attached to the pins t in such manner as to permit a swinging movement.

J represents the lever, which is connected to the wheel I by means of the standard j, in which it may be adjusted in the manner hereinbefore described.

K represents a rack-bar, the front end of which is secured by the pin i', and the rear end curved in such manner as to be convenient to the lever J. The latter is provided with suitable stop devices, by the use of which, in connection with the rack-bar, its position is regulated at will. By the movement of the lever J the bar t' is moved nearer to or farther from the line of the perpendicular, and consequently the frame is elevated or depressed, as the case may be.

The manner of attaching the shovel-standards to the beams will now be described.

D represents standards of much the usual construction, which have the shovels m. N N represent rings provided with the bearing-surfaces a n, bolts a a', and orifices a2 a, which are secured to the beams G C at suitable points by means of nuts, as shown. Through these rings project the upper ends of the standards D.

a3 represents a set-screw, which is inserted into the orifice n2, (the latter being suitably threaded for that purpose,) which serves to retain the standard rmly in place.

The braces O are attached to the standards in the following manner: o represents a slotted socket, in which the lower end of the brace rests, and to which it is secured by means of a wooden pin, which passes through both brace and socket, as shown. The socket is provided with an eye, o', in which is caught a hookbolt, o, the bolt end of which passes through the standard, and is secured by a nut, as shown.

The operation of my machine is as follows: In moving to the field the entire frame is elevated by means of the levers, so that the shovels are clear of the ground. The levers themselves -may be connected to the rear shovelstandards by means of hooks caught into staples, as shown. This arrangement is not absolutely necessary, excepting when the machine is backward. Ordinarily the levers are detached from the standards and the hooks caught into staples on the sides of the levers, as shown. hen the eld is reached, the

frame is adjusted on the yoke-standards by `the levers at such height as will permit the shovels to penetrate to the proper depth. The

machine is now ready for motion. As it moves across the eld, the operator walks behind and moves the machine to either side by means of the handles at the rear, or by taking hold of the rear end of the machine. It will readily be observed that a slight movement of the rear end of the machine will cause the wheels to turn or swivel and carry the machine in that direction, thereby assisting the operator in the lateral movement of the machine. With this machine, therefore, the most crooked rows of corn can be cultivated with great precision and ease. The shovels can be easily and quickly adjusted to throw earth to or from the rows by simply loosening the set-screw in the ring. The fastening which connects the standard to the brace is such as to permit an easy swinging movement when it is desired to turn the standard, and such, also, as will easily give way when a serious obstruction is met with, and permit the connection to be quickly made again when the obstacle is passed. When the pin in the brace does give way, the bearingsurface a of the ring N permits the easy movement of the standard without strain upon any of the parts. t

rlhe construction of the frame is peculiar and desirable. It is formed of few parts, but these are all rigidly connected, so that the requisite strength is obtained. The shovel-beams may be brought together or separated, in order to lessen or increase the distance between the shovels, as may be desired. The line of draft may be lowered or raised by simply attaching the team to the irons of the draft-bar at a lower or higher point, as may be desired.

rllhe construction of the entire machine is such that the ground can be clearly seen by the operator, and the necessary movements quickly and easily made.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination of caster-wheels with a rigid frame having vertical movement, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a cultivator frame having vertical movement with a lever, when said frame is adj usted vertically by said lever, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of a frame resting upon wheels attached by swinging bars with levers, when said levers operate to raise or depress the frame, substantially as described.

4. The cultivator-frame described, consisting of the cross-beams B B, shovel-beams C C, and cross-bars c c', when arranged for adjustment substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

5. The adjustable standard f, in combination with the levers F and wheels A, as and for the purpose described.

6. The levers F, with spring stop devices described, in combination with the standard f and yoke-standard a', substantially as described.

The Washer G, when constructed as described, and used in connection With the 1evers F and the frame, as and for the purpose This specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of August, 1869.

JAMES B. sKINNEE.

Witnesses G. W. FORD, H. WV. CARPENTER.

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