US989168A - Steering-gear attachment for agricultural machines. - Google Patents

Description

APPLICATION IIL'ED MAR, 2, 1910.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. LORENZ, 0F ALEXANDRIA, MINNESOTA.

STEERING-GEAR ATTAGHMENT FOB AGRICULTURAL MACHINES.

Application filed March 2,

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM G. LORENZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Douglas and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Steering-Gear Attachment for Agricultural Machines, of which the following is .a specification.

This invention relates to steering gear for threshing machines and other agricultural machines adapted to be drawn by traction engines.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide mechanism of this character utilizing a coupling pole, said pole having means whereby it can be shifted relative to the structure to which it is connected and thus change the irection of movement of said structure.

A further object is to provide simple means for actuating the pole or tongue, said. 'means being easy to operate and durable in construction.

Wit-h these-and other objects in view the invention consists of certain'novel details I of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim. 1

In the accompanying drawing, which is a perspective view of the device, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, 1 designates a cross beam adapted to be connected to the agricultural machine by means of eye-bolts 2 or the like preferably located adjacent the ends of the beam. Upper and lower metal strips 3 and 4 are secured upon the upper and lower faces of the beam 1 at the center thereof and extend forwardly at right angles to the beam, the front end of these strips being attached to coupling plates 5 which are, in

' turn, secured to rearwardly diverging braces 6 also attached to the upper and lower faces of the beam, these braces being connected to the end portions of said beam. Arcuate uide rails 7 extend between th stri s 3 and 1 and are secured at their ends tot e braces 6, these rails also extending be tween the upper and lower braces. Guide" sheaves 8 are journaled between the ends of the rails and are for the purpose hereinafter set forth, A coupling pole or tongue .9 is fulcrumed, as at 10, between the front end portions of the strips 3 and 4 and the rear Specification of Letters Patent.

end .of this pole is mounted to slide between Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

1910. Serial No. 546,972.

the rails 7, it being understood that said rails are concentric with the fulcrum 10. One or more reinforcing plates 11 may be secured longitudinally upon the pole 9 and e e-bolts 12 may be attached to the sides of t e pole adjacent the rear ends thereof. The ends of a cable 13 are fastened to theseeyebolts, said cable being extended partly around the sheaves 8 and being secured, at an intermediate point, to a shaft 14 which is arranged vertically within the rear portions of the strips 3 and 4 and is provided at its upper end with a worm gear 15. The cable is so wound upon the shaft that, when the shaft is rotated in one direction, a portion of the cable will be paid out, while the remaining portion will be wound upon the shaft. Supports 16 are mounted on the beam 1 and on-the strips 3 and one of the ails 7 and a shaft 17 is journalcd upon them and carries a worm 1.8. The crank 19 may be located at one end of the shaft to facilitate the rotation of the worm and the resultant rotation of the gear 15 with which the worm meshes. A locking pin 20'may he removably mounted within openings 21 in the strips 3 and 4 this pin being adapted to be inserted through an opening 22 in the pole 9 when said pole is brought into position between and parallel with the said strip a.

It is to be understood that the front end, of the pole may be connected to a traction engine or the like, while the beam 1 is to be attached to the machine to be drawn by the engine. hen it is desired to steer the drawn machine, it is merely necessary to rotate the worm I8 and this will correspondingly rotate the gear 15. Cable 18 will therefore be shifted so as to swing the pole either to the right or to the left, according to the I direction in which the shaft 17 is rotated.

It will be seen that the structure very simple, durable and efficient, and can be readily operated.

Various changes can of course be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is A steering attachment including a cross beam, upper and lower strips extending forward at right angles to the beam and connected thereto, coupling plates connected to the front ends of the strips, rearwardly diverging braces connccting said plates to the upper end lower faces of the beam at the ends thereof, arcuate guide rails extending between the forwardly extending strips and secured at their ends'to the braces, guide to andadapted to be Wound upon said shaft,

said cable being extended partlyaround the 7 sheaves and secured to opposite portions of the pole, and means mounted upon the cross beam and rails for rotating the shaft, and a locking device removably mounted within the forwardly extending strips and inserti-' ble into engagement with the pole to hold said pole in alinement with the strips.

WILLIAM G. LORENZ. Witnesses I JOHN A. MGCABE, A. M. HERBERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o 1atents,

- Washington, I). G.

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