Improvements in Cultivators.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 2nd June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
TRUYIDIONA 1J
Improvements in Cultivators.
I, SAMUEL L. ALLEN, of Cinnaminson, New Jersey, United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to an improved cultivator having laterally and perpendicularly
adjustable handle-bars and side bars adjustable laterally. It is, moreover, provided
with hilling-blades interchangeable with the said side bars, the parts being arranged
in such a manner as to make the implement readily adaptable either for an ordinary
tooth cultivator for growing crops of various kinds, or, when desired, for a celery or
potato cultivator, to be used-in-banking or hilling them.
The said invention comprises the combination with the central bar provided with-a-
T-shaped seat baving notches, of a pair of handle-bars jointed to said central bar,
whereby they are laterally movable, and a standard pivotally secured to said handle-
bars, and having a fastening screw and bolt engaging with said notches, whereby the
said handle-bars may be adjusted to various positions laterally without removing the
said fastening screw and bolt. It also comprises a central bar provided with a
notched bracket in combination with a laterally-movable handle-frame jointed to said
central bar, and a brace pivoted to the handle-frame and provided with one or more
bolt-holes.
It also comprises the combination with the central bar of a sliding guide, a handle-
lever fulcrummed in said guide, links pivoted to the central bar and lever, hinged
side-bars, arms pivotally connecting the side bars and central bar and having the
elbow-joint, and side arms pivoted to the said guide and to the arms.
"It also comprises the combination with the central bar and hinged laterally-
adjustable side-bars, of a link motion for operating said side-bars having arms, each
of which is provided with one or more holes.
It also comprises the combination with the central bar and hinged laterally-
adjustable side-bars, of a link-motion for operating said side-bars, having a sliding
guide provided with a piece notched in the convex arc of a circle, connected to and
movable with said guide, an operating-handle, and a pawl engaging with said teeth
and operated by said handle.
It also comprises a cultivator-frame having a central bar provided at its front end
with detachable hinge-plates and a seat for a standard-fastening plate and having a
sliding block or guide, a lever with spring pawl, and expanding arms, operated by
said lever, whereby provision is made for attaching side bars carrying shovels or teeth
or for attaching a central tooth and hilling-blades.
Dated the 2nd day of June 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cultivators.
I, SAMUEL L. ALLEN, of Cinnaminson, New Jersey, United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:—
My invention relates to an improved cultivator having laterally and perpendicularly
adjustable handle-bars and side bars adjustable laterally. It is, moreover, provided
with hilling-blades interchangeable with said side bars, the parts being arranged in
such a manner as to make the implement readily adaptable either for an ordinary
tooth cultivator for growing crops of various kinds, or, when desired, for a celery or
potato cultivator, to be used in banking or hilling them.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cultivator.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a section on the line a, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a perspective enlarged view of the mechanism for adjusting the
side bars.
Figure 5 shows in perspective the construction of the joint at the front of the
handle-bars.
Figure 6 is a section through the central bar, handle-bars, and joint.
Figure 7 is a plan view of the cultivator as arranged for the banking of celery.
Figure 8 is a section in the plane 2, Figure 7 shewing the hinged connection of
the forward end of the hilling-blades; and
Figure 9 is a section on the line y y, Figure 7.
A is the central bar or beam, at the rear of which is boltel the tooth-standard K',
bearing the tooth K.
B B are two detachable adjustable side bars, one on each side of the central bar,
pivoted in front to the hinged plates F F', which are bolted to the bar A, one above
and one below the bar, as shown in Figure 1. These side bars B are provided with
the ordinary cultivator-tooth standards bolted thereto and bearing the teeth B B².
The handle-frame, composed of the handle-bars CC and the cross-pieces C, joining
the same together, is laterally and perpendicularly movable about a joint at the
forward end of the said handle-bars. To this end the central bar A is provided,
preferably with two substantially semi-cylindrical blocks P P (on one each side
thereof) having the tapered holes p. (See Figures 5 and 6). The forward ends of
the handle-bars C are provided with plates P', rounded out to fit against the outer
faces of the said blocks P, 2 being the fastening-bolt passing through the parts in
the manner illustrated in Figure 6, the arrangement being such that the handle-frame
may be moved laterally about the central bar for some distance on either side, while
it is held quite stiff from torsional strain. The handle-frame is furthermore supported
by the brace D, pivotally bolted at c to the sides of the handle-bars C, and the bottom
of which rests upon the T-shaped bracket D1, bolted either to the rear tooth-
standard K', as shown, or, if desired, directly to the central beam A. The front
edge of the T-piece D' is provided with a series of notches d', and the horizontal
portion of the brace 1 has a number of holes d, (see Figure 3,) so that the pieces D
and may be bolted together with the fastening-bolt d3 through either of the holes d
or notches d', according to the position of the handle-frame. It is then secured
against horizontal, perpendicular, or torsional change of position. When the handle-
frame is centrally adjusted with reference to the cultivator-frame, as shown in the
drawings, the said fastening-bolt passes through the central hole d and central
notch d¹. When it is desired to adjust the handle in a different position to one side
or the other of the centre, the thumb-screw d² is loosened, and the brace D swung
forward on the bolts c as pivots to disengage the bolt d³ from the notch d. The
handle-frame is then moved as far as desired around the joint P and the pieces D

page_text: and D' again bolted together with the fastening bolt in a different notch or hole
without removing the bolt from the hole d, but by simply loosening the thumb-
screw d. This adjustment is very useful in vineyard and corn cultivation. The
handles can be easily moved to avoid injuring the plants. In corn-covering, also, one
need not walk on the finished work. The handle-frame is, moreover, perpendicularly
adjustable by reason of the series of holes c' in the top of the piece D, through either
one of which the bolt c may pass.
Instead of the cylindrical joint shown at P, 1 may, if desired, employ a ball-and-
socket joint or a universal joint of any approved construction. I prefer, however, the
arrangement here shown, in that, with the cylindrical joint the connection is very firm
against torsion, while the motion laterally is perfectly free.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the implement is fitted with side bars B, having, as
above described, ordinary cultivator-teeth. These side bars, however, may be detached,
and in their place hilling-blades B3 or other attachments may be substituted, as herein-
after described, both the side bars B and the hilling-blades B³ being adjustable in the
same manner.
The adjusting devices consist of a guide L, adapted to slide back and forth over the
central bar A, the said guide having connected therewith the piece L', notched with
teeth in the convex arc of a circle, as shown.
E is an open handle-lever fulcrummed at its lower end at e to each side of the sliding
guide L.
00 are two links-one on each side-pivoted at o to the central bar A and at o'
to the lever E.
G G' are arms jointed together to form an elbow at g, and pivotally secured at gl
to a rigid connection of the central bar A. The outer ends of the arms G' are pivoted
at g2 to the rear of the side bars B.
HH are two side armis, pivoted at / to the sliding guide L, and having near the
outer end of each one or more holes h², through either of which may be passed the
hinge-bolt h, which pivotally connects the said arm H to the arm G on each side of
the implement, in a manner fully illustrated in Figure 4.
The various arms and levers forming the link-motion for operating the side bars
are so proportioned and are arranged that when the handle-lever E is moved back
and forth the side bars B are moved in and out laterally in a manner easily under-
stood by reference to Figures 1 and 4, it being remembered that the pivotal points gl
and o are stationary, while the other pivotal points that enter into the combination
viz., e, g g, h, and g-
-are movable. This construction has been found to
accomplish the lateral adjustability of the side bars in the field in a very quick and
easy manner.
Within the open handle-lever E is pivoted at e the secondary bandle E', which
operates, through the parts E2 E3 and the spring E, the pawl E, which engages with
the teeth or notches on the curved piece L', so that the side bars B, when adjusted in
the manner described, can be held in any desired position. As herein shown, the
arms H have each two holes h² for the reception of the pivotal bolt h¹, so that there
are two ranges of adjustability of the side bars for a given range of movement of the
handle-lever E, depending upon which of the two holes 2 contains the said bolt.
Furthermore, by having one or more holes 2 on each arm H, I am enabled to set one
of the side bars nearer to the central bar than the other, or, in other words, adjust the
side bars unsymmetrically with reference to the central bar, when, as is often the case,
it is desirable to throw more earth to one side than the other.
When it is desired to use the implement for the cultivation or banking of celery,
potatoes, &c., it is simply necessary to substitute for the side bars B the hilling-
blades B³, which are interchangeable therewith. The side bars are removed by
disconnecting the arms G¹ from the rear thereof and detaching and removing the
hinge-plates FF, which are held by the bolts fƒ.
The hilling blades are preferably constructed as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9.
B is a cultivator hoe-tooth of suitable shape, whose standard B is secured by the
fastening-plate or otherwise to the central bar A of the cultivator-frame. The

page_text: tooth-standard B is provided with the piece B³, having two wings, to which are
pivoted by the bolts the blades B, near the forward ends thereof. Near the rear of
each blade B³ is secured thereto, by means of the bolt the piece G2, having the
slot g* for the fastening-bolt 63, whereby the slotted piece G may be varied in height.
Like the side bars B, the celery-blades B3 are pivoted at g2 to the arms G₁, the
pivotal bolt passing through the slotted piece G³, as shown in Figure 9, and the
blades are adjustable laterally to varying widths of rows in precisely the same way as
the side bars. In fact, these celery-blades are in reality side bars and blades integral
in one piece, the blades being made of such a shape that in connection with the front
teeth or blades B' the earth is banked up in sufficient quantity on the celery-rows on
either side as the cultivator moves along.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a cultivator, the combination with the central bar provided with a T-shaped
seat D', having notches d', of a pair of handle-bars jointed to said central bar, whereby
they are laterally movable and a standard D pivotally secured to said handle-bars, and
having a fastening screw and bolt engaging with said notches, whereby the said
handle-bars may be adjusted to various positions laterally without removing the said
fastening screw and bolt, substantially as described.
2. In a cultivator, a central bar provided with a notched bracket D¹, in combination
with a laterally-movable handle-frame jointed to said central bar, and a brace D,
pivoted to the handle-frame and provided with one or more bolt-holes, substantially as
and for the purposes described.
3. In a cultivator, the combination, with the central bar A, of a sliding guide L, a
handle-lever E, fulcrumed in said guide, links 0 0, pivoted to the central bar and
lever, hinged side bars B, arms G G¹, pivotally connecting the side bars and central
bar and having the elbow-joint g' and side arms H, pivoted to the said guide and to
the arms G all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as and for the
purposes described.
4. In a cultivator, the combination, with the central bar and hinged laterally-
adjustable side bars, of a link-motion, substantially as described, for operating said
side bars, having arms H, each of which is provided with one or more holes h²,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
5. In a cultivator, the combination, with the central bar and hinged laterally-
adjustable side bars, of a link-motion, substantially as described, for operating said
side bars, having a sliding guide L, provided with a piece L', notched with teeth in
the convex arc of a circle, connected to and movable with said guide, an operating-
handle E, and a pawl E, engaging with said teeth and operated by said handle,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
6. A cultivator-frame having a central bar provided at its front end with detachable
hinge-plates and a seat for a standard fastening plate and having a sliding block or
guide LL, a lever E, with spring-pawl E, and expanding arms G G¹, operated by
said lever, whereby provision is made for attaching side bars carrying shovels or
teeth or for attaching a central tooth and hilling-blades, substantially as shown and
described.
Dated the 12th day of Dogmbr 1900
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.