Improvements in connection with Cultivators.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Cultivators.
JOSEPH BAMFORD, Market Street, Lichfield, Staffs, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention cousists in certain improvements in and connected with
Cultivators which are provided with Spring or Rigid Tines, the objects being:-
1st. To construct a Cultivator that will automatically adjust all the Tines
evenly upon the ground when they are lowered by a hand or foot lever and the
same to be in combination with arrangements for applying pressure upon the
Tines & elevating them.
Secondly, to arrange upon a Shaft or Axle, Tines or a Frame or Frames for
carrying such Tines in such a way that their Cultivating Depth may be adjusted
by means of set screws or other fastenings.
Thirdly, to attach Collars upon an Axle for the road wheels to turn upon & thus
prevent the road wheels from wearing the Axle, and also to make them adjustable
to any part of the said Axle. Further to form an Axle with a longitudinal open-
ing through which the Tines or Frames may be regulated sideways.
In order to carry out the first part of this invention I use a Shaft or Axle which
is made to rock to and fro in its bearings by means of a foot or hand lever attached
thereto for the purpose of operating the same, and I pivot loosely upon such Shaft
or Axle or to Arms extending from the same, Tines for Cultivating the ground or
a Frame or Frames for carrying such tines. Also from the same Shaft or Axle I
provide means for applying pressure upon such pivoted Tines or Frames and also
for elevating the same.
Between the two latter operations a certain amount of latitude is given to the
Tines or Frames to allow of their adjustment upon the ground before the pressure
is applied upon them.
I may if desired use two shafts to work in connection with each other and divide
the above arrangements upon them.
When the tines or frames are pivoted to the before mentioned arms extending
from the said Shaft or Axle, these Arms act as Cranks when the Shaft is operated
by the hand lever & lower the upper ends of the Tines or Frames so that all the
Tines are made to cultivate evenly to any required depth according to the length
of the Arms. In the second part of my invention I adopt various modes for
fastening the Tines or Frames upon or in connection with a Shaft or Axle, which
latter may be operated by a foot or hand lever.
In the first case I fix brackets upon the said Shaft or Axle in such a way that
the Tines or Frames may be bodily adjusted up or down to their required positions
& then secured by a pin or other fastening. Another form consists of pivoting
the Tines or Frames by means of Collars upon a Shaft or Axle & locking the said
Collars in any required position by a set screw or other fastenings, or I may pivot
the Tines or Frames to arms extending from the Axle & regulate their outer ends
by a screw adjustment, or again I may fix arms upon the said Shaft or Axle, the

page_text: outer ends of the Arms being ribbed in a circular form which will correspond with
similar ribs provided upon the upper ends of the tines or frames and 1 leck the
two ribbed parts together by means of a nut & pin or other fastening, so that by
slacking the nut & pin the tines or frames may be regulated to any pitch & when
tightened up will be locked in their required positions.
In this latter part of my invention I use Collars fixed upon any shaped Axles
for the road wheels to turn upon, and the same may be made to Slide with the road
wheels to any required part of the said Cultivator Axles.
I further form a Shaft or Axle composed of one or more parts having a longi
tudinal opening through which the Tines or Frames may be regulated sideways
upon the said Shaft or Axle.
T
1
On connection with Cultivators.
I, JOSEPH BAMFORD, Engineer, of Market Street, Lichfield, in the County of
Staffordshire, England, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for Improve-
ments in connection with Cultivators and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention consists in certain improvement in and connected with
- Cultivators which are provided with spring or rigid tines, the objects being, first,
to construct a Cultivator that will automatically adjust all the tines evenly upon
the ground when they are lowered by a hand or foot lever and the same to be in
connection with arrangements for applying pressure upon the tines and elevating
them secondly, to arrange upon a shaft or axle, tines, or a frame or frames for
carrying such tines, in such a way that their cultivating depth may be adjusted:
thirdly, to attach collars upon an axle for the road wheels to turn upon and
thus prevent the road wheels from wearing the axle, and also to make such collars
adjustable to any part of the said axle.
Further, to form an axle with a longitudinal opening through which the tines
or frames may be regulated sideways.
The first portion of my invention relates to Tines, or Frames bearing Tines
which are loosely pivoted upon a rocking Shaft or Axle, or the said Tines or
Frames bearing Tines may be loosely pivoted to arms or extensions which latter
are fixed to a rocking shaft or Axle.
In each case the said rocking shaft or axle has a hand lever for operating the
same which is attached thereto or in connection therewith.
The Rocking Shaft or Axle is also provided with means for lowering, depressing
& elevating the said pivoted Tines or frames bearing Tines.
When these loose pivoted Tines or Frames bearing Tines are lowered to the
ground by the hand lever they are free to adjust themselves to their working
positions whilst pressure is being brought to bear upon them.
Details as to working are described later with references to drawings, but I
may at times vary these details without departing from the subject of my Patent.
In order to carry out the first part of this invention I use a shaft or axle A
(Fig 1. 2.) constructed in a manner to be described later, and to this axle a hand
lever L is rigidly fixed so that the lever and axle rock to and fro in the wheel
bearings. The tines T. T, are shown as pivoted to the lower portion of brackets
or arms B. B. by means of pins b¹. These brackets which are affixed to the axle A
.

page_text: are preferably made nollow in such a manner that the tines may be pivoted on
the pins and moving between the extended sides of the brackets B may be kept
at right angles to the axle A and their cultivating points be elevated or depressed
as required.
Sometimes in place of the single hole in the brackets B for the pin b1 as shown
in Figs. 1. 2. I perforate several pivot pin holes at different parts of the bracket B
to afford further means of adjustment and leverage. These tines are here shown
in an intermediate position and about to enter the ground. They are sustained by
a forked pin P, the forked lower end being pivoted to the tine by means of a
transverse pin 2, and the pin P, passing upwards through a suitable aperture in
the bracket B, is tapped on its upper portion with a screw for the purpose of hold-
ing a screwed nut p, this latter to be turned by hand and serve as an adjuster for
the spring as likewise as a means of raising the tines. The aperture above
mentioned is shown in the sectional drawing Fig. 5, and lies near the extreme end
of the bracket B, the inner webs of this portion of the bracket serving to retain
the pin P in its variable position and to hold the sides of the bracket together.
The pin P is not shown in this particular Figure.
In Figures 1. 2. pressure is brought to bear upon the tines T. T. by means of
springs as at S. This spring S which is seated on the forket s which forket is
formed from the lower portion of the pin P passes around the said pin and impinges
against the lower edges of the bracket B when the tines are forced into the ground
and the pin P working freely in the retaining aperture before described rises or
falls, the hand nut p preventing the point of the tine T from entering the ground
beyond the required depth. On the longer tines the forket s is pivoted at 62 Fig. 1
in a position further from the pivoted end 61 than in the shorter tines to afford
greater leverage for elevation or depression.
In another way I may loosely pivot the tines of the cultivator or the ends of
the frames bearing such tines to the axle itself as shown in Fig. 5. This is
effected by forming a collar H on the body of the tine or frame, the said collar
working freely around the axle. In this Figure the bracket B is shown partly in
section and only a portion of the tine or frame is shown, the details of application
of pressure and withdrawal remaining the same as described in Figures 1. 2. or
being modified in a manner which will be described in connection with
Figures 3. 4.
In some cases I pivot the frame bearing the tines to arms affixed to and working
with the axle A and reference to Figures 3. 4. will show the method employed,
the frame being shown in part sectional elevation in Fig. 3 and in plan in
Fig. 4. The forward ends of the frame C are pivoted to the arms D by the pins d
and the arms are affixed to the axle A and oscillate with it. Pressure is brought
to bear upon the tines or frames by means of a spring adjusted as already described
but the bracket B is made longer and when using the forkets in connection with
the frame the holes in the forkets for the pin 62 are made so as to allow the said
pin to engage on the under surface of the bar c¹ for the purpose of raising the
frame. The method of pivoting the tine directly to the axle is also to be seen in
Fig. 4 where a portion only of such a tine T is shown by crossing lines.
I may, if desired, use two or more shafts as A. A² to work in connection with
each other, distributing the pivoted tines in connection therewith as in Figs. 6. 7.
The shaft A is operated by a hand lever L keyed thereto and to the shaft A³ is
keyed a short lever parallel to the hand lever L and connected therewith by a
bar E, pivoted to the lever L at e¹ and at e² to the lever at an equal distance from
the respective axles A and A². Uniformity of motion in these axles is thus
effected. Brackets F F are affixed by means of keyed clips to the axles for raising
and depressing the tines T T, the said tines being here shewn as pivoted to the
brackets F F in the manner shown in detail sectional form in Fig. 8; frames
bearing Tines may also be used attached in like manner upon two or more Shafts.
In the latter part of my invention I use collars or bushes fixed upon any shaped
axle for the road wheels to revolve upon and this bush or collar may be made to

page_text: slide to any required part of the axle. Figure 9 shows an axle A round as to its
greater portion but with a flat bevel A'. To this bevel A is applied a bush a¹ of
the same width as the bevel A¹ on the axle A. This bush a is flat where it is
applied to the bevel A¹ and shaped to the cylindrical curve of the axle A on its
outer face as shown by hatched lines. The ends a² of this bush a¹ are bent away
from the axle A and form a collar or guide which keeps the wheel W in its
revolving position.
Figure 10 shows a wheel axle formed by two longitudinal bars V V placed
in a parallel direction with a space between each, and around these two bars I
fix a casting X with two apertures through which the bars V V may slide so tha
the casting may be secured to any portion of this axle. This casting forms a
collar or bush by being rounded on its outer surface for the road wheel W to
revolve upon and is provided with a flange Yor flanges to keep the wheel in
position. The regulation of the tines upon such axle is shown in Fig. 11. On
the upper edges of the axle-bars V VI place a metal block with its upper surface
curved to serve as a bed for the upper end of the tine T. A cap with its under
surface curved is placed over the tine T, and a bolt is passed through the block v²,
the tine T, the block ¹, the aperture between the bars V V and finally through a
flat block underneath the axle, where it is secured by a nut v.
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.) The combination of the tines or a frame or frames for carrying such tines,
pivoted to arms or extensions fixed upon a rocking shaft or axle and acting
together, with means for depressing and elevating such tines, frame or frames,
substantially as drawn and described.
(2.) The combination of the tines or a frame or frames for carrying such tines,
pivoted upon a rocking shaft or axle and acting together, with means for depressing
and elevating such tines, frame or frames substantially as drawn and described.
(3.) The combination of pivoted Tines or a frame or frames carrying tines upon
or about one or more rocking shafts and acting together, with means for depressing
and elevating the tines, frame or frames substantially as drawn and described.
(4.) In combination with Cultivators wherein the Tines are arranged upon the
Road Wheel Axle, the use of moveable collars round the axle for the road wheels
to turn upon substantially as drawn & described.
(5.) A wheel axle with a longitudinal opening for adjusting the Tines, or a
frame or frames for carrying such tines substantially as drawn & described.
Dated this 25th day of October 1897.
JOSEPH BAMFORD.