Improvements in Potato Planters.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1891-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Potato Planters.
I, EZRA WOOLDRIDGE, of Long Lake, in the County of Madison, and State
of Illinois, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 that class of farming implements which are used to
automatically, or otherwise, put seed into fallow ground in a furrow made by a
ditching or furrow plow attached to the planter and to which, also, is attached the
means of covering the seed, and consists in features of novelty hereinafter described.
The object of my invention is to provide a potato planter so constructed and
operated as to be capable of either planting the seed potatoes at definitely regular
intervals, so that the plant rows can be cultivated in either direction, or drilling
it in rows, and further, one that will do the work well and positively irrespective
of the size of the seed.
How I accomplish these objects will be made plain by the following description
and Specification of the essential features and operation of my invention, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference denote
like parts in the several figures.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my planter as in practical operation;
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, taken from front to back on a line
through the center of the planter ;
Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken as in Fig. 2 of the dropping attachment, showing
it open, as in the act of dropping a seed.
I, preferably, mount my apparatus on the sled runners F F¹, which are of the
distance apart equal to the desired distance between plant rows and the planting
attachment mounted midway between them, so that the track of the outside runner
may be used as a marker for the inside track of the next row. To the framework H
of the planter, at a convenient position, I attach the seat E for the assistant or
boy. To relieve the planter proper of the weight of the driver, I, preferably,
mount his seat G on an independent framework supported by the two wheels g
and secured to the framework of the planter by a double hinged joint in such
manner that it will follow the planter properly in turning and on uneven ground.
Underneath the framework H of the planter is the two sided ditching or furrow
plow I secured to the framework at its front or nose end by a joint i in such manner
as to allow the plow to assume different depths relative to the position of the sup-
porting runners F F¹, but to always be in a line parallel to the same. Secured to H,
with its lower end opening resting immediately behind the back divided end k of
the furrow plow, is the seed chute D. Secured to the framework H and to the
upper end of the chute D, is the hopper L, with its narrow opening leading to the
opening in the upper end of the seed chute. The opening in the seed chute is
normally closed by two flat gates a a', sliding in grooves cut in the sides of the
seed chute, placed, respectively, near the upper and lower end of the chute. These
two gates are attached to and controlled by the two ends of a lever C, which is
fulcrumed midway in its length on a pivot bolt attached to the body of the
chute D. At a convenient distance from the fulcrum point, two projections or
lugs dare attached to the arm of the lever C. These lugs fit into and are operated
by the two four leafed cams M, which are placed in position and at a distance
apart convenient to engage the lugs d, on a shaft B. Except at the instant when
being actuated by the opening cams M the gates are closed and held so by the
coil spring y which is attached by one of its ends to the lever C at some convenient

page_text: point and by the other end to the body of the seed chute D. The shaft B is placed
across and secured to the framework of the planter with its ends projecting beyond
the sides of the same. On each end of the shaft B a sprocket or forked wheel A
is fastened. On each side of the planter is secured to the framework, one or more
grooved guide pulleys or sheaves e el ell to properly lead or guide the check wire s
to the sprocket wheels. Attached to, and underneath, the planter are two covering
plows K, so placed and secured that they shall follow on either side of the track
of the furrow plow, with their shears so shaped and directed as to cover the seed
when it is dropped into the furrow. The furrow plow I and along with it the
covering plows K by means of the extension arms fis raised out of the ground, as
necessary in turning, by the hand lever secured to the framework of the planter
by a hinge. This lever handle can be locked in a definite position by the spring
governed pawl m engaging the frame n in one of the several notches o cut in the
edge of the same. The depth of the furrow is governed by raising or lowering
the lead given to the furrow plow, or it may be done by extending the frame n.and
cutting extra notches for the pawl m and the plow forced to the proper depth by
the lever . The distance between the covering shovels K is adjustable and the
slots in the ends of the raising armsf permit them to assume different depths
relative to the depth of the furrow plow. In practice, the check wire S having been
stretched across the field and secured at each end, and the planter being in place,
the wire is run through the guide pulleys e e¹ and ell and over the inside of one of
the sprocket wheels A. As the machine is drawn forward, the buttons, as they
""
pass, engage the sprocket wheel and turn it along with the cams on the shaft B
one-quarter of a revolution. In doing this, the gates a and a' are opened and the
seed potato placed on a by an assisting boy is dropped to a¹. The opening and
closing of the gates is quick and the direct fall of the potato being more or less
hindered or retarded by the inclined offsetting pieces t secured to the inside of the
seed chute. When the sprocket wheels are again turned a quarter of a turn and
with them the two actuating cams, which again opens the gates, the potato that was
supported on a¹ is allowed to drop into the furrow and another to drop from a to a¹.
The object of having two gates is to have one in a convenient position to the
assistant and the one from which the seed is dropped into the furrow as short a
distance from the ground as is possible, so that the drop from the gate will be short
and the seed put into the ground at a point practically immediately under the
position of the machine when the gate is opened, that is, uninfluenced by the motion
of the machine. The position of the two guide wheels e and ell are adjustable, so
as to properly lead the check wire to and take it from the sprocket wheels in order
that the buttons on the check wire shall engage and leave the sprocket wheels in
the proper position to operate the cam M. It is obvious from the description that
I can make a double planter, or one that will plant two rows at a time, also that the
same can be mounted on wheels as well as on runners, if desirable, without
departing from the essential features of my invention. And, further, that while the
lower gate a' is the essential one for placing the seed at the proper place, yet it is
preferable to make use of the second upper one a.
When it is desirable to plant the seed at intervals more frequent than is possible
with the check wire, or to drill the seed, the automatic dropping attachment can be
dispensed with and the gates a a¹ removed and the seed simply fed from the hopper L
directly down the seed chute D.
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 potato planter, the combination with the seed chute, of two normally
closed gates, and mechanism for simultaneously opening and closing said gates,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. In a potato planter, the combination with the furrow opener and furrow closer,
of a seed chute having spring actuated gates at its top and bottom, a lever

page_text: connecting the gates to simultaneously open the same, and means for actuating the
lever and gates, substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. In a potato planter, the combination with the furrow opener and furrow closer
of a seed chute having gates at its upper and lower ends, springs for normally
holding the gates in a closed position, a lever pivoted to the chute and connecting
the gates for simultaneously opening the same, a cam for operating the lever and a
forked sprocket wheel adapted to engage with a check wire, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
4. In a potato planter, the combination with the frame, of a furrow opener and
furrow closer pivotally and adjustably mounted on the same, a seed chute interposed
between the furrow opener and closer, spring actuated gates in the chute and means
for engaging a check wire and actuating the gates therefrom, substantially as and
for the purposes described.
5. In a potato planter, the combination with a furrow opener and furrow closer
pivotally mounted on the frame of a seed chute having upper and lower gates, a
pivoted lever connected at its opposite ends with said gates, a cam for actuating said
lever to simultaneously open the gates, a spring for closing said gates, inclines in said
chute for retarding the passage of the seed and a check wire having buttons which
actuates the cam, substantially as and for the purposes described.
6. In a potato planter, the combination of a suitable framework, properly
mounted, a driver's seat, a seat for assistant, conveniently placed, a furrow plow,
secured to the framework of the planter in such manner as to make the furrow for
the seed the proper depth, adjustable covering plows, a seed supply hopper, a seed
chute normally closed by a gate or gates, cams and sprocket wheels for operating
chute gates, a check wire to turn the said sprocket wheels, guide wheels to
properly lead the check wire to sprocket wheels and a lever with extended arms for
raising said plows out of the ground, substantially as described and for the purposes
specified.
7. In a potato planter, the combination with the seed chute, of gates at the
upper and lower end thereof, incans for opening the gates simultaneously and
deflectors in the chute between the gates for retarding the fall of the seed, substan-
tially as and for the purposes described.
Dated the 2nd day of June 1891.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.