Improvements in Rotary Cultivators.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Rotary Cultivators.
I, JOHN SCOTT, of 3, Wolseley Terrace, in the City of Edinburgh, Land Valuer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for tilling or cultivating land, and it has
for its object to provide a self-propelling cultivator of improved construction
in which a number of cutters of novel design are carried by vertical spindles
and are caused to rotate rapidly in the soil during the forward movement of
the machine.
The improved apparatus comprises a wheeled framing or carriage having.
mounted on it an oil engine or electric or other motor connected to a crank
shaft from which the travelling wheels are driven at a slow speed through suit-
able speed reducing gear. A steering wheel is provided in front; and at the
rear of the framing or carriage a vertical spindle or a number of vertical spindles
are carried in suitable bearings and are fitted at their lower ends with cutters
which are adapted to enter the soil and turn it over by rotating therein whilst
the carriage travels slowly forward. The spindles which are geared together
are driven at a high speed by chain or other gearing from the crank shaft or
other motion shaft; and they are furnished with screw or other gear by means
of which the cutters may be raised out of the soil or lowered to act upon it. The
cutters when there are more than one employed are preferably arranged in a
zig-zag row, or one or more in front of the others so that the range of action
of any one overlaps that of the adjoining cutters and no part of the soil may
be left undisturbed. The cutters may assume one or other of various forms.
In one modification each is composed of a comparatively thin blade curved to
approximately wave-like or ogee form and having a central socket or stud or
like means of attachment to the rotating spindle. On each side of the centre
of rotation the blade is of concavo-convex form with a sharp outer edge adapted
to cut into the soil, there being thus practically two blades one on each side
of the centre and the lower edge of each blade is also sharp so that it may
readily enter the soil upon downward thrust of the spindle.
In another modification the cutting tools or blades are made in the form
of flat or curved blades one edge being of fish head shape and the opposite edge
of fish tail form so that the head or forward edge of one tool enters the V-like
space in the fish tail or rear edge of the adjoining tool.
In still another modification each cutter is made in the form of a cross bar
attached to the lower end of the spindle and having secured at or near each
end a downwardly projecting blade or cutting tool. The blades or cutting tools
are each formed with a sharn cutting edge, and the outer face may be curved
to approximate to an arc of the circle in which the tool rotates whilst the inner
face projects inwards so as to turn over the soil as the cutter rotates.
lower end the tool may terminate in a sharp or prong-like point.
At the
In each case the cutters are made detachable from the driving spindles so

page_text: that they may be readily renewed or replaced by others of the same or other
pattern.
The improved cultivator may be combined with seed or manure distributing
apparatus or with land harrows, rollers, or like devices which may be attached
at rear of the travelling carriage.
Dated this 17th day of December 1897
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.
I, JOHN SCOTT, late of 3, Wolseley Terrace, in the City of Edinburgh, now of
Northfield, Duddingston, Midlothian, Land Valuer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention relates to apparatus for tilling or cultivating land, and it has
for its object to provide a self-propelling cultivator of improved construction
in which a number of cutters of novel design are carried by vertical spindles
and are caused to rotate rapidly in the soil during the forward movement of
the machine.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 bein
a longitudinal elevation, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an end elevation of
the apparatus. Figure 4 is an elevation and Figure 5 a plan of one form of
cutter used in the apparatus, and Figures 6 and 7, and 8 and 9 similar views
respectively of modified forms of cutters.
The improved apparatus comprises a wheeled framing or carriage A having
an oil engine or electric or other motor, not shewn on the drawings, built into
the frame, and connected to a crank shaft B from which the travelling wheels C
are driven at a slow speed through suitable speed reducing gear. A steering
apparatus is provided in connection with the front wheels D; and at the rear
of the framing or carriage A a vertical spindle or a number of vertical spindles E
are carried in suitable bearings F and are fitted at their lower ends with cutters G
which are adapted to enter the soil and turn it over by rotating therein whilst
the carriage travels slowly forward. The spindles E which are geared together
are driven at a high speed by rope H or chain or other gearing, said rope being
extended between two pulleys H1, H2, the latter of which is centred on a vertical
stud H³, and has a bevel wheel H secured to it and driven from a bevel wheel B¹
on a counter shaft B2 as shewn or on the crank shaft B or other motion shaft:
and they are furnished with screw, or other gear, such as the lever-arm or
arms I, by means of which the cutters G may he raised out of the soil or lowered
to act upon it. The lever arms I are centred on a shaft I2 and have their forward
ends attached to a horizontal bar I carrying a series of jaws I each of which
engages a collar 15 on the spindles E adapted to raise or lower these whilst per-
mitting of the free rotation of the spindles E within the collars I. The raising
and lowering of the spindles by means of the lever arms I is effected preferably
by the hand wheel J through the shaft K. bevel gear K¹, shaft L, bevel gear I.
and shaft M the latter having one end threaded to engage a nut N on which
two connecting rods ✪ are centred. These rods 0 are connected at their outer

page_text: ends to chains P which are secured to the lever arms I. The cutter spindles,
when there are more than one employed, may be arranged in a zig-zag row,
one or more in front of the others, or they may be in a straight line, as in the
drawings, with the cutters G alternately at right angles to each other, so that
the range of action of any one cutter overlaps that of those adjoining, and no
part of the soil may be left undisturbed. The cutters G may assume one or
other of various forms.
In one modification shewn at Figures 4 and 5 each is composed of a compara-
tively thin blade curved to approximately wave-like or ogee form and having
a central socket or stud G¹ or other means of attachment to the rotating spindle.
On each side of the centre of rotation the blade G is of concavo-convex form
with a sharp outer edge adapted to cut into the soil, there being thus practically
two blades one on each side of the centre; and the lower edge of each blade
is also sharp so that it may readily enter the soil upon downward thrust of the
spindle.
In another modification shewn at Figures 6 and 7, each cutter is made in the
form of a cross bar G2 attached to the lower end of the spindle and having secured
at or near each end a downwardly projecting blade or cutting tool G³. The
blades or cutting tools G³ are each formed with a sharp cutting edge, and the
outer face may be curved to approximate to an arc of the circle in which the
tool rotates, whilst the inner face projects inwards so as to turn over the soil as
the cutter rotates. At the lower end the tool may terminate in a sharp or prong-
like point.
The cross bar may, as shewn at Figures 8 and 9, take the form of a face
plate and be slotted to receive the cutters G which are constructed as shewn.
In each case the cutters are made detachable from the driving spindles so
that they may be readily renewed or replaced by others of the same or other
pattern.
The improved cultivator may be combined with seed or manure distributing
apparatus or with land harrows, rollers, or like devices which may be attached
at rear of the travelling carriage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
:-
1. A rotary cultivator composed of a wheeled carriage framing having a motor
built therein and arranged to drive the carriage, the said framing being fitted
with a rotary vertical spindle or spindles movable vertically driven by the motor
and having secured to the lower end thereof a cutter or cutters adapted to enter
and turn over the soil substantially as described.
2. In a rotary cultivator a cutter composed of a socket, stud, cross bar, or face
plate attached to a rotary vertical spindle and having downwardly projecting
blades with sharp cutting edges substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of September 1898.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.