Improvements in Cultivators.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left. 12th July, 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cultivators.
We, GEOFFREY HOWARD, of the Firm of James & Frederick Howard, Britannia
Iron Works, Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Agricultural Engineers, and
EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, of Bedford, aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:
Our invention relates to cultivators of the kind wherein the tines are attached
in one or more rows to an axle adapted to be partially rotated to lower the tines
into the ground and lift them out of their work.
In practice such cultivators are only constructed to work at a depth regulated
by the individual adjustment of the tines so that if the tines are lowered by the
partial rotation of the axle too much or not enough the pitch of the points or
shares is altered and when two or more rows of tines are used the back row or
rows works or work at a greater depth than the front row or vice versa.
The object of our invention is to provide means whereby the depth can be
altered without individual adjustment of the tines and to this end it consists in
combining with the means for partially rotating the axle means for imparting a
vertical lift to the said axle, whereby the depth at which the tines work can be
varied without otherwise altering the positions of the tines in the ground.
In carrying out our invention we mount the wheels on axial blocks instead of
upon the axle as heretofore the said axial blocks being eccentrically carried upon
the axle and advantageously provided with levers having spring catches and work-
ing in conjunction with notched segment plates fixed to the said axle, so as to
permit of altering the position of the axial blocks, and consequently also of the
axes of the wheels, relatively with the axle carrying the tines.
13
1 1
1001 1... fotoba 1900
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
We, GEOFFREY HOWARD, of the Firm of James & Frederick Howard, Britannia
Iron Works, Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Agricultural Engineers, and
EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, of Bedford, aforesaid, Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to cultivators of the kind wherein the tines are attached

page_text: in one or more rows to an axle adapted to be partially rotated to lower the tines
into the ground and lift them out of their work, such for instance as are described
in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 14099 of 1893.
In practice such cultivators are only constructed to work at a depth regulated
by the individual adjustment of the tines so that if the tines are lowered by the
partial rotation of the axle too much or not enough the pitch of the points or
shares is altered and when two or more rows of tines are used the back row or
rows works or work at a greater depth than the front row or vice versa.
The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the depth can be
altered without individual adjustment of the tines and to this end it consists
in combining with the means for partially rotating the axle means for imparting
a vertical lift to the said axle, whereby the depth at which the tines work can be
varied without otherwise altering the positions of the tines in the ground.
In carrying out the said invention we mount the wheels on eccentric axle blocks
instead of upon the axle as heretofore the said eccentric axle blocks being carried
upon the axle and advantageously provided with levers having catches and work-
ing in conjunction with notched segment plates fixed to the said axle, so as to
permit of altering the position of the eccentric axle blocks, and consequently also
of the axes of the wheels, relatively with the axle carrying the tines.
To enable the invention to be fully understood we will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: —
Figure 1 is a side elevation; and
Figure 2 a plan of a cultivator provided with the improved depth adjusting
mechanism:
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a side elevation and a sectional front eleva-
tion drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2 of the said depth regulating
mechanism; and
Figures 5 to 10 are views of parts of the said mechanism detached and herein-
after described.
a is the main frame of the implement, is the axle carried in the said frame
and c, c are the tines which are attached to carriers or heads d, d fixed upon the
said axle bas described in the said former specification or by other suitable
fastenings.
e is a lifting lever pivoted upon the frame a and having upon it a quadrant f
which engages with a corresponding quadrant g fixed to the axle 6 the said lever
and quadrants serving for rotating the axle in order to lift the teeth out of work
when desired and lower them into work. h is a notched segment with which
the catch on the lever e engages for locking the said lever.
i, i are the travelling wheels of the implement and j, j are the eccentric axle
blocks on which the said wheels run, the said eccentric axle blocks being mounted
upon the through axle or shaft b but capable of being partially rotated thereon;
each eccentric axle block is, (as shewn detached in end view and side view respec-
tively in Figures and 6) formed with a flange 1, and the hubs of the wheels i
are formed with corresponding recesses, as shewn in Figure 4, to receive the said
flanges.
To prevent the wheel from slipping off the eccentric axle block we attach to the
end opposite to that having the flange a plate k, shewn in side view and end
view respectively in Figures 7 and 8, the said plate being adapted to be fixed to
the eccentric axle block j, as shewn in Figure 4, and to be secured thereto by a
bolt so that the said plate and eccentric axle block shall move as one piece.
In practice it is advantageous to make the eccentric axle block hollow and to
provide in that end to which the plate is applied a recess m into which a corre-
sponding lug n on the said plate is designed to enter.
:
To permit of turning the eccentric axle block j relatively with the axle 6 the
said plate is formed with an arm or lever o and to permit of locking the said
eccentric axle block relatively with the axle b the said arm has upon it a tongue
or catch
which can engage with one or other of a series of notches q, q formed

page_text: in a segment plater (shewn detached in side view and edge view in Figures 9
and 10 respectively) adapted to be fixed upon the axle b. The tongue p is secured
in position in a slot p¹ in the arm o by a bolt and nut p², p³ respectively as shewn
in Figures 7 and 8.
It will be obvious that by moving the arm o the eccentric axle block will have
the effect of raising or lowering the shaft b relatively with the axis of the travel-
ling wheels without producing any rotation of the said shaft and consequently
without effecting any variation in the relative positions of the sets of tines.
In the position of the parts shewn in Figures 3 and 4 the eccentric and axle
are in the position when the tines are working at their least depth with respect
to the catch plate; if the arm is turned from, the position shewn in full-lines
in Figure 3 to the position shewn in the dotted lines in the said figure the effect
will be to lower the tines to the greatest depth to which they are set to work.
The intermediate notches serve for regulating the depth between the two
extremes.
In order to turn the eccentric axle block from one position to another it is
only necessary to loosen the nut 3 of the bolt 22 which locks the tongue pas
shewn in Figure 8, and then to move the said bolt and tongue backwards to dis-
engage the latter from the notch q with which it is in engagement and when the
excentric axle block j has been turned to the required position to again insert
the tongue p into the corresponding notch 9 and tighten the nut . The lever c
can obviously be locked in position on the notched plate by any other suitable
means, such for example as a spring catch.
When the tines are moved by means of the lever e to raise them out of the
ground or vice versa, the eccentric axle block, j the segment plate r and the
connected parts all move together with the axle without in any way displacing the
adjustment of the same.
The arrangement for adjusting the depth at which the tines work does not
in any way interfere with the placing of tines outside the wheels i, as will be
seen by reference to Figure 2 where the dotted lines in the said figure indicate the
tines as being attached to the axle which is extended through the eccentric axle
blocks.
It will be obvious that our invention is applicable to implements provided with
a front wheel, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, or with a draught pole; in the former
case it may be necessary after adjusting the depth by the movement of the
eccentric axle blocks to raise or lower the front of the frame upon the standard of
the front wheel in a manner which will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A cultivator of the kind indicated having adjustably mounted on the through
axle eccentric axle blocks upon which the travelling wheels run the partial
rotation of which blocks serves to regulate the position of the said axle relatively
with the wheel axis and consequently also the depth at which the tines work,
substantially as described.
2. A cultivator of the kind indicated having adjustably mounted on the through
axle eccentric axle blocks upon which the wheels run, the said blocks being adapted
to be fixed in position by levers and tongues or catches, substantially as, and for
the purpose, described.
3. In a cultivator of the kind described wherein all the tines are connected
with a single axle, the combination with means for rotating the said axle for
the purpose of raising and lowering the tines from and into the ground, of adjust-
able eccentric axle blocks mounted on the said axle, substantially as described.
4. In a cultivator of the kind indicated wherein the tines are connected to a
through axle or shaft and wherein the wheels run upon adjustable eccentric axle
blocks mounted upon the said through axle, projecting the said axle or shaft

page_text: through the said eccentric axle blocks so as to permit of it carrying tines outside
the travelling wheels, substantially as described.
5. The improved cultivator constructed and arranged substantially in the
manner hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 12th day of July 1899.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.