Improvements in Plant-setters and Seed-planters.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Plant-setters and Seed-planters.
A communication from abroad by JOHN WILLIAM MCKAY, of 925, Main Street,
Lynchburg, State of Virginia, United States of America, Machinist.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil 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 improvements in plant-setters and seed-planters.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a plant-setter embodying the invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same, with the seed-dropper in place.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the lower part of Figure 2.
In these drawings, the letters A A designate the main supports of the machine,
which are united at the top by the movable cross-handle G, passing through slots
therein, and at the bottom by the forwardly-curved and fixed bar B. At the
middle of bar B is the plate C. D is a stationary cutter attached to the rear of
plate C, and D' is a movable cutter attached to the lower end of lever F. E is the
front jaw, and E' the rear jaw, of the plant-holder, the jaws being hinged near the
top and forming a funnel-shaped hopper when closed. The front jaw is fastened to
the bar B by the curved pin , which rises from the rear part of plate C and passes
through the loope attached to the lower part of said jaw. The rear jaw is fastened
at to lever F. Lever F is situated midway between the supports A A, its
upper end passing through a notch in the cross-handle G, where it is held in place
by the 'oop g, and terminating in the hook J. Pivotally attached to supports AA
is the rock-shaft K, to the middle of which is fastened lever F. Lever F near its
top is bent forward at an angle, and is slightly curved between the two notches or
shoulders and ; below it is straight until it nears rock-shaft K, where it
curves backwardly, its lower section being adapted to receive the rear jaw of the
plant-holder. To cross-handle G is attached the spring-actuated bolt I, which
engages with the shoulders f and when the cross-handle is moved up or down. At
their lower extremities the supports A A bend outwardly and are bifurcated, and
between the bifurcations pass the curved stems n n of the shovels or coverers N N,
being held in place by the pins a a. The upper end of these stems are bent at an
angle and pass through the slots o o in supports A A, and their inner extremities
are connected by the springs pp to rock-shaft K. The shovels are pressed down
by the rods L L, which rest upon n n and move in the eyes 1 l, attached to
supports A A.
In operating the plant-setter, the plant is placed in the plant-holder, root
downward, and, the cross-handle G being at J, the cutters are thrust into the
soil until checked by the plate C. At the same instant, the spring-bolt I is dis-
engaged from the shoulder the cross-handle is pushed downwards to h, thus
forcing the cutters open, pushing back the soil and opening the jaws of the plant-
holder, and the plant drops into the hole. By pushing the cross-handle farther
downward, it presses down the rods L L, which force the shovels down and press
the soil around the root of the plant. The cross-handle is then raised, the
shovels are retracted by springs pp, and spring-bolt 1, engaging with shoulder h,
Lifts the plant-setter out of the hole. The spring-bolt is then disengaged, the
cross-handle engages with hook J, and the machine is ready for another plant.
D

page_text: In the drawings :-
S represents the funnel-shaped hopper of the seed-dropper, T is its bottom,
and Sa slide moving in a groove in its bottom. The hopper is suitably attached
to the front jaw E of the plant-holder by the screws, and the slide is attached
to rear jaw E¹ at w. In the slide is an opening a, which receives the seed, and in
the bottom is a corresponding opening, which discharges it. After the cutters
have been thrust into the soil, as herein described, the downward movement of the
cross-handle moves the slide S¹ backward until the opening s is over the opening t,
when the seed is dropped into the hole. The farther downward movement of the
cross-handle causes the seed to be covered up by the shovels N N, as hereinbefore
described. The seed-dropper may be of any suitable form, and may be readily
attached to and detached from the plant-setter, and the plant-setter is quickly
converted into a seed-planter without any change or removal in its parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A plant-setter consisting of two upright supports, bearing the side shovels
and the actuated rods and springs, joined at the top by a movable cross-handle
and at the bottom by a forwardly-curving bar, having a plate and cutter and the
front jaw of a plant-holder attached to it, and having midway between them a
lever attached to and moving on a rock-shaft, and carrying at its lower end a
cutter and the rear jaw of a plant-holder which is hinged to the front jaw at
the top, said lever having its upper end bent forward at an angle and curved,
terminating in a hook, and having shoulders which engage with the spring-
actuated bolt attached to the cross-handle, substantially as shown and described.
2. A combined plant-setter and seed-planter consisting of a seed-dropper within,
and detachably fastened to the front and rear jaws of, a plant-holder, substantially
as shown and described.
Dated this 20th day of An 1901
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.