An Improved Orchard, Field, and Vineyard Cultivator.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 2nd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by MALCOLM MACLEOD, of Los Angelos, California,
United States America, Engineer.]
An Improved Orchard, Field, and Vineyard Cultivator.
I, JOHN HENRY TOPHAM, of 46 Market Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows --
The objects of my invention are :—
To provide a cultivator which can be conveniently and readily adapted for use
in cultivating orchards or vineyards, or for use in general field work;
To enable the operator to readily set the shovels so that all the shovels will cut
to an equal depth whether used for shallow or deep cultivation;
To provide a cultivator which in, its orchard form is adapted to cultivate all the
ground, cut out all weeds, and leave the ground level at one operation without
requiring a change of shanks;
To increase the ease of raising and lowering the shovels, which, in my machine,
operate in a direct curve, thus allowing all rubbish to fall freely from the shovels.
To accomplish this, I form a suitable shaft or axle which is suitably journaled
to a suitable metal frame, (to which is attached an operating lever and shafting),
and provided with two suitable ground or supporting wheels.
This axle is formed
with angular sides for a part or the whole of its length not occupied by the wheels
or the frame, or is grooved with a suitable channel. Upon this axle are placed
carriers suitably formed to fit upon the angular or grooved axle, upon which they
can be slided to any position required and secured by means of suitable tightening
screws or bolts. Each carrier is formed with a suitable pivot hole, to which a
suitable shank is pivoted by a suitable pivot or bolt, and a quadrant slot or series
of holes, by which the shank can be adjusted and secured at any suitable height
by means of a suitable bolt and nut.
The other ends of the shanks are suitably formed for the attachment of
cultivating shovels, and a leveller and weed cutter, (preferably arranged to extend
across the entire path of the machine) consisting of a thin narrow blade provided
upon its front edge with bolt holes, downwardly bent ears, or metal straps by
which it can be bolted to the rear shanks, and so arranged as to be substantially.
horizontal when the shovels are inserted in the earth.
The shovels are inserted or withdrawn from the earth by means of the operating
lever before mentioned, which is either pivoted directly to the metal frame of the
machine or furnished with a suitable lever arrangement if the machine is made
wide and heavy.
The seat is also adjustable so as to balance the weight of the machine.
Dated this 20th day of July 1893.

page_text: An Improved Orchard, Field, and Vineyard Cultivator.
1, JOHN HENRY TOPHAM, of 46 Market Street, Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Patent Agent, 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 :-
The objects of my invention are:-
To provide a cultivator which can be conveniently and readily adapted for use
in cultivating orchards or vineyards, or for use in general field work;
To enable the operator to readily set the shovels so that all the shovels will cut
to an equal depth whether used for shallow or deep cultivation;
To provide a cultivator which in its orchard form is adapted to cultivate all the
ground, cut out all weeds, and leave the ground level at one operation, without
requiring a change of shanks;
To increase the ease of raising and lowering the shovels which, in my machine,
operate in a direct curve thus allowing all rubbish to fall freely from the shovels.
To accomplish this, I form a suitable shaft or axle which is suitably journaled
to a suitable metal frame, (to which is attached an operating lever and shafting),
and provided with two suitable ground or supporting wheels.
This axle is formed with angular sides for a part or the whole of its length not
occupied by the wheels or the frame, or is grooved with a suitable channel.
Upon
this axle are placed carriers suitably formed to fit upon the angular or grooved
axle, upon which they can be slided to any position required and secured by means
of suitable tightening screws or bolts. Each carrier is formed with a suitable pivot
hole to which a suitable shank is pivoted by a suitable pin or bolt, and a quadrant
slot or series of holes, by which the shank can be adjusted and secured at any
suitable height by means of a suitable bolt and nut.
The other ends of the shauks are suitably formed for the attachment of
cultivating shovels, and a leveller and weed cutter, (preferably arranged to extend
across the entire path of the machine) consisting of a thin narrow blade provided
upon its front edge with bolt holes, downward bent ears, or metal straps by
which it can be bolted to the rear shanks, and so arranged as to be substancially
horizontal when the shovels are inserted in the earth.
The shovels are inserted or withdrawn from the earth by means of the operating
lever before mentioned, which is either attached directly to the axle of the machine
or furnished with a suitable lever arrangement if the machine is made wide and
heavy.
The seat is also adjustable so as to balance the weight of the machine.
Referring to the drawings sent herewith :-
Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved cultivator in its orchard form with the
weeder and leveller attached. A portion of the tongue is broken away to contract
the view, and the seat is removed.
Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line X-X Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a view of a fragment of the machine showing a portion of the operating
lever and the bracket to which it is pivoted.
Fig. 4 shows one form of the axle shank carriers attached to the axle which is
shown in cross section.
Fig. 5 shows a modified form.
Fig. 6 shows a form of such shauk carrier adapted for attachment to an angular
axle.
Fig. 7 indicates such axle.

page_text: Fig. 8 is a fragment of the weed cutter and leveller.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a fragment of a shank with the shovel and weed
cutter attached.
Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a fragment of a shank with weed cutter attached
by metal straps.
The shovel shanks A A³ are secured by means of the carriers B to the axle C
which is journaled to the frame D and is supported by the ground or supporting
wheels EE which are journaled upon the shaft or axle C. The shaft C as shown
is provided with a longitudinal channel c. The shank carriers B are fitted upon
the axle C and are provided with the spline b arranged to slide in the channel c in
the axle. The shank carrier B here shown extends downwards and backwards
from the axle and is provided with a pivot hole e arranged beneath the axle, and
an adjusting slot farranged rearward from the axle; but the slot and pivot bolt
may be arranged over the axle or otherwise as desired.
g
The shanks are respectively pivoted to the carriers by means of pivot bolt
passed through the shank and through the pivot holes e and adjustably clamped to
the carrier by a suitable clamp such as the clamp bolt passed through the slot f
in the carrier and secured by nut j.
The face of the arm of the carrier is provided with corrugations i to assist in
holding the shank firmly in place when the nut is tightened, and a corrugated
washer is arranged to engage the corrugations on the carrier to prevent the
shanks from slipping.
The shanks are operated by rotating the shaft or axle and for this purpose the
operating lever J is here shown pivoted to the bracket K which is journaled upon
the axle and is secured to the frame in front of the axle, but said lever may be
secured or pivoted directly to the axle as before mentioned.
The bracket K extends rearward from the axle and is provided with a hole to
receive the pivot stud / by which the operating lever J is pivoted to such bracket.
N is the rack with which the pawl O of the operating lever J engages. The
rack N is fastened to the bracket K and the rear arm p of the operating lever J is
connected with the axle actuating lever Q which is adjustably attached to the axle
through the medium of one of the carriers B. 7 is a link coupling the arm p and
the lever Q. Its position upon the lever and arm may be changed thus increasing
or diminishing the leverage; that is to say, the operating lever J is pivoted to the
bracket K rearward from the axle, and the arm p of the lever J is shorter than the
lever Q which is secured to the axle and which is connected with the arm p by
the link which is pivoted to the lever by means of the pivot bolt s passed through
suitable holes r in the arm and lever. When the link is placed to the extreme end
of the arm and lever as shown in Fig. 2 the difference between the length to such
arm and the lever is proportionally reduced and when the link is placed closer
to the axle the proportional difference is increased and the leverage is also
increased.
M indicates the leveller and weed cutter attached to the rear shanks and arranged
to extend across the entire path of the machine. It consists of a thin narrow
blade either flat or provided upon its front edge with downwardly bent ears or
metal straps rivetted thereto, in all cases having bolt holes therethrough adapted to
receive the bolts which secure the shovels to the shanks, and the blade is arranged
to lie horizontally when the shovels are inserted into the earth. By attaching the
blade to the shanks by its front edge I am enabled to use a light thin blade which
is most effectual and gives very little resistance without so much danger of bending
the blade as there would be if the blade were secured to the standards by its rear
edge and projected forward.
Where a flat blade without cars or straps is used a bulge or swell is formed or
provided on the shanks to keep the cutter in proper position. On cloddy or very
weedy ground the metal straps are preferable as they allow sufficient space between
the rear shovels and cutter to prevent the cutter from becoming clogged with
rubbish.

page_text: The depth to which the cultivator teeth will be inserted can be accurately
adjusted by loosening the nut j of the bolts which clamp the shanks to their
respective carriers, adjusting the shanks to the proper position, and then screwing
the nuts tight again. By this means the several shanks can be accurately adjusted
with relation to each other so that the ground will be cultivated by them to an
uniform depth when the shovels are inserted into the earth. In cultivating orchard,
it is sometimes desirable that the shovels which cultivate beneath the trees, in
order to avoid tearing the roots of the trees, should not enter the ground as deeply
as those farther from the tree; by means of the adjusting slot the shovels may be
quickly adjusted so that some will cultivate deep and some will cultivate shallow as
the operator may desire.
When rough and dirty ground is cultivated, the front and rear gangs of shovels
should be placed farther apart than when cultivating in light clean soil, or the
cultivator may clog so frequently as to prove a detriment. In order to provide
suitable means for such adjustment, the shanks of the rear series of shovels extend
forward from the shank carrier when adjusted for light clean ground, and are
provided with an additional hole e' through which the pivot bolt may be passed
while the clamp bolt is passed through the pivot hole e; this throws the rear
shovels still farther to the rear, and so increases the space between the front and
rear series of shovels. The slot allows necessary adjustment of the shank.
The carriers shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are made in two pieces and are adapted
to be clamped on the axle. The carrier shown in Fig. 6 is designed to be clamped
upon an angular axle such as that shown in Fig. 7. In such Fig. 7 v indicate
journals to allow rotation of the axle with relation to the frame of the machine.
In practice the distance between the cultivator shanks can be changed to suit
the operator by loosening the set screws t when the form shown in Fig. 4 is used
and slipping the shank carriers along the axle to the point desired, when the set
screw can again be tightened and the shank carrier secured upon the axle. When
extra shovels are desired, the form of carrier (B2, B3) shown in Figs. 6 and 7 may
be clamped upon the axle, thus avoiding the necessity of removal of the wheels to
allow their attachment.
The cultivator is light of draft and easy to manipulate, but the seat can be
adjusted by means of a slot and bolt so that the operator can balance the machine
and the shovels can be quickly adjusted by slipping the shanks laterally as above
detailed to straddle a row of plants and cultivate both sides, or to cultivate the
entire width of the cultivator as may be desirable.
In ordinary soils the round axle is preferable to the square axle as it allows the
wheels to be readily adjusted to any distance apart, but where the soil is heavy
and obstinate, it is best to use the square axle as the strain upon the shanks might
strip the spline from the carrier.
In practice I find that there is very little weight upon the wheels when the
cultivator is in operation, because the shovels being almost in under the axle the
weight is principally supported by the shovels, and the wheels simply act as gauges
to regulate the depth to which they will cultivate.
When rubbish accumulates and it is desired to dump the load, the shanks and
shovels are supported by the wheels, and move around the axle, which is the
pivotal point, and the shovels thus practically move backward from the load when
the load is being discharged, thus greatly facilitating the operation of clearing the
cultivator. The rear of the frame D is bent upward to permit the shanks to rise
high enough to dump the rubbish without the shanks striking against the frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. In a cultivator, the combined apparatus substantially as described and shown
herein before and in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In a cultivator, a shank carrier with a pivot hole and quadrant slot or series

page_text: of holes, in combination, substantially as described and shown hereinbefore and in
the accompanying drawings for the purpose set forth.
3rd. In a cultivator, a grooved or angular axle, substantially as described
and shown herein before and in the accompanying drawings for the purpose set.
forth.
4th. In a cultivator, the weed cutter consisting of a thin narrow metal blade
preferably arranged to extend the full width of the cultivator and secured at its
front edge to the shanks, either directly or by means of metal straps, substantially
as described and shown herein before and in the accompanying drawings for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 19th day of April 1893.
JOHN HENRY TOPHAM,
984, Market Street, Manchester, Applicant.