IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR HOEING AND THINNING OUT TURNIPS AND OTHER ROOT CROPS, PART OF SAID IM- PROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER HORSE HOES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thompson Milson Hircock, of Upwell, in the County
of Cambridge, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR HOEING
AND THINNING OUT TURNIPS AND OTHER ROOT CROPS, PART OF SAID IM-
PROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER HORSE HOES."
Sealed the 29th December 1876, and dated the 11th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thompson Milson Hircock
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th July 1876.
JOHN THOMPSON MILSON HIRCOCK, of Upwell, in the County of Cambridge.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR HOEING AND THINNING OUT TURNIPS AND
OTHER ROOT CROPS, PART OF SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER
HORSE HOES."
My Invention relates to an improved machine for hoeing and thinning out turnips
and other root crops, part of the improvements being also applicable to other machine
hoes.
My Invention consists mainly in the employment for thinning or striking out
turnips and other root crops of revolving cutters mounted upon longitudinal shafts,
the cutters revolving in a plane at right angles to the direction in which the machine
travels, striking the rows of plants fairly on the side.
The Invention also consists in the combination with such revolving cutters of
hoes for hoeing between the rows, the the cutter shafts being so mounted that all or
any one of them may be lifted out of work independently of the hoes to pass over
plants where the crop is thin or to avoid any obstacle in their way, or the hoes be
lifted independently of the cutters when the machine is used as a thinner only.
The Invention further consists in the combination with the revolving, cutters cr
hoes of a swing steerage arrangement for guiding the cutters and hoes along the
rows independently of the machine frame.
The Invention further consists in a spring hook, by which the hoes may be
separately raised out of work as they arrive at the headland in hoeing gores, and
also in the arrangement of the hoes to travel in advance of the centre upon which
the levers or other connections by which the hoes are attached to the machine frame
oscillate as the hoes rise and fall with the irregularities of the ground, whereby the
hoes work equally well over ridge or furrow. This part of the Invention is also
applicable to other horse hoes.
I will now proceed to more fully describe the improved combined turnip thinner
and hoe, and the combination therein of the foregoing improvements.
FD

page_text: The implement may be provided with one, two, or more sets of revolving cutters,
according to the number of rows to be operated on, each set mounted at the front
end of a longitudinal shaft. The shafts are all mounted at the rear end in bearings
hung upon a transverse shaft, from which the longitudiual cutter shafts are driven
by bevil gear.
This transverse shaft is driven from the main wheel axle, and it is
so mounted and geared that it is free to move together with the longitudinal cutter
shafts without stopping the motion of the cutters when the latter are moved
laterally by the swing steerage. The cutters are fixed near the front ends of their
shafts, which are supported in bearings in supports to which the stalks of the hoes
are also connected, said support being fitted to move up and down in vertical
guides so that the hoes and cutters adjust themselves to the irregularities of the
ground, the depth of work being regulated by guide travelling in front of the
hoes, the supports being also so arranged that any or all of the cutters of the hoes
may be raised out of work independently of one another by means of suitable levers.
The vertical guides are hung from a transverse bar fitted to slide endwise, and
operated by the swing steerage in order to swing the cutters and hoes towards
either side. The cutter blades are parallel with the row which they strike fairly
on the side so as to cut the piece clean out. There may be several on one shaft,
each fixed to an arm bolted to a boss or flanged plate on the shaft. The swing
steerage is operated from a steering wheel or handle on a central longitudinal shaft
carrying quadrants or arms connected at the front to the sliding bar carrying the
vertical guides above mentioned, and at the rear to the transverse sliding shaft
which supports and drives the cutter shafts. It is upon this transverse shaft as a
centre that the hoes together with the front ends of the cutter shafts rise and fall,
and the hoes being at the front of the machine and the shaft at the rear the hoes
thus travel in front of the centre upon which they rise and fall, and consequently
when they fall in a furrow their leading edge is directed downwards, and they do
not, therefore, rise out of work as is the case when their shaft or centre of oscillation
precedes them.
This improvement I also apply to corn hoes by arranging the levers to which the
stalks of the hoes are attached to project forwards instead of backwards from their
shaft as usual, so that the hoes precede the shaft and work equally well over level
or uneven ground.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Thompson Milson Hircock in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th January 1877.
JOHN THOMPSON MILSON HIRCOCK, of Upwell, in the County of Cambridge.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR HOEING AND THINNING OUT TURNIPS AND
OTHER ROOT CROPS, PART OF THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER
HORSE HOES."
My Invention relates to an improved machine for hoeing and thinning out turnips
and other root crops, part of the improvements being also applicable to other machine
hoes.
My Invention consists in the employment for thinning or striking out turnips
and other roots of revolving cutters or choppers mounted upon longitudinal shafts,
the cutters or choppers being parallel with their shaft and revolving in a plane at
right angles to the direction in which the machine travels so as to strike the rows
of plants fairly on the side.
The Invention also consists in the combination in the same laterally swinging
and vertically oscillating frame of the revolving cutters or choppers as above
described, and of hoes for hoeing between the rows; and it also consists in supporting
the cutter shafts in such a way that without putting them out of gear all or any
one of them may be lifted out of work independently of one another and of the hoes

page_text: in order to pass over plants where the crop is thin or to avoid any obstacle in their
way.
The swing steerage is for guiding the revolving cutters and hoes along the rows
independently of the machine frame; and the Invention consists in making it oscillate
on a shaft at back, and in the arrangement of the hoes and revolving cutters to
travel in advance of the centre upon which the said swing steerage frame oscillates
as the hoes rise and fall with the irregularities of the ground, whereby the hoes and
cutters work equally well over ridge or furrow.
This part of the Invention is also applicable to hoes for hoeing grain, a further
improvement in which class of hoes consists in a spring hook, by which the hoes may
be separately raised out of work as they arrive at the headland in hoeing gores.
In order that my Invention may be more readily understood I will proceed to
describe it with reference to the annexed Drawings, in which Figure 1 represents
a sectional elevation, Figure 2 a top plan, and Figure 3 a back view of the imple-
ment provided with the improvements above mentioned, except the spring hook
illustrated separately in Figure 5. The same letters of reference indicate the same
parts in all the Figures wherever they recur.
A is the main frame of the machine supported on a pair of travelling wheels B,
turning with their axle C, to which they are connected by spring clutch boxes to
facilitate turning.
The implement may be provided with one, two, or more sets of revolving cutters
or choppers D, according to the number of rows to be operated on, each set inounted
at the front of a longitudinal shaft E. The shafts E are all mounted at the
rear end in bearings e hung loose upon a transverse shaft F, from which the cutter
shafts E are driven by bevel gears ff. This transverse shaft F is driven from the
main wheel axle C by gearing either at one side or at the centre of the machine, as
shown, and consisting of a spur wheel a loose on axle C and geared with it by a
clutch operated by clutch lever b¹. Wheel a gears with an intermediate wheel c
mounted on a bracket c', which is movable to allow of different sizes of intermediate
wheels c being used, according to the speed required for the revolving cutters, which
is regulated to suit the crop. Wheel c in turn gears with another wheel & keyed
on a short shaft g hung in brackets from the main frame A. On this shaft g a spur
wheel is fitted to slide the wheel turning with the shaft, which is squared or
otherwise arranged. Wheel / gears with a pinion i keyed on the shaft F, which is
carried in bearings in the brackets G which hang in horizontal transverse grooves
or slides G¹ on the main frame A. Thus the shaft F is so mounted and geared that
it is free to move together with the cutter shafts E without stopping the motion of
the cutters. The cutters D are fixed near the front ends of their shafts E, which
are weighted and supported in vertical slotted guides H. curved to the arc described
by the end of the shaft E when raised at the front end and oscillated on shaft F
as a centre by raising lever E' connected by a chain with a loose collar on shaft E.
These vertical guides H are attached to a transverse bar I, to which the stalks
carrying the hoes K and guides L are also attached. This transverse bar I is con-
nected by side bars I¹ with the ends of shaft F, and the transverse bar I is movable
vertically, the whole frame I, I, moving on shaft F as a centre. The transverse
bar I is raised to lift the hoes out of work by means of the lever and chain M, M¹.
The guides L rest on the surface of the ground so that the hoes and cutters adjust
themselves to its irregularities, the depth of work being regulated by the guides L
travelling in front of the hoes. Any of the cutter shafts E may be raised indepen-
dently of the others by means of its lever E¹ without putting it out of gear.
laterally swinging frame, consisting of the brackets G, G, shaft F, side bars I', and
front transverse bar I, is movable bodily to the right or left to guide the cutters D
and hoes K along the rows independently of the main frame A, thus constituting
what I term the swing steerage. The swing steerage is operated from a pair of
handles N on a central longitudinal shaft O, on which are fixed two quadrants P, P¹.
The quadrant P is connected with the brackets G by chains p, and the quadrant P¹
is connected by chains 2 with a transverse rod R' fitted to slide in staples fixed to
-
The

page_text: the main frame. This rod R has a downwardly projecting arm passing through
an eye on the front bar I of the swinging frame, so that the said bar is free to rise
and fall independently of the bar R, but is moved laterally with said bar R when
the latter is slid endwise. By turning the handles N both quadrants P, P¹, are
moved at once, thus shifting the frame F, G, I, 1', bodily to the right or left. S is
a handle to enable the machine to be adjusted to the height of the horse by the
attendant behind, said handle being fixed on a shaft 8 passing through the steering
shaft O, which is tubular. On shaft 8 is a worm t operating a pinion u in gear
with a rack v fixed to the shafts T, which are hinged to the main frame A at T¹.
For this purpose
It will be seen that the hoes and cutters travel in front of the shaft F, which is
the centre on which they rise and fall, and consequently when they fall in a furrow
their leading edges are directed downwards and they do not therefore rise out of
work as they would if the centre of oscillation preceded them.
The same improvements may also be applied to corn hoes.
Figure 4 shows the same machine adapted for hoeing corn.
I remove the hoes K and the cutters D, their shafts E, and the gearing by which
they are operated, and I replace the shafts E by arms U mounted on shaft F in a
similar way to the shafts E, so as to work on said shaft F as a centre, the arms
working at the front end and in the vertical guides H. V is the hoe fixed on its
stalk attached to the arm U. In this case also the hoe V travels in advance of the
shaft F on which its arm U oscillates, and thus works equally well over level or
uneven ground. The swing steerage is the same as before.
Figure 5 represents a spring hook which I provide in corn hoes, in which the
hoes travel in rear of the rod or shaft on which they oscillate. V is one of the hoes
fixed on a lever U oscillating on rod F. w is a spring hook to engage on a cross
bar when the lever U is thrown up and hold the hoc V out of work. This spring
look w is intended for use in working gores when the hoes are thrown up in
succession.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is―
1st. The employment in a machine for striking out or thinning turnips and other
roots of revolving cutters or choppers mounted on longitudinal shafts, the cutters
or choppers being parallel with and revolving in a plane at right angles to the
rows, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The combination in the same laterally swinging and vertically oscillating
frame of the revolving cutters or choppers, as above specified, and of hoes, as and
for the purpose specified.
3rdly. Supporting and operating the cutter shafts at the rear end by a horizontal
transverse shaft, as herein shown and described, so that the cutters may be raised
independently and without being put out of gear, as and for the purpose specified.
4thly. Mounting the swing steerage frame to rise and fall on a centre at the rear,
and arranging the hoes and revolving cutters to travel in advance of the said centre,
as and for the purpose set forth.
5thly. In hocs for hoeing grain, mounting the hoes to travel in advance of the
centre on which the levers to which the stalks of the hoes are fixed rise and fall,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Gthly. The spring hook for holding up the hoes when thrown up successively, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thompson Milson Hircock, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. T. M. HIRCOCK. (L.S.)