Improvements in Spring-tooth Cultivators.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 8th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Spring-tooth Cultivators.
WILLIAM F. JOHNSTON, Manufacturer, and WILLIAM JOHN CLOKEY, Pattern
Maker, both of 915, King Street West, in the City of Toronto, in the County of
York, in the province of Ontario, Canada, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in Spring Tooth Cultivators and the
object of the invention is-first-to design a simple means for raising the sections
of the Cultivator in which the weight of the driver may be utilized as an auxiliary
leverage for this purpose, and-secondly-to devise a simple and improved system of
levers for exerting a downward pressure upon each section and it consists essen-
tially-first-of a seat pivotally supported preferably at the rear of the tongue and
having the top of the standard near the seat proper connected by rods to brackets
secured on the controlling rod and further of a quadrant secured to the controlling
cross rod, eccentrically pivoted and having meshing therewith an eccentrically
pivoted quadrant attached to the end of the controlling lever and-secondly-of an
arm secured to the cross rod and connected by a link to a rearwardly extending
arm secured on the tubular cross bar from which the pressure spring extends
rearwardly over each section, the controlling lever also being peculiarly manipu-
lated and held and the parts being otherwise constructed and arranged in detail
as hereinafter more particularly explained.
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of section of a spring tooth cultivator interme-
diately broken away and in section exhibiting the parts involved in our invention.
Fig. 2, is an enlarged detail of the meshing and controlling quadrants.
Fig. 3 is a detail of the rear end of the tongue and bracket showing the hook
to which the lower end of the seat standard is pivoted.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each
figure.
A is the U-shaped angle-iron frame forming the front and sides of the front
portion of the cultivator and B is the axle which is supported in suitable bearing
boxes A secured to the rear portion of the frame. Portion only of one side of
the axle and U-shaped frame is shown, the other portion at the opposite side of
the frame being omitted for the sake of clearness.
C is a tubular cross bar journalled in brackets c attached to the front of the
angle iron frame A. D is one of the sections which is suitably hinged at the
front on the frame A, and is provided with the cross bars D¹ to which are secured
the spring teeth D2.
E is an angle iron cross bar, which is secured at each end to the brackets A
forming part of the bearing box A. Only one of the bearing boxes is shown,
the other being at the opposite side of the machine.
F is a bracket straddling the rear end of the tongue and secured thereto. G is
a bolt, which passes through the centre of the cross bar E, the inclined hollow
end F of the bracket F and the tongue as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3
so as to secure and brace the centre of the cross bar E. f is a hook attached to

page_text: or forming part of the inclined hollow end F¹ of the bracket F, and H is a standard,
which is provided with a stirrup plate H at its lower end, the cross bar h of
which is designed to fit under the hook f immediately above the axle B.
I is a controlling cross rod, which is preferably square and has secured to it
the arms J having sockets through which the rod extends and a plurality of
holes in the arm proper.
The rod I has sleeves à secured to it throughout its length which have a circular
periphery and a square interior to fit the rod. The sleeves are journalled in bear-
ing brackets secured to the cross bar E. Only one journal bracket is shown in
the drawing but it will of course be understood that there are several across the
machine.
Kare rods having bent lower ends k, which extend through holes in the arms J.
The upper ends of the rods K are formed with eyes through which and the lugs h
of the standard H extends the bolt A¹.
:
Lisa,scat secured to the top of the standard.
Mis one of a series of arms secured to the rod I and connected by a chain m
to an arm N secured to the corresponding section, which is also one of a series
extending across the machine. O is an arm also secured on the rod and P is an
arm secured on the-tubular cross rod C. C₁ is a flat spring which is rigidly secured
on the tubular rod C and extends rearwardly over the cross bars of the sections D
as shown.
p is a bar connecting the rod P to the arm 0. The upper end of
the bar p is provided with a slot through which the pin o on the forked end of
the rod O extends.
Qis the controlling lever, which is suitably journalled on the bracket R. The
bracket R has a depending portion R, which is held rigidly to the axle B by
the staple bolt r. The bracket R is provided with an upper ratchet shaped toothed
quadrant and a lower spur toothed quadrant. S is a quadrant secured to
the controlling cross rod 1 and meshing with the quadrant T journalled on the
stud t extending laterally from the bracket 1. The quadrants S and T are eccen-
trically formed as to their centre of rotation. The quadrant S has its shortest
radius at the front and the longest radius to the rear and the quadrant T has its
longest radius to the front and the shortest radius to the rear. The quadrants S
and Tare ordinary toothed quadrants and the quadrant T is secured to the con-
trolling lever Q, which is provided with a spring plunger q designed to be brought
into engagement with the ratchet quadrant or spur toothed quadrant
required.
as
Having now particularly described the principal parts involved in our invention
we shall briefly describe the operation and utilization of the essential parts forming
the main features of our invention.
In order to raise the sections from the ground the upper end of the lever Q is
thrown in the direction indicated by arrow causing the quadrant T to mesh with
the quadrant S and turn the controlling rod I in the direction indicated by arrow.
It will now be seen that as the seat standard K is connected to arms J on the rod I
that the weight of the seat will serve as an auxiliary means in addition to the power
exerted on the lever to counter-balance the weight of the sections and thus
eliminate to a great extent their weight and the power necessary to be exerted on
the lever. When the lever has been pushed sufficiently far forward the plunger q
at the lower end thereof may be inserted into any desired space between the teeth
of the quadrant 3 and the sections with their teeth held up from the ground.
Should it be desired to exert an extra pressure upon the sections in certain
class of soil the lever Q would be thrown in the opposite direction to that indicated
by arrow or rearwardly when the quadrants T and S would communicate motion
to the controlling rod I, so that it would turn also in the opposite direction to
that indicated by arrow causing the arm 0 to exert a downward pressure upon the
rod p and arm P and likewise upon the spring C₁, thereby holding the spring
teeth more firmly down in the soil. The plunger y of the lever Q when in the
above, operation would of course be held between any of the teeth of the ratchet

page_text: shaped quadrant, this of course depending upon the amount of pressure desired
upon the spring -teeth.
When the lever Q is being utilized to raise the sections and the arm. O rises of
course the pino in such arm would have free play in the slot p¹ at the end of the
rod. It will be noticed upon the lever being utilized to raise the sections that
the leverage of the upper quadrant is greatly increased as against decreasing the
leverage of the lower quadrant, thus acting to the greatest advantage for the rapid
upward movement of the sections, but when it is desired to throw the lever in
the opposite direction so as to exert a pressure upon the spring teeth the leverage
is greatly decreased in the upper toothed quadrant T as against an increase of
leverage in the lower quadrant S, thus operating to the greatest advantage in
this case also by less exertion of power but a greater time to operate where time is
not a desideratum.
Although we only show one spring toothed section in the drawing it will of course
be understood that all the sections are similarly connected to the controlling rod
by the arms M chain m. and arm N.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In a spring tooth cultivator, in combination, the sections suitably hinged to
the frame, means for raising the sections, and a seat having a standard pivoted
on the frame and connections between such standard and the raising means for
the sections to counter-balance the weight of such sections as and for the purpose
specified.
2. In a spring tooth cultivator, in combination, the sections suitably hinged to
the frame, means for raising the sections, the tongue, the seat, the seat standard
pivotally connected at the rear end of the tongue and connections between such
standard and the raising means for the sections to counter-balance the weight of
such sections as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a spring tooth cultivator, in combination the sections suitably hinged to
the frame, means for raising the sections, the tongue provided with a bracket at
the rear end and a hook forming part of same, the seat, the seat standard having
a stirrup plate fastened to its lower end, so that the bar extends within the hook
and connections between such standard and the raising means for the sections to
counter-balance the weight of such sections as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a spring tooth cultivator, in combination the sections, suitably hinged to
the frame, the controlling rod suitably journalled in the frame and a flexible con-
nection from the arm to the section, the seat, the seat standard pivoted on the
frame, the arm secured on the controlling rod and the rods connecting such arms
to the upper end of the seat standard as and for the purpose specified.
5. In a spring tooth cultivator, in combination, the sections suitably hinged to
the frame, the controlling rod suitably journalled in the frame, the eccentrically
formed toothed quadrant secured on the controlling rod, the lever, the eccentrically
pivoted quadrant on the lever, meshing with the quadrant on the controlling rod,
means for holding the lever in any desired position, the seat, the seat standard
pivotally held on the frame, connections between the upper end of the seat
standard and supporting means between the upper end of the seat standard and
the controlling rod as and for the purpose specified.
6. In combination, the sections hinged on the front portion of the frame, the
tongue having the rear bracket F with inclined end F and hook f, the cross bar E
suitably held in the frame, the controlling rod I provided with the arm M and
chain m and arm N connecting it to the sections, the journal sleeves and bear-
ings secured to the rod E, the seat and seat standard having stirrup plate H¹
fitting within the hook f the arms J, rods K and bolts ¹ and means for turning
the rod as and for the purpose specified.
7. In combination, the sections suitably hinged to the front portion of the frame,

page_text: the axle B, bearings A', cross bar E, controlling rod I, quadrant, supporting
bracket R having a depending portion R¹ secured to the axle by a staple bolt,
the arms M, chain m, arm N, eccentrically formed toothed quadrants $ and T,
stationary toothed quadrants and forming part of the supporting bracket R,
and lever Q provided with plunger q all arranged as and for the purpose specified.
8. In combination the frame, the section or sections hinged to the frame, the
cross bar C journalled in brackets secured to the front bar of the frame, the rear-
wardly extending flat spring secured to the cross bar, the arm P, bar p provided
with an upper slot p', controlling rod I, arm O with forked end and pin of extend-
ing through the slot p¹ and means for turning the controlling rod as and for the
purpose specified.
9. In combination the frame, the section or sections hinged to the frame, the
cross bar C journalled in brackets secured to the front bar of the frame, the rear-
wardly extending flat spring secured to the cross bar, the arm P, bar ? provided
with an upper slot p', controlling rod I, arm O with forked end and pin o extend-
ing through the slot pl, the eccentrically formed quadrant S, the quadrant T
forming portion of the lever Q pivoted on the stud t and meshing with the quad-
rant S, the plunger 7 and the ratchet shaped toothed quadrant forming part of
the bracket R and arranged as and for the purpose specified.
16th Stamhan 1807
F. J. MASSEY,
Agents for the Applicants, 54 and 55 Bunhill Row, London, E.C.,