Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
Fig. VII is a section taken on line VII-VII, Fig. VI.
Fig. VIII is a transverse section, taken on line VIII-VIII, Fig. VI.
Fig. IX is a detail view, illustrating the manner of securing the shovel-plows to
the axle of the machine.
Fig. X is a diagram, illustrating the operation of the rotary toothed disks with
relation to the manner in which they enter and leave the ground.
Fig. XI is a perspective view of the disk carrying frame or yoke.
Fig. XII shows the invention applied for use as a garden cultivator or tool.
Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the ground-wheels, journaled on an axle 2
having a central arch or bridge portion 3, to the vertical arms of which a frame 4
is movably held by straps or brackets 5, (see Figs. I and V,) each bracket
consisting of plates 6 and a channel plate 7, which are connected together by
bolts 8. The frame 4 can be raised and lowered by a threaded bolt or shaft 9,
which connects with the center of the frame, and which passes up through a
threaded socket in the draft tongue 10 and tongue-plates 11, (see Fig. IV). The
shaft has a hand-wheel 12 on its upper end by which it is turned to adjust the
frame 4 vertically.
13 is the operator's seat secured to the tongue 10. The tongue is secured to the
arch of the axle by means of the lower plate 11.
In Fig. XI is shown a modification of the frame 4, which consists of a bar 14
having a central perforation 15 to receive the shaft 9, and which is serrated on its
lower surface to receive the serrated ends 16 of the vertical arms 17 of the frame;
the bar 14 and the ends 16 are slotted, as shown at 18, and are connected by bolts 19.
The frame can thus be lengthened out or shortened up, as desired.
The frame is designed to carry rotary disks 20, which are mounted on a shaft or
rod 21, which fits in the lower ends of the frame 4. The disks are held the proper

page_text: distance apart by means of blocks 22 placed between them on the rod. As stated,
the disks are mounted on the rod 21, and they turn by coming in contact with the
ground. Each side has a series of teeth 23, and these teeth are so shaped and
curved that their points advance rearwardly but a short distance after touching the
ground, and then withdraw from the ground in a forwardly direction. This is
illustrated in Fig. X, where the dotted line and arrow at A illustrate the direction
in which the teeth enter the ground, and the dotted line and arrow at B illustrate
how the teeth leave the ground. The result of thus mounting the disks so that
they are only turned by their contact with the ground, and of so forming the teeth
that they will be withdrawn from the ground in a forwardly direction; and will
move rearwardly but a very slight distance after striking the ground, is that young
corn and plants can be cultivated and the dirt thoroughly loosened around them
without fear of tearing them from the ground or uprooting them, for should the
teeth strike directly upon a plant, the result would be the simply loosening up of
the earth in and about the plant, and the plant will not be uprooted, while at the
same time any very small weeds, which have surface roots only, will be destroyed.
Practical experience in the field has demonstrated these facts.
The curve of the teeth is such that a line drawn through the center of the disk,
past the base of the teeth, passes slightly back of the point of the teeth, (see dotted
line, Fig. X). The face of each tooth is made flat, as shown at 26, Figs. VII
and VIII, while the sides are tapered to the back of the tooth, as shown at 27,
Fig. VIII.
The specified construction and arrangement of the teeth, clearly distinguish this
part of the invention from rotary cultivators in the prior art, in which the teeth are
designed to excavate or dig up the ground as much as possible in the rotary
movement, as in digging stubble and like operations, and are commonly formed with
a cutting edge on the front or inner side of the curve, to facilitate their passage
horizontally through the ground.
Sometimes it is desired to crush or pulverize the ground, at the same time
loosening it up, and for this purpose this machine is admirably adapted, by securing
.strips 28 of wood between the teeth, as shown in Figs. II and III, the strips being
held by means of rings 29, or by other suitable means. These strips can be very
quickly added, and removed, and when the ground is lumpy they are very desirable
for the purpose of forming a roller to crush the lumps, while at the same time the
projecting teeth loosen up the earth.
40 represents stalk and weed cutters, or cleaners, secured at their upper ends to
the top of the frame 4, and the lower ends 41 of which are concave and fit on the
distance blocks 22 between the disks. These cutters are curved as shown in the
drawing, and their lower, rear ends form curved, sharp surfaces 42 for cutting stalks
and weeds.
30 represents shovel-plows, the beams 31 of which are connected through means
of clevises 32 to the axles 2 of the. machine. With the pulverizer and rotary
harrow, which have been described, a pair of shovels is thus combined which may be
used outside of the disks of the pulverizer, when desired.
In Fig. XII the cultivator is shown in the form of a hand-tool, for garden
purposes. It is designed to be shoved in front of the operator, as the drawing
indicates. The wheels are the same as those of the other figures, and they are
supported loosely on a shaft journaled in the lower, bifurcated end of a handle,
which has a cross-piece to be grasped by the hands.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of an axle having an arch or bridged central portion, a
frame movably secured to the axle, a threaded rod or shaft secured to said frame,
and by which the frame is moved, a draft-tongue to which said axle is secured, and
through which said threaded rod or shaft passes, a hand-wheel on said rod or shaft

page_text: and by which it is turned to move said frame, rotary disks mounted in said frame on
a rod fitting in the lower ends of the frame, distance blocks located between the
disks, and stalk cutters secured by their upper ends to said frame, and resting at
their lower ends upon said distance blocks; substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of a suitable axle, having an arch or bridged portion,
ground wheels journaled on the axle, a frame secured to the vertical arms of said
axle, toothed disks supported by said frame, and shovel-plows secured to said axles
between said ground-wheels and the vertical portions of the axles, substantially as
set forth.
3. The combination of an axle having an arch or bridged portion, ground wheels
journaled on the axle, a frame secured to the vertical arms of the arch portion of
the axle, toothed disks supported in the frame, and curved cleaners secured to the
upper part of the frame, and resting at their lower ends upon the disk support,
substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination of a suitable frame, toothed disks supported in the frame, and
cleaners consisting of curved bars having convex, lower, sharp edges, and having
concave lower ends resting upon the disk support; substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. The combination of a suitable frame and a toothed disk mounted in said
frame, so as to turn freely by contact with the ground, the teeth being formed with
flat faces and with angular or convex backs, and so curved that a radial line from
the center of the disk in front of the tooth and close to its base will pass slightly
back of the point, whereby in passing from vertical position and maximum penetra-
tion, the angular back of the tooth is pressed into the ground, and the point caused
to pass vertically out of the ground.
6. In a cultivator, a disk frame 4 made in three pieces 14, 17, the pieces 17 being
right-angles, slotted and serrated on the upper side, and the parts 16 being slotted
and serrated and provided with a central hole to receive an adjusting rod; substan-
tially as set forth.
Dated this 11th day of December 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.