US861119A - Sod-cutter. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

B. W. HOPPE. SOD CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.22,1907.

3 SHEET-SHEET 1.

1n: NORRIS PETERS 0a., wnsnmcmu, o, c.

.PATENTED JULYZB, 1907.

E. W. HOPPE.

SOD CUTTER. APPLICATION 111L111) APR.22,1907.

3 HBETS-SHEET 2.

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THE NORRIS PETE 0., wxsumarorv. u. c.

No. 861,119. PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

- E. w. HOPPE. s01) CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED APILZZ, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHBBT 3.

' THE NORRIS PETERS co., wllsnlNcToN. n. c.

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ERNEST W. HOPPE, OF MERTON, WISCONSIN.

PATENT OFFICE.

SOD-CUTTER.

Specification of .Letters Patent.

PatentedJuly 23, .1907,

Application filed April 22,1907. Serial 110.369.4531;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it.known that l, ERNEST W. HOPPE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the town of Merton, ill-U16 countyiof Waukesha and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSod-Outtersyand I do herebydeclare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The object of myinvention is to provide a simple, durable and effective sod-cutting attachment for.sulkyplows, the construction andarrangement of its parts being such that'the sod is cut, elevatedand thoroughly separated'from any'soil that may adhere to its roots and thereafter delivered to a carrier, which drops said sod fromtime to time in piles to be afterwards collected or destroyed.

This attachment is especially designed for effectually eradicating obnoxious grasses that cannot be destroyed by the common method of turning under.

Said inventiontherefore consists in various details of construction and combination of parts as hereinafter fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents asectional elevation ofa sulky or riding plow having attached thereto a sod cutter embodying the features of my invention, the section being indicated by line 11 of Fig. 2, parts of the machine being broken away to better illustrate the details; Fig. 2, a plan view of'the same, with parts broken away and parts in section to more clearly show the invention, and Figs. 3 and4 are crosssections of the attachment, as indicated by lines 33 and 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates the frame of an ordinary sulky-plow, which frame is supported by the usual wheels B, G, and D, the land side-wheel B being mounted upon a cranked stud axle E that is swiveled in a bracket F secured to the frame. The cranked end of the axle is raised or lowered by a hand-lever G, which lever is fast on said axle and is provided with a locking-detent arranged to engage a sector H projecting from the bracket. The raising and lowering mechanism above mentioned permits regulation of the elevation of the frame with relation to the wheel B and forms no part of my invention.

A plow-beam I is connected to the frame by links J, the beam being raised or lowered by a detented lever K, which lever is fast on a shaft L that is in crankconnection with said beam. The plow-beam carries the usual land-side plates at its lower end, and in place of the ordinary moldboard, has secured thereto a mold-board M, the face of which is horizontally inclined and terminates with an abruptrear edge. Secured to the outer lower face of the mold-board is an angle-iron strut N, which strut together with a strut 0 form an elevator-frame that extends upwardly and rearward from said mold-board. The strut O is pro vided witha brace-piece-a, which terminates at" its lowerendin a curved portion that merges-into the; said strut-body, thereby forming a curvature coinciding with the throatof the plow-beam I, to which beam said strut is secured by suitable bolts. The struts-are also connectedtogether by cross-braces b, the rear endS of said struts being-braced by a-yoke 0-, which is liung in a sleeved-bracket d'fa st tothe plow-frame; The ends of thisyoke are connectedto ears e of standards fth'at projectifromsaid-struts, there being similar pairs of standards f at intervalsthroughouttheir-length. Each of the aforesaidpairsof standards'are-slottedto receive bearing-blocks g for crusher-rollers h, there being interposed between the blocks suitable followers-i and compression-springs j, which springs areadjirstable as to tensionby means of 'set-bolts'j tliateng-aged the followers and are threaded into the headsof the standards,

Mountedin bearingsat the rear end of the elevatorframe, is a shaft K that carries a pair of -sprocket wheels 'm, which sprocket-wheelsserve as driversfor an endless lag-chain P. The-said chain, at itslower end, travels-over idle-rollers-n, which are located di rectly under the mold-.board and'are mounted upon-a shaft 0 having its bearingsin the elevator-frame struts. The lag-chain serves as-a conveyer, whereby-the cut .sodis carried from mold-'board anddischarged into a forked carrierP at the opposite end of the elevator frame. The sod in its travel upon the chain passes under the several spring-controlled crusher-rollers, which serve together with a vibratory motion of said chain to beat out the soil from the roots and thus break up said sod so that it may readily be dried and destroyed.

The speed of the lag-chain is slightly accelerated over the'travel of the plow and thereby cause a draw upon the sod, which action tends to break the same into blocks as it passes from said mold-board.

Drive is imparted to the lag or conveyor-chain from the land-side wheel Q secured to the hub of said wheel B and meshed with a pinion R, a stud of which pinion is mounted in a bracket S secured to the cranked axle. The pinion-stud carries a knuckle-jointed tumbler-rod T that is squared and fitted into a sleeve U, which in turn is knuckle-jointed to a shaft V, which shaft has its bearings in the elevator-struts and carries a sprocketwheel W fast thereon. This sprocket-wheel is in link n that are mounted upon shafts having their bearings I in the struts constituting the elevator-frame.

The sod-carrier P comprises a series of tangs secured to a shaft 10, which shaft is supported in bearings of a depending arm of the strut N, there being a'coiled spring p secured to the shaft, having one end looped under an adjacent fork-tang and the opposite end thereof engaging the depending strut-arm. The spring 1) serves to support the carrier and load, said carrier being prevented from rising above a vertical position by a stop 10, which projects in the path of an adjacent tang of the aforesaid carrier. The carrier-shaft is in universal slip-joint connection with a rod q that has a forward bearing in a bracket fast to the frame A,

there being a foot-treadle 1* fast on the end of the rod whereby the driver may, at will, cause the carrier to drop the sod accumulated thereon. From the foregoing it will be seen that the sod drops outside of the line of the next furrow and is not covered thereby,

the universal slip-joint connection permitting adjustment of the plow with relation .to the frame, it being understood however that any form of dumping-carrier may be substituted for that shown.

An outwardly curved deflector t is secured to the strut N and extends throughout the length of the elevator-frame. This deflector serves to catch the loose dirt as it is freed from the sod in its upward travel and delivers said dirt outside of the line of cut of the plow, or clear of the unbroken ground.

From the foregoing described mechanism it will be understood that the sod-cutting attachment may readily be applied to sulky-plows of ordinary construction, it being only necessary to attach the elevator-frame to the plow-beam and brace the same by the swinging yoke, the gear wheel, pinion and accompanying bracket S being secured to the cranked axle. This arrangement of the attachment does not in any way interfere with the freedom in adjusting the plow to different depths of cut, as would be required either in plowing or sod-cutting. When the attachment is disconnected from the plow, it is apparent that the usual mold-board'must be substituted for that shown.

I claim:

1. In a plow, having a wheel-supported frame and a plow-beam in adjustable connection with the frame, the combination of an inclined elevator-frame in rigid connection with the plow-beam, shafts supported in the elevatorirame at either end thereof, sprocket-wheels carried by one of said shafts, idle-rollers mounted upon the opposite shaft, an endless conveyer-chain carried by the sprocketwheels and idlers, spring-controlled crusher-rollers mounted in said elevator-frame above the conveyor-chain, and a driving-mechanism for .the conveyer-chain in connection with one of the wheels of the plow-frame.

2. In a plow, provided with a supporting-frame, and a plow-beam in adjustable connection with said frame, the combination of an inclined elevator-frame in rigid connection with the plow-beam, a traveling conveyer-chain carried by the elevator-frame, compressed crusher-rollers above the conveyer-chain, driving-gears for said convey'erchain in adjustable connection with one of the supportingwheels of the plow-frame, a swinging-yoke connecting the said elevator and plow frames, and a dumping-carrier in connection with the rear or discharge-end of the aforesaid elevator-frame.

3. In a sulky-plow provided with a frame, supportingwheels therefor, and a plow-beam in adjustable connection with the frame; the combination of an attachment comprising an inclined elevator-frame in rigid connection with the plow-beam, an endless conveyer-chain carried by the elevator, and driving-means for the chain in universal adjustable connection with said elevator-frame and one of the supporting-wheels.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the presence 01 two witnesses.

ERNEST W. HOPPE.

Witnesses N. E. OLIPHANI, Ron'r. KoERBrm.

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