USRE3461E - Improvement in machines for sowing fertilizers - Google Patents

Description

UNTTED STATES.

JOHN F. KELLER, OF HAGERSTOVN, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ABRAHAM MILLER, IVM. II. PROTZMAN, ALPHEUS R. APPLEMAN, AND XVM. UPDE- GRAFF, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR SOWING FERTILIZERS.

.Specification forming part of Letieis Patent No. 31,084, dated Januaxy 8, 1861; ReissueNo, 1,71,.dated July 5, 1364; Reissue N0. 3,461, dated May 25, 1869.

.T0 all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JOHN F. KELLER, formerly of Greencastle, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, but now of Hagerstown, in the county of Washington and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fertilizer Attachments to Seed-Planters; and I do hereby declare that the following` is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference 1n arked thereon.

In the construction and use of machines for sowing fertilizers, especially guano, it is difficult to prevent the fertilizers from bridging in the hopper, and thus clogging the machine. Such bridging may occur abovethe stirrers or at the feed-holes; or the fertilizer may adhere to the stirrers themselves, as is not unfrequ ently the case with spiked shafts or rollers revolved constantly in one direction. rlhese difficulties are generally increased when the fertilizer to be sowed is wet or moist, as is often the case with guano, and it is important to have some means of breaking or crushing thehardlumps or bones occurring in most kinds of guano. The greasy adhesive nature of guano requires a jarring as well as a stirring action inthe hopper or stirrers, in order to render thefeeding regular and complete. If the stirrcrs are moved constantly in one direction,the guano will often adhere to them, and then a mass of guano moves with the stirrers,and thus they are clogged and the feeding stopped 5 but by a reciprocating action the stirrer,when moving in one direction, pushes the guano before it, packing the mass together, and then by the reverse stroke the stirrer breaks away from such mass, thus freeing the stirrerfrom adhesion of guano andshaking down the mass as fast as the fecdingmakes room below.

My invention consists of apeculi ar improved arrangement and construction of stirrers, elearers, and gearing, andtheir mode of operation, for the purpose of sowing fertilizers and preventing the same from clogging the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top view ofmy machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent detached parts of the machine.

In the drawings,A represents the box orhopper into which the guano is put for sowing. In this hopper is arranged a series of spikerollers, B, for stirring the guano and breaking the lumps or bones in the same. These rollers move only through apartial revolution, being turned forward and backward by means of cranks C, which are all united by bar D, and receive reciprocating motion through the connecting-rod E, thus adjusting the guano in the hopper. At every change of motion of these cranks and rollers a j arrin g action is produced, the rollers B, their spikes, and the hopper itself being more or less sh aken'by reversing the stroke ofthe cranks. Thus the adhesive guano is jarred off from the rollers and spikes, and also from the feed-holes in the bottom of the hopper, rendering the feeding complete, and preventing the possibility of clogging or bridging in the hopper. The stirrers also break away from the mass they have pushed forward, thus preventing the usual difficulties of packing before the stirrers,and consequent clogging. The guano passes through between the star-shaped device at the bottom of the rollers B, in order to reach the discharge-openings. The lower end of each spike-roller has a socket, Fig. 3, cast with the spikes,which are beveled at their sides, as seen in Fig. 4, (which is a vertical sectionofoneoftheselowerspikes.) Thesebeveled spikes ride upon the bottom of the hopper and sweep across the discharge-openings, and thus keeping free adhesions of guano.

The slide R, Figs. 5 and 6, forms part ofthe bottoni of the hopper, and contains the discharge-openings G. The openings are made in a peculiar manner. The lower side of the slide is cut away, so as to leave a sharp edge on the upper side ofthe slide, as seen in Fig. 6, (which is a view of one edge of the slide.) This sharp edge prevents the holes from cloggino. In order to insure the regular feed and guard further against clogging, I have arranged under the hopper a series of clearers, ILwhich play up and down in holes G. These clearers are operated by means of a roclcshaft, I, which receives motion from lever L, connectingrod M,and crank N, as seen in Fig. 2. A detached view ol' clearer H is seen in Fig. 7.

My maehineis attached to a wheat-drill or seed-planter, and the'traveling wheel connected with shaft O, thus giving motion to mymachine. The shaft 0 carries a cog-wheel, S, which operates the pinion T, crank-shaft U, and crank V, giving motion to connecting-rod W.

The elbowX is connected with rod XV by means v of'a free-working collar provided with pivots at each side, so as to produce auniversal joint of peculiar construction. By these means motion is communicated to the rod E; bar D, and rollers B. The rodE is made detachable from elbow X, in order to stop the motion of the rollers at pleasure, (the driver simply lifting the rod E from the elbow.)l By means of the lever l? the slide R may be moved so as to partially or entirely close the feed-openings, thus regulating or stopping the sowing of the fertilizer.

I am aware that spike rollers or stirrers are not new, and that'most of the devices employed ink my machine have been previously used; but

Ibelieve that the peculiar construction, ar.

rangement, and operation above described are newand a great improvement upon any machine `heretofore known. I limit my claims to the peculiar improvements above described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is-

1. VThe arrangement of aseries of spiked rollers, B, when placed vertically and moved through a partial revolution by a reciprocating motion, substantially as set forth, whereby the fertilizer are both delivered and prevented from clogging.

2. The combination of the clearers H and feed-slide R, Figs. 5 and 6, the latter having the peculiar openings G, with sharp edges for cutting the fertilizer away, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

3. The combination and arrangement ofthe rollers B, cranks C, and bar D, as and forthe purpose specilied.

JOHN. F. KELLER.

Witnesses:

' J, FRANKLIN'BEIGART,

EDM. F. BROWN.

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