US109480A - Petebs - Google Patents

Description

STEPHEN SIDNEY WOOD, 03F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

lM-PRlovElvr-ENr rNa arteria-:NG-MACHINES-g Specification forming part of Letters Pat-ent No. 109,480, dated November 22, 1870.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN SInNEnWooD, ot' Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and` State of New Yorlqhave invented a new and Improved Ditehing-Machine; andl Ij do hereby declare that the following is a full',.cl"ea-r, andexact description thereof, which will` enable: others skilled in the art to make andi use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, forming part ot` this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ditching-machines; and consistsv in a set of scoops or spades'mounted; on endless beltsso. arranged on rollers or drums near the front of a frame or carriage of peculiar construction workin g on two wheels, fore and-aft, andfpartly slid-ing along the bottom of the ditch cut, that the said spades, being rotated by gearing'conneeted with one of the wheels ofthe truck, will scoop up the earth inadva-nce of the frame thrown infront of them by one of the Sides, which cuts oil' a stri-p of earth along the bank of a furrow made by a common plow, and throws it in advance of the spades, which carry it upwardA and backward', and deliver it previous to passing over the upper roller to an endless belt, which moves up an oblique trough, inclined a-lso to one side, and provided with a discharging-brush workin-g obliquely across the top, to throw the earth sufciently away that none will fall inl the ditch.

The spades are hinged to the endless belts, and have brackets acting on a belt or rail to tilt them into the right position forl engaging the earth for taking it up but they are so arranged as to allow them to be tilt-ed by gravity for discharging atthe upper end;

The frame on which the spades work is capable ofA rising at both the lower and' upper ends, or either, to relieve the spades in case of striking against stones, roots, or other obstructions.

Figure l is a side view oti'm-y .improved ma/ chine, partly in section-.- Fig. 2Pis arplauV View of--the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, hei/ng the reverse of Fig. y1 g and Fig. 4 is a pa/rtial longitudinal section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is a long narrow frame, preferably made of metal, mounted on the front wheel, B, capab-l'e oi vertical adjustment, and the rear wheel, G, which is larger than- B, and provided with ,the points 13,01*, it may be, other suitable means, for causing the necessary traction for it to drive the endless chains or belts E, carryling thek spades FV and the elevators G; also, the discharging-brush Hf, which it does through :the medium ofthe train ot gear-wheels I, or, itv may be, any other suitable arrangement of gearing. This frame A supports the vertical cutters Kl`u whi"ch project downward the one from the right and the rother fromthe left sid-e,

a short distance behind the wheel B, about asv l'ow as the bottom of it, which are intended- (especially the one K) for cutting a furrow or slice from the land at the side of a furrow previously made by a plow, and throwing :it 'in- Ward in advance of the spades, to4 be taken up by them along the inclined plate-L, uniti-ng the twovertica-l cutters near the bottom,

The lower drum, O, for the endless belts E, carrying the spades, is mounted in boxesl?, arrangedin curved supports QB, formed on lines struck from the axis of wheel S as a center,v which wheel gears with the wheel T onthe axis of the lower drum of the endless elevator G., and with the wheel U on said lower drum-shaft through the medium of the idler The shaft of the upper drum, W, is mounted in the frame X', connected to the axle of drum 0.. Itis also connected at one endin an eye, y, in tho- *30p ot' lod,.z, passing down at the outside ofthe right side N, through a rib, A', and resting on a projection, B. There is a coiled' spring, C', placed on this rod, connected to the ribA, and to the said axle of drum W, which turns freely on the axle. The coiled springs k hold the drum O down in the lowest position. This arrangement not only allows the lower drum to swing up around the axis of S, in case of stones or other obstructions being encountered ,by the spades, but the upper one may swing around the axis of the lower drum, and the two movements takin g place together admits of the drums and spades moving upward, all together, away from the obstructions.

D' is a small roller or drum mounted in arms E', projecting from the frame X into the path of belts E, or nearly so, near the upper end and lower side, for carrying a belt, F', working over the lower drum, O, at or about the center, which is designed as a guide for the lugs G of the spades, to hold them in the right position for taking the earth and carrying it up the plate L. Y

The spades are tilted into the right position by coming in contact with the bent `trippingplate H1 when in the downward movement ou the upper side. This tripper is preferably used when the belt E' is used; but when a fixed bar is used this is not necessary, as the bar will perform the same function, which the belt will not.

As soon as the spades pass the'ledge I' they are carried beyond the belt F' at the upperend, and are then tilted back by their own gravity and that of the earth on them, as shown, for discharging. Instead of this belt F' and the drums, as here shown, for guiding the spades, I may employ a fixed guide, formed by a flat bar or the like.

The sides N, between which the elevator G works, being arranged obliquely to the vertical plane ofthe frame of the machine makes it necessary to arrange the lower drum of the said elevator oblique to the said frame in like manner, and the upper one is arranged correspondinglythat is, perpendicular to the vertical planes of the said sides N.

At the top of the elevator, and above the upper drum thereof, is the rotary brush H, before mentioned, which is arranged obliquely to the elevator, being turned to the right of its vertical plane, as afurther means of throwing the earth olf on one side of the ditch. Below the brush is a discharge-spout, H2, arranged perpendicular to the frame. This brush is operated by a cord, M', driven byV the upper drum of the elevator. This roller is mounted in bearings capable of adjustment to or from the lower drum, for regulating the tension of the belt by the action of screws N', placed below them; and in order that the adjusting of the said upper drum shall not vary the tension of belt M, the supports of the brush are attached to the bearings of the roller to move with them, and the said supports are braced by the arms P', extending along the sides N, and supported thereon by pins workingiin slots, asi shown, which admit of their proper movement. The machine is guided by handles X'.

It is intended in using this machine to irst plow a furrow along the line of the intended ditch with a common plow, and then, after the furrow turned up is 'scraped away, run the machine in the groove formed thereby, for which it is made sufficiently narrow, except at the point between the cutters, by which the cutter K will be forced into the land and cut a strip therefrom, which it will turn over in advance of the spades, to be taken up by them then another furrow is made in the bottom of the ditch thus formed and the machine run back, taking a slice from the other side, which is delivered on the opposite bank in like manner. These operations are continued until the ditch is made as broad and deep as requiredsay about three feet deep by two broad at the top and one at the bottom.

The machine is easily worked by reason of the opening and loosening of the earth bein g done partly beforehand by the common plow and partly by the cutter K, which having the action of a plow and throwing down the earth along the side of the furrow, the earth becomes loosened thereby, and is easily taken up by the spades without much strain on them.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the spades F, endless belts E, elevators G, and dischargingbrush H, the said elevators and brush being arranged obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the machine, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the guide belt F', brackets G', spades F, and a tripper, the latter being either a plate, H1, or the guide-bar itself, when a fixed bar is used, substantially as specified.

3. The drum O, mounted in the curved bearings P and supports Q R for the same, and the supporting frame X of drum W, mounted on the shaft of drum C, and all operated substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the supports O' P' of the brush H with the adjustable bearings of the tightening drum of the elevator, all substantially as specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 22d day of August, 1870.

STEPHEN S. WOOD.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. MABEE, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.`

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