Cotton Chopper Page: 3 of 4
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1,210,579
above described masher roller in proper po- -
sition upon a cultivator implement, frames 8
are provided. The frames may be U-shaped
as shown, and one is arranged adjacent the
5 opposite sides of the roller. One leg 9 of
each of the frames extends through a sleeve
10 rigidly secured as at 11 to any fixed por-
tion of the cultivator frame, whereby the U-
frame is supported perpendicularly to the
10 ground and hinged to the frame of the im-
plement. A collar 12 provided with a set
screw 13 is arranged upon the leg 9 of each
of the U-frames in order that the said frame
may be adjusted toward and away from the
15 ground. The opposite leg 14 of each U-
frame extends adjacent the spindles 15 pro-
jecting laterally from each side of the roller
5, and extends loosely through an opening
formed in a boxing 16 arranged upon the
20 said projecting ends of the shaft. An ad-
justable collar 17 is mounted upon each of
the legs 14 of the frame adjacent the bight
portion thereof, and a coil spring 18 is in-
terposed between the said collar and the
25 boxing 16. Adjustable nuts 19 are secured
upon the shaft ends to securely hold the
boxing 16 against movement longitudinally
of the shaft.
It is apparent from the construction so far
30 described, that the roller is supported be-
tween the opposite frames 8, and the hinge
arrangement of the latter through the sleeve
10 permits of various oscillations of the
roller incident-to travel over rough ground.
35 It is also evident that the roller is capable of
vertical movement also to enable the same
to easily ride over irregular surfaces. In
addition to the weight of the roller or wheel
5, the springs 18 operate to exert downward
40 pressure upon the roller to enable the latter
to firmly engage and press upon the ground.
The ends of the legs 9 and 14 of the U-
shaped frames may be connected by bars 20.
Secured preferably to the rear side of the
45 front arch of the cultivator, and preferably
spaced equidistant thereon beyond the cen-
tral line of the masher wheel or roller 5, are
vertically disposed sleeves 21. The sleeves
may be secured to the said arch by means of
50 strap members 22. A bar 23 is mounted for
rotary movement within each of the sleeves
21, and is arranged to provide rearwardly
extending upper and lower arms 24 and 25
respectively. Links 26 connect the upper
55 and lower portions of each of the legs 14 of
the U-frames with the arms 24 and 25 upon
their respective sides of the roller or wheel
5. The adjacent ends of the arms 24 and 25
and the links 26 may be provided with
s0 spaced apertures 27, through which adjust-
ing bolts 28 may be inserted. Thus it will
be seen that the U-frames may be swung
upon their pivotal supports 10 to enable the
roller or wheel 5 to be adjusted forwardly or
65 rearwardly of the cultivator frame, adjacentor away from the plows. The pivotal con-
nections of the arms 24, 25, and the outer-
most legs 9 of the U-frames, permit of vari-
ous slight oscillations of the masher wheel,
in order that the same may conform readily 70
to irregularities in the surface of the ground.
In Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have illus-
trated a slightly modified form of the de-
vice, in which the wheel or roller 5 is suit-
ably attached to the cultivator by means of 75
a single U-frame 29. This frame provides
downwardly projecting legs 30, which are
seated within vertically disposed openings 31
in the boxings 16 upon the projecting ends
of the shaft 15. Nuts 32 may be threaded 80
upon the extremities of the arms 30 to pre-
vent disengagement of the said arms from
the boxings. Coil springs 33. encircle the
legs 30 of the U-frame, and bear at their op-
posite ends against the boxings 16 and the 85
adjustable collars 34 securedupon the said
legs. A connecting bar 35 may be employed
to secure the U-shape frame 29 to a fixed por-
tion of the cultivator.
In practice, the masher wheel or roller 5 is 90
arranged. in the above described manner
upon the cultivator frame slightly in ad-
vance of the plows thereof. As the culti-
vator is driven with the masher roller 5 trav-
eling over the row of plants, certain of the 95
plants will, by reason of the notched por-
tions 6, be left standing, while the interven-
ing plants, or those contacted by the periph-
ery of the wheel will be mashed and chopped
by reason of the teeth 7 in the periphery of 100
the said wheel. As the cultivator advances,
the following plows turn the soil upon the
opposite sides of the row upon the mashed
or chopped plants, and also adjacent the base
portions of the stems of the upstanding 105
plants. By reason of the chopping or muti-
lation of certain of the plants, and covering
thereof by the following plows, the same will
decompose beneath the surface of the soil,
and such decomposition acts to fertilize or 110
enrich the soil for the benefit of the remain-
ing live plants..
While the present disclosure illustrates
and describes a particular embodiment of my
invention, I am aware that the device is su- 115
ceptible to various changes in the minor de-
tails of construction and arrangement of
parts and I reserve to myself the right to
make such alterations as I may deem desir-
able without departing from the spirit of 120
the invention.
I claim:
1. In a device of the class described, a
masher wheel, a shaft projecting beyond the
ends of said wheel, a boxing on each of said 125
shaft ends, each of said boxings being pro-
vided with an angularly disposed opening, a
frame, legs on the said frame extending
through said openings, collars on said legs,
springs interposed between said collars and 1300
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Reference the current page of this Patent.
Wills, Saladin H. Cotton Chopper, patent, January 2, 1917; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth859686/m1/3/?rotate=90: accessed June 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.