Davis v. Brown

9 F. 647, 19 Blatchf. 263, 1881 U.S. App. LEXIS 2531

This text of 9 F. 647 (Davis v. Brown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Brown, 9 F. 647, 19 Blatchf. 263, 1881 U.S. App. LEXIS 2531 (circtsdny 1881).

Opinion

Blatchford, C. J.

This suit is brought on re-issued letters patent No. 8,589, granted to Charles F. Davis and William Allen, February 18, 1879, for an “improvement in grain drills,” the original patent having been granted to said Davis, as inventor, February 18, 1868. The following is the specification of the re-issue, reading what is inside of brackets and what is outside of brackets, omitting what is in italics:

“Figure 1 represents a topeara [or top view] of the drill with the seed-box removed, but its position shown by red [dotted] lines to show the parts underneath it. Figure 2 represents the crank-rod or shaft to which the front ends of the drag-bars are attached, when detached from the machine. Figure 3 represents an end view of the drill with the wheels removed, to show the parts behind it, and representing, by Hack, [full and] dotted, and red lines, the several operar tive parts, and their positions under the changes of the machine or of its parts, Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures, denote like [corresponding] parts in all of the drawings, [figures.] The object and purpose of my invention are [is] to shift or change the seeding-shoes or hoes from a straight to a zigzag line, and vive versa; and, further, to so hang the shoes or hoes as, in addition to this [the] shifting process, to admit of being raised separately, or the -whole series together, as may be found necessary. [648]*648* * * Upon an axle, A, supported, in [on] the usual carrying wheels, B B, is mounted a main frame, 0, and on the main frame a seed-box, D, the slides of which may be operated in any' of the well-known ways. In bearings, E, in the front portion of the main frame, is hung, so as to rock or turn therein, a zigzag- or crank-shaft, E, shown detached in figure 2, and to the cranks [crank] or wrists, a a a, of this shaft, are connected, seriatim, the drag-bars, b b b, by means of bows or yokes, e, each bow or yoke taking two of said wrists, as shown in figure 1. To the rear ends of these drag-bars, b, are attached the shoes or hoes, G, in any of the usual well-known ways. In the projecting rear portion of the main frame, 0, there is hung a shaft, d, upon which there is a lever, e, by which it can be rocked or rolled in its bearings. At suitable distances upon this shaft, d, there is placed a series of levers, //, one for each shoe or hoe, which are kept in their prpper positions on the shaft by pins, T T, or other suitable devices, but which can be moved independent of the shaft, or of each other, or all together, as will be explained. The levers /, have a hub or swell, g, at their central portions, where they are slipped onto the shaft, d, and into each one of these hubs is set a pin, 2, which is above the pins, T T, in the shaft, so that each lever can be turned upon the shaft; but when the shaft is rocked or turned, then all the levers are worked simultaneously. To the forward ends of these levers, /, the shoes or hoes are respectively connected by a link or hinged rod, 7i, the rearward projecting ends of said levers serving as handles for the operator to seize and work separately, when necessary to do so, or he can raise the whole series by seizing and working the lever, e. One end of the shaft, d, projects through the timber of the main frame, for convenience of placing the parts, and upon it is a lever, H, and a spring-locking lever, i, connected with it, both of which levers the operator may grasp at once, and by pressure, first unlock the catch and then move the main lever, H, and the shaft, d, as well as the parts connected with it. The catch or locking lever, i, locks into or against a [the] stop-plate, j, on the main frame, when not. otherwise controlled. The upper portion of the lever, H, serves as a handle to work it by, and to the lower end of it is pivoted a rack-bar, [or connecting-rod,] m, which takes into a pinion, n, fastened on the end of the crank or zigzag shaft, E, and when the pinion, n, is turned, the crank-shaft is also turned, and as it is turned it shifts the shoes or hoes into a zigzag or a straight line, as the ease may be. When the lever, H, and the zigzag shaft, E, [and the connecting bar, m,] and their several connected and operative parts, are in the positions shown by the blac7t [full] lines in figures 1 and 3, the shoes ,or hoes, G, are then in a straight line across the machine; but when the lever,, II, is shifted into the position shown by the red [dotted] lines in figure 3, it turns the shaft and moves the parts connected with them, and the shoes or hoes will then stand in a zigzag line across the machine, as shown by the red [full] lines, or in what may be termed two lines, one in advance of the other, and [jn order] that the shoes or hoes may be thus moved into one or two lines, and still be susceptible of being raised up separately, or in their series capacity, their connections and [the] attachments must all be hinged or yielding. When there is an odd number of shoes or hoes on the machine, the odd one should be in the rear series, in which case there would be no necessity of locking the lever, H, when the shoes were [are] so [649]*649arranged, as tlie greater resistance on the greater number would always keep' them so; but if an even number of shoes be used, and an equal number in each row, then the lever would have to be locked or fastened in both of its positions. It is obvious that other mechanical devices maybe used for shifting the shoes or hoes from a straight into a zigzag line, or vice versa. I have devised several ways of accomplishing this movement. [The rack-bar or connecting-rod, m, maybe used for this purpose, and thereby tho shoes or hoes may be shifted from a straight to a zigzag line, or vice versa, said connecting-bar, m, being held in position, if desired, by any of tho usual mechanical devices for that purpose; second, by means of] as, for instance, a sheave, pulley, or chain-wheel, [which] may be keyed to the end of the crank-shaft, and to this wheel or sheave a chain may be attached, and, passing around it, extend thence to the lever, so that, by working the lever, [means thereof,] tho samo effect would [can] be attained by the rack and pinion.
“Another plan may be as follows: A crank or cross-arms may be placed on the turning shaft, as by means of [a] connecting [rod or] rods which connect the cranks or arms with the levers, the shaft may be turned [by the operator] and the shoes thus thrown into a straight or zigzag line, as may be desired; or, instead of [the crank shaft] crankshafts to shift the shoes, the shoes may be united in sets to different bars, which may be straight, both bars being united to cross-bars or heads at their ends. How, by shifting [tho relations of] these two bars, [and by the means aforesaid, or by the connecting-rod, m, tho operator can] they will shift the shoes [or hoes] attached to them, and change them into the positions [position] hereinabove described. When the hoes are set in a zigzag line, as above mentioned, and are in that position raised up, a pin, 3, in the extreme end of the shaft, d,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
9 F. 647, 19 Blatchf. 263, 1881 U.S. App. LEXIS 2531, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-brown-circtsdny-1881.