New Corn Planter

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Measures to secure a patent for the above have been taken by Gardner A. Bruce, of Mechanicsburg, 111. In this machine, directly behind each furrow share; is placed a hopper, and directly underneath the bottotfis of the'two hoppers is a "dropping slide "ex. tending entirely across the frame, and which has a reciprocating motion given to it by a lever. In the bottom of each hopper are two holes, and each end of the droppingslide has the same, there is likewise through each side piece of the frame a vertical aperture. When the furrow has been prepared for the seed, the dropping slide is operated by a hand lever, so that one of the holes with which it is perforated coincides with another in the side frame, whilst the other hole is directly under one of the apertures in the hopper. In this position a seed drops from the slide through the Irame and into the furrow, whilst, at the same time, a seed is forced from the hopper into the other hole of the slide. The certainty of this process is insured by having, in each hopper, a balance beam, to both ends of which are attached vertical rods, which alternately serve to force a seed from the hopper into the drop. ping slide, this plan preventing the holes from being clogged as the rods will clear them. There are two covering shares on each side of the frame, which are attached to a beam moving in sockets, and the tendency that the shares have to be thrown back is checked by fixing a slotted lever to the beam, and placing in the slot a cross-piece, whose upward motion is determined by a pin, so that the shares are regulated at will, and when necessary they can be made to clear the earth entirely.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 32This article was published with the title “New Corn Planter” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 32 (), p. 252
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican04251853-252

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