24 



THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



Machine for Cutting Standing Cotton-stalks. 



The accompanying figure is a perspective view of a machine for cutting standing cotton- 

 stalks, invented and patented August, 1855, by J. W. Bocage, Cypress Mills. Arkai 



The nature of the invention consists in the employment of a series of circular saws placed 

 upon a vertical shaft, and rotating between angular bars, which answer the purpose of fingers; 

 the whole being placed and secured in a wheeled carriage, which is drawn through the cotton- 

 field with mules or hones, and the saws rotated by gearing from the drawing-wheel, so as to 

 act against the Btanding cotton-stalks and cut them down. 



A. is a stout frame tor supporting the machinery. It is sustained on the back and front 



wheals B IK The perch C is connected to the front axle D as in an ordinary wagon. A 



bevelled gear-rim E is secured to the Bpokes of one of the hind-whei \ small pinion F 



on a vertical spindled gears into it. This spindle is secured in the cross <.'■ and a 



pendant brace supported l>y standard- />. II is a pulley-"" the upper end of spindle fj. a 



around this pulley, and another small cue I on the top of the saw-spindle, 



w l,i, it a rotary motion — and consequently the saws a* d 7 — "^ the machine is drawn 



[,, rw urd. T pindle is secured in strap bearings t <■' on the top and bottom 



of ti„. ! The saws -/' wry in else, the lower one being of the least diameter, and the 



size of them gradually Increasing upward- -the top one being the largest They are ptaoed 



nitable and equal diatani i] Sixofthea are represented In this machine, but 



a ma] be employed. I I la a metallic frame composed of horizontal bars ■' - plaoed at 



eqaal diataaoei apart, and bent oearly at right angles. The aaw-eheft or spindle Ei set Just 



hehind the Inner angle formes by these bars, and the saws </' work through and between 



them; about one quarter of their discs project through the 



o,., ,. v i ehed to the pole of the earriage in the oommon way. and as 



the it, .. -iiiue i- drawn along, the eottoi caught by the angular frame i„ sad i 



towards the angers •, holding them am for the dree 



