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- 

 etalks, invented and patented August, 1855, by J. W. Bocage, Cypress Mills, Arkansas. 



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 horses, and the saws rotated by gearing from the drawing-wheel, so as to 

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



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

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

 bevelled gear-rim E is secured to the spokes of one of the hind-wheels B. A small pinion F 

 on a vertical spindle G gears into it. This spindle is secured in the cross piece c', and a 

 pendant brace supported by standards b. H is a pulley on the upper end of spindle G. A 

 belt b f passes around this pulley, and another small one I on the top of the saw-spindle, 

 which gives it a rotary motion and consequently the saws d f d f as the machine is drawn 

 forward. The saw-spindle is secured in strap-bearings c c f on the top and bottom cross-pieces 

 of the frame. The saws d' vary in size, the lower one being of the least diameter, and the 

 size of them gradually increasing upwards the top one being the largest. They are placed 

 at suitable and equal distances apart. Six of these are represented in this machine, but 

 more may be employed. L L is a metallic frame composed of horizontal bars e' e placed at 

 equal distances apart, and bent nearly at right angles. The saw-shaft or spindle is set just 

 behind the inner angle formed by these bars, and the saws d' work through and between 

 them; (about one-quarter of their discs project through the spaces.) 



OPERATION. The team is attached to the pole of the carriage in the common way, and as 

 the machine is drawn along, the cotton-stalks are caught by the angular frame L, and forced 

 towards the corner or angles of the bars or fingers e f , holding them firm for the circular saws 



