MACHINE OF F. A. ELDRIDGE. 



251 



The insect-destroyer patented by Mr. Frank A. Eldridge, of Brenham, 

 Tex., is also designed to distribute dry poisons over the cotton plant. 



The nature of the invention consists in the employment, upon a suita- 

 ble vehicle, of two or more recepta- 

 cles for containing poison-powder, 

 which receptacles have perforated 

 or sieve bottoms, and contain with- 

 in them rotary stirring-blades and 

 brushes, actuated as will be herein- 

 after explained, whereby the poison- 

 dust can be regularly, and at the same 

 time economically, distributed upon 

 two or more rows of plants at the 

 same time. 



No. lisa top view of the machine ; No. 2 is 

 a side elevation showing one of the poison- 

 receptacles in section ; No 3 is a front eleva- 

 tion. 



A designates the axle of two transport- 

 ing-wheels, B B, from which axle rises a 

 frame, C, carrying three poison-powder 

 receptacles, D D D', which are preferably 

 of cylindrical form, and which have finely 

 perforated bottoms a. The two side recepta- 

 cles, D D, arc arranged so as to distribute 

 the powder upon two rows of plants, and 

 the rear receptacle distributes the powder 

 upon the intermediate row, thus playing 

 on three rows at the same time. Each 

 receptacle contains radial blades &, which 

 are applied to a central shaft, c, and pro- 

 vided with brushes d, which act upon the 

 perforated bottom a. 



The blades 6 stir the powder, and prevent 

 it from clogging, and the brushes compel it 

 to pass through the screen-bottoms in a uni- 

 form manner. 



The upper ends of the shafts c of the re- 

 ceptacles D D have spur-wheels e on them, 

 wnien eugage with spur-wheels / on the 



FJQ ^.-F. A. Eldridge's machine. 



ends of a horizontal shaft, E, which has its bearings on top of the frame C, tond which 

 is provided with pulleys g g g'. The pulleys g g receive rotation from pulleys on the 

 inner ends of the hubs of wheels B B through the medium of belts h h. 



The rotation thus given to shaft E is transmitted to the shaft c of the blades and 

 brushes which are in the receptacle D'. 



The machine thus described will be propelled by two horses hitched to the draft- 

 tongue A', and, if desired, the axle A may be centrally arched, so as not to interfere 

 with the plants over which it passes. 



Mr. William T. Eobinson, of Huntsville, Tex., has invented a machine 

 that combines a sprinkler and duster, so that dry or fluid poisons may be 

 applied at the will of the operator, or the plants may first be sprinkled 



