(No Model.) J. S. WAN MATER, ASPARAGUS BUNDLER AND CUTTER, No. 490,179, Patented Jan. 17, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN S. WAN MATER, OF HAZLET, NEW JERSEY. AS PARAG US BUNDER AND CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,179, dated January 17, 1893. Application filed September 27, 1892, Serial No. 447,024 (No model.) To all whon, it may concern ordinary commercial bunch of asparagus may Be it known that I, JOHNS. WAN MATER, of be compressed between them, and the arms Hazlet, in the county of Monmouth and State are somewhat smaller near the end of the ma of New Jersey, have invented a new and Im chine which forms the top than at the other 55 proved Asparagus Bundler and Cutter, of end, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower extremi which the following is a full, clear, and exact ties of the arms 14 terminate in segmental description, racks 17 which engage actuating gears, as My invention relates to improvements in hereinafter described. that class of machines which are used for The crank shaft 16 has a middle crank 18 bundling asparagus and cutting of the butt on which is pivoted the inner end of a bunch of the stalk. ing lever 19, the lever being recessed so as to The object of my invention is to produce a fit upon a rounded portion of the shaft, as simple machine by means of which the as shown in Fig. 3, and a cap or box 19 is se paragus may be quickly and nicely bundled cured to the under side of the lever, so as to and cut, and also to produce a machine which hold it to the shaft. The crank shaft 16 is is durable and will not easily get out of re preferably of rectangular cross section except pair, and further to provide a strong and easy at the points where it is journaled and where movement for actuating the jaws of the ma it connects with the jaws 14. chine. The lever 19 extends laterally outward and 2Cd To this end my invention consists in cer is fulcrumed on a pin. 20 which is held be tain features of construction and combinations tween arms 21, these being journaled on a of parts, as will be hereinafter described and second crank 22 of a shaft 23, which shaft is claimed. journaled in the end frames of the machine FReference is to be had to the accompanying and is held in bearings parallel with those of 75 25 drawings forming a part of this specification, the crank shaft 16. The shaft 23 is provided in which similar figures of reference indicate at the ends with mutilated gears 24 which en corresponding parts in all the views. gage the racks 17 on the lower ends of the Figure 1 is an end view of the machine em jaws 14. It will thus be seen that by raising bodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side eleva the lever 19, the jaws 14 will swing outward 30 tion of the same; Fig. 3 is a broken plan of So as to permit the asparagus stalks to be the machine; and Fig. 4 is a cross section on placed between the jaws 11 and 14, and by the line 4-4 in Fig. 3. turning the lever downward the jaws 14 wii The machine is provided with a suitable Swing inward So as to compress the stalks be frame or rather with end fraines having di tween the two jaws. 35 verging supporting legs 10, and the end frames It will be noticed that the manner of hang have upwardly extending curved jaws 11 ing and connecting the lever 19 provides for which are formed integral with the frames, a quick and strong movement of the jaws, as and the upper ends of which terminate at a there is a double lever motion. That is to point substantially above the center of the say, when the lever 19 is pressed downward, 40 machine. The upper ends of the jaws 11 are the cranks 18 and 22 will swing in opposite recessed on one side, as shown at 12, SO as to directions and the lever 19, in connection form forwardly extending tenons 13, and these With the arms 21, Will act as a toggle and recesses and tenons interlock with similar re cause the shaft 23 to be turned quickly and cesses and tenons on the upper ends of the with necessary power. 95 45 movable jaws 14, which jaws are shaped like At one end of the machine is an abutment the jaws 11 and are widened at their lower plate 25 which is held in a plane parallel with ends 15 these widened ends being fulcrumed the jaws li and 14 and against which the tops on a crank shaft 16 which extends longitudi of the asparagus stalks are placed. This plate nally through the machine. The jaws 14 thus acts as a gage to regulate the length of the move independently of the shaft, however. bunch. The plate extends upward from the The size of the jaws 11 and 14 is such that an rear protruding end of the shaft 16 and has a

2 490,179 thickened boss 26 which slides upon the shaft, claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 5 and the plate is held in a desired position by a Patent, - ...... pin 27 which extends diagonally downward 1. An asparagus bundler and cutter, com through the boss and into one of a series of prising oppositely arranged stationary and holes 28 which are produced diagonally in the swinging curved jaws, the jaws being placed 5 shaft 16, as is best shown in Fig. 2. At the op near opposite ends of the machine and the 5 5 posite end of the machine and outside of the swinging jaws having their lower endsformed jaws 11 and 14, is a guide plate 29, which is into racks, an oscillating crank shaft geared carried by the shaft 16 and has upwardly ex to the racks on the swinging jaws, and a lever Io tending arms 30, sufficient space being left for moving the crank shaft, substantially as between the tops of these arms, as shown in described. . Figs. 1 and 3, to permit the asparagus stalks 2. An asparagusbundler and cutter, having. to be easily inserted in the machine. . . . a suitable frame with curved fixed jaws pro A swinging knife 31 is adapted to pass duced thereon, swinging jaws fulcrumed on downward between the guide arms 30 and the frame and held to move opposite the fixed the jaw's 11 and 14, as best shown in Fig. 3, jaws, the swinging jaws having racks formed this knife being for the purpose of cutting on their lower ends, a crankshaft extending off the butts of the stalks. The knife has a longitudinally through the machine, a second curved blade which, at its free end, termi crank shaft arranged parallel with the first nates in a handle 32 and the opposite end of shaft and carrying gears to mesh with the the knife is bent upward and journaled on a racks of the Swinging jaws, and a lever jour o stud 33 carried by a link or crank 34, and the maled on the crank of the first shaft and con latter is journaled on a stud. 35 held between nected by arms with the crank of the second an arm 36 which projects from one side of shaft, substantially as described. the frame and a flange 37 which is produced 3. In an asparagus bundler and cutter, the on the arm, as shown in Fig. 3. The knife combination with the frame and the bunch may thus be moved backward and forward ing jaws, of a guide plate outside of the jaws and may also be swung vertically, and when and having upwardly extending and curved the asparagus is being bunched, the knife is guide arms arranged parallel with the jaws at thrown over out of the way and after the one end of the machine, a swinging knife held bunch is formed, the knife is brought down to move between the jaws and the guide arms, so ward so as to cut off the butts...... an abutment block for the edge of the knife, A block 38 extends through the guide plate and a link connection between the pivoted 29 and into the frame of the machine, this, end of the knife and the frame of the machine, block being arranged beneath the jaws 14 substantially as described. 35 and in the path of the knife 31, so as to serve 4. An asparagus bundler and cutter, com as an abutment for the knife. When the ma prising oppositely arranged stationary and chine is used, the asparagus Stalks are placed swinging curved jaws, the jaws being near op between the open jaws 11 and 14 with the posite ends of the machine, means for oper tops of the stalks abutting with the plate 25, ating the swinging jaws, an adjustable abut and when enough stalks have been placed be ment plate at one end of the machine, and a go tween the jaws to form a bunch, the lever 19 swinging knife at the other end of the ma is depressed and the stalks are thus com chine, said knife working between a guide pressed between the jaws 14 and 11 in the plate and the jaws, substantially as herein manner already described, after which the shown and described. 45 bunch is tightened in the usual way, the knife JOHN S. WAN MATER. 31 swung downward so as to sever the butts, Witnesses: and the bunch is then removed. CORNELIUS ACKERSON, Having thus described my invention, I DANIEL I. STILL WELL.