The Invention
The patent, US442538A, granted to John Percial Parker of Ripley, Ohio, on December 9, 1890, is for a soil-pulverizer. The invention is an agricultural apparatus designed to cut up and pulverize soil, crush clods, and cut up cornstalks and other obstacles. It is intended to leave the soil in the “best possible condition for agricultural purposes.”
Key Features:
- Rotating Disks: The core of the invention is a series of disks or wheels (6) mounted on a revolving shaft (5). The entire apparatus is contained within a rectangular frame (1) that can be pulled by draft animals.
- Ogee-Shaped Projections: A key innovation is a series of ogee-shaped projections (10) that extend laterally from both sides of each disk’s rim. These projections have “outwardly-extending blades” (12) and function as both cutters and crushers.
- Peripheral Teeth: The disks’ rims are also equipped with a series of peripheral projections or teeth (13). The outer edges of the rim itself, between these teeth, also act as cutters.
- Integrated Design: The patent states that the disks, along with their projections, blades, and teeth, are preferably cast as a single, integral piece of metal. This would make the parts very strong and durable for heavy-duty agricultural use.
- Arrangement: The projections and teeth are arranged to be “equidistant apart and alternating with each other.” This pattern ensures a thorough and effective pulverization of the soil as the apparatus is pulled across a field.
Significance of the Invention and Inventor
John Percial Parker’s soil-pulverizer is an excellent example of an inventor addressing a common and essential problem in agriculture.
- Improving Agricultural Efficiency: Proper soil preparation is a foundational element of successful farming. Parker’s invention aimed to make this process more efficient by combining multiple tasks—cutting, crushing, and pulverizing—into a single, animal-drawn apparatus. By leaving the soil in a “pulverized” condition, it would be better suited for planting.
- Ingenious Design: The use of ogee-shaped, laterally-extending projections is a clever mechanical design. This shape would allow the projections to both slice through tough materials and crush large clods of earth. The integrated casting of all parts in a single piece also shows a practical understanding of manufacturing for durability.
- The “Everyday” Inventor: John Percial Parker, from Ripley, Ohio, was likely a local farmer or a small-town inventor. His patent, like many others from the era, focuses on a specific problem within a vital industry. It is a testament to the fact that innovation was a widespread phenomenon, driven by individuals who sought to improve the tools and processes of their daily work.
