Van Brunt Plain High-Wheel Drills

Equipped With Single Disk, Double Disk, Shoe or Hoe Furrow Openers

Setting Up And Operating Directions

Importance of Properly Setting Up Drills

Practically all trouble with new machines is due to improper setting up and lack of oil.

Compare contents of grain box with packing card.

Always stand behind the machine and look to the front to determine right- or left-hand side.

Wheels

Attach dust caps to wood wheels with nails in cloth bag. Steel wheels have dust caps in place. Oil wheel hubs before putting wheels in place, and fasten to axles. (See Cut No. 1.)

Pole and Tilting Lever

Attach pole irons and lever ratchet A89M to pole, with tilting lever in slot of pole. Attach pole to frame with swivels D352M and tilting lever strap to clip on cross bar. Put pole braces with swivels D352M in position and bolt. (See Cut No. 1.) For 11×7-inch size, bolt offset pole irons to left side of pole and attach tilting lever and tilting lever ratchet. A89M at top side.

Grain Box

Attach gear hanger hooks D861M with spring to bolts at end of box. (See Cut No. 2.) Slip gear hangers between box ends and feed shaft gears and hook up in position. (See Cut No. 2.) Gear hanger marked R. H. is for the right-hand side, and gear hanger marked L. H. is for the left-hand side. Put box on frame and slip forward end of gear hangers under frame.

Frame

Box straps are in place on frame. Start in center of machine and fasten front and rear box straps loosely. If necessary, put a support under axle and raise slightly. Put on long and short box braces and tighten all nuts. (See Cuts Nos. 2 and 4.) (Hoe Shifter Frame – Attach shifter lever to A174M lever socket and shaft hanger.)

Lifting Levers

Bolt lifting lever ratchet straps to box and to end of cross bar with clip to axle bearing. (See Cut No. 2.) Bolt lifting levers to ratchets and move forward, and fasten end of connecting strap to link hinge on pressure arm shaft. (See Cut No. 2.)

Spring Lift

Put front end of rod through bracket. Move lifting levers down in last notch and fasten rear end of rod to link hinge on pressure arm shaft. (See Cut No. 4.)

Furrow Openers

Pressure arms on 6-, 7- and 8-inch frames are set for single disks. For double disks, shoes and hoes, move pressure arms directly in line with feed cups. Single disks must be put on, starting at either end of machine, with hollow side of disks towards main wheel. (See Cut No. 2.) When long and short furrow openers are used, attach long furrow openers to short pressure arms and the short furrow openers to long pressure arms. Pass pressure rods through pressure arm swivels with cupped side of swivel against pressure springs. Put spring cotters through top holes in pressure rods from rear, and bend ends around pressure rod. Fasten furrow openers to frame clips with pins and spring cotters and open to prevent losing. (Hoe shifter furrow openers are of even length and are used only on the shifter type of frame.) Attach hoe furrow opener bar to shaft hanger A180M and fasten with spring cotters.

Double Disks, Shoe and Interchangeable Hoe Furrow Openers

Attach long furrow opener to short pressure arm and the short furrow opener to long pressure arm.

Single-Disk Furrow Openers with Adjustable Steel Bars for 6-, 7- and 8-Inch High-Wheel Drills

Bolt bar to spreader in upper hole for 6-inch drill, center holes for 7-inch drills, lower holes for 8-inch drills. (See Cut No. 3.)

Seat Attachment

Attach lower end of seat bar to center axle bearing D977M. Bolt flat seat brace to seat bar and grain box. Bore holes in rear box board, each side of center where punch-marked. Attach foot rest bars over top of axle, with clamp underneath. Bolt foot rest braces to grain box, placing tool box under braces on lower bolt and bolting end of V-shaped brace to upper bolts. Attach foot rest board between brace and bar. Bolt seat standard to rear of axle boxing and attach braces and seat. See first illustration.

Center Footboard Attachment

Clamp ends of long cross bars over front of frame and under axle. Bore four holes in grain box where punch-marked, and bolt straps in place. Attach footboard and bolt angle plates below.

End footboard attachment with wheel scrapers, except 16×6- and 14×7-inch sizes.

Attach wheel scraper bars to end of frame, and brace to box end. Connect inside bar to rear of cross bar. Attach footboard to angle plates and brace to footboard and upper end to box strap. (See Cut No. 2.)

End footboard attachment with wheel scrapers, 16×6-inch, 14×7-inch and smaller sizes only.

Clamp ends of long side bars over front of frame under axle. Bore two holes in rear of grain box where punch-marked, and attach braces. Attach wheel scraper bars to end of frame, and brace to box end. Attach footboard to long cross bar and wheel scraper bar with angle plates and short strap. Attach brace to footboard and upper end to box strap. (See Cut No. 2.)

Land Measurer

Attach land measurer to rear of grain box where bored, with clips and wood screws found in cloth bag. Put spring between box into socket on land measurer case. Pass gauge pin through box from inside and through the land measurer case. Put on washers if provided between the land measurer case and spring cotter. (See Cut No. 2.)

Grain Tubes

Attach grain tubes to feed cups, moving the lock lever back on tube tops, after which put lock lever in downward position. (See Cut No. 2.)

Covering Chains

Hook covering chains to lower eye of furrow opener boot and close hooks to prevent losing. Small guiding chains are to be attached to the last link of outside covering chain, and to the top eye in single-disk boot. (See Cut No. 2.) For double-disk, attach to upper hook on second chain. For shoe, attach to hole at top of second boot.

Note – Covering chains and guiding chains are not used on hoe drills.

Tool Box

Attach tool box to bolts on rear of box. (See Cut No. 2.)

Gang Press Wheels

Attach drawbars to pipe with bolt. Clamp drawbars in position on main axle. Bolt press wheel axles to end of flat springs. (See Cut No. 6.) Put press wheels in place on axle bearing, replace slotted washer and fasten with nut. Move drawbars so that press wheels line up directly back of furrow openers, and tighten clamp collars. Attach eyebolts in lower end of seat standard to pipe. Attach seat bar to upper end of wood seat standard, and fasten seat. Put eyebolt in end of seat bar through hole in center of box, and fasten inside with large washer and nut. (See Cut No. 6.)

HOW TO OPERATE

Driving

The Van Brunt Drill is built to distribute the seed in even quantities and in uniform streams. Swinging of poles and unsteady driving causes bunching of seed and results in reduction of yield.

Adjusting Pressure Springs

When pressure is applied to furrow openers, it should be uniform. This can only be done by having both lifting levers in same notch of ratchets. The pressure on each furrow opener can be adjusted by raising or lowering the adjusting washer on pressure rod. The depth of seeding differs with nearly every farmer. The Van Brunt Drill supplies a range of pressure which is heavy enough to carry the entire weight of the machine or light enough to barely put the seed under the soil.

Single-Disk Adjustment

Single disks have scrapers carefully fitted at the factory. Examine them before using, as occasionally they are damaged in shipping and require adjusting. T-scrapers on hollow side of disk are adjustable, and the best results are obtained by setting them as light as possible. When condition of soil permits, these scrapers can be disengaged to prevent wear by pressing stem towards the disk and lifting out of notch.

Double-Disk Adjustment

Double-disk scrapers can be adjusted by hand nut. When condition of soil permits, these scrapers can be disengaged and turned back to prevent wear.

Oiling Single- and Double-Disk Bearings

Remove hexagon oil plug in center of single-disk and use a liberal supply of good machine oil. Tighten plugs with wrench to prevent losing. For double-disk, remove oil hole plug on top of boot.

To Set Land Measurer

Press top of land measurer in to take bottom gear out of contact with worm gear on feed shaft. Turn bottom gear to right – about 1/8 of an acre – to disengage fraction gear from acre gear. Move indicator to largest number on acre dial and turn bottom gear to left, with indicator on fraction dial in upward position.

Agitator

Agitators are required only when seeding bearded or trashy oats and barley or other light seeds not properly cleaned. When seeding peas, beans or corn, disengage the agitator. To disengage, remove spring cotters and draw agitator shaft from gear. Replace spring cotters on opposite side of bracket.

Tilting Lever Adjustment

Tilting levers on rear of pole are intended to regulate furrow openers for deep or shallow seeding. With them the front of frame is raised or lowered and the position of furrow openers instantly adjusted. For single-disk, use levers in rear notch except where deep cultivation and shallow seeding is desired; for double-disk, use levers in center notch. On shoe or hoe drills, use in notch necessary to obtain proper penetration and clearance.

Cleaning and Adjusting Feed Cups

Before filling box, clean out feeds by dropping gates. (See Cut No. 7, Position No. 4.) Keep all latches in same position when seeding. The position of latches must be changed according to the kind of grain seeded, as indicated. (See Cut No. 7, Positions Nos. 1, 2 and 3.) Feed shaft shifters on rear box can be regulated to suit the operator without removing grain from box. Both shifters must be kept in same notch of index plate.

Seed Index

Seed index plate is provided with a row of notches to hold feed shaft shifter in position. Figures immediately above notches indicate total number of notches. Figures above at left indicate the amount of flax, in pounds, to be seeded per acre. Figures below notches indicate the amount of oats, barley, wheat and peas in bushels to be seeded per acre. For seeding other grains – also for planting in rows – using pounds per acre, consult table attached to inside of box cover.

Care of Drill

Grain must not be left in box after seeding. To clean box, drop gates. (See Cut No. 7, Position No. 4.) Disks and other important parts of machine would be covered with oil or grease, and the machine put under shelter. Good treatment prolongs the life of your machine.