I picked it up at a garage sale some years ago. It is a Vintage Antique Garden Hand Cultivator Tiller Plow Claw or so the picture in Vintage Antique Garden Hand Cultivator Tiller Claw P (04/24/2009)...
indicates.
Rather than go purchase a Mantis or other gas or electric powered device, I would like to use it.
I am certain that the metal band above the wheel can be lowered to cut through the soil but have no idea as to how this Garden Tiller is PROPERLY used.
Attempts to find instructions via the internet show this to be a very popular item for eBay. Since this item appears to be a 1920's tool that went out of favor before the computer even became a building (much less a desktop - not to even consider laptop) finding information other than prices has been very frustrating.

 

The metal band above the wheels is just support for the frame and is not intended to be used as a plow. Most of the work is done by the tines at the rear usually with a short back and forth pushing method depending on how hard the soil is. I've seen several different styles for the front roller/wheel. Some are just a regular wheel but it looks like your's is intended to work the soil but I imagine it will only do anything in soft soil.

 

Or you could buy a single tree and hook it to a big dog to help pull it along These things work in fairly broken up soil. It would be great for weeding next to plantings, but I don't think initial cultivation would be it's forte.
Even the advertisements for the Mantis show it working in broken soil. They just bounce on hard pan.