Patent GB-191516724-A (GB)
Title: Improved Construction of Motor Plough.
Inventor: BELL WILLIAM THOMAS
IPC: B62D49/06
Filed: 1915-11-26
Abstract: 16,724. Bell, W. T., Watson, W. H., and Jones, L. W. Nov. 26 Traction engines, internal-combustion engine. - A plough is provided with a motortractor, the driving- wheels of which are arranged to run at the bottom of the furrows, thus obviating packing the soil of unplouged land. The tractor carries a motor (not shown) driving transmission shaft 3, which is connected through change-speed and reverse gearing with a worm-wheel shaft 18, from which the axles of two driving - wheels situated towards the front and side and the rear and middle of the tractor respectively are driven through chains 24, 23. The axle-boxes of these wheels are adjustable to kecp the chains taut. The plough frame 77 to which are attached the ploughs 78 is connected to the tractor by a draught chain 79 and a lifting- chain 80. The machine is supported in front on the steering-wheels axle-bar 39 by a cable 40, attached at one end to a bracket 41 on the frame and at the other to a winding-drum 43, which passes over a pulley 44 mounted at the top of a column 46 capable of vertical movement within limits in guides 47 in the tractor and secured at its base to the axle-bar 39. The drum 43 is rotated to wind the cable and thus raise the frame on the front axle by clutching its shaft to a chain-wheel 56 constantly driven from the shaft 18. A rack or worm gear may be used for raising the front of the machine. The lifting-chain 80 of the plough frame, after passing over pulleys 81, 82, 83 on the tractor frame, is connected to the base of the column 46, so that the plough frame is raised or lowered with the front part of the tractor frame. The winding-drum-shaft clutch is operated by a hand-lever 86 which is connected with a slotted link 89 adapted to move a bellcrank lever 93, which throws the clutch in or out. A band brake on a brake drum 95 is simultaneously released or tightened, thus permitting the front of the machine to be raised by the winding-drum or to fall slowly by its own weight against the action of the brake. To prevent overwinding, a bell-crank lever, mounted on the guide 47 and having one arm secured to a cable attached to the steering- wheels axle-bar, is moved when the machine has been sufficiently raised, and throws out the clutch and tightens the brake. A pawl falls into a ratchet-wheel on the winding drum to maintain the machine in its raised position. The winding-drum clutch comprises pairs of friction blocks adapted to be expanded to engage an internal flange on a disk secured to the winding-drum shaft by screw-threads on shafts provided with arms angularly moved when the lever 93 is operated. The tractor is steered by front wheels 31, 32 revolving on axles of the Ackerman type, which are capable of swivelling on pins 35, 36, Fig. 6, mounted at the end of the front axle-bar 39. The axles are moved by arms 76 connected by links 75 with a lever 74, which is provided with a boss fitting a square vertical shaft 66, Fig. 1, supported by brackets projecting from the column 46. Levers 65, fitted on the shaft 66 between brackets carried by the guides 47, are operated by chains 64 adapted to be wound on a chain barrel 63 operated from a steering-wheel 58 through worm-wheel gear. The worm-wheel and the lever 65 may be connected by links and levers in place of the chains. A supplementary wheel 84 adjustable in height is fitted on the opposite side of the frame to the driving-wheel 28, to counteract any tendency to overbalance on that side. A brake block operated by a hand-lever acting through toggle-links is arranged to engage the back wheel. The rims of the driving-wheels are fitted with spuds and strakes and may be boxed in to prevent soil from accumulating. The machine may be employed as a tractor by lifting the ploughs clear of the ground and positioning the side driving- wheel on the axle of the end driving-wheel. The machine may be utilized for driving a threshing or other machine by fitting an extra shaft gear and driving-pulley.