The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-05-14
A New Steam plow-succegsful Trial.


steam pillow invented by b. s. Benson, Bal
timore machinist, was given trial on the farm
owned by the BALTIC. Ohio Railroad Company in
the 18th district, Of this county, last Monday, in
the presence OF n committee of the Maryland In
sttute and several farmers and machinists De
Thing this trial the SIN of Tuesday says;
"The various attempts heretofore made to pillow
by steam have failed mainly on account of the
difficulty in adapting q traction engine to the
varying conditions OF the ground over which it
must move An engine which will run very well
over hard surface or firm sod will sink into loose
loan or wet ground to depth that stops all loco
motion Mr.. Benson has sought to overcome
these difficulties by constructing engine which
lays down and takes up track, over which it
propels itself and draws gang of plows after it.
ThS portable track consists of four endless chains
constructed of links or sections about fifteen inches
in length. Each section has sort of foot, with a
saucer shaped base projecting from it. One-third
of these feet constantly resting upon the
ground, each one being taken up in turn by the
revolution of the chain, which is carried around
triangular frame each side of the upright boiler
The lower side of the triangle is constantly
shifting railroad track or rather double track,
resting on feet about ten inches long, which sup
port it like so many sections of treste work. On
this tramway the truck which carries the boiler
and engine rests, and when the machinery is put
in motion the track wheels along the track,
which moves forward with sort of walking mo-
ton as the wheels at the three of triangu-
lar frame take up and put down the sections ofthe
chain. gang of nine plows is drawn by this
track laying engine, and the nine burrows cover
space of ground about eleven feet in width as they
move forward.
"The blowing was done in a field from which a
crop of corn was taken last year, and the surface
was deeply furrowed and quite irregular. The
engine was worked under pressure of 40 pounds
of steam, and the plows did their work admirably
quite as we'll as if each one had been drawn by
a team and managed by an expert plowman. A
forward motion Of about 100 feet to the minute
was deemed best in order to give the committee an
-cnnortunitYto see the working of the machinery.
Al TINS rate it would pillow about acre and a-half
per hour, or fifteen acres day.
CATER its blowing capacity had been exhibited
the engine was detached and run over the soft
plowed ground. The trested track formed
with rather more regularity on the plowed ground
than on the furrowed surface of the cornield, and
the fact that the engine could make its way over
the softest ground without difficulty was fully
demonstrated Al a whole, the experiment was
regarded by the practical machinists and farmers
who witnessed it as very great success.
steam pillow of such capacity and power is only in
tended for big fields. On the broad praries of the
West, and particularly on the immense farms Of
the Red river region, its greatest utility will be
developed By running two sets Of hands it will
do its work as well at night in daytime, and in
the blowing season on the prairies a "horse"
capable of doing the work of 81 mules without
getting tired, although driven night and day,
will be, no doubt, highly appreciated Three men
are required to run the machine, namely, an en-
gineer, a man to look after the gang of plows and
a man to keep the boiler supplied with water and
the furnace with fuel"