IMPROVE- MENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR PLOUGHING, HOEING, AND SCARIFYING LAND, AND IN AGRICULTURAL STEAM ENGINES USED FOR THE TRACTION OF SUCH IMPLEMENTS
Year: 1857

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Coleman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st August
1857.
I, RICHARD COLEMAN, of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, Agricultural
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR PLOUGHING, HOEING, AND SCARIFYING LAND, AND IN
AGRICULTURAL STEAM ENGINES USED FOR THE TRACTION OF SUCH IMPLEMENTS," to
be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in agricultural implements relates to appa-
ratus or gear for raising and lowering the tines, hoes, or other instruments-
used in ploughing, hoeing, or scarifying land.
Hitherto implements for this purpose in which more than one instrument
of operation has been combined in one machine or implement, and in par-
ticular the implement for which a Patent was granted to me, bearing date the
Twenty-second day of May, One thousand eight hundred and forty-five, the
motion imparted by hand to raise or lower the instruments of operation has
consisted of a single lever connected with the barrel to which all the instru-
ments were connected, and thereby moved; the length of the lever necessary
for this purpose is objectionable as it passes too far behind the machine, and.
moves an extent inconvenient for use. To obviate this, according to my present.
improvements, I place the hand lever on a fulcrum near the fore part of the
machine, and connect it by a link or connecting rod, with an arm or. lever.
fixed on the barrel with which the instruments are connected. I also apply:

page_text: a second hand lever, the short end of which I connect to the first hand lever by
a suitable link or piece of chain, which can be hooked or unhooked as required.
The second hand lever I cause to act on the first lever when great power
is required to move the instruments in the ground, an additional leverage
being thereby gained, which also brings the first hand lever more within reach
of the attendant.
The second part of my Invention relates to improvements in engines whereby
to apply steam power to the implements above mentioned, which consists in
mounting the engine on a pair of large wheels somewhat near the middle
of its length, and so as nearly to balance the whole weight thereon. I also
furnish such engine with leading and trailing wheels, which may be converted
as required into leading or trailing wheels, each pair being furnished with
parts whereby they may be used to lead, and to steer or guide the machine.
I place a small water tank at each end of the machine, and connect them by
a suitable channel.
The six wheels are so arranged that the leading and trailing wheels do
not touch the ground at the same time, and so that, by throwing the pre-
ponderance of the weight at either end of the engine, the wheels at the
preponderating end will touch the ground, and will become the steering wheels,
which change is effected at the end of the traverse in each direction, to
obviate the necessity of turning round while alternately travelling in opposite
directions. The machines or implements before-mentioned for operating on
the soil are dragged by this engine, and their position altered to the rear of
the machine when the direction is reversed.
The preponderance of the weight of the engine may be reversed and
effected by leverage, to cause the water in the one tank at one end to flow
into the tank at the opposite end or otherwise.