IMPROVEMENTS IN DITCHING OR TRENCHING MACHINES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DITCHING OR TRENCHING MACHINES.”
-A communication from abroad by Henry Carter, of Aylmer,
Ontario, Canada.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th April 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DITCHING OR TRENCHING
MACHINES," a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a machine for cutting ditches or trenches for
drainage and other like purposes by means of a plough operating con-
jointly with an elevator, whereby the earth is loosened and carried up
and thrown out along the side of the trench.

page_text: The said machine has a frame mounted upon a wheel, and having its
axial bearings in an arc forming a part of the said frame. Proceeding
outwardly from each side of the periphery of the said wheel is a deep
flange, enclosing the rim of the wheel by two continuous sides, having
each a sharp cutting edge. Projecting radially from the face of the
wheel is a series of prongs or teeth, the purpose of which will herein-
after be described.
A plough or share projects under the lower side of the aforesaid wheel.
Immediately behind the point of the said plough and on each side
thereof is a cutter or coulter, whereby the sides of the trench cut by
the plough are smoothed down and made straight with the line of
work. The plough above referred to is attached to the frame by a
hinged joint, whereby it is allowed to move back from the wheel, and
at the same time is slightly elevated, so that it may run into the ground
at a variable angle as the nature of the soil may require.
t
The said plough is adjustable in relation to the wheel by means of a
curved standard, the lower end of which is attached to the lower end of
the plough, whereas the upper end is secured in a cross bar of the lever
handles, a slot being made therein for its admission, in which the said
standard can be moved upward or downward, thereby elevating or
depressing the plough to any desired degree. The said standard is held
in any one position by a pin inserted in one of a series of holes, and
which prevents the forcing back of the plough or its drawing forward
into the ground, and which is restrained from falling against the wheel
by a spring catch. The lower end of the latter is fastened to the rear
end of the frame, whereas the upper end is attached to the standard by a
hook. By means of the said hook the notch in the spring is made to
engage and hold a point. projecting from the standard. By this means
the plough can be readily adjusted in relation to the wheel, and at any
required angle for entering the ground, and permanently and securely
held in such relation thereto.
The aforesaid handles are pivotted to the frame, and the latter is
hinged by the same pivot to guideways on a cross head. The pivot or
rod to which the handles are hinged extends across the ends thereof and
through the sides of the frame, and is attached to the aforesaid ways of
the cross head, which slides up and down upon a vertical frame to allow
the wheel to dig or work into the ground more or less, as may be

page_text: required, and for the purpose of adjusting the handles for the con-
venience of the operator in guiding the machine.
The handles are held in any position by means of a key inserted
in the cross bar of the handles and in one of the notches of the plate
attached to the standard, the lower end of which also forms the point
embraced by the notch of the spring above described. A platform is
supported on suitable wheels. In the front end of the said platform the
wheel and plough above described are placed, and secured in position by
the aforesaid vertical frame mounted upon the platform.
A conductor is arranged with one end projecting beyond the side of
the machine, its inner end being fitted between the sides of the wheel;
and the said conductor is armed with a series of fingers, between which
the prongs or teeth of the wheel pass as the said wheel rotates. To the
extreme end of the conductor is hinged a lip, whereby the conductor can
be extended and elevated for the purpose of throwing the soil farther
from the side of the trench or into a cart arranged thereunder to
receive it.
The team whereby the machine is drawn is hitched thereto by means
of a wide double tree, so that each horse may walk along by the side of
the trench and outside of the soil thrown out by the machine.
I extend the axles beyond the sides of the track far enough to enable
me to run the machine free of the ditch and soil thrown out along the
side. A lip is hinged to the extreme end of the conductor, which may
be turned up more or less, and thereby discharge the soil from the
machine higher from the ground and at the same time further away
from the side of the trench or cutting, and when not needed it can be
turned up out of the way.
I provide the platform with a castor wheel, which when the said
machine is to be turned around is allowed to roll upon the ground,
thereby carrying the front end of the machine about with the front
wheels lifted up, in order to allow the castor wheel to sustain the weight
of the end of the platform for turning it around. The said castor wheel,
when not in use, is hung up clear of the ground.
The handles are hinged to the frame, so that they can be readily
adjusted to suit the height of any one that may have to hold them.

page_text: ¨SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
* !
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and'
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DITCHING OR TRENCHING MACHINES," a communication to
me from abroad by Henry Carter, of Aylmer, Ontario, Canada, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming part of this Specification:-
This Invention relates to a machine for cutting trenches or ditches for
drainage and other like purposes by means of a plough or share ope-
rating conjointly with an elevator, whereby the earth is loosened, carried
up, and thrown out along the side of the ditch or trench.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to this
Invention; Figure 2 is a plan; Figure 3 is a rear end clevation;` and
Figure 4 is a front end elevation of the said machine. Like letters
indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A represents a frame mounted upon the wheel B. The said wheel has
its axial bearings in the arc C, forming a part of the frame. Proceeding
outwardly from each side of the periphery of the said .wheel is a deep
flange D, Figures 1 and 4. I thus enclose the rim of the wheel between
two continuous side flanges, having each a sharp cutting edge. Pro-.
jecting radially from the face of the wheel is a series of prongs or
teeth E, the purpose of which will herein-after be shown.
F, Figure 1, is a plough or share projecting under the lower side of
the wheel. Immediately behind the point of the said plough and on
each side thereof is a cutter or colter G, whereby the sides of the trench
cut by the plough are smoothed down and made straight in the line of
work. The aforesaid plough is attached to the frame A by a hinged
joint, and is thereby allowed to be moved back from the wheel, and
slightly elevated in its relation thereto, so that it may run into the
ground at a variable angle as the nature of the soil may require.
The said plough is adjusted in relation to the wheel by means of a
curved standard H, Figure 1. The lower end of the latter is attached
to the free end of the plough, whereas the upper end is secured in the
cross bar I of the lever handles J, a slot being made therein for its
admission, as shewn in Figure 2. In this slot the said standard can be
moved upward or downward, thereby elevating or depressing the plough,'
and the same is´held in any one desirable position by a pin b, inserted in
one of the holes c, Figure 1, which keeps the plough from crowding
back or drawing forward into the ground, and which is restrained from
falling upon the wheel by the spring catch K. The lower end of the
latter is fastened to the rear end of the frame A, whereas the upper end.
is attached to the standard by a hook L. By means of the said hook the
notch in the spring is made to engage and hold the point d projecting.
from the standard, as shewn at e, Figure 1.
By this means the plough'
can be readily and easily adjusted in its relation to the wheel; and at any
required angle for entering: the ground,' and permanently and securely
held in such relation thereto..
..

page_text: The handles J are hinged to the frame at the point f, for the purpose
of adjusting them to the convenience of the operator, as he may require.
them to be 'more or less elevated for holding them in his effort of
guiding the machine.
The handles are held in any one position by means of a key i, Figure 2,
inserted in the cross bar I of the handles and in one of the notches of the
plate j attached to the standard, the lower end of which also forms the
point d embraced by the notch of the spring K above described.
M, Figure 2, is a platform supported on the wheels N. Between the
front ends of the said platform the wheels and plough above described
are placed, and secured in position by a vertical frame O mounted upon
the platform, and between them the wheels and plough slide upward
and downward, as and for a purpose herein-after described.
P, Figure 4, is a conductor, one end of which projects beyond the side
of the machine. The inner end is fitted between the sides of the wheel,
and is armed with a series of fingers Q, between which the prongs or
teeth E of the wheel pass as said wheel rotates. To the extreme end of
the said conductor is hinged a lip R, whereby the conductor is extended
and may be elevated for the purpose of throwing the dirt further from
the side of the trench or into a cart arranged thereunder to receive it.
At the rear end of the platform is secured an adjustable transverse
wheel S, Figures 1 and 2, also indicated by the dotted lines m, Figure 1.
The purpose of this wheel is to assist the machine in turning around, as
will presently be shewn.
The practical working of this improved machine is as follows:-The
direction of the ditch having been determined, the machine is then
placed in line therewith, so that the wheels supporting the platform shall
be on each side, thereby bringing the wheels and plough directly upon the
line of the trench. The team whereby the machine is drawn is hitched
thereto by means of a wide double tree, so that each horse
may walk
along by the side of the ditch and outside of the soil thrown out by the
machine. The operator takes his place on the platform, and holds the
machine by the handles J. As the machine moves forward the plough F
under the wheel loosens the earth, which is then taken up by the prongs
or teeth of the revolving wheel and deposited upon the conductor or
shoot P, from which it slides to the ground along the side of the cut. As
the depth of the cut increases the wheel and plough descend between

page_text: the platform, sustained and guided by the standards O, while the plat-
form continues to run upon the surface of the ground until the desired
depth is obtained. By this machine a clean, smooth, and even trench is
cut of any desired depth, with but little fatigue to the operator or to the
horses.
In my former machine the wheels of the platform or truck were close to
the sides thereof, in view of which a very wide truck was required in order
to allow the wheels to run free of the dirt thrown out. The wide trench
was found to be sometimes inconvenient, and to avoid this inconvenience
I have in this new machine extended the axles S', and support them
with braces U, U', as shewn in Figure 2. By this means I am enabled
to run the machine free of the ditch and the soil. Also in my former
machine the conductor or shoot had no adjustable hinged lip, hence the
soil was thrown from the machine at one elevation and at only a certain
distance therefrom. In my present present machine I have a lip R' hinged
to the extreme end of the conductor, which may be turned upward, and
thus discharge the dirt from the machine higher from the ground and at
the same time further away from the side of the trench or cut, and
which, when not needed, can be turned upward out of the way.
A further improvement consists in the manner of adjusting the plough
in its relation to the wheel and the ground. In using my former
machine I found some trouble in turning it around, as the axles were
rigidly attached to the machine. To avoid this trouble I now use a
castor wheel S, which when the machine is to be turned about is allowed
to roll upon the ground, thereby carrying the front end of the machine
without the front wheels being on the ground, the latter being lifted up
to allow the said castor wheel to support the end of the platform for
turning it about. The said castor wheel, when not in use, is hung up to
the handles T, as shewn in Figure 1.
Moreover, in the said former machine the handles J were attached to
the machine in a rigid manner, hence they could not be raised or
lowered to suit the convenience of the operator; whereas I now hinge
them to the frame, so that they can be easily and readily adjusted to suit
the height of any one that may have to hold them.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,—

page_text: First. The adjustable lip R arranged and hinged to the conductor P,
for the purpose specified.
Second. The arrangement of the spring K, standard H provided with'
a notched plate j, having a point d and hook L, in combination with the
plough and adjustable handles J, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Third. The arrangement of the extended axles S, braces U, U¹, and
platform or truck M, in the manner described and for the purpose
specified.
Fourth. The castor wheel S when hinged to the point of the platform 1
in the manner shewn and described and for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. The handles J when hinged to the frame A,.so that they may
have a vertical adjustment, for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year 1
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
1
F. MILLION.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)