IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL DRILLS FOR SOWING GRAIN AND SEEDS WITH OR WITHOUT MANURE, AND ALSO FOR DISTRIBUTING MANURE
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Black at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
April 1869.
I, GEORGE BLACK, of Spittlegate, near Grantham, in the County of
Lincoln, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL DRILLS FOR SOWING GRAIN AND SEEDS
WITH OR WITHOUT MANURE, AND ALSO FOR DISTRIBUTING MANURE," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to seed drills for agricultural purposes, and
consists of certain improvements therein, the objects of which are to
lessen the weight and cost of such drills, simplify their construction,
render them less liable to get out of order in use, reduce the cost of
repairs, and lessen the waste of seed.
First. I substitute for the revolving barrel and cups, as hitherto used,
rectangular boxes with reciprocating notched slide bars working in them,
and delivering the seed, grain, or manure at each end of the said boxes
into a pipe or tube for conducting the same to the soil or furrow in rear
of the coulters. Each box is thus made to supply two drills. The
reciprocating notched bars are connected to a cross bar and worked

page_text: forwards and backwards by a crank which receives its motion from the
travelling wheels. The crank being slotted or perforated allows the
stroke and speed of the reciprocating bars to be regulated as required,
and save any waste of seed or grain. The grain, seed, or manure is
placed in a hopper, the bottom of which I make in the ridge and valley
form, the apices of the ridges being closed, and the bottoms of the valleys
where the rectangular boxes, before mentioned, are attached open; by
this means the whole of the grain, seed, or manure will run out of the
hopper and be regularly and uniformly fed to each drill box. In order
to prevent the grain or seed from being crushed I place under the
hopper openings a strip of leather, vulcanised india-rubber, or other
flexible material attached to a piece of wood or metal to stiffen it to
act as a "strickle." This strickle is fitted with screws in order that it
may be raised or lowered more or less to suit the different kinds and
sizes of seed.
Secondly. Instead of the usual fixed coulter bar, lever, and weights I
use a moveable double coulter bar or frame to which the coulters are
fitted, and which is raised and lowered bodily by means of a lever
attached thereto near the centre. The coulter frame is fitted with guide
rods which slide in sockets in the main frame for keeping it in position
when raised or lowered by the lever.
Thirdly. Instead of the rigid coulters I introduce spring coulters,
which will rise and fall sufficiently to produce uniform furrows when
the surface of the ground is uneven. I form the improved coulter with
a shank, around which I fit a coil spring, and to the coulter frame or
bar I fix for each coulter a slotted bar or socket; in this slot I fit a stud
which I screw into the shank of the coulter to act as a guide thereto,
or prevent it turning in the socket. Immediately below the spring I
fix a metal hoop for holding the coulter tins or boots, so that the whole
rise and fall together.