CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIN HARROWS FOR HARROWING LAND
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bayliss, of the Firm of W. and M. Bayliss
& Co., Flat and Chain Cable and Iron Hurdle and Fencing Manu-
facturers, of Monmore Green, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIN HARROWS FOR
HARROWING LAND."
Sealed the 10th December 1861, and dated the 13th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bayliss at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
June 1861.
I, WILLIAM BAYLISS, of the Firm of W. and M. Bayliss & Co., Flat and
Chain Cable and Iron Hurdle and Fencing Manufacturers, of Monmore
Green, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIN HABROWS
FOR HARROWING LAND," to be as follows (that is to say):
My improvements in chain harrows consist in keeping the links forming
the chains apart by the use of a suitable number of continuous strips of thin
steel, iron, or other suitable material sufficiently elastic or pliable, that as the
harrow is drawn over the ridge or furrows of ploughed land they shall readily
adapt themselves to the inequality or unevenness of surface, such strips being
so constructed as to admit of being readily inserted transversely through the
links of the chains forming the harrow, and suitably secured to the outer

page_text: links, without confining myself to the number of such strips, but in a general
way three will be found sufficient.
Secondly, my improvements consist in using a triangular form of link,
forming the last row of my improved constructed chain harrow, such form
of link being more suitable for levelling off or smoothing the surface of the
soil so harrowed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bayliss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BAYLISS, of the Firm of W. and M. Bayliss and Co., Flat and Chain Cable
and Iron Hurdle and Fencing Manufacturers, of Monmore Green, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, IIer heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Bayliss, Her special license that I, the said
William Bayliss, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Bayliss, my executors, administrators, or 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CHAIN HARROWS FOR HARROWING LAND," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Bayliss, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Bayliss, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by tho
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-

page_text: My improvements in chain harrows consist in keeping the combined links
forming the chains fully extended, and which I purpose effecting by the use
of a suitable number of thin strips of steel, iron, or other suitablo material
sufficiently elastic or pliable, that as the harrow is drawn over or obliquely
across ploughed land it shall readily adapt itself to the inequality or unevenness
of the surface over which they pass. The strips I purpose so constructing
and adapting to the desired links forming the harrow that they may be readily
inserted transversely or at right angles with the length or draftway of such
harrows, the extending strips being so constructed as to readily admit of their
being united or held to the outer links. The number of such transverse
elastic stretchers may be varied as desired or found necessary, but I believe
two or three will be found sufficient; and the intermediate links through
which such elastic strips pass may be variously formed, either for inserting
the strip, or to open with a pin or shackle joint for receiving them. In some
instances I prefer making the last row of links, say, of a triangular shape, the
base line of which is horizontal to the ground over which they pass, or they
may be made of any other like shape calculated to produce the desired object,
which is to further smooth or level the land as the harrow passes over it;
but reference to the accompanying Drawings will show more fully my
Invention, and the practical means for realizing the same.
Fig. 1 represents a general plan or top view of my improved chain harrow
as attached to the draw-bar marked A, A; B, B, and B, B, are two thin strips
of steel secured to the outer links by the ends of the stretchers being forked and
twisted from the horizontal to the vertical position, the outer angles of the
links in connection with the stretchers being passed into their forked ends; and
by way of further securing the elastic strips, I pass them through one or more
intermediate top links, as at C, C, and C, C, which links may be formed as
at Fig. 2, which represents an edge and front view of the rectangular links, as
exhibited in Fig. 1, marked F and G, with a link shackle fastened at the top,
marked H, H, which may be removed or applied at pleasure by removing and
applying the pin bolt; or they may be made of two links welded together, as
shown in front and edge view at I, I, and J, J, Fig. 3, or formed of one piece
of iron welded together, and put into the shape as here represented at Fig. 4,
marked K, K, the lower link being connected with the corresponding links
of the harrow, and the top transverse link for receiving the stretcher; and
Fig. 5 represents a stretcher, as at B, B, in a detached edge view, for the
purpose of showing the forks L and M, that take into the outer links; and
Fig. 6 represents the last links of the chain and connecting links, compre-
hended from D to E; but nevertheless these, with the general form of link,

page_text: may be varied as desired, but I believe the form here given will produce the
most beneficial results; but by using shackles or open links, as at Fig. 4,
placed in like position, as C, C, and C, C, what is now the top side of the
harrows may be reversed and be placed at the bottom, as the open links, for
attaching or holding down the stretchers, may be applied on either side, the
effect of which will be to leave the last row of intermediate links identical in
effect with all the others.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner-
in which the same may be carried into effect, I wish it understood that I
do not purpose confining myself to the number or proportion of the elastic
stretchers, or to the form of links forming the chain harrows, with which they
are connected, as the same may be varied according to the material with
which they are made, at all times giving preference to the use of steel; but
what I claim, and wish protected by these my in part recited Letters Patent,
is, the use of elastic expanders, which allow the harrow to readily adapt itself
in use to every inequality of surface, a quality of great importance, and not
attained when rigid expanders are used, without confining myself to the par-
ticular mode of attaching the same to the links forming the harrows, or to the
form of links, which may be of the form as herein represented and described,
or otherwise, as preferred.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bayliss, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
ALFRED PERRY,
Clerk to James S. Cockings,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM BAYLISS.
L.S.