IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Johnson, of Hockley Heath, near Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Farmer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY TO BE USED IN CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER."
Sealed the 21st December 1877, and dated the 29th June 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th June 1877..
DAVID JOHNSON, of Hockley Heath, near Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Farmer. “IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN CULTIVATING
LAND BY STEAM POWER."
My Invention consists principally of the construction and arrangement of the
parts herein-after described of a windlass for carrying the winding drums by which
the plough or implement is worked, the said plough or implement moving trans-
versely or from side to side of the field, while the windlass and the traction engine
by which it is actuated are moved longitudinally down the middle of the field, the
said plough, or implement working between two self-moving anchors constructed as
herein-after described.
The improvements in the said windlass consist principally of an arrangement of
parts, whereby the reversal of the motion of the two winding drums on and from
which the rope is being coiled and uncoiled respectively is effected automatically,
and also of an arrangement of parts for ensuring the uniform coiling of the rope on
the drum:
;
The parts of the said windlass are constructed essentially as follows:-The two
winding drums are fitted loosely on a horizontal shaft driven by beyil gearing from
the traction engine at the rear of the.windlass. On the inner end of each drum a
clutch is fixed, the said clutches being driven by two sliding clutches situated on
and receiving rotation from the horizontal shaft.
The said sliding clutches are placed between the inner ends of the drums, and are
connected to each other by a coiled spring between them, which spring holds them
at such a distance apart that when oue sliding clutch is in gear with its fixed clutchi

page_text: on one drum the other sliding clutch is out of gear with its fixed clutch on the other
drum.
When the motions of the drums are required to be reversed, the horizontal shaft on
which they loosely turn is reversed by the action of the traction engine, and the
sliding clutch, which was in gear with its drum clutch, is thrown out of gear, and
the other sliding clutch is moved on its shaft and thrown into gear with the clutch
of the other drum, and the motions of the two drums are thereby reversed.
Should the fixed clutch of the drum about being geared with the rotating shaft
not be in a position to receive its sliding clutch the coiled spring between the two
sliding clutches is compressed, and when the sliding clutch has by the rotation of
the shaft been brought into the proper position it is forced by the action of the
spring into gear with the drum clutch. In this way the reversal of the motion of
the drums is effected automatically on the reversal of the motion of the traction
engine.
On the inner end of each winding drum a brake is fitted. The said brake consists
of segmental pieces of steel screwed to a flange cast on the end of the drum. The
ends of the segmental pieces of steel are turned up at right angles, and between the
turned up. ends -blocks of wood are bolted. The joints of the several pieces thus
constitute a series of projections on the brake wheel or collar. Bearing upon the
brake wheel is a stop lever jointed to the frame of the windlass. When the drum
is winding on the rope the stop-lever slips over the joints or projections on the
brake wheel, but when the rope is being unwound from the drum the stop lever
engages with the said projections of the brake wheel, and the back motion of the
said drum is prevented.
The apparatus by which the uniform coiling of the rope on the drum is effected
is constructed as follows:-As each of the winding drums is furnished with the same
coiling apparatus I will only describe that at one side of the windlass in connection
with one drum. On the side of the frame of the windlass, and opposite the drum,
is a reciprocating horizontal slide, carrying two coiling pulleys, situated vertically,
between which pulleys the rope to be coiled on the drum passes.
The reciprocating motion of the slide is effected by a long connecting rod worked
by a crank, the latter being actuated by worm gearing and spur gearing from the
winding drum; by means of the said slide the rope is guided so as to ensure its uniform
coiling on the drum.
For the purpose of compensating for the irregular throw of the crank, and thereby
making the traverse of the slide uniform, the said slide is not connected directly to
the long connecting rod described, but is connected to a crank arın, and the latter
to the connecting rod. This crank arm carries a pin or stud, which works in a
diagonal slot with curved ends. The irregular motion of the crank is by this
arrangements made uniform in the slide carrying the coiling rollers.
The frame of the windlass is mounted upon four travelling wheels, and the said
windlass is connected to the rear of the traction engine by two strong arms.
My new or improved self-moving anchors, between which the plough or imple-
ment is moved, and around pulleys on which anchors the traction rope passes, are
constructed and worked as follows:-Each of the said anchors consist of a frame
mounted on three wheels, one wheel at the front and two at the rear.
At the rear
end of the frame is a broad cutting colter to support the anchor against the side pull
of the rope upon it. This colter is supported by a vertical shaft which carries the
rope pulley. At the front of the frame is a second colter for guiding the anchor
along the side of the field. The said guiding colter is fitted with a quadrant and
stop pin for fixing it and preventing it altering the course of the anchor. At the
front of the anchor frame are two guide pulleys for the rope. At the rear of the
steering or guiding colter is a jointed stop and drawing foot. By means of this
stop and drawing foot the anchor is fixed in its position during work. When
however the anchor is required to be moved longitudinally down the field nearer to
the windlass and traction engine the stop and drawing foot is raised from the land,
and the anchor moved forward in the following manner:-The rope working over

page_text: the anchor passes through a hole in the said stop and drawing foot, and the said
rope has a knot made in it larger than the hole in the drawing foot. During the
normal working of the apparatus the knot described does not approach the drawing
foot, but when it is wished to alter the position of the anchor the reversal of the
winding drums is not effected until the said knot of the rope bears against and lifts
the stop and drawing foot from the ground, and the said rope has moved by acting
on the said foot the anchor to the required position.
As the anchor is drawn along by the rope the lateral holding colter and the guiding
colter cut their way through the land. The anchor at each side of the field is
automatically moved in the way described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said David Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
December 1877.
DAVID JOHNSON, of Hockley Heath, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick;
Farmer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY TO BE USED IN CULTIVATING LAND BY
STEAM POWER."
My Invention consists principally of the construction and arrangement of the
parts herein-after described of a windlass for carrying the winding drums by which
the plough or implement is worked, the said plough or implement moving trans-
versely or from side to side of the field, while the windlass and the traction engine
by which it is actuated are moved longitudinally down the middle of the field, the
said plough or implement working between two self-moving anchors constructed as
herein-after described.
The improvements in the said windlass consist principally of an arrangement of
parts whereby the reversal of the motion of the two winding drums on and from
which the rope is being coiled and uncoiled respectively is effected automatically,
and also of an arrangement of parts for ensuring the uniform coiling of the rope on
the drum.
The parts of the said windlass are constructed essentially as follows:- The two
winding drums are fitted loosely on a horizontal shaft driven by bevel gearing from
the traction engine at the rear of the windlass. On the inner end of each drum a
clutch is fixed, the said clutches being driven by two sliding clutches situated on
and receiving rotation from the horizontal shaft.
The said sliding clutches are placed between the inner ends of the drums, and are
connected to each other by a coiled spring between them, which spring holds them
at such a distance apart that when one sliding clutch is in gear with its fixed
clutch on one drum, the other sliding clutch is out of gear with its fixed clutch on
the other drum.
When the motions of the drums are required to be reversed the horizontal shaft
on which they loosely turn is reversed by the action of the traction engine, and the
sliding clutch which was in gear with its drum clutch is thrown out of gear, and
the other sliding clutch is moved on its shaft and thrown into gear with the clutch
of the other druin, and the motions of the two drums are thereby reversed.
Should the fixed clutch of the drum about being geared with the rotating shaft

page_text: not be in a position to receive its sliding clutch, the coiled spring between the two
sliding clutches is compressed, and when the sliding clutch has by the rotation of the
shaft been brought into the proper position it is forced by the action of the spring
into gear with the drum clutch. In this way the reversal of the motion of the
drums is effected automatically on the reversal of the motion of the traction
engine.
On the inner end of each winding drum a brake is fitted. The said brake
consists of segmental pieces of steel screwed to a flange cast on the end of the drum.
The ends of the segmental pieces of steel are turned up at right angles, and between
the turned up ends blocks of wood are bolted. The joints of the several pieces thus
constitute a series of projections on the brake wheel or collar. Bearing upon the
brake wheel is a stop lever jointed to the frame of the windlass. When the drum
is winding on the rope the stop lever slips over the joints or projections on the
brake wheel, but when the rope is being unwound from the drum the stop lever
engages with the said projections of the brake wheel, and the back motion of the
said drum is prevented.
The apparatus by which the uniform coiling of the rope on the drum is effected
is constructed as follows:-As each of the winding drums is furnished with the
same coiling apparatus I will only describe that at one side of the windlass in con.
nection with one drum. On the side of the frame of the windlass and opposite the
drum is a reciprocating horizontal slide, carrying two coiling pulleys situated
vertically, between which pulleys the rope to be coiled on the druin passes.
The reciprocating motion of the slide is effected by a long connecting rod worked
by a crank, the latter being actuated by worm gearing and spur gearing from the
winding drum. By means of the said slide the rope is guided so as to ensure its
uniform coiling on the drum.
For the purpose of compensating for the irregular throw of the crank, and thereby
making the traverse of the slide uniformn, the said slide is not connected directly to
the long connecting rod described, but is connected to a crank arm, and the latter,
to the connecting rod. This crank arm carries a pin or stud, which works in a
diagonal slot with curved ends. The irregular motion of the crank is by this
arrangement made uniform in the slide carrying the coiling rollers.
The frame of the windlass is mounted upon four travelling wheels, and the said
windlass is connected to the rear of the traction engine by two strong arms.
My new or improved self-moving anchors, between which the plough or imple-
ment is moved, and around pulleys on which anchors the traction rope passes, are
constructed and worked as follows:-Each of the said anchors consists of a frame
mounted on three wheels, one wheel at the front and two at the rear.
At the rear
end of the frame is a broad cutting colter to support the anchor against the side
pull of the rope upon it. This colter is supported by a vertical shaft which carries
the rope pulley. At the front of the frame is a second colter for guiding the anchor
along the side of the field. The said guiding colter is fitted with a quadrant and
stop pin for fixing it and preventing it altering the course of the anchor. At
the front of the anchor frame are two guide pulleys for the traction rope..
At the rear of the steering or guiding colter is a jointed stop and drawing
foot; by means of this stop and drawing foot the anchor is fixed in its position
during work. When however the anchor is required to be moved longitudinally
down the field nearer to the windlass and traction engine, the stop and drawing
foot is raised from the land, and the anchor moved forward in the following manner :-
The rope working over the anchor passes through a hole in the said stop and
drawing foot, and the said rope has a knot made in it larger than the hole in the drawing
foot. During the normal working of the apparatus, the knot described does not
approach the drawing foot, but when it is wished to alter the position of the anchor
the reversal of the winding drums is not effected until the said knot of the rope
bears against and lifts the stop and drawing foot from the ground and the said rope
las moved, by acting on the said foot, the anchor to the required position.
- As the anchor is drawn along by the rope the lateral holding colter and the

page_text: guiding colter cut their way through the land. The anchor at each side or the neid
is automatically moved in the way described.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation and Figure 2 in plan, a windless for carrying
the winding drums, by which the plough is worked, the parts of the said windless
being constructed and arranged according to iny Invention. The same letters of
reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 and 2; A, A, are the two drums of
the windless on and from which the rope for working the plough is being coiled and
uncoiled respectively. The said drums A, A, turn loosely on the horizontal shaft B,
which is driven in the manner herein-after described.
On the inner end of each drum is a clutch. The clutch of the drum A¹ is
marked A2, in Figures 1 and 2. The clutches of the drums A, A, are driven by
the sliding clutches C, C₁, situated on, and receiving motion from, the horizontal
shaft B. The said sliding clutches C, C, are fitted between the two winding drums
A, A, in the position represented in the Drawing, and the said drums receive motion
by a feather or key fixed upon the rotating shaft B. The said sliding clutches are
connected to each other by a coiled spring ) between them, which spring D holds
the said clutches at such a distance apart that when one sliding clutch is in gear
with its fixed clutch on one drum, the other sliding clutch is out of gear with its
fixed clutch on the other drum. That is, when the clutch C is engaged, with its
clutch on the drum A, as represented in the Drawing, the rotatory motion of the
shaft B is imparted to the drum A, and the rope is coiled thereon. The clutch C₁ is
at the same time out of gear with the clutch on the other drum A', and the shaft B
communicates no motion to the said drum A¹, which drum turns loosely on its shaft;
and the rope is uncoiled therefrom. When the motions of the drums A and A¹ are
required to be reversed, the horizontal shaft B on which they turn loosely is
reversed by the action of the traction engine, and the sliding clutch C, which was
in gear with the clutch on the drum A, is thrown out of gear by the sliding of the
said clutch C, and the other sliding clutch C' is moved on its shaft and thrown into
gear with the clutch on the drum A¹, and the motions of the two drums A and A¹,
are thereby reversed..
Should the fixed clutch on the drum A or A¹, about being geared with the
rotating shaft B, not be in a position to receive its sliding clutch C or C, the coiled
spring D, between the clutches C and C¹, is compressed, and when the sliding"
clutch has by the rotation of the shaft B been brought into the proper position, it
is forced by the action of the spring into gear with the drum clutch.
By the arrangement described, the reversal of the motion of the drums A and
A' is effected automatically on the reversal of the motion of the traction engine.
The shaft B is driven by the bevel wheel E on the said shaft, gearing with the
bevil pinion F, which is fixed on the transverse shaft G; which shaft G receives
motion from the traction engine by the chain band and pulley represented.
On the inner end of each of the drums A and A' a brake is fitted. Each brake
consists of segmental pieces of steel screwed to a flange cast on the end of the
druin. The segmental steel pieces of the drum A are marked H, and those of the
drum A are marked H!.
The ends of the segmental pieces of steel are turned up at right angles, and
between the turned up ends blocks of wood are bolted.
The joints of the several pieces H or H and the blocks, thus fixed together,
constitute a series of projections, marked h², h², on the brake wheel or collar at the
inner end of each drum.
Bearing upon the brake wheel of the drum A is a stop-lever I, jointed to the
frame J of the windlass, and bearing upon the brake wheel of the drum; A¹ is a
similar stop-lever I jointed to the opposite side of the frame J.of the windlass;
When either the drum A or A¹ is winding on the rope, the stop lever I or I¹ slips
over the joints or projections 2, h2, of the brake wheel, but when the rope is being
unwound from the drum the stop lever engages with the said projections of the

page_text: brake wheel, and the back motion of the said drum is prevented, as will be
understood by an examination of the Drawing.
The drum, which is unconnected with the driving shaft B, can thus only move in
the direction proper for paying out the rope from it.
I will now describe the apparatus by which the uniform coiling of the drum A. is
effected. On the side of the frame J of the windlass and opposite the said drum is a
reciprocating horizontal slide h working in the bearings 3, 3, and carrying the two
vertical coiling pulleys i, i, between which the rope to be coiled on the drum passes.
The reciprocating motion of the slide his effected by the long connecting rod j,
worked by the crank e on the shaft g. Motion is transmitted from the winding
drum A to the shaft g by the following gearing. On the drum A is a spur wheel K,
which gears with the spur wheel b, and the latter with the spur wheel c on the shaft
a. On the opposite end of the shaft is a worm d, which gears with the worm
wheel on the shaft g, carrying the crank e.
By means of the reciprocating slide the rope is guided so as to ensure its
uniform coiling on the drum A. To compensate for the irregular throw of the crank
e the following mechanism is interposed between the crank or connecting rod j and
slide h. The crank rod; is connected to the crank arm k, and the latter to the slide
h. The said crank arm carries a stud which works in the inclined slot m, with
curved ends, in the fixed plate represented. By the working of the stud 7 of the
the crank arm k in the slot m the irregular motion of the crank e is made uniform
in the slide h, carrying the coiling rollers i, i.
The drum Ais provided with mechanism of the same kind to that I have
described with respect to the drum A for uniformly coiling the rope upon it. That
is to say, the reciprocating slide of the drum A¹ is marked ¹, the coiling rollers
,, the crank e¹, and connecting rod j¹. The crank arm, which is connected to the
slide h¹ and rod j' is marked k¹, its stud and the slot in which the stud works is
marked m¹. The motion is transmitted from the drum A¹ to the crank e¹ by the spur
wheels K and c¹, shaft a¹, worm wheel d¹, worm f¹, and shaft g¹.
The framing J, J, carrying the drums A and A' and the mechanism described, is
mounted on the travelling wheels L, L, which framing is connected to the traction
engine by the strong arms M, M, by which it is maintained in a direct line with the
said engine.
Figure 3 represents in side elevation, and Figure 4 in plan, one of my new or
improved self-moving anchors, between which the plough or implement is moved,
and around pulleys on which anchors the traction rope passes.
The said anchor consists of a metal frame a, mounted on the two rear wheels B, B,
and the front wheel C; D is a broad cutting colter at the rear end of the frame
to support the anchor against the side pull of the rope upon it. This colter D is
supported by a vertical shaft d, which carries the pulley E around which the
traction rope i passes. The colter shaft d is held firmly by the stay F fixed to the
anchor frame. At the front of the frame A is a second colter J, for guiding the anchor
along the side of the field. The said second colter J is fitted with a quadrant and
stop pin K for fixing the said colter J, and preventing the latter altering the
course of the anchor. The frame A carries at its front two guide pulleys L, between
which the traction rope i passes as represented.
At the rear of the steering or
guiding colter J is a jointed stop and drawing foot G. This jointed stop and drawing
foot turns on a joint at g, on the frame A. By means of this stop or drawing foot G
the anchor is fixed in its position during work, and its position altered when required.
In the said stop or foot G is a hole through which the traction rope i passes. The
said rope has a knot I made in it of such a size that it will not pass through the
hole in the foot G. During the normal working of the apparatus, that is, when the
áncbor is required to be stationary, the knot I in the rope i does not approach the
drawing foot G; but when it is wished to alter the position of the anchor, the
reversal of the winding drums of the windlass is not effected until the said knot I
bears against and lifts the foot G into the position indicated in dotted lines at
H, in Figure 3. The anchor being thus released, the further motion of the traction

page_text: rope i, acting on the said foot G, moves the anchor to the required position, the
lateral holding colter D and the guiding colter J, as the anchor is drawn along by
the rope, cutting their way through the land. Thus the motion of the traction rope
is made to release the anchor and move it at the proper times, longitudinally down
the field nearer to the windlass and traction engine. The anchor at each side of the
field is automatically moved in the way described.
In place of the guiding colter J, represented in the Drawing, a disc cutter may be
used for the same purpose.
In this modification brackets depend from the main
framing A of the anchor, and support bearings in which the said disc cutter turns.
Instead of using a traction engine, a stationary engine may be employed in con-
junction with my improved windlass and anchors, the system of working commonly
called the "round about system" being in this case substituted.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as iny Invention of
Improvements in Machinery to be Used in Cultivating Land by Steam Power,"
First. The construction and arrangement of the parts of a windlass for carrying
the winding drums by which the plough or implement is worked, herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the acompanying Drawings, that is
to say, the construction and arrangement described and represented, whereby the
reversal of the motion of the two winding drums on and from which the rope is
being coiled and uncoiled respectively is effected automatically on the reversal of
the motion of the traction engine; also the construction and arrangement of the
parts described and represented for uniformly coiling the rope on the drum, and for
compensating for the irregular throw of the crank by which the slide carrying the
coiling rollers is worked; also the arrangement described and represented of the
parts of the drum brake.
Secondly. The new or improved self-moving anchor around which the traction rope
passes, herein-before described, and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accom-
panying Drawings, the parts of the said anchor being constructed and worked
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Johnson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-seven.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
DAVID JOHNSON. (L.S.)