Improvements in and connected with Self-moving Engines for Agricultural Purposes Generally, and Soil Cultivation.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1892--Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Self-moving Engines for
Agricultural Purposes Generally, and Soil Cultivation.
I, THOMAS COOPER of Great Ryburgh in the County of Norfolk, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to the construction of a self-moving steam engine
of moderate cost and weight, suitable for all usual traction, haulage, and stationary
agricultural work, and having, in addition, mechanism for digging and cultivating
the soil.
In carrying out my invention, I have endeavoured to meet certain requirements
which I deem essential in a good general purpose agricultural engine.
The first point is to ensure a working width for the digging mechanism in
proportion to the power wherewith the engine has to be endowed for the purposes
other than digging for which it is intended, so that none of the power remains
inoperative or is wasted, and unnecessary journeys across the land to be cultivated
are avoided.
Further, in addition to the usual driving gear of a traction engine, supplemental
gearing is provided, which will enable the advance of the engine to be sufficiently
slow to permit of the efficient operation of the digging forks, the digging forks
themselves being carried in such a way that their stroke can be adjusted and
regulated to the requirements of the land.
In constructing an engine which possesses all the qualifications necessary for a
first class modern traction engine, and at the same time providing in a simple and
efficient manner a detachable digging mechanism with a larger number of forks, and
of greater width than has been easily practicable in engines which have not been
constructed principally for digging purposes, I use an engine with locomotive type
of boiler, but instead of putting the axle of hind road wheels behind the fire box
(ie, near the fire door), I put the axle in front of fire box, under the barrel of
boiler, and make the fire box of such length that it stands further back than the
rim or tyre of road wheel. To the fire box outer shell, I securely fix two strong
plates, one on either side, which project out about as far as the outside of hind road
wheel. To the bottom of the fire box are securely fixed two strong bars or plates,
or pieces of angle iron, which extend backward, and across the ends of these bars is
fixed another bar, of a length equal to the width of the two wing plates. These
bars and plates form the main frame, to which are attached, in any suitable manner,
other plates, so that the whole makes a tender of approximately the same width as
width of engine over the road wheels. Part is used for coal bunkers, and part for
standing room for the attendant, the whole forming a strong and wide frame to
carry the crank shaft for cultivating mechanism afterwards described.
This wide tender or foot plate also offers the advantage, that whichever way the
engine is working, the attendant or steersman can stand on the side adjoining the
work already done, to easily see where to go, and for that purpose I provide a
steering wheel on each side of the engine.
The driving gear which I provide for driving the engine at the desired speed,
when using the cultivating attachments, is so arranged as to be easily changeable,
to give different speeds, to suit the various work to be done, and also to be readily
thrown out when it is required to use the ordinary traction gear, and when the
engine is not required for cultivating.
In carrying out this arrangement, I communicate motion from the crank shaft to
a counter shaft by spur gear wheels. The counter shaft drives the axle of the road
wheels by a pinion (keyed on the said counter shaft) gearing into a large spur
wheel on the axle, and whether the ordinary traction gear or the special gear is

page_text: being used, this pinion always remains in gear. The motion to the shaft of
cultivating attachment is transmitted through the spur wheel on the counter shaft,
and this wheel, instead of being fixed permanently to the shaft, as is usual, is free
to revolve on the shaft, unless fixed by a stop pin or similar device. On the boss
is fixed a pinion which always revolves with the wheels. On the end of the counter
shaft is firmly fixed another spur wheel of suitable size, and provision is made for
securing this wheel to the loose one just mentioned, say, by means of a stop pin, so
that, when this stop pin is in, the loose wheel is as if fixed to the shaft, and shaft must
revolve with it, but when the pin is out, the shaft simply becomes a stud for the
loose wheel to revolve on, and unless the fixed wheel were brought into use, the
shaft could not be driven at all. To drive the fixed wheel at a slower speed than
the loose one, I use a back gear similar to a lathe, and loose on the hind axle, in a
suitable position, I mount a wheel and pinion, which are fixed together; the wheel
engages with the pinion before mentioned on boss of the loose wheel of the counter
shaft, and the pinion engages with the fixed wheel. By varying the sizes of these
wheels, the speed of the engine can be altered to suit the length of the spits of
earth desired to be taken up at each stroke of the forks. The wheels can be put
in and out of gear by sliding end ways, or by using an excentric bush, and though I
prefer mounting them on the main axle, for sake of economy, a separate stud could
be used, if desired.
In providing suitable mechanism for attaching to the engines for cultivating (in
almost any manner desired) the land which the engine passes over, I use, as is
usual in similar machines, a crank shaft, which is carried in suitable bearings under
the engine tender before described. Motion is communicated to this crank shaft
by gearing or other mechanical contrivance. Preferably, the shaft has six cranks,
the two outside ones being conveniently removed when it is desired to do exceptionally
heavy or rough work. To the cranks are attached rods or levers, which are
carried backwards underneath the tender, the ends being supported by guides also
fixed to the framework of the tender, and arranged in such manner that they can
be set at any angle, from a horizontal line up to an angle of about 45°. When the
position of the guides approaches the horizontal line, the movement of the ends of
levers also approaches the horizontal, but when the guides are set up at an angle,
the ends of the levers are lifted more or less in a vertical direction, according to
the angle of the guides, and this combination of a rotary movement at one end of
rod, and a sliding movement at an angle with the horizontal at the other end of
the rod, gives a very desirable movement to the cultivating forks or spades which
are attached to the levers. By adjusting the angle of the guides and the position
of the forks, almost any desired class of cultivation can be produced on
varying soils.
A point of the utmost advantage in this arrangement is, that every point of the
levers has a different movement, and consequently forks fixed at different points on
the lever have a different effect on the soil, and in some cases it is advantageous. to
fix, in addition, a lighter or smaller fork further from the crank than the inain
fork, to cultivate more thoroughly, or to turn over the top soil, while the main or
leading fork is going deeper into the subsoil, and breaking it up without bringing
it to the surface.
In a similar manner, when it is desired to dig land in such a manner that turf or
anything on the surface shall be buried, I use a fork with short tines or a scrapper
in front of the main fork, to scrape off the surface into the bottom of furrow, the
main fork covering it over at the next spit.
The spades or forks can be attached to the lever in many ways, but they are
preferably fixed to brackets with a joint pin, so that they can easily be turned up
when not required.
For the guides for the ends of the levers, I use "slides" by preference, but could
use jointed rods or radial bars.
The gear wheel which by preference I use to drive the digger crank shaft, is
thrown out of gear by clutch and lever, and this clutch is made ratchet shaped, so

page_text: that when, for any cause, the engine is reversed, the clutch slips backwards past
the wheel, and does not drive the forks backwards against the ground. The clutch
is kept in gear by a spring.
The engine is preferably constructed in such a manner that it will roll the land
for the whole of its width, so that when a piece of land has been broken up roughly,
the engine can be run over it a second time as a heavy roll, smashing down the
large clods, the forks following and recultivating the soil. The engine can also
be used as a roller for other purposes without the forks, for roads, for instance.
In order to do this conveniently, I place the boiler sufficiently high to allow of
the front wheels being placed sufficiently close together to run just within the
track of the hind wheels, and to cover the space left between the front wheels, I fix
a roller approximately under the axle of hind wheels. This roller is preferably
made with side bearings to slide in horn plates, or held by levers, so that it can be
raised or lowered, or fixed rigidly in position, when required to work, and raised
several inches clear of the ground when not required, or it is evident it could be
allowed to accommodate itself to the inequalities of the land or road, and pressure
put on with weight or spring.
Dated this 8th day of April 1801
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Self-moving Engines for
Agricultural Purposes Generally, and Soil Cultivation.
I, THOMAS COOPER of Great Ryburgh in the County of Norfolk, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The present invention relates to the construction of a self-moving general purpose
agricultural steam engine of moderate cost and weight, and has reference. more
particularly to the arrangement of the digging mechanism, and to parts connected
therewith, so as to secure better results than have hitherto been attained..
According to my invention, 1 construct an engine with a wide tender situated
behind the main road wheels, and I utilize this wide tender for carrying the
removable crank shaft of the digging mechanism. By this means I get an extra
working width for the diggers, which can however be reduced, if the nature of the
soil under cultivation demands it. The diggers are carried on rods or levers
extending backward from the crank shaft, beneath the tender, to sliding adjustable
connections, by which the working stroke of the diggers is controlled and
regulated.
The travelling speed of the engine, which, if suitable for road travelling, is not
usually capable of a reduction sufficient to ensure of the best work being obtained
from the digging mechanism, I propose to reduce by the employment of a back
gear similar to the back gear of a lathe, between the ordinary counter shaft, and
main or driving axle, such back gear, however, being easily thrown out of action
when not required.
The travelling wheels of the engine are so arranged that the path of the front
wheels is just within the path of the hind wheels, and an additional wheel or roll is
provided to cover the space between the two front wheels, and thereby provide for
rolling a track the whole width of the engine.
In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated just so much of an agricultural
self-moving engine as will serve to shew my invention.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation ;
Finnlan

page_text: Fig. 4 is a back view, shewing the digging mechanism.
A is the boiler, with fire box at B. C is the axle of the hind road wheels,
situated in front of the fire box, as explained. To the fire box outer shell, I
securely fix two strong wing plates bb, one on either side, which project out about
as far as the outside of hind road wheels. To the bottom of the fire box are
securely fixed two strong bars or plates, which extend backward, and across the
ends of these bars is fixed another bar d, of a length equal to the width of the
two wing plates b. b. These bars and plates form the main frame, to which are
attached, in any suitable manner, other plates, so that the whole makes a tender D,
of approximately the same width as the width of the engine over the road wheels.
Part is used for coal bunkers, and part for standing room for the attendant, the
whole forming a strong and wide frame to carry the crank shaft for the cultivating
mechanism afterwards described.
This wide tender or foot plate also offers the advantage, that whichever way the
engine is working, the attendant or steersman can stand on the side adjoining the
work already done, to easily see where to go, and for that purpose I provide a
steering wheel on each side of the engine.
The driving gear which I provide for driving the engine, is so arranged as to be
easily changeable to give different speeds to suit the various work to be done, and
also to be readily thrown out of gear when desired. The driving gear includes a
crank shaft E, mounted in suitable brackets and pinions e e, of different diameters,
which slide on keys, and can be moved longitudinally independently of each other
by suitable levers, into or out of engagement with the double spur wheel E¹ in a
manner well known in connection with traction engines. The spur wheel E',
which is mounted loose on a stud axle, is in engagement with the spur wheel f
which is loose on the counter shaft F. On the same counter shaft is the spur
wheel(in one with the spur wheel) and the spur wheel, which latter is keyed
npon the shaft F. Provision is made for locking the wheels f1 and 2 together by
means of a pin or bolt.
ce are spur wheels fast together, but loose upon the excentric sheave C¹ on the
axle C of the road wheels. The rotation of the sheave C' on .the axle C, has the
effect of causing the engagement or disengagement of the wheels cc' with or from
the spur wheels f¹² respectively. The counter shaft F extends across the engine
beneath the boiler, and is capable of rotation in suitable bearings. is a spur
pinion fast on the shaft F (at the end opposite to that which carries the spur
wheel), in permanent engagement with an internally toothed wheel G, which
carries the bevel pinions g' of the ordinary compensating gear of a traction engine
well understood. When it is desired to travel the engine at an ordinary rate of
speed, as, for instance, when on the road, the spur wheels c c are dropped clear of
the wheels by rotating the sheave or bush on the axle C, and the spur wheel
is locked to the spur wheel by inserting a pin in the pin hole 3 best shewn in
Fig. 3. In this manner, the spur wheel is locked to the counter shaft F, and the
rotary motion transmitted from the crank shaft is therefore communicated to the
counter shaft direct by the wheel f. When it is desired to reduce the travelling speed
of the engine, to allow of the proper action of the diggers, the counter shaft F is not
driven direct, as just described, but through the back gear
ccl, as follows:—
The wheels and ƒ are disconnected by the withdrawal of the pin, so that the
wheel turns loose on the counter-shaft F, and the spur wheels cc are lifted into
engagement with the wheels and thus, the rotation of the wheels ff' is
communicated to cc, and by the latter to the spur wheel ƒ, which is fast on the
counter shaft F. The "back gear" may be proportioned to give any desired
reduction of speed, and may be changed if required, and, by varying the sizes of
the wheels, the speed of the engine can be altered to suit the length of the spits of
earth desired to be taken up at each stroke of the digging forks.
::
Although the axle of the driving wheels is made available for carrying the
sheave of the back gear, a separate stud may obviously be employed.
In providing suitable mechanism for attaching to the engines for cultivating (in

page_text: almost any manner desired) the land which the engine passes over, I use a crank
shaft H, which is carried in suitable bearings under the engine tender D. Motion
is communicated to this crank shaft H by an intermediate wheel, and a spur
wheel loose on the crank shaft, but capable of being locked thereto by the
clutch. Preferably the shaft H has six cranks, the two outside ones being
conveniently removed, when it is desired to do exceptionally heavy or rough work.
To the cranks are attached rods or levers I, which are carried backwards
underneath the tender, the ends being supported by guides, also fixed to the
framework of the tender, and arranged in such manner, that they can be set, by
means of the screws, at any angle, from a horizontal line up to an angle of
about 45°. When the position of the guides approaches the horizontal line, the
movement of the ends of the levers also approaches the horizontal, but when the
guides are set up at an angle, the ends of levers are lifted more or less in a vertical
direction, according to the angle of the guides, and this combination of a rotary
movement at one end of the rod, and a sliding movement at an angle with the
horizontal at the other end of the rod, gives a very desirable movement to the
cultivating spades or forks J, which are attached to the levers 1. By adjusting
the angle of the guides, and the position of the forks on the levers, almost any
desired class of cultivation can be produced on varying soils.
I may here point out that as the power from the engine is communicated direct
from the crank shaft to the digging forks or spades (which are preferably narrower
and more numerous than is usual, without the intervention of the fulcrum and radial
bar of digging machines as hitherto constructed, I am able to work the forks at a
very much higher rate of speed than has hitherto been attained.
Another point of great importance is, that every part of the levers has a different
movement, and, consequently, forks fixed at different points on the same lever have
a different stroke on the soil, and in some cases it is advantageous to fix, in
addition, a lighter or smaller fork; further from the crank than the main fork J,
to cultivate more thoroughly, or to turn over the top soil, while the main or leading
fork is going deeper into the subsoil, and breaking it up without bringing it to the
surface.
In a similar manner, when it is desired to dig land in such a manner that turf or
anything on the surface shall be buried, I use a fork with short tines, or a scraper
in front of the main fork, to scrape off the surface into the bottom of furrow, the
main fork covering it over at the next spit.
The spades or forks Jj can be attached to the lever in many ways, but they are
preferably fixed to brackets with a joint pin, so that they can easily be turned up
when not required.
For the guides for the ends of the levers, I use "slides" by preference, but could
use jointed rods or radial bars.
The gear wheel which, by preference, I use to drive the digger crank shaft, is
thrown out of gear by clutch and lever h³, and this clutch is made ratchet shaped
(see Fig. 2), so that when, for any cause, the engine is reversed, the clutch slips
backwards past the wheel, and does not drive the forks backwards against the
ground. The clutch may be kept in gear by a spring.
The engine is preferably constructed in such a manner that it will roll the land
for the whole of its width, so that when a piece of land has been broken up roughly,
the engine can be run over it a second time as a heavy roll, smashing down the
large clods, the forks following and recultivating the soil. The engine can also be
used as a roller for other purposes, without the forks; for roads, for instance.
In order to do this conveniently, I place the boiler sufficiently high to allow of
the front wheels being placed sufficiently close together to run just within the track
of the hind wheels, and to cover the space left between the front wheels, I fix a
roller K approximately under the axle of hind wheels. This roller K is preferably
made with side bearings to slide in horn plates, or held by levers, so that it can be
raised or lowered, or fixed rigidly in position when required to work, and raised
several inches clear of the ground when not required; or it is evident it could be

page_text: allowed to accomodate itself to the inequalities of the land or rod, and pressure put
on it, by a weight or spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Constructing agricultural self-moving engines for digging or cultivating
purposes with the main axle in front of the fire-box, and a wide tender attached to
the latter, by wing plates, substantially as shewn and described, for the purpose
set forth.
2. Constructing agricultural self-moving engines with supplementary gear
arranged and operating substantially as described and illustrated, for reducing the
travelling speed of the engine, for the purpose set forth.
3. The cultivating mechanism for agricultural engines, consisting of a crank
shaft, and a series of rods or levers carrying the digging forks, such levers being
attached at one end to the cranks, and at the other to adjustable slides, or their
equivalent, substantially as explained with reference to the drawings.
4. Constructing an agricultural self-moving engine with wheels arranged as
described, and with an additional wheel or roller near the hind wheels, so as to
ensure the rolling of a track the whole width of the engine, when it is required to
be used for rolling purposes.
Dated this 8th day of January 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.