Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Sowing Seed.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1895
:
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Jan., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Sowing Seed.
We, JAMES HAROLD HOWARD, of the Britannia Iron Works, Bedford, in the
County of Bedford, Engineer, and HENRY WILLIAM GIBBS, of the same address,
Works Superintendent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention has for its object to provide very simple and inexpensive but
efficient apparatus for sowing seed. The said apparatus may be attached to
and used in conjunction with a plough, or with a. cultivator or other tillage
implement.
'
Our improved apparatus.comprises a seed box or receptacle having an opening
in the bottom thereof communicating with a delivery spout in which is placed a
rotatable spindle furnished with longitudinal grooves or seed pockets to receive and
then to discharge the seed during the rotation of the spindle.
An important feature of our invention is the provision of means for adjusting the
spindle axially so as to increase or diminish the effective length of the aforesaid
grooves and thus to provide for varying as may be desired the rate of delivery of
the seed. For this purpose we preferably provide the spindle with a number of
circular grooves adapted to fit the edge of the opening in the side of the delivery
spout through which the spindle passes and to form thrust bearings to prevent the
axial movement of the spindle when it is in position and the apparatus is in working
order. The delivery spout is made in two parts the lower part being hinged to the
upper so that it can be opened and the spindle aforesaid removed and replaced or
adjusted as may be required with either of its circular grooves arranged to engage
the side of the spout. By this means the spindle can be moved axially to bring
more or less of the longitudinal grooves forming the seed pockets within the upper
part of the spout so as to deliver a more or less quantity of seed. The end of the
spindle passing through the other side of the spout turns in a ring which is grooved
circumferentially and is received in the side of the spout and secured therein when
the two parts thereof are closed. :
We may use any suitable hinge for connecting the two parts of the spout, but
we prefer to use a hinge bar and hook arrangement that can be disconnected by a
sliding movement when the hinged part is turned back to a certain position. Any
suitable catch or lock may be provided for locking the hinged parts together when
they are closed.
We provide a split sheet steel or other suitable brush to strickle off the seed
above the level of the grooves and prevent jamming of the seed between the edges
of the grooves in the spindle and the sides of the opening in the seed box. The
grooves are preferably made with the leading side which first comes under the
brush or strickle radial to the axis of the spindle and the opposite side preferably
at an obtuse angle to the radius, by which arrangement the quantity of seed to be
delivered is kept more uniform, whereas with grooves or pockets of other shape
there is a tendency to force more seed past the brush than can be properly
delivered, or to cause the seed to be jammed or crushed between the edges of
the grooves in the spindle and the sides of the opening in the seed box. We
also provide a sliding shutter in the seed box for preventing delivery when
required.
The spindle is furnished with a chain wheel which is driven by a chain passing
around a similar chain wheel on a rotating axle or wheel of the implement to

page_text: which the seed sower is applied, or on a special rotary axle or wheel provided for
the purpose. For example when applied to a plough we may furnish a wheel or
roller the axle of which turns or is fixed, in one end of a swinging arm the other
end of which is attached to the frame of the plough. This roller or wheel rests on
the ground and rises and falls with the inequalities of the surface and is rotated by
contact therewith. The chain wheel for driving the spindle of the seed sower is
fixed on the rotating axle, or on the said wheel or roller. In some instances we
arrange to drive the seed sower by a chain wheel on the leading wheel of the
plough. In other instances we drive it by a crank pin and a connecting rod instead
of by toothed wheels and chain.
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The seed receptacle is mounted at such a height that the seed can be delivered
into a furrow or groove made in the upturned soil in such a position that the
succeeding furrow slice turned by the plough or by a tine of a cultivator or
other implement only covers it to such a depth that the seed can properly
germinate.
When our apparatus is to be attached to a plough we prefer to provide the
plough with a scoop or curved bar or instrument to form a shallow groove in the
upturned soil to receive the seed which is delivered either just in rear of said
scoop or bar, or in the groove made in the next preceding upturned furrow slice
when the seeds are immediately afterwards covered by the upturning soil.
We provide the apparatus with an adjustable delivery tube arranged below the
spout before referred to. The said tube can be secured in various positions s>> as
to deliver the seed where required.
In some instances we arrange that the spout shall deposit or scatter the seed on
the unbroken land to be subsequently covered or ploughed in by the action of the
plough share, cultivator, harrow, or other implement.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Sowing Seed.
We, JAMES HAROLD. HOWARD, of the Britannia Iron Works, Bedford, in the
County of Bedford, Engineer, and HENRY WILLIAM GIBBS, of the same address,
Works Superintendent, 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 :-
Our invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive seed sowing
apparatus that is adapted for use in conjunction with a plough, cultivator or other
tillage implement.
The improved apparatus comprises essentially a receptacle or seed-box having a
delivery spout and a revolvable spindle provided with longitudinal grooves or seed-
pockets and with means for enabling the said spindle to be conveniently adjusted
for varying the rate of delivery of the seed from the apparatus. This adjustment
of the spindle constitutes an important feature in our apparatus.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a seed sowing apparatus constructed in
accordance with our invention.
:
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are detail views shewing respectively an elevation, plan,, and
vertical section of the delivery spout of the apparatus.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 are detail views shewing respectively an elevation, plan and

page_text: vertical section of a seed scatterer for use with our apparatus and hereinafter more
fully referred to.
Figures 8 and 9 are respectively a side elevation and a plan view of a plough
shewing one method of applying the seed sowing apparatus thereto.
Figures 10 and 11 are respectively a part elevation and a plan view of another
method of applying our apparatus to a plough.
Like letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 4, A is the seed-box which is:
provided at its bottom with the delivery spout B B¹. Passing transversely through
this delivery spout is the revolvable spindle C having oue portion thereof formed
with a number of longitudinal grooves or seed pockets C and another portion
formed with a series of circular grooves C².
The delivery spout is provided with two lateral openings in which the spindle C
revolves. One of these openings is furnished with a grooved ring or bushing b
to receive the longitudinally grooved portion C¹ of the spindle and the other opening
is left plain to receive one or other of the aforesaid circular grooves C³.
The delivery spout is made in two parts B, B. These parts are preferably
hinged together and are kept in their closed position by some such means as a
wedge or key passed through a staple B2 carried by the part B of the spout. By
removing the wedge, the portion of the delivery spout can be turned down into
the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4. The said spindle C is thereby
released and can then be readily adjusted to bring any desired circular groove C² in
proximity to the plain opening in the delivery spout. The length of the seed
pockets within the delivery spout can thus be varied so that the said pockets
will receive a greater or less amount of seed to be delivered in a given time froin,
the apparatus.
When the portion B is closed the curved groove C that is in proximity to the
aforesaid plain opening in the delivery spout will be encircled by this opening
which will therefore act as a thrust bearing to prevent axial movement of the said.
spindle when the apparatus is working.
It will be found advantageous to construct the hinge of the delivery spout in the
manner shewn in the drawings, that is to say, to form one portion with a bar 6¹
which engages with a hook 62 on the other portion, the said hook being so arranged
that when the lower portion B is turned downward a sufficient distance it can be
entirely detached from the other portion. We may however employ any other
construction of hinge-joint suitable for our purpose.
The revolvable spindle C is provided with a chain wheel C which is adapted to be
driven by an endless chain from any suitable rotary part on the implement to which
the seed sower is applied.
D (Figures 2, 3 and 4) is a split steel plate or strickle carried by the portion B
of the delivery spout. The bent inner ends of this strickle lie in contiguity to the
seed pockets Cand serve to remove or "strickle off" the seed above the level of
the said pockets as the spindle C revolves, so as to prevent jamming of the seed
between the outer edges of the pockets and the interior of the delivery spout..
P is a metal plate having a curved portion P¹ which is situated within the delivery
spout and in proximity to the seed-pockets C, so that as the charged seed pockets
revolve the said curved portion Pi prevents the seed from falling out until the
pockets assume the proper position for discharging the seed. The curved portion
of the plate P also prevents the seed from being discharged through the grooves C²,..
the space existing between these grooves and the said curved portion not being
sufficient to allow the seed to pass. The aforesaid seed pockets are preferably
made of the shape shewn in Figure 4, that is to say the side c is made radial to the
axis of the spindle and the opposite side ex is made at about right angles to
the plane of the side c; or the said side o may be made at an obtuse angle to the
opposite side c, or almost tangential to the circular bottom of the groove. By this
formation of the pockets the quantity of seed to be delivered is kept uniform, whereas,
with grooves or pockets of other shape, there is a tendency to force more seed
: 4

page_text: past the strickle than can be properly delivered; or to cause the seed to be
jammed or crushed as above stated. E is a sliding shutter which can be pushed
inward when it is desired to stop the delivery of the seed.
F is a delivery tube or shoot through which the seed runs from the delivery
spout to the ground. This tube terminates at its upper end in a socket F¹ which is
pivotally connected at F to a bracket Fx on the frame of the plough or other
implement to which the apparatus is connected. This socket is also provided with
a pivoted arm or link F³ which can be caused to engage with one or other of a
series of holes F so as to shift the socket about its pivot F2 and alter the position
of the outlet end of the tube F.
When it is desired to deposit or scatter seed on unbroken laud to be subsequently
covered with soil by the action of a plough, cultivator, harrow or other implement,
we may substitute for the socket F and delivery tube F, a spout or scatterer G
(Figures 5, 6 and 7) which is provided with arms that are capable of being
connected to the implement by a pin 9, so that the scatterer then occupies a
position similar to that of the socket in Figure 1, except that instead of its
outlet projecting from one side of the implement like the socket F¹ its outlet is
directed towards the front of the implement.
Figures 8 to 11 illustrate two examples of the manner in which we may apply
our sower to a plough. We prefer to provide the plough with a scoop, curved bar
or other suitable appliance at N and to arrange the outlet from the delivery tube F
a short distance in advance of, and at a furrow's width to the right of the said
scoop as shewn in Figure 9, or immediately in rear of the said scoop as shown in
Figure 1. When the delivery tube is situated in advance of the scoop, as at
Figure 9, the seed is deposited by the delivery tube, in the groove formed by the
said scoop in the side of the last previously upturned furrow slice and is immediately
covered with soil from the succeeding furrow slice by the tail piece or leveller Q.
When the delivery tube is situated in rear of the said scoop N, as at Figure 11, the
seed is deposited in the groove by the tube, immediately the said groove is formed
by the scoop, but remains uncovered by soil until the succeeding furrow is ploughed.
In Figures 8 and 9 the revolvable spindle C is driven by means of an endless
chain C passing around the chain wheel C and a chain wheel C affixed to the
leading wheel of the plough.
In Figures 10 and 11 the spindle C is driven from an independent axle C'
mounted near the lower end of a swinging arm C which is connected at its upper
end to the frame of the plough by a pivot C, best seen in Figure 11.
The
aforesaid independent axle C is provided with a wheel or roller Co which bears
on the ground when the sower is working but is capable of being raised and held
out of contact with the ground when it is desired to throw the sower out of
action, by a link connected to the swinging arm C. This link C has a
tooth or hook C which can be caused to engage with a transverse rod C¹ to keep
the wheel or roller 10 out of contact with the ground. The swinging arm C also
enables the said wheel or roller C to rise and fall with the inequalities of the
ground. The chain wheel Ce for driving the endless chain C, may be mounted on
the aforesaid wheel or roller C10 or on its axle.
We do not confine ourselves to these methods of operating the revolvable
spindle C, as any other convenient method may be employed for the purpose, for
instance we may drive the spindle by a crank and connecting rod instead of by the
aforesaid chain wheels and chain.
Although we have only shewn our sower applied to a plough, it will be obvious
that it can be applied in an analogous manner to a cultivator, barrow or other
tillage implement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-

page_text: pockets therein and capable of longitudinal adjustment substantially as described
and for the purpose specified.
2. In a seed sowing apparatus the divided delivery spout and the revolvable
spindle having one portion formed with longitudinal grooves or seed pockets and
another portion formed with a series of circular grooves, substantially as described
and for the purpose specified.
3. The seed sowing apparatus having its parts constructed arranged and combined
to operate substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. The seed sowing apparatus adapted to operate in conjunction with a plough
or other tillage implement furnished with a scoop or curved bar such as N,
substantially as described with reference to Figures 8 to 11 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. The particular formation of the seed pockets C' in the spindle C substantially
as described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings and for the
purpose specified.
DL: 0013 of Th1804
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.