AN IMPROVED MACHINE APPLICABLE FOR HARROWING, WEEDING, HOEING, AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES.
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Mitchell, of Crowe Hall, Denver, in
the County of Norfolk, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE
APPLICABLE FOR HARROWING, WEEDING, HOEING, AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL
PURPOSES.'
Sealed the 28th December 1860, and dated the 6th July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Mitchell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th.
July 1860.
. I, BENJAMIN MITCHELL, of Crowe Hall, Denver, in the County of Norfolk,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE APPLICABLE FOR HARROWING, WEEDING, HOEING, AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My improved machine is principally applicable for the purposes of
harrowing, weeding, hoeing, cultivating, and sowing. I support a rectangular
framing on a pair of wheels, so as to form a suitable carriage. From beneath
the carriage is freely suspended by chains or otherwise a frame or frames
consisting of beams and cross bars, in which are fitted tines or teeth (when
the machine is used as a harrow) or hoes, according to the operations required
to be performed.

page_text: In order when the machine is used for barrowing to give a zig-zag motion
to the harrow as it is drawn over the land the end of the harrow frame is
connected with an universal-jointed connecting rod worked by a crank under
the carriage frame in connection with spur gearing and toothed wheels, which
are driven by one of the carriage wheels; but when the zig-zag motion is not
required, a straight one may be substituted by throwing the toothed wheels
out of gear by means of a lever provided for that purpose. The chains which
support the hind-frame beam are attached to a roller on the carriage, so as to
permit the frame being drawn up behind and released to fall with a jerk for
the purpose of freeing the same from weeds or rubbish. Seed troughs are
fitted in front of the carriage to enable the machine being used for sowing, or
for sewing and harrowing, by one operation. The machine may be drawn by
horse or steam power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Mitchell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th January 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
MITCHELL, of Crowe Hall, Denver, in the County of Norfolk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Benjamin Mitchell, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin Mitchell, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Mitchell, my executors, administrators, and 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 "AN
IMPROVED MACHINE APPLICABLE FOR HARROWING, WEEDING, HOEING, AND OTHER
AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin Mitchell, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: 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 Benjamin Mitchell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the letters
and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The said machine is applicable for the purposes of harrowing, weeding,
hoeing, cultivating, sowing, and drilling. From beneath a suitable carriage
frame a harrow is freely suspended by chains or otherwise, the tines or teeth
of the same being moveable, so as to enable the same being removed from the
harrow frame for the purpose of substituting tines of a shape suitable for cul-
tivating, hoeing, or thinning, according to the operation required to be
performed, and in order to give a zig-zig motion to the said harrow frame as
it is drawn over the land. The end of the said frame is connected with an
universal jointed connecting rod attached to a crank under the carriage frame
for the purpose of imparting a transverse motion to the harrow. The said
crank is worked by bevil gearing driven by toothed wheels placed on the hobs
of the carriago wheels. When the harrow is required to work in a straight
line the driving shaft can be thrown out of gear by means of a lever provided
for that purpose. The chains supporting the hinder part of the harrow frame
are attached to a windlass to permit the said frame being drawn up behind
and released to fall with a jerk for the purpose of freeing the harrow from
weeds and rubbish. Seed troughs are fitted in front of the carriage to enable
the machine being used for sowing, so that the machine may be used for
sowing and harrowing at one and the same time. To enable the machine
being used for drilling, extra shaft bearings are fixed on the carriage, so that
by the addition of an ordinary drill box and apparatus it can be used for
that purpose.
In order to explain my Invention more fully, I will now proceed to describe
the same in connection with the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, on
which the same letters of reference denote corresponding parts, throughout all
the Figures.

page_text: same; Figure 4 is an end view of frame, with tines adapted for hoeining and
thinning, and Figure 5 is an end view of a frame, with tines suitable for cul-
tivating; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a bevil wheel plate, with double
relieving ratchets drawn to a larger scale; Figure 7 is a section of the same
on the line A, B, and Figure 8 is a section on the line C, D. Letter (a) is
the carriage frame; (b) is the harrow, with wings for passing over wheel
track; (c) are the tines or teeth; (d) the suspension chains for the harrow;
(e) is the connecting rod for imparting a transverse motion to the barrow ;'
(f) are toothed wheels on the hobs of the carriage wheels for communicating
motion to the bevilled gearing (9) and the crank (h); letter (j) is a lever made
fast to a cross shaft (*) for lifting the pinions (k) and the shaft (l) in and
out of gearing, and also the weighted levers (m) out of the catches (n); letter
(o) is the windlass for winding up the barrow; (p) is a double-action screw
for expanding and contracting the width between the carriage wheels, and (9)
is a handle for working the same; (r) are the seed troughs; (s) is a vertical
wheel for communicating motion to the wheels (t), which are fixed on the
shafts of brushes revolving in the said seed boxes; (u) is a handle communi-*
cating by a wire with the crank (w) for the purpose of throwing the wheels
(x) which act upon the revolving brushes in and out of gear. The machine
is fitted with extra bearings (y), so as to allow a drill box and apparatus,
shewn in dotted lines at Figure 1, to be placed in position when required, and
to enable the shaft and pinions of the said drilling apparatus to be lifted out
of gear; a chain (2) is attached to the lever (j), and is made to pass under
the said shaft for lifting it from the bearings. The bevilled-wheel plate and
double-relieving ratchets to permit the reverse turning of the carriage wheels
are drawn to an enlarged scale at Figures 6, 7, and 8. Letter (a) is a bevilled
wheel, and (1) are the ratchets. The arrow heads indicate the direction of
turning.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the
principles or main features of the said Invention; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the use of a machine for harrowing, wherein the harrow is caused to
perform a tranverse motion as it proceeds in a direct course, so as to cause

page_text: the tines or teeth of the harrow to pass over the land in a zig-zag direction, as
herein-before described.
Second, the use of a machine applicable for the purpose of harrowing,
weeding, hoeing, sowing, and drilling, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Mitchell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 2nd day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
CHARLES CLARKE,
Downham Market.
BENJAMIN MITCHELL. (L.B.)