Iм- PROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH PLOUGHS."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Maplesden and William Buss, both of
Bethersden, in the County of Kent, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH PLOUGHS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Maplesden and
William Buss at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 28th January 1874.
We, JAMES MAPLESDEN and WILLIAM BUSs, both of Bethersden, in
the County of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH PLOUGHS," to be as follows:-
Our improvements are as follows:-
First. Our improvements refer to a new or improved mode of and
means for drawing ploughs. For this purpose we attach the draw bar
to the "shead" and coulter in the centre of the plough. The forward
end of the draw bar comes to and under the cross bar at the forward
end of the beam where it is provided with a hook, eye, or other attach-

page_text: ment for connecting it to an elongated loop through which a bar
depending from the front of the frame or "prat" of the plough passes.
This elongated loop is hooked at one end to the draw bar, and to the
other end the "billet" is hooked. By this means the loop has a to-and-
fro as well as an up-and-down motion, and thereby allows freedom of
motion to the "billet," which becomes adjusted in just the position that
may be required, thereby materially improving the draught of the
plough, and preventing the sudden movement of a horse or horses having
any injurious effect on the working of the plough, while at the same
time we are enabled to obtain the draught for the front horse, as well as 1
the hind horse, direct from the "shead" and coulter of the plough
itself.
The second part of our Invention consists in the employment of a bar
coming or diverging direct from the share itself, and connected to the
beam and handles instead of connecting the stump to the beam and
66 sleigh" as heretofore. We connect the "sleigh" to the bar and beam
of the plough by a bar or bars, or by a bar on each side of the plough,
the said bars being bolted to the "sleigh' and beam and bar. By
these means we are able to produce ploughs much lighter, stronger, more
durable, and easier of action in the hands of the operator than here-
tofore.
"
We make the share with a piece of steel or other metal projecting
from the rear thereof to receive the bar to which the handles are
attached, while the fore part or front of the share has another piece of
metal leading up and attached to the "shead" of the plough by a bolt.
In this way we are enabled to reduce the cost of shares, and at the
same time they are more durable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James Maplesden and William Buss in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th July 1874.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Maplesden and William Buss,
Her special licence that we, the said James Maplesden and William
Buss, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as wc,
the said James Maplesden and William Buss, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED.
WITH PLOUGHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
James Maplesden and William Buss, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 we, the said James Maplesden and William
Buss, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Our improvements will be best understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheets of Drawings, Fig. 1 being a side elevation; and Fig. 2, a
plan of a plough constructed according to this Invention; and Fig. 3
being a side elevation; and Fig. 4, a plan of a plough constructed
according to a modified arrangement.
Our improvements refer―
Firstly. To a new or improved mode of and means for drawing
ploughs. For this purpose we attach the draw bar A, A¹, Figs. 1
and 2, to the shead B and coulter C in the centre of the plough or
thereabouts. It is here shewn as consisting of a front part A and a
hind part A¹ jointed together, the hind part A¹ being jointed on to the

page_text: bolt D which passes through the beam E, the shead B, and the bar F,
to which the handles G are attached. The forward part A of the draw
bar passes on each side and behind the coulter C, and the latter when
the strain comes on it bears against the part A, which at its forward
end
passes under a cross bar H at the forward end of the beam E. From
the cross bar H is suspended a bow or staple I having holes for the
insertion of a peg for the draw bar A to rest on. The draw bar A is
here provided with a hook, eye, or other attachment for connecting it to an
elongated loop J through which the bar K, "the foot," depending from
the front part of the beam E of the plough passes. This elongated loop J
is at one end hooked or jointed to the draw bar A, as aforesaid, and to its
other end the billet is hooked. This construction of the loop J and the
draw bar A, A¹, permits to-and-fro as well as up-and-down motion, and
gives freedom of motion to the billet, and affords facility for adjustment
in either direction (by the holes in the loop J and the stape I) in just
the position that may be required, thereby materially improving the
draught of the plough, and preventing the sudden movement of a horse
or the horses having any injurious effect on the working of the plough.
We are at the same time enabled to obtain the draught for the front
horse as well as the hind horse or horses direct from the shead and
coulter of the plough itself.
The next part of our Invention consists in the employment of a bar F
coming or diverging direct from the share L itself, and connected
to the beam E and handles G (instead of connecting the stump to the
beam and sleigh as heretofore). We connect the sleigh M to the bar F
and beam E of the plough by a bolt or bar or bars, or a bar on each sido
of the plough, the said bars being bolted to the sleigh M and beam E
and bar F. The bolt D, which here holds together the sleigh M, the
bar F, and the beam E serves at the same time as a means of attachment
for the draw bar A¹. The chop or cross piece N is morticed to or other-
wise fastened to the beams G. and the bar F. By these means we are
able to produce ploughs of much lighter, stronger, and more durable
construction and easier of action in the hands of the operator than here-
tofore.
We prefer to construct the plough with two coulters, one behind, the
other as here shewn. The front one C is by preference made narrow or
shallow in depth, while the hind one C¹ is made with wide or deep dis-
tended plates or flaps as shewn, in order that the soil which has been

page_text: cut by the front coulter or front part of the coulter (in case one deep or
wide coulter only be employed) may be turned over sideways, and not
forced up against the under side of the beam E and against the shead B.
By this means the plough is made adaptable for all kinds of soil, ono or
both coulters being employed as required.
We make the share L with a piece of steel or iron projecting from
the rear thereof to receive the bar F, to which tho handles G are
attached, while the fore part or front of the share has another piece of
metal leading up to and attached to the shead B of the plough by
a bolt. In this way we are enabled to reduce the cost of shares, and at
the same time to render them more durable.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a slightly modified arrangement. The draw
bar A, A', is here made in one with the aforesaid elongated loop piece,
to which the billet is attached. The sleigh M is made of a shape
different from that shewn at Figs. 1 and 2, as it is here continued right
on to the bar F. In other respects the arrangement is the same as at
Figs. 1 and 2.
And having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this our
Invention, and the mode of carrying the same into effect, we declare
that we claim as our improvements in or connected with ploughs,-
First. The mode of construction and attachment of the draw bar and
parts connected therewith, substantially as set forth.
Second. The mode of constructing the framing or body of the plough,
namely, so as mainly to consist of the beam E, the shead B, the bar F,
and the handles G combined and connected, substantially as set forth.
Third. The construction and combination of coulter or coulters and
share, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Maplesden and William
Buss, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
JAMES MAPLESDEN. (L.S.)
WILLIAM BUSS.
(L.S.)