IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR CULTIVATING LAND"
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hitchcock of Taunton in the County of
Somerset for an'
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR
CULTIVATING LAND"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hitchcock at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd July 1883.
RICHARD HITCHCOCK of Taunton in the County of Somerset
IN IMPLEMENTS FOR CULTIVATING LAND."
"
IMPROVEMENTS
This invention has for its object improvements in implements for cultivating
land.
The improved implement is intended to be worked by steam power and is to be
employed for pulverising land after ploughing.
It consists of an angle iron frame on which are bearings for the axis of a land
roller. The roller is a ring roller and its axis constitutes the main support of the
frame. Behind the roller the main frame carries another frame furnished with
cultivating tines. On a tapering prolongation of the main frame in front of the
roller there is a lever to which the hauling ropes are attached; and this part of
the frame rests in front upon a turn table in which is a steering wheel. The
steering gear is such as is commonly used in cultivators; the turn table and wheel
are controlled by chains passing back to a chain pinion upon a vertical steering
axis. The steering axis hus a hand wheel upon its upper end placed conveniently
near the driver who is seated over the roller. The rope lever is also such as is
often used in cultivators it has two arms meeting at an acute angle. To one arm
the hauling rope is attached and to the other the return or slack rope. The
fulcrum of this lever is in the centre line of the implement, the arm by which the
implement is being drawn forward places itself in the line of draft whilst the other
arm supports the return rope off to the side. The rope lever is prolonged behind
its fulcrum and here chains are attached to it which are led away around guides
to the frame carrying the cultivating -tines. This frame has two arms one on
either side they project to the front of the roller axis and are here jointed to the
main frame. The cultivating times are lifted out of the ground by the movement

page_text: of their frame about the joints which connect it with the main frame. This lifting
takes place automatically in the usual way when the implement is made to turn
round at the headlands. When the direction of draft is changed the rope lever
swings through a large angle and the cultivator frame is hauled up by the lifting
chains which connect it with the rear prolongation of the rope lever.
In rear of the roller and the cultivating tines the main frame is prolonged in a
triangular form and beneath the prolongation a drag harrow of about the same
width as the roller is placed. The drag harrow is connected by chains to the
prolongation of the main frame at three points, one on either side immediately
behind the cultivator frame and the other in rear at the apex of the triangular
prolongation of the main frame.
By means of this combined implement by the successive action of the roller, the
cultivating tines, and the teeth of the drag harrow the clods turned up by the
plough are effectually pulverised and the implement is capable of utilizing effectively
the power of the steam ploughing tackle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Richard Hitchcock in the Patent Office on the 23rd January
1884.
RICHARD HITCHCOCK of Taunton in the County of Somerset
IN IMPLEMENTS FOR CULTIVATING LAND
"
"IMPROVEMENTS
This invention has for its object improvements in implements for cultivating
land
The improved implement is intended to be worked by steam power and is to be
employed for pulverizing land after ploughing.
It consists of an angle Iron frame on which are bearings for the axis
of a land roller. The roller is a ring roller and its axis constitutes the
main support of the frame. Behind the roller the mainframe carries another
frame furnished with cultivating tines. On a tapering prolongation of the
main frame in front of the roller there is a lever to which the hauling ropes
are attached and this part of the frame rests in front upon a turn table in.
which is a steering wheel. The steering gear is such as is commonly used
in cultivators; the turn table and wheel are controlled by chains passing back to
a chain pinion upon a vertical steering axis. The steering axis has a hand wheel
upon its upper end placed conveniently near the driver who is seated over the
roller. The rope lever is also such as is often used in cultivators it has two arms
meeting at an acute angle. To one arm the hauling rope is attached and
to the other the return or slack rope. The fulcrum of this lever is in the
centro line of the implement, the arm by which the implement is being
drawn forward places itself in the line of draft whilst the other arm supports
the return rope off to the side. The rope lever is prolonged behind its
fulcrum and here chains are attached to it which are led away around guides
to the frame carrying the cultivating tines. This frame has two arms one
on either side they project to the front of the roller axis and are here
jointed to the main frame. The cultivating tines are lifted out of the ground
by the movement of their frame about the joints which connect it with the main
frame. This lifting takes place automatically in the usual way when the implement
is made to turn round at the headlands. When the direction of draft is changed
the rope lever swings through a large angle and the cultivator frame is hauled
up by the lifting chains which connect it with the rear prolongation of the rope
lever.
In rear of the roller and the cultivating tines the main frame is prolonged in a
triangular form and beneath the prolongation a drag harrow of about the same
width as the roller is placed. The drag harrow is connected by chains to the
prolongation of the main frame at three points, one on either side immediately
behind the cultivator frame and the other in rear at the apex of the triangular
prolongation of the main frame.
By means of this combined implement by the successive action of the roller, the
cultivating tines and the teeth of the drag harrow the clods turned up by the
plough are effectually pulverized and the implement is capable of utilizing effectively
the power of the steam ploughing tackle.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

page_text: a. a. is an angle iron frame, it has upon it near the middle bearings a¹. a¹.
receiving the axis of a ring roller b; this roller is the principal support for the
-frame and parts connected therewith. c is an inner frame jointed to the main
frame at c. c. and in this frame cultivating tines d. d. are fixed. e'is the rope
lever, and e¹ is the pivot which connects the rope lever with the frame a.. The
rope lever is also supported upon a bow at attached to the main frame. The
hauling ropes are connected to the lever e at e¹ and e².
f is the steering wheel which supports the fore part of the frame a its axis is
carried in bearings upon a ring 7. There is a corresponding ring a fixed to or
forming part of the frame a and rollers are provided between the rings. The
ring g has a chain h attached to it and this passes around a chain pinion on the
axis of the steering wheel i. The bearings of the axis i¹ are carried by a bridge
piece forming part of the main frame. k is the seat for the steersman who by
turning the steering wheel directs the implement. The ring g is also connected
by a chain g with the lever e and when the lever swings the ring g is drawn
round and the wheelf is thus suitably placed for the implement to turn. This
takes place at the time when the rope, previously the return rope comes into
motion as the draft rope. The hinder end of the lever c is connected by two
chains (one passing on either side of a roller on the axis ¹) with the frame c
carrying the cultivating tines so that when the lever e swings, previous to the
turning of the implement at the headland the frame is raised and the cultivating
tines are taken out of the ground. is a catch lever it has a projection upon it at
and this when the frame c is lifted drops in under one of the angle irons of the
frame and retains it until the lever is drawn forward by the steersman who can
easily reach it from his seat. m is a drag harrow connected by chains with the
hinder part of the main frame a. n is a hand lever with its fulcrum on the
frame a, it serves to lift the drag harrow if required whilst the implement turns
and at other times to liberate the rubbish which it collects. This implement when
drawn over ploughed land breaks the clods by means of the ring roller, cultivates
to any desired depth with the tines and pulverises the soil by means of the drag
harrow.
In the performance of these three operations simultaneously steam ploughing
tackle may be efficiently utilised. The implement may in some cases be employed
without the drag harrow.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same I would have it understood that I claim :-
First. The combination in an implement for cultivating land, of a roller, a
frame of cultivating tines, and a lever controlling the hauling ropes and serving
also in turning to lift the cultivating tines substantially as described.
Second. My improved implement for cultivating land substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof I the said Richard Hitchcock have hereunto set my hand
and seal this 21st day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.