MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES, TO BE USED IN COMBINATION WITH STATIONARY STEAM POWER
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Dacre Lacy, of Hall House, Knayton, near
Thirsk, Yorkshiro, Gentleman, for the Invention of "MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES, TO BE USED IN COMBINATION WITH
STATIONARY STEAM POWER."
Scaled the 20th May 1856, and dated the 23rd November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Dacre Lacy
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd November 1855.
I, AUGUSTUS DACRE LACY, of Hall House, Knayton, near Thirsk, Yorkshire,
5 Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "MA-
CHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES, TO BE USED IN COMBINATION
WITH STATIONARY STEAM POWER," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, in the first place, in the mode of constructing the
plough, herein-after described; and, secondly, in the combination of the same,
or of other agricultural implements, with steam or other motive power, in the
manner herein-after described.
The plough is constructed with a strong iron frame, on which are fixed two
sets of ploughshares, so arranged as that one set may be made to operate upon
the ground, whether in the forward or the backward motion of the plough.

page_text: These ploughshares are also formed and arranged so as to cut the ground into
furrows in the form of steps, and to throw it over as the plough proceeds.
There are also two sets of coulters fixed in the frame, adapted as to their
position and depth to the ploughshares, so as to give the several vertical cuts
to the ground at the depth at which the steps will be formed by the shares
following the said coulters. At each end of the plough there is a mode
of attachment, which disconnects itself from the motive power whenever the
coulter is obstructed beyond a certain extent, and the connection may be again
formed by the attendant whilst remaining on the platform, herein-after
mentioned.
The plough is fixed at the upper part of its frame to the under side of a
plate, which forms a kind of platform for the attendant. To this plate may
be fixed other kinds of agricultural implements in substitution for the plough,
such as a reaping machine, a drilling machine, &c.
The connection with the motivo power is formed at each end of the said
plate by means of wire ropes or other suitablò means, one rope being passed
over a pulley and round a barrel worked by one stationary engine, and the
other rope being passed over a similar pulley, and round a barrel worked by
another stationary engine, one barrel winding while the other is unwinding its
rope.
The said pulleys are respectively mounted on rails properly supported, so as
to admit of their being shifted as required for working the agricultural imple-
ment over the different parts of the land; and in order to allow for the
uneven surface of the ground, the wire rope will pass over a revolving bar
fixed in a wire fence, and travel over other mounted rollers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Augustus Dacre Lacy in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTUS
DACRE LACY, of Hall House, Knayton, near Thirsk, Yorkshire, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said Augustus Dacre Lacy, IIer special license that I, the said Augustus
Dacre Lacy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Augustus Dacre Lacy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to timo and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES, TO BE USED IN COMBINATION WITH
STATIONARY STEAM POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Augustus Dacre Lacy, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the samo 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 Augustus Dacre Lacy, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Machinery or Apparatus for Agricultural Purposes, to ho
used in Combination with Stationary Steam Power," has for its object an
increased facility in ploughing and otherwise operating upon land, especially in
large estates or districts, through the agency of stationary steam power,
suitably distributed and combined with the plough or other agricultural imple-
ment by suitable means of connection, so as to be capable of driving such
implement or implements in order to work them over the land as required.
And my Invention, with this object in view, consists, in the first place, in
the mode of constructing the trenching plough, herein-after described; and,
secondly, in the combination of the same, or of other agricultural implements,
with steam or other motive power, in the manner herein-after described.
The plough is constructed with a strong frame of iron or other material, on
which are fixed two sets of ploughshares, so arranged as that one set may be
made to operate upon the ground in the forward and the other in the backward
motion of the plough. These ploughshares are also formed and arranged so
as to cut the ground into furrows in the form of steps, and to throw the soil
over as the plough proceeds. There are also two sets of coulters fixed in the
frame, adapted as to their position and depth to the ploughshares, so as to give
the several vertical cuts to the ground at the depth at which the steps will be
formed by the shares following in the previous line of the said coulters. The

page_text: large coulter, which always precedes the other coulter, I call the tell-tale coulter,
as on it must fall whatever obstruction may occur. At each end of the plough
there is a mode of attachment, which disconnects itself from the motive power
whenever the coulter is obstructed beyond a certain extent, and the connection
may be again formed by the attendant whilst remaining on the platform,
herein-after mentioned. The plough is fixed at the upper part of its frame to
the under side of a plate, which forms a kind of platform for the attendant.
To this plate may be fixed other kinds of agricultural implements in sub-
stitution for this plough, such as a surface plough, harrow, seed drills, &c.
The connection with the motive power is formed at each end of the said
plate by means of wire ropes or other suitable material or means, one rope
being passed over or partially round a pulley, and round a barrel worked by one
stationary engine, and the other rope being passed over a similar pulley and
round a barrel worked by another stationary engine, one barrel winding while
the other is unwinding its rope. The said pulleys are respectively mounted
on rails properly supported, so as to admit of their being shifted as required for
working the agricultural implement over the different parts of the land; and
where fences or divisions of the land occur across the line of the wire rope,
and also in order to allow for the uneven surface of the ground, the wire rope
will pass over a revolving pulley or bar fixed in a wire fence in the former
case, and in the latter will travel over other mounted rollers.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe it more particularly by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the plough above
referred to, and the means of connecting it with the motive power, and other
agricultural implements which may be connected in a similar manner with the
motive power when required.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 an end view, & Fig. 3 a back view, of the
plough above referred to. A, A, is the frame of the implement, the front and
back parts of which may be separated from the centre part; B, B, are the sets
of ploughshares, fixed at each end of the frame, so as to be brought into
operation upon the ground by drawing the plough in either direction, as may
be required. These ploughshares are fixed so as to be capable of entering the
ground at different elevations, and to cut it in trenches, and they are placed
one behind another, as shewn. They are also applied to the frame in such a
manner as to admit of their being removed when required, and they are
mounted so as to have one of the rollers C at either end of the plough for
their fulcrum, which rollers travel along the surface of the ground, and by
incans of which the shares may be adjusted to the point at which they are

page_text: required to operate. One of these ploughshares is shewn in detail at Figs. 4,
5, and 6, as also the mode of fixing it to the frame of the plough. D, D, are
sets of coulters, corresponding with the shares B, mounted as shewn in order to
give a vertical cut to the soil before being ploughed or cut horizontally by the
shares. The plough is connected at either end to a wire rope, which is
worked by the stationary steam engine. The connection is formed by means
of three springs, shewn at Fig. 7, which is a representation of one end of the
frame, and a portion of the centre part of the same. The centre or main
spring E consists of several segmental pieces of steel, as shewn; this spring
sustains the main or central pull of the rope; there are also two spiral springs
F, F, one at each side of the frame. The wire rope is connected at the centre
so as to pull upon all these springs, which present a combined elastic resistanco
thereto, and serve thereby to equalize the action of the plough. The effect of
the first obstruction to the progress of the plough will be felt by the centre
spring E, and should it be continued, the two side springs, the ropes will be
disconnected, and the plough become stationary; the wire rope can then be
drawn back again by the windlass G, which has a winch handle, and is
mounted so as to be conveniently worked by the attendant on the platform.
I is a seat for the attendant; and I, I, are desks, which may be used as
required.
The frame of the plough, as before observed, may be separated at the two
ends from the centre, that is to say, the parts which constitute it a plough may
be removed, and the parts constituting another agricultural implement (such
as a reaping machine, a drill, &c.) with suitable end framings may be sub-
stituted, the mode of working such other implement being similar to that of
working the plough. The plough is furnished with a set of four wheels for
locomotion from one part of the estate to another.
Fig. 8 represents the mode of connection of the prime mover with the
plough or other agricultural implement. K is the crank of the engine; L is
a speed pulley on the crank shaft; M is the same on the winding drum; N is
a belt or strap for driving the winding drum from the crank shaft; O is the
fly wheel of the engine; P is the winding drum; Q, Q, are rollers for guiding
the rope so as to cause it to wind regularly on the drum. These rollers are
fitted in a cast-iron box, which is made to travel backwards and forwards by
the screw R, driven by the belts S and T; one belt S is straight, while the
other T is crossed. The belts are thrown in and out of gear by the rod U,
which is worked by the plug V catching the tappets W, W, at each end of the
race of the box, which carries the rollers Q, Q. By this means the motion of
the box will become reversed by the forks X, X, shifting the belts, in a similar.

page_text: manner to the ordinary action of a planing machine. By this arrangement,
when the rope is wound to the end of the drum it is carried back again by the
rollers Q, Q.
Fig. 9 is a Diagram shewing the general arrangement of the engines, and
their mode, of connection with the plough or other agricultural implement, so
as to adapt them for working the latter over the land as required. a, a, are
the engines, to the form and construction of which I do not confine myself;.
P, P, are the winding and unwinding drums for the wire ropes b, b, one end
of which is connected to the end of the plough or other agricultural implement
and the other end to the drum. These wire ropes should be jointed and
flexible. c, c, are pulleys suitably mounted on rails d, d, supported on an iron
or other framing e, e, which may be moveable or stationary. These pulleys
may be shifted along the rails to suit the position of the agricultural imple-
ment as it is required to operate on different parts of the land. By means of
the foregoing connection of the prime mover with the plough or other
agricultural implement, I propose to employ the power to cultivate the land
as follows:-
An area of land, not exceeding from forty to fifty acres, would require two
engines, placed as shewn, or in any other convenient manner.
four times this size would require but five engines, as shewn; and an area of
four hundred acres but seven engines :-
the proportionate number of steam engines required thus decreasing with tho
increase of the extent of land to be cultivated when such engines are dis-
tributed on the land in the manner pointed out. In this way the steam power 2
is available for every purpose of the farm.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
mean or intend to confine myself to the precise forms and arrangements of the
parts of mechanism represented and described; but I claim as of my Invention 3
with reference to the plough:

page_text: First, the general arrangement and construction of the ploughshares, as
described.
Secondly, the arm with the coulters connected thereto, and the mode in
which all the coulters act.
Thirdly, the rollers which travel on the surface of the land and form a
fulcrum for the ploughshares.
And, lastly, the central and side springs, which, together with the windlass,
&c., form the disengaging machinery.
And under the second head of my Invention I claim,-
First, the mode of connection of the end of the plough or other agricultural
implement with the stationary steam power, as described.
Secondly, the use of a bar or rail suitably supported on a fixed or moveable
frame, with a travelling pulley for carrying the wire rope, and keeping it in
proper tension between the drum and the end of the plough or other agri-
cultural implement, as described.
And, lastly, the use of a jointed and flexible wire rope, passing from the
drum of the engine and round the pulloy in a rectangular direction to the end
of the plough or other agricultural implement, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Dacre Lacy, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight huudred and fifty-six.
Witness,
Jo. RIDER, Solicitor,
Thirsk.
AUGUSTUS DACRE LACY. (L.S.)