Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1889
My invention relates to an improved method of distributing in measured and regular
quantities artificial manures, either in their pure state as sent out from the factories, or
mixed with other materials, as for instance soil, ashes, lime, sand, bone-meal, crushed
bones and the like, and has for its object to produce a machine for the more effective
drilling of manures employed in the raising of root and bulb crops, such as turnip,
rape, mustard, mangold, cabbage, or other agricultural or horticultural crops, such
as beans, peas and the like.
The distributor in accordance with my invention is made up or constructed in the
following manner :—
Upon a disc of metal or other suitable material or substance (preferably iron)
are cast or otherwise secured a number of bars, placed equi-distant from each other,
and with their outer edges flush with the periphery of said disc. Upon the other
extremities of the bars is secured (preferably cast) a flat metal or other ring, the
diameter of which is the same as that of the disc; the combined disc and ring
forming the frame of the device. Within this frame are pivoted a number of flanged
metal flaps or wing pieces, bent to correspond with the curviture of the periphery of
said frame, so that when at the limit of their outward position, they may present a
flush surface therewith; said outward limit being secured by an iron bar fixed con-
centric with the periphery of the frame.
On the edge of each of the aforesaid wing-pieces adjacent to the ring, is preferably
cast thereon a flange, extending both inwards and outwards, the outer edge of which
flange coincides with the periphery of the frame when the wing piece is at the limit
of its inward position or stroke. The inner edge of said flange forms the arc of a
circle concentric with the circumference of the frame when the wing pieces are at the
limit of their outward stroke. The front or hinged end of each ring piece is round
and concentric with the holes through which the pivoting bolts pass. The rear end
of each flange also forms the arc of a circle, the centre of which coincides with the
centre of the pivoting bolts aforesaid.
The bars above referred to, employed for forming the frame are sunk or recessed to
coincide with the hinged or pivoted end of the flanged wing pieces, within which
recesses they move

page_text: A number of projections corresponding with the number of wing pieces above
described, are preferably cast upon the inner surface of the disc aforesaid, to limit
the inward travel of the wing pieces, and in order to keep said projections free from
deposit, and to ensure the wing pieces always reaching the proper inward position, I
perforate the disc beneath a portion of said projections, and cut away the underside of
the latter, so as to present the smallest possible surface at the point of contact.
"
With a view of ensuring the full inward and outward movements of the wing
pieces in succession at the proper moment, I secure to brackets or equivalent attach-
ments, two projections or wipers" preferably friction wheels, one of which is
arranged upon the exterior of the frame in front of the drill hopper. Said friction
wheel is in intimate rolling contact with (preferably) the outer periphery of the ring
of the frame; from which it will be obvious that as the frame revolves, the outer
flange of each wing piece will come under the friction wheel aforesaid, causing it to
move inwards to its full limit. The other friction wheel, which is arrange within
the frame, operates in a manner the reverse of that described in the case of the first
mentioned friction wheel; thus, as the frame revolves the inner edges of the flanges
travel under the friction wheel last mentioned, and the wing pieces thereby forced
outward until the latter are flush with the periphery of the frame.
The operation of the improved distributor according to my invention is as follows,
that is to say-The frame, which is mounted upon a shaft actuated by suitable
gearing, rotates as the machine travels, and, as each wing piece in succession is
brought under the esterior friction wheel above referred to, it is pressed inwards, by
which operation a receptacle is formed, into which the fertiliser falls from a hopper
situated above. As the receptacles leave the hopper, they pass under a trap door
suspended over an aperture formed in the front of said hopper, and so ensures the
removal of all hard substances, which, by becoming jammed would cause damage,
and at the same time serves to level or strike the contents of the receptacles. After
leaving the hopper, the inner edges of the flanges come into contact with the interior
friction pulley, which, forcing the wing-pieces out, distribute the manure upon the
surface of the ground. In the process of forcing out the wing pieces the edge
against the disc removes all that may possibly adhere thereto, and in order to cleanse
the said wing pieces, a scraper is provided, which, bearing against the outer surfaces
thereof, frees them entirely from adhesive matter, by which means a fixed measured
quantity is delivered from each receptacle in succession
From the foregoing it will be seen that during each revolution of the distributor,
the receptacles are automatically opened and filled, and closed and cleansed, by which
means the manures and mixtures are deposited in perfectly regular and measured
quantities so long as any remains within the hopper aforesaid.
In order to avoid the contingency of breakage arising from the reverse rotation of
the apparatus, I employ a clutch, keyed or otherwise secured upon the distributor
shaft, and in close proximity to the gear wheel which imparts motion to said shaft.
Said disc has formed therein a number of slots arranged at right angles to the radius
thereof, through which project a number of pawls (preferably four) pivoted or
suspended upon the inner face of said disc, which pawls during the forward motion,
engage with one or more of the spokes of the gear wheel, thus rotating the dis
tributor, but, in the event of any backward movement, the pawls are disengaged, and
no motion is imparted to said distributor.
Any number of distributors may be mounted upon the shaft according to the
number of drills it is desired to serve at one operation.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,
. 20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for the Distribution of Manures or Fertilising
Agents.
I, ROBERT HALL, of Providence Foundry, Foxholes, Ganton, York, Engineer,
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:
My Invention relates to an improved method of distributing in measured and
regular quantities artificial manures, (either in their pure state as sent out from the
factories or mixed with other materials, as for instance soil, ashes, lime sand, bone-
meal, crushed bones and the like) and has for its object to produce a machine for the
more effective drilling of manures employed in the raising of root and bulb crops,
such as turnip, rape, mustard, mangold, cabbage, or other agricultural or horticultural
crops, such as beans, peas and the like.
In order that my Invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe the same referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1
shows an elevational view of what I term the "distributor," having half of the ring D
cut away in order to show more clearly the various positions of the internal parts;
and in this view I have also shown part of one of the flanges F removed in order to
show the shape of the wing piece E. Figure 2 shows a plan view of the clutch
which I adopt for reasons hereinafter given and, Figure 3 shows an elevational view
of the same, the clutch being shown in section through P, Q, and the gear wheel
being shown in section through R, S.
The distributor Figure 1, in accordance with my Invention is made up or con-
structed as follows. Upon a disc A of metal (preferably iron) are cast or otherwise
secured a number of bars B, placed equidistant from each other and with their outer-
edges flush with the periphery of said disc; to the other extremities of these bars B
is secured a flat metal ring D the diameter of which is the same as that of the disc.
the combined disc A and ring D forming the "frame" of the device.
Within the frame are pivoted a number of flanged metal flaps, or wing pieces, E
bent to correspond with the curvature of the periphery of said frame, so that when at
the limit of their outward position they may present a flush surface therewith, said
outward limit being secured by an iron bar fixed concentric with the periphery of
the frame, on the edge of each of the aforesaid wing pieces E adjacent to the
ring D is cast a flange F extending both inwards and outwards the outer edge, f of
which flange coincides with the periphery of the frame when the wing piece is at
the limit of its inward stroke; the inner edge g of said flange forms the are of a
circle concentric with the circumference of the frame when the wing pieces are at
the limit of their outward stroke; Instead of limiting the outward movement of the
wing pieces E with their flanges F by means of the aforesaid bar of iron I prefer
to form on the inner edge g of the flanges F anothor flange d which flange projects

page_text: on to the thickness of ring D this in a better manner limits the outward stroke
of the pieces E. The hinged end of each wing piece is round and concentric with
the holes through which pass the pivoting bolts H the opposite end
flange forms the arc of a circle the centre of which coincides with the centre of
the pivoting bolts aforesaid.
of each
The bars above referred to, employed for forming the frame are sunk or recessed
at e to receive the hinged, or pivoted end of the flanged wing pieces in which recess
they move.
A number of projections G corresponding with the number of wing pieces above
described are fixed upon the inner surface of the disc A aforesaid to limit the
inward travel of the wing pieces, and in order to keep said projections free
from deposit, and to ensure the wing pieces always reaching the proper inward
position perforate the disc at i beneath a portion of said projections and I cut
away that part of the projection in proximity to the perforation so as to prevent
the smallest possible surface at the point of contact.
"
With a view of ensuring the full inward and outward movement of the wing
pieces in succession at the proper moment I secure to brackets or other equivalent
arrangements two projections or wipers" preferably friction wheels I and J one of
which I is arranged upon the exterior of the frame in front of the drill hopper L;
said friction wheel in intimate rolling contact with the outer periphery of the ring
of the frame; from which it will obvious that as the frame revolves the outer
edges of the flanges of each wing piece will come under the friction wheel afore-
said causing it to move inwards to its full limit; The other friction wheel J, which
is arranged within the frame operates in a manner the reverse of that described in
the case of the first mentioned friction wheel, thus, as the frame revolves the flanges d
of inner edges g of the flanges F travel under the friction wheel J last mentioned
and the wing pieces thereby forced outwards until the inner edges g of the flanges F
are flush with the internal periphery of the frame or ring D.
The operation of the improved distributor according to my Invention is as follows
that is to say-The frame which is mounted upon a shaft U, actuated by suitable
gearing rotates as the machine travels and as the edge of each flange F in
succession is brought under the exterior friction wheel 1 above referred to it is
pressed inwards hy which operation a receptacle is formed into which the fertiliser
falls from the hopper L situated above; As the receptacles leave the hopper they
pass under a trap door M suspended over an aperture formed in the said bopper and
so ensuring the removal of all hard substances,-which by becoming jammed would
cause damage and at the same time serves to level or strike the contents of the
receptacle; After leaving the hopper the flanges d adapted to the inner edges g
of flanges F come into contact with the interior friction wheel J which forcing the
wing pieces out distribute the manure upon the surface of the ground; In the
process of forcing out the wing pieces the edge against the disc removes all
that may possibly adhere thereto, and in order to cleanse the said wing pieces
a scraper is provided which bearing against the outer surfaces thereof, free
them entirely from adhesive matter, by which means a fixed measured quantity
is delivered from each receptacle in succession. From the foregoing it will be
seen that during each revolution of the distributor the receptacles are automatically
opened and filled and closed and cleansed by which means the manures and mixtures
are deposited in perfectly regular and measured quantities so long as any ren ain
within the hopper aforesaid.
In order to avoid the contingency of breakage arising from the reverse rotation
of the apparatus I employ a clutch Figures 2 and 3 keyed or otherwise secured
upon the distributor shaft and in close proximity to the gear wheel which
imparts motion to said shaft; A circular disc T forming the base of said clutch, has
formed therein four slots k k k k each arranged at right angles to the radius thereof and
through each of which slots projects a pawl 7 pivoted or suspended from supports m m
upon the outer face of said disc, each of these pawls being during the forward
motion caught by one of the spokes p p p p of the gear wheel O, gives motion to

page_text: the distributor but in the event of any backward movement the pawls are
disengaged being forced by the reverse motion of the spoke p of the gear wheel O
into the slots k k k k in disc T.
up
Any number of distributors may be mounted upon the shaft according to the
number of drills it is desired to serve at one operation. I the base of hopper L. I
may place a cast iron bridge being bolted to the wooden sides and forming the
bottom of said hopper; The bridge stands directly over the distributing pulley
and is provided with a rectangular funnel shaped opening through which opening
the manures pass directly into the receptacles of the distributor.
said Inven-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First In a device for distributing manurial substances in measured and regular
quantities upon the ground the combination of a disc of metal or other suitable
material to which disc are adapted wing pieces herein before described free to move
on their pivots on motion being given to them by a friction wheel causing said
wing pieces to form on one point of their journey receptacles into which the
from
other substance falls
or
a hopper in measured quantities;
Another motion being given to them by a second friction wheel causing the
manure or other substance to be delivered on the ground at regular intervals
substantially as set forth.
manure
Second-The use of the clutch shown in Figures 2 and 3 hereinbefore referred to
the action of which clutch prevents the breakage of the various parts by any
retrograde movement of the machine, substantially as described.
JAMES
STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.
Dated this 25th day of April 1889.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers,
20, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.