IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRRIGATORS
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas William Wedlake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th June 1866.
I, THOMAS WILLIAM WEDLAKE, of Hornchurch, in the County of Essex,
Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF IRRIGATORS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements upon the Invention for which I
applied for Letters Patent in conjunction with William Russ, on the 8th day
of March 1866, No. 710. The chief object of the present improvements is
to simplify the construction of the irrigator, to this end I use the hollow axle
which carries the hose drum as the axle for the running wheels instead of
mounting them on independent axles, and I am thus enabled to give the
apparatus more compactness by bringing the drum which coils up and uncoils
the hose nearer the ground than heretofore. In order to connect and disconnect
the drum and running wheels, so that the former may revolve with the
wheels when the apparatus is required to act and remain quiescent when the
implement is travelling on its wheels from placo to place, I key on to the
hollow axle outside the running wheel a spur wheel into opposite sides of
which take spur pinions carried by studs projecting from the running wheel.
These pinions are east with smaller pinions which take into a spur wheel of

page_text: larger diameter loose on the hollow axle and carrying at its boss a locking
plate, into the notches of which a pin projecting from the framing is intended
to take; when this pin is inserted in a notch it serves to lock the loose spur
wheel. The consequence of this locking is that as the running wheel carries
round its pinion in gear with the spur wheels the fixed wheel will cause the
pinions to revolve and drive the spur wheel first mentioned, which being keyed
to the drum axle will give rotary motion to the drum and wind-up or unwind
the hose according to the direction given to the apparatus. When, however,
the locking pin is withdrawn there will be no axial motion of the drum, but the
pinions will merely run round instead of driving the keyed wheel.
extremity of the hollow axle is fitted the pierced delivery pipe in such manner
that it may be readily detached therefrom or moved out of line when required,
stay rods are employed for steadying the pipe and preventing it from swaying.
The hose which supplies water to the delivery pipe is connected at one end to
the source of supply and at the other with the hollow axle as heretofore.
For facilitating the winding of the hose on to the drum there is keyed to the
opposite end of the hollow axle to that which carries the gearing above
mentioned a worm, which drives a worm wheel carried by a horizontal shaft
situate at right angles to the hollow shaft. The opposite end of this shaft
carries an oval spur wheel, into which gears another oval wheel the axle
of which carries a crank. This crank is connected by a coupling rod to a
radius arm mounted on a fixed fulcrum on the irrigator frame and carrying
at its upper end guide rollers between which the hose is passed. By the
action of the gearing just described, which compensates for the variable
amount of traverse motion transmitted by the crank, the radius rod is moved
to and fro, and with it the rollers which .lay the hose evenly over the winding
drum.