IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS, DRAGS, CULTIVATORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS TO BE USED IN THE CULTIVATION OF THE SOIL
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Seaman, of the City of Worcester, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS, DRAGS, CULTIVATORS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS TO BE USED IN THE CULTIVATION OF THE SOIL"
Sealed the 21st July 1865, and dated the 16th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Seaman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
March 1865.
I, JOSEPH SEAMAN, of the City of Worcester, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS, DRAGE,
CULTIVATORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS TO BE USED IN THE CULTIVATION OF
THE SOIL" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a peculiar construction of harrows, drags, culti-
vators, and other similar implements for the cultivation of the soil, whereby
greater economy, strength, and simplicity of construction are obtained.
According to my Invention I propose to make the beams of implements of the
class above mentioned of two bars, placed edgewise side by side, and held
together by means of a square or other suitably shaped ferrule, through which
the bars are passed. Between these bars, and through holes made for that
purpose in the ferrule, is driven the tooth, tine, or shank of the wearing part
of the implement, according as it is intended to be used as a harrow,. drag, or
cultivator, thus securing the parts together. This peculiar mode of combining
together the bars, ferrule, and tooth or tine involves the principle of a trussed
beam in the formation of the zig-zag and straight-beamed harrows, and con-
stitutes the main feature of my Invention. The several beams of the implement
CD 077

page_text: so formed may be held at suitable distances apart by cross bars in the usual
manner.
In making what are known as "diagonal harrows," the bars after passing
through the ferrules are spread open or bent at an angle laterally to give the
harrow its diagonal form, the several ferrules and the teeth or tines therein
being situate at the junction of the contiguous angles, and secured in the
manner herein-before described, namely, by the driving into the ferrules of the
teeth, tines, or shanks. In cases where different kinds of shares, points, or
other wearing parts are required, I propose to fix the same to the shank or
stem of the wearing part, after it is driven through the ferrule, by means of a
socket and pin or other convenient arrangement.
so formed may be held at suitable distances apart by cross bars in the usual
manner.
In making what are known as "diagonal harrows," the bars after passing
through the ferrules are spread open or bent at an angle laterally to give the
harrow its diagonal form, the several ferrules and the teeth or tines therein
being situate at the junction of the contiguous angles, and secured in the
manner herein-before described, namely, by the driving into the ferrules of the
teeth, tines, or shanks. In cases where different kinds of shares, points, or
other wearing parts are required, I propose to fix the same to the shank or
stem of the wearing part, after it is driven through the ferrule, by means of a
socket and pin or other convenient arrangement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Seaman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
SEAMAN, of the City of Worcester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the 2
said Joseph Seaman, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Seaman, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Seaman, my executors, administrators, 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 HARROWS,
DRAGS, CULTIVATORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR IMPLEMENTS TO BE USED IN THE CULTIVATION
OF THE SOIL,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Seaman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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 I, the said Joseph Seaman, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
3

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction of harrows, drags,
cultivators, and other similar implements for the cultivation of the soil,
whereby greater economy, strength, and simplicity of construction are obtained.
I make the beams of implements of the class above mentioned of two bars,
placed edgewise side by side, and held together by means of a square or other
suitably shaped ferrule, through which the bars are passed. Between these
bars, and through holes made for that purpose in the ferrule, is driven the
tooth, tine, or shank of the wearing part of the implement, according as it is
intended to be used as a harrow, drag, or cultivator, thus securing the parts
together. This peculiar mode of combining together the bars, ferrule, and
tooth or tine involves the principle of a trussed beam in the formation of the
zig-zag and straight-beamed harrows, and constitutes the main feature of my
Invention. The several beams of the implement so formed may be kept at
suitable distances apart by cross bars in the usual manner.
In making what are known as diagonal harrows," the bars after passing
through the ferrules are spread open or bent at an angle laterally to give the
harrow its diagonal form, the several ferrules and the teeth or tines therein
being situate at the junction of the contiguous angles, and secured in the
manner herein-before described, namely, by driving into the ferrules and
between the beams the teeth, tines, or shanks. In cases where different kinds
of shares, points, or other wearing parts are required, I propose to fix the same
to the shank or stem of the wearing part, after it is driven through the ferrule,
by means of a socket and pin or other convenient arrangement.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I proceed to describe the means pursued by me for
performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed is a plan of one half of
a set of three diagonal harrows constructed according to my said Invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of a zig-zag harrow, also constructed according
to my Invention; and the remaining Figures are various details drawn to a
larger scale, and which I shall presently more particularly refer to and
describe. In the several Figures on my Sheet of Drawings I have indicated
like parts by the same letters of reference.
A, A, are the beams of the harrow, which in all cases I place edgewise.
In Fig. 1 these beams are so bent as to form when combined. and held
Fig.
or Drawings hereunto annexed is a plan of one half of
a set of three diagonal harrows constructed according to my said Invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of a zig-zag harrow, also constructed according
to my Invention; and the remaining Figures are various details drawn to a
larger scale, and which I shall presently more particularly refer to and
describe. In the several Figures on my Sheet of Drawings I have indicated
like parts by the same letters of reference.
A, A, are the beams of the harrow, which in all cases I place edgewise.
In Fig. 1 these beams are so bent as to form when combined. and held

page_text: together by the ferrules B, B, a diagonal harrow: These ferrules (one of
which is shown in longitudinal section, end view, and plan at Figs. 3, 4, and 5
respectively) consist either of closed bands of wrought iron welded up in the
form of a rectangular ferrule, or of two half bands or clips B¹, B', as shown in
the transverse sectional detail, Fig. 6. In the former case the ferrules are
slipped on to the beams from one end thereof, and the adjoining beams are
then passed through them, so as to unite the beams at their several bends or
angles, as will be seen more clearly at Fig. 1. In both these arrangements,
however, the beams are secured firmly together by simply driving the tooth or
tine C vertically through holes punched for that purpose in the upper and
under sides of the ferrule band or double clips, the tooth or tine at the same
time passing between the two beams A, A, and thereby tightening them
securely inside the ferrule band or double clip. I am aware that single clips
have been used for securing the teeth of harrows and similar implements to
the beams by the aid of keys or wedges, and therefore I lay no claim to the
use of clips for such purpose when not combined together to form a ferrule or
band, or equivalent for a ferrule or band, within which two beams are con-
tained, side by side, and are secured by the mere driving of the tooth or tine
between them, as shown in my Drawing. When making a zig-zag harrow
(see Fig. 2) or a straight beam harrow according to my said Invention each
beam will be composed of two parallel bars forming a trussed beam, which
trussed beams are kept at the proper distances apart by cross bars D (Fig. 2),
secured by T-headed bolts passing between the two bars composing each of
the several trussed beams.
Fig. 7 represents an enlarged detail plan of the mode of securing the
extreme outer tooth or tine of each harrow of the set of diagonal harrows
shown at Fig. 1. For this purpose a short extra bar a is rivetted to the inner
angle or bend of the beam A, the ferrule or band B being slipped over both
the bars A and a, and the tooth C driven in between them and through the
ferrule or band.
Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan of one of the hooks E, which serve to connect
laterally, by means of the short chains F, the several harrows forming the set.
This hook is formed on the end of one of the beams, and is curved over the
top of the tooth, so as to prevent the chain from becoming accidentally
detached.
Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail plan of one of the draught hooks G, which I
prefer to forge on the ends of some of the beams A, as shown, the said beams
being thickened at the extremity so as to be bolted firmly against the side of
the adjoining beam by the long bolt H, which passes through the several

page_text: beams of each harrow. Tubular struts or distance pieces I are passed into
the. bolt for the purpose of maintaining the ends of the beams at the proper
distances asunder. The intermediate beams, which are not made with draught
hooks, are connected to the long bolt H in the manner shown at Fig. 10 a
washer or distance piece b being inserted between the two contiguous beams,
through which and through the beams the bolt G is passed, as shown. Kis
the whippletree to which the several harrows forming the set are connected
by the short lengths of chain L; and M is the main draught hook, which is
capable of lateral adjustment according to the line of draught required.
The same mode or method of securing the teeth of harrows is obviously
equally applicable to other implements of a like character, such, for example,
as drags and cultivators, in which applications the actual wearing part of the
tooth is attached to and made easily removeable from the shank, which is
driven through the ferrule and between the beams in manner already described
and illustrated by my Drawings; but as this will be readily understood by
any agricultural engineer I have not considered it necessary more particularly
to describe such application or to illustrate it by drawings.
Having fully explained and set forth the nature of my said Invention of
"Improvements in Harrows, Drags, Cultivators, and other similar Imple-
ments to be used in the Cultivation of the Soil, and the mode or method of
carrying out the same in a practical manner, I may here observe that what
I claim as the essential features of my said Invention is,-
Firstly, the peculiar combination of ferrules, bands, or their equivalents
with the beams and teeth, tines, or shanks of harrows, drags, cultivators, and
other similar implements to be used in the cultivation of the soil, in the
manner and for the purpose herein specified, and illustrated by my
Drawings.
Secondly, the mode of securing or fixing the teeth, tines, or shanks, as well
as the beams of harrows, drags, cultivators, and other like implements, by
driving such teeth, tines, or shanks between portions of the beams enclosed in
ferrules, bands, or their equivalents, as specified, and shown in my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Seaman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five
JOSEPH SEAMAN. (L.S.)