IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS POR TILLING THE SOIL, AND IN MEANS OF DRAWING PLOUGHS AND OTHER IMPLEMENTS FOR TILLING THROUGH THE LAND
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Woofe, of the City of Gloucester, Agricul-
turalist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS POR TILLING
THE SOIL, AND IN MEANS OF DRAWING PLOUGHS AND OTHER IMPLEMENTS FOR
TILLING THROUGH THE LAND."
Sealed the 18th March 1864, and dated the 24th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Woofe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th September 1863.
I, WILLIAM WOOFE, of the City of Gloucester, Agriculturalist, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS
FOR TILLING THE SOIL, AND IN MEANS OF DRAWING PLOUGHS AND OTHER IMPLEMENTS
FOR TILLING THROUGH THE LAND,". to be as follows:-
My Invention refers to ploughs and to implements to be drawn by steam,
and consists, firstly, in constructing ploughs with a roller at the back of the
sole, in order to diminish draft.
Secondly, in constructing implements as hereafter described, which can
be driven or drawn from headland to headland without being turned. My
improved implement consists of a fixed rectangular frame, supported upon two
central wheels, divided into two compartments on each side of the centre.
Into these compartments I drop and fix movable frames carrying sets of ploughs
or other tools for tilling land; the tools are adjustable in the movable frames,
which are connected to a lever or levers, whereby one or other of the movable

page_text: frames, with the tools connected to it, may be raised from and lowered into
the ground as required.
And, thirdly, my Invention consists in drawing ploughs and other imple-
ments by means of two steam engines working simultaneously and placed on
opposite headlands by means of ropes or chains attached and working as
follows: I attach or connect to each engine a horizontal drum, and under
each horizontal drum I employ a sheave or roller. I fix one end of a rope or
chain to one end of an implement, carry the rope over one of the sheaves and
round the drum at the opposite headland, where I make the other end of the
rope fast. In like manner I fix one end of another rope to the opposite end
of the implement, carry it over the other sheave, and round the other drum,
to which I fix the other end of the second rope. By driving both drums in
the same direction, both will draw the implement at the same time in the
same direction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Woofe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WooFE, of the City of Gloucester, Agriculturalist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Woofe, Her special licence that I, the said William Woofe, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Woofe, 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 IMPLEMENTS FOR
TILLING THE SOIL, AND IN MEANS OF DRAWING FLOUGHS AND OTHER IMPLEMENTS FOR
TILLING THROUGH THE LAND," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Woefe, 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

page_text: 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 William Woofe, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention refers to ploughs and to implements to be driven by steam,
and consists, firstly, in constructing implements as hereafter described, which
can be driven or drawn from headland to headland without being turned.
My improved implement consists of a fixed rectangular frame supported upon
two central wheels divided into two compartments on each side of the centre.
Into these compartments I drop and fix movable frames, carrying sets of
ploughs or other tools for tilling land; the tools are adjustable in the movable
frames, which are connected to a lever or levers, whereby one or other of the
movable frames, with the tools connected to it, may be raised from and lowered
into the ground as required.
I claim under this first part of my Invention constructing implements for
tilling the soil with movable frames and adjustable tools, as herein-before
described.
My Invention consists, secondly, in drawing ploughs and other implements
by means of two steam engines working simultaneously and placed on opposite
headlands, by means of ropes. or chains, substantially in manner herein-after
described. I attach or connect to each engine a drum on a horizontal axis,
and under each of these drums I employ a sheave or roller placed upon a
vertical axis. I fix one end of a rope or chain to one end of an implement,
carry the rope over one of the sheaves, and round the drum at the opposite
headland, where I make the other end of the rope fast. In like manner I fix
one end of another rope to the opposite end of the implement, carry it over the
other sheave and round the other drum, to which I fix the other end of the
second rope.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side view of so much of an
engine as is necessary to explain my Invention fitted with a drum and
sheave.
Figure 2 is a view of the drums and sheaves with two engines, partly in
section, showing the ropes and the method of attaching them to the implement
and working them. A is a rope or chain, one end of which is attached to one
end of an implement B; it is passed round the sheave C free to turn on a
vertical axis a, carried by framing 6, connected to one of the steam engines,

page_text: and from thence round the drum D on the other steam engine fixed at the
opposite headland, to which drum the other end of the rope or chain is made
fast. In like manner one end of another rope or chain E is attached to the
opposite end of the implement B, carried round a sheave or roller F, free to
turn on a vertical axis c on the other steam engine, and from thence round
the drum G on the first-named steam engine at the other headland, and to this
drum the other end of this second rope is made fast. By drawing both drums
in the same direction, both will draw the implement at the same time in the
same direction.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself to
the particular arrangement of drums and sheaves herein-before described, as
the same may be varied; nor do I limit myself to the employment of two ropes,
as an endless rope passed round and driven by two sheaves might be used;
but I claim under the second part of my Invention drawing ploughs and other
implements for tilling the land by means of two steam engines, placed at
opposite headlands, or in other suitable situations, both of which are made
simultaneously to operate one and the same implement.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Woofe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
WILLIAM WOOFE. (L.S.)