IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ROLLING AND WATERING GARDENS AND OTHER KINDS OF LAND
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Ellis, of Romney Cottage, Wellington
Road, in the Parish of Bromley St. Leonard, Middlesex, Mechanical
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ROLLING
AND WATERING GARDENS AND OTHER KINDS OF LAND."
Sealed the 19th July 1864, and dated the 3rd March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Ellis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
March 1864.
I, GEORGE HENRY ELLIS, of Romney Cottage, Wellington Road, in the
Parish of Bromley St. Leonard, Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR ROLLING AND WATERING GARDENS AND OTHER KINDS OF LAND," to be as
follows:-
My improvements are designed to effect a more economical construction,
greater portability, and convenience in the use of rollers used for gardens and
other kinds of land, and to combine therewith apparatus for carrying and
distributing water, also capability for using the same as a garden chair or scat.
Instead of forming the roller (as hitherto has been the custom) of suf-
ficient diameter and thickness to provide in itself the necessary weight for
rolling purposes, I employ a cylinder made of cast iron or other suitable
material only about one-third the diameter usually employed hitherto, the

page_text: same being constructed in the ordinary manner, or made of wrought iron or
other metal capable of being filled with water, and upon this, bearing upon
its centre shaft or axle, I dispose a suitab! vessel or tank made of galvanized
or other iron, wood, or any suitable material for containing water or any
solid body that may be readily introduced or withdrawn in order to obtain
the additional weight required. By preference I make the vessel of
galvanized iron, having an opening with a pipe or tube at top and bottom for
introducing and withdrawing water. A handle is or handles are fixed at one
side for actuating the apparatus either by hand or other means, and the centre
of gravity is so disposed that the vessel is equally balanced in the most
convenient manner for the operator. I occasionally provide stays underneath
and a rest at the back (which may also be used as a handle) in order that
the apparatus may be employed as an occasional seat. The water may be
used simply for "weight," or I provide and fix a pump or other contrivance at
the top of the tank, having the necessary suction and other pipes, roses, and
nozzles for obtaining and distributing the water; and for some purposes I
provide and fix upon the tank in a convenient position a perforated tube or
spreader, having the necessary stop-cocks, valves, for regulating the delivery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Henry Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the a
3rd September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY ELLIS, of Romney Cottage, Wellington Road, in the Parish of
Bromley St. Leonard's, Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Henry Ellis, Her special licence that I, the said George
Henry Ellis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Henry Ellis, 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 APPARATUS FOR ROLLING AND WATERING GARDENS AND OTHER

page_text: KINDS OF LAND," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the-said George
Henry Ellis, 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 George Henry Ellis, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings bereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My improvements are designed to effect a more economical construction,
greater portability, and convenience in the use of rollers used for gardens and
other kinds of land, and to combine therewith apparatus for carrying and
distributing water, also capability for using the same as a garden chair or
seat.
Instead of forming the roller (as hitherto has been the custom) of sufficient
diameter and thickness to provide in itself the necessary weight for rolling
purposes, I employ a cylinder made of cast iron or other suitable material
only about one-third or one-half the diametor usually employed hitherto, the
same being constructed in the ordinary manner or made of wrought iron or
other metal, and upon this, bearing upon its centre shaft or axle, I dispose a
suitable vessel or tank made of galvanized or other iron, wood, or any suitable
material for containing water which may be readily introduced or withdrawn
in order to obtain the additional or any variation of the weight required; by
preference I make the vessel of galvanized iron, having an opening with a pipe
or tube at the top and bottom for introducing and withdrawing water. A
handle or handles is or are fixed at one side for actuating the apparatus either
by hand or other means, and the centre of gravity is so disposed that the
vessel is equally balanced in the most convenient manner for the operator.
I occasionally provide stays underneath and a rest at the back (which may also
be used as a handle) in order that the apparatus may be employed as an
occasional seat. The water may be used simply for weight, or I provide and
fix a pump or other contrivance at the top of the tank, having the necessary
suction and other pipes, roses, nozzles, and other parts for raising and dis-
tributing the water; I also provide and fix upon the tank in a convenient
position a perforated tube or spreader, having the necessary stop-cocks,
valves, or parts for regulating the delivery of the water as may be required.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a garden roller constructed according
to my Invention, and Fig. 2 a back view of the same. This roller is repre-
sented with a sent back a of wrought iron affixed to the water tank or
receptacle b, this seat back also answers the purpose of a handle by which to
drag the roller over the ground, either for the purpose of rolling or for
transporting the water. It will be observed there is a recess or cavity made
at the back and lower angle of the tank b, into which the roller c fits somewhat
closely; instead of a hollow recess the corner of the tank may be cut off at an
angle, as seen dotted. The axis of the roller is fitted in bearings d, d, (one
at either end) fixed to the tank b; the tank I make of plate or galvanized
sheet iron, and the roller c of cast iron, it may also be a hollow cylinder of
plato iron. The tank is provided with a suitable cover e, at which to fill
the tank, and a pipe f, in the top of which the suction pipe of pump may be
fitted and fixed for the purpose of raising and distributing the water as may
be required. The roller and tank is shown in position as used for a garden
seat for rolling purposes; it is tilted back to the position shown dotted, and in
which the tank will be balanced on the roller axis or nearly so. Fig. 3
represents a perspective view of a garden seat roller of a larger kind, and
adapted for watering lawns, being furnished with a spreader g, for delivering
and distributing the water in the manner of a water cart. The channel or
channels from the tank to the spreader are furnished with stop-cocks to
regulate the flow of the water. In this article the roller c is disposed nearly
under the middle of the tank b, and entirely below it, but it may also be
recessed into it in the position seen in end view at Fig. 4. The preponderance
of weight of the tank and its contents should be considerably on the side of
the spreader g, and so as not easily to overbalance when used as a seat; the
spreader may also serve as a foot on which the front of the tank will rest
when so used. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of a land roller weighted
with water tank adapted for rolling and watering on a larger scale and by
horse power. The rolling may be performed independently of the watering,
and the water only used for the purposes of weighting the roller, or the watering
may be performed simultaneously therewith.
The manufacture of tanks and ironwork, either galvanized or black, such
as described and represented in the Drawings, being generally well understood,
the foregoing description will be sufficiently clear to persons conversant with
such manufacture without any minute detail. Instead of an iron tank to
contain the water, a wooden or other box may be employed.

page_text: Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention, to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the appli-
cation of a tank or receptacle to contain water or other fluid to a garden or
land roller, as and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whercof, I, the said George Henry Ellis, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
GEORGE HENRY ELLIS. (L.S.)