Year: 1896

page_text: I, FREEMAN CARSLEY MERRILL of Paris in the County of Oxford, Maine, U.S.A.,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a device whereby the depth to which the teeth of harrows
enter the ground may be adjusted and at the same time the harrow readily turned in
any desired direction. This is accomplished by the use of wheels pivotted to the
frame and capable of vertical adjustment and also by attaching the front wheel or
wheels so that they are constantly in line with the team. The wheels are adjusted by
means of hand levers. The team is attached to a cross bar connected to the harrow
frame by rods of equal length one at each end of the cross bar. The guide frame
carrying the front guide wheel is connect to the middle of the cross bar and to
the harrow frame on which it is pivotted and may be raised or lowered by a hand
lever.
DLO - 1900
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
I, FREEMAN CARSLEY MERRILL of Paris in the County of Oxford, Maine, U.S.A.,
Mechanic, 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 :-
This invention relates to a device whereby the depth to which the teeth of harrows
enter the earth can be adjusted and at the same time the harrow readily turned in any
desired direction, and the driver of the team by which the harrow is drawn ride to
and from the field and also when the harrow is in use. This is accomplished by the
use of wheels pivotted to the frame and capable of vertical adjustment and also
by so attaching the front wheel or wheels that they are constantly in line with
the team.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a harrow with the improvements of this invention
applied thereto.
Fig. 2 a similar view shewing the wheels raised or partly raised.
Fig. 3 a plan view of a portion of the harrow frame shewing the front wheel and
the device whereby it is deflected from one side to the other.
a are the side bars and 6 the cross bars of the frame, upon the latter of which
there are secured in a convenient manner the teeth c. d the seat for the driver,
which is attached to one of the cross bars in the ordinary manner.
Pivotted to the rear ends of said side bars a are bifurcated U shaped hangers or
carriers, the bifurcations embracing the end of the side bar to which they are

page_text: pivotted. Within the bifurcations and at the lower part of the loop or curve are
journalled the wheels e of equal diameter. At the upper and other end of the
hangers is pivotted the arm g the other end of which is pivotted to the lever h
the lower end, of which in turn is pivotted to the plate i. The plate i is secured to the
side bar a and is provided at the upper end with teeth adapted to receive the rod k
within the lever h. The lever A is of the ordinary construction of such levers, being
provided with a hand piece l, pivotted thereto, which is connected by a wire or flexible
rod to the rod k a coil spring m depressing the rod k against the teeth or ratchet of
the piece i.
The forward wheel is placed as near as may be at the centre of the cross bar b. At
the front of this bar is placed the bifurcated piece n each end of the bifurcations being
secured to the bar in such manner as to permit motion of the piece n in a vertical
direction.
The forward end of the piece n terminates in a circular socket o which receives
the circular end of the bifurcated piece p. Within the bifurcations of the piece p
is journalled the forward wheel r. Bolted to the axle upon which the wheel turns
is a yoke which extends around the front of the wheel, as shewn in Fig. 3.
Extending upward from the yoke s is a guiding loopt the upper end of which is
secured to the head of the bifurcated piece p by the same bolt which holds it within
the socket o. Rigidly attached to the bifurcated pieco n is the arm u, the upper end
of which is connected by a rod to the lever w, the lower end of which is pivotted to
the piece secured to the cross bars near the seat of similar construction with the
piece and having at the upper edge teeth z. The lever wo is of the same construction
as the lever already described. Attached to the forward cross bar 6 upon either side
b
of the wheel r and equidistant therefrom, are links 1 within which are held the
hooked ends of the rods 2 the forward ends of which are connected with rings or bolts
upon the evener 3. At the centre of the evener 3 is a link 4 which surrounds the
guiding loopt as shewn in Fig. 3. The evener is also provided at the centre and
upon its front with a link 5 having a ring within. Between the bifurcations of the
piece and pivotted also to the front cross bar b is the brake 7 the upper part of
which is connected by means of a coil spring 8 with the arm u as shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2.
In operation, assuming the harrow is starting from the shed to the field, the levers h
and to are depressed, as shewn in Fig. 1 carrying the wheels e and to their lowest
points, thus raising the frame of the harrow together with the teeth completely from all
contact with the ground. The driver then mounts the seat d and rides to the field as
if upon a waggon, the harrow turning from right to left with the same facility as with
the latter, as hereinafter explained. When the field is reached where the harrow is to
be used, the the driver raises the levers h and w so that the teeth will enter the ground
to the required distance.
It will be perceived that the position of the wheels may be so adjusted that the
teeth may enter the ground but an inch, or to such extent that the frame of the
harrow is practically in contact with the surface of the ground. This adjustment may
be made at any time by the driver, and he is able to ride while the work of the harrow
is being performed.
Turning the harrow from side to side, either upon the road or at work in the field,
may be accomplished by means of the device shown in Figs. 1, 2, that is, by the
forward wheel and the evener 3 and attachments. As the team is turned either
from the right or left, the evener is thrown in like direction, carrying by reason of
the connection of the loop 4 with the guiding loopt the wheel r, the piece p turning
readily in the socket o. The brake is applied to the wheel in the ordinary manner
when its use is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In combination with a harrow frame two or more wheels attached to the rear of

page_text: said frame, said wheels being vertically adjustable, a wheel attached to the front
thereof by means of a vertically adjustable frame or carrier, said frame having a
forwardly projecting guiding loop and an evener loosely connected with said loop,
said evener being connected by means of rods of equal length with the front of said
harrow frame, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 29th day of January 1897.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.