Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1888
I, Baron XAVIER DE ROEST D'ALKEMADE of Chateau de Bure, Grupont, Province
of Luxembourg Belgium Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows
The object of this invention is to provide an improved seed drill, by means of which
the seed may be sown in a far more regular and perfect manner than with the drills
at present in use and which is adapted to sow the seed in the form of squares or in
lozenge, quincunx, or other form, and to mix the seed. By sowing the seed in equi-
distant rows and in a regular manner waste of seed is avoided while the advantages to
the resulting crop are manifest. The seeds are delivered in such manner as to penetrate
the soil to an equal extent, thus producing uniformity of sowing which is necessary for
a regular growth of the plants.
The Invention consists in the combination with a perforated drum mounted to rotate
in the seed-box at the rear end of the machine, of exhaust and blowing apparatus by
means of which the seed is caused to adhere to the surface of the drum at the perfora-
tions, so as to be carried round with it for a portion of its revolution and to be forcibly
detached and deposited in the delivery tubes. The drum encloses a fixed cylinder so
as to form a hollow annular space between the two, and it is mounted to rotate on
hollow trunnions which communicate with the exhaust apparatus.
The exhaust and blowing apparatus would preferably consist of a double pair of
bellows operated by eccentrics fixed on the wheel axle, the one pair of bellows
exhausting the air to cause the seeds to adhere to the perforations in the drum by
atmospheric pressure the other pair of bellows communicating with a wind chest
provided with orifices and supported above the delivery tins or tubes, so that the jets
of air from the bellows detach the seeds from the drum and impel them forcibly
down the seed conveyers into the furrow in the ground. made by the coulters. The

page_text: bellows may be thrown into and out of action by clutch mechanism on the wheel
axle.
The machine is provided with means for raising the seed coulters out of the ground
when travelling over roads etc., and with springs for enabling the coulters to yield in
case of obstacles. The inner cylinder carries a brush which serves to keep the holes
in the drum free and to aid in detaching the seed from the drum. This brush is
provided with springs which press the bristles of the brush against the drum. The
seed box may be divided, so as to contain various kinds of seed, and the distances
between the lines of seed sown may be adjusted and varied by coupling the delivery
tins by means of funnels and by stopping up the holes in the drum, which may
conveniently be done by means of india rubber bands.
Dated this 2nd day of Aumunt 1007
BON. X. DE ROEST D'ALKEMADE
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: I, Baron XAVIER DE ROEST D'ALKEMADE of Chateau de Bure, Grupont, Province
of Luxembourg Belgium Gentleman 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 consists of a pneumatic drill for agricultural purposes whereby grain
or seed may be sown with greater regularity, at a more uniform depth, and with less
waste than hitherto. The grain or seed may be sown in various ways, that is to say
either in rows or lines, or in squares, quincunx, or other open order, the seeds being
deposited singly, or two or more together, at each of the angles only (and in case of a
quincunx at the middle also) of the square, lozenge, or other figure adopted. When
two or more seeds are thus deposited together, they may be of different natures.
The Invention consists of a drill wherein the grain or seed is taken from the seed-
box and forcibly impelled into the furrow or channel in the ground by pneumatic
agency; and for this purpose, it comprises an exhausting and blowing apparatus in
combination with a revolving perforated drum to which the grain or seed is caused to
adhere by atmospheric pressure and whence it.is removed by jets of air and propelled
by the same means through the delivery spouts into the ground at a high velocity. By
this method, the seed is not only deposited at the precise point required, but is caused
to reach the bottom of the furrow before any particle of earth has had time to fall into
and partially fill the furrow, thus ensuring uniformity of depth in the soil which is a
necessary condition of regular growth and simultaneous maturity of the plants.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifica-
tion, wherein figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation, partly in section; figure 2 is a plan,
one half in section; and figure 3 is a front elevation, one half in section. Figure 4 is
a diagrammatic view of part of the perforated cylinder, shewing the relative arrange-
ment of the seed detaching jet tubes and of the delivery spouts and the means of
adjusting the latter. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the
figures.
The machine consists essentially in the combination of a horizontal transverse
perforated drum A mounted to revolve in contact with the seed in the lower part of
the seed box I, with air exhausting and blowing apparatus and with tangential seed
detaching air-jet tubes and delivery spouts. The exhausting and blowing apparatus
may either be a fan or pump or (as in the example shewn) pairs of bellows C C¹ in
communication, on the one hand with the interior of the drum A through its hollow
journals and pipes B and on the other hand by pipes D and wind chest E with the
air-jet tubes F which are respectively in line each with a circumferential row of
perforations in the drum A, as shewn in figure 4, and which direct the air passing
through said tubes tangentially to the circumference of the drum A, the lower ends of

page_text: the jets tubes being cut away at the side adjacent to the drum, as shewn in figure 5.
The lower ends of these jet tubes F are immediately over or within the open upper
ends of the delivery spouts G, there being two or more of the jet tubes to each of the
delivery spouts. The delivery spouts G are also cut away at the upper part, at the
side next the drum A as shown in figure 5 and are placed close to, and partially enclose
the periphery of the drum. The revolving drum A and the pneumatic apparatus are
operated through suitable mechanism from the travelling wheels of the machine, means
being provided for throwing the same out of gear when required.
In the drawing, the bellows (of which there are two pairs working with regard to
each other so as to produce as nearly as possible a continuous action) are operated by
eccentrics M loose on the wheel axle and geared therewith through clutches N. The
bellows are in two pairs, the two bellows CC or each pair being coupled together by
links, so as to work together the one exhausting whilst the other is forcing. They
draw from a common chamber situated between them, with which the pipes B com-
municate (said chamber having inlet valves c (figure 3) to admit air in case of
deficiency owing to obstruction of the perforations in the drum A) and discharge into
a common wind chest E with which pipes D communicate. Each pair extends across
one half the machine, and the eccentrics M which operate the one pair are set at about
90° to those of the other pair, so as to maintain a continuous exhausting and blowing
action.
The revolving perforated drum A is nearly filled by a solid stationary cylinder Z
leaving only a small annular space between them, and the cylinder Z carries a brush
which is caused by springs behind it, to bear against the interior of the drum A along
the tangent line of the air jets. It serves to interrupt the aspirating action at that
point and enable the easy detachment of the seeds from the drum, and to remove dust
from the holes which would obstruct the adhesion of the seeds.
The air-jet tubes F are controlled by independent plugs or valves so that any of
them may be disused, for instance those not in line with delivery spouts, as shown in
figure 4. The delivery spouts G lead down nearly to the ground and terminate just
above and in rear of spring coulters I forming continuations of the spouts, and by
which the furrows are cut in the ground. The delivery spouts G are fixed adjustably
by binding screws, to a cross-rail g which is fixed to the framework and may itself be
adjustable. This rail is provided with graduations for setting the delivery spouts
collectively. The delivery spouts may be adjusted at the desired distances apart along
the rail according to the distance between the furrows. The coulters 1 are mounted
to oscillate on a cross-bar so that they may all be thrown into the inclined position,
shewn by dotted lines figure 1, and so raised from the ground when out of work.
They are so oscillated by means of a hand lever H connected by any suitable gear (not
forming part of this invention and therefore not shown or described) to a cross-bar
acting on their upper ends, but they are also capable of oscillating independently to
enable them to yield to an obstacle. 7 are pairs of oblique blades for raking the earth
over the seeds deposited in the furrow. They are carried by the same brackets as the
coulters, so as to be raised therewith.
The seed box L is shewn as divided by partitions at right angles to the axis of the
drum A, into compartments which may contain different kinds of seeds, so that two
adjacent jet-tubes may supply a mixed seed to one delivery tube, the two jet tubes
being placed opposite two adjacent compartments, but these partitions may be omitted
when a mixed seed is not required.
The revolving perforated drum A receives its motion from two eccentrics Q (keyed
on the driving axle and set at an angle of 90° to one another) whose rods take hold
of cranks on a cross shaft on one end of which is keyed a wheel W which gears
with one of the hollow journals of the drum A through the wheels S, T, U. The
wheel T can be thrown out of gear with wheel U, the wheels S, T, being for this
purpose mounted on a bracket fixed rigidly on a radius lever turning on the axis
of Was a centre and operated from the lever H by which the coulters and seed
spouts are raised as above mentioned, the radius lever and connections being
represented only by their centre lines in the drawing. The above described

page_text: ungearing motions are required when travelling out of work and for turning at a
headland.
The operation is as follows ;-On the bellows and drum being set in motion, the air
is quickly exhausted from the annular space between the stationary filling drum Z and
the revolving perforated drum A causing the seed which is in contact with the
latter to adhere to it and become carried round with the drum, until on coming
opposite the brush z the adhering seed is blown off from the surface of the drum
and propelled downwards at a considerable velocity by the air-jets from the tubes F
and deposited in the furrows made by the coulters I which may be adjustable vertically
to regulate the depth of the furrows."
The speed of rotation of the perforated drum A may be varied according as it is
desired to deposit the seeds more or less closely together in the furrow. The perforations*
in the drum are not necessarily in rows, as represented in figure 4, but may be so
arranged that the first, third, fifth, etc., delivery spouts will receive seed alternately
with the second, fourth, sixth, etc., delivery spouts, so that the deposit of seed in the
ground will be effected in quincunx order. For this purpose, the drum A may be
changed for one having perforations differently arranged according to the order of
sowing desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. A pneumatic agricultural drill wherein the grain or seed is propelled downwards
into the furrows by jets of compressed air, substantially as herein specified.
2. A pneumatic agricultural drill wherein the grain or seed is caused by suction to
adhere to a perforated surface and is by the motion of said surface withdrawn from
the seed box and brought under the action of jets of compressed air whereby it is
forcibly impelled to the point of deposit, substantially as specified.
3. In a pneumatic agricultural drill, the combination with a perforated cylinder
revolving in the seed box, of. air exhausting apparatus in connection therewith, of air
jet tubes arranged relatively to the grain or seed carrying perforated cylinder and in
connection with air blowing apparatus, and of delivery spouts, arranged relatively to
the air-jet tubes, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a pneumatic agricultural drill, the combination with the perforated drum
revolving in the seed box, the air-jet tubes and delivery spouts arranged in relation
thereto, as described, air exhausting and blowing apparatus connected respectively
with the drum and air jet tubes, and the stationary brush acting on the inside of the
drum opposite the line of contact of the air jets with the outer surface of the drum,
substantially as specified.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the pneumatic agricultural
drill, substantially as herein shewn and described.