In- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLOUGHS, CULTIVATORS, AND SIMILAR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Green, of Newtown, in the Parish of St. Martin,
in the County of Worcester, Agriculturist, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLOUGHS, CULTIVATORS, AND SIMILAR
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS."
Sealed the 19th September 1860, and dated the 22nd May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Green at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd May 1860.
I, JOHN GREEN, of Newtown, in the Parish of St. Martin, in the County
of Worcester, Agriculturist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLOUGHS, CULTIVATORS,
AND SIMILAR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My Invention relates in the first place to the construction of the mould board
or shield board attached to the beam of the plough, which in ordinary cases
after the furrow has been cut by the share turns the furrow over on its side. I
propose to avoid this, by constructing the mould board of a different form, and
attaching it to the beam of the plough in almost an upright position, which
leaves the furrow perfectly straight, and at the same time moves it out of the
track of the plough.
Furthermore by the side of this mould board, and inclining upwards from
the back of the share, I place a number of bars, in order that the furrow.
may slide from the share up these bars or guides towards a cutting apparatus
formed of a cylinder studded with spikes, teeth, or projections round its circumi-

page_text: ference, or if preferred a series of serrated or toothed wheels.
This breaking
apparatus is attached to the beam of the plough and revolves by its motion.
The same apparatus can also be easily applied to cultivators, skims, or stubble
parers, the width and diameter of the cutting apparatus varying according to
the nature of the article to which it is applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Green in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GREEN, of Newtown, in the Parish of St. Martin, in the County of Worcester,
Agriculturist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Green, Her special licence, that I, the said John Green,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Green, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLOUGHS, CULTIVATORS, AND SIMILAR AGRICULTURAL
IMPLEMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Green, 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 John Green, 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
following statement (that is to say):-
:―
My Invention consists, first, in the form or shape of mould board, which I
adopt, and the manner in which I attach the same to ploughs, and secondly,

page_text: in combining with the ordinary plough and cultivator certain apparatus or
appliances, the object and action of which are to crush or break up the furrow
slice or clods of earth composing it, and thus perform the functions, both of a
plough and a clod crusher by one machine. The form of the mould board which
I adopt, and the peculiar mode in which I attach it to the plough will be best
understood by reference to the Drawings accompanying this Specification,
where it will be seen that it is made nearly straight and is fixed, and stands
almost in a vertical position; the object to be effected being the conveyance of
the cut earth from out of the track of the plough without turning it over, which is
usually at present done. Behind the share and inclining from behind it
upwards at an angle of about 20° or so, from the plane of the ground are
fixed two or more bars (generally two will be found sufficient), these are
firmly attached to the body of the plough, are of convenient lengths, and have
their upper surface angular. At the back of the share and lying upon a
portion of the bars, is a plate for the purpose of conveying the soil from the
share to the bars. As the plough proceeds the earth is forced upwards along
these bars and comes in contact with a breaking apparatus composed of a
rotating cylinder of any suitable material (preferably wood) having iron spikes
of various forms attached to and projecting from its surface, or it may be
composed of a series of wheels on a round axle, their peripheries being serrated
or furnished with a number of spikes or similar projections. The cylinder
or spiked axle is fixed to the plough by means of an iron framing attached
to the beam at a point a short way in front of the coulter, and in such
a way that it radiates and oscillates about that point, thus allowing the breaker
or crusher to rise and fall and yield to any pressure caused by the passage
of a body between the surface of the inclined bars, and the extremities of the
prongs or spikes; the position of the breaker is over the extremities of the
inclined or guiding bars, or it may be a short distance behind them, and
generally the motion of the earth over these bars will be sufficient to cause it
to rotate, but when necessary I propose to give it a rotatory motion by means
of the plough wheel or wheels. I propose to apply this apparatus to several
kinds of ploughs and cultivators, the details of the mode of application varying
of course according to the kind of implement. In skims or cultivators I use
a breaking apparatus similar to that for the plough, but its length is varied
according to the width of the implement. The bars are attached to, or placed
at the back of the cutting wings or knives. The framing of the revolver is
similar to that of the plough and radiates from nearly a similar point; one
extremity being on the frame of the implement, the other being only attached
to each end of the spindle of the revolver, and by this means an upward and

page_text: downward motion is obtained. Furthermore, in skims or cultivators I propose
to place in front of the legs or standards, a coulter for the purpose of cutting
the soil, similarly to the ordinary plough..
In order more clearly to illustrate the above description I have appended to
this Specification the accompanying Drawings, which are intended to -shew
the general principles of my Invention, and the mode of applying them to
some kinds of ploughs, it being understood however that in the application of the
Invention or of parts of it, to different implements, the details may be
modified and varied, and some parts may be substituted by other well known
devices to effect the same or similar effects; the general principles of the
Invention remaining unchanged.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a plough, shewing the form and the mode
of applying my mould board, also shewing the construction, application, and
action of my breaking or crushing apparatus; Figure 2 is a plan of same;
Figure 3 is an end view partly sectional, shewing the position of the
crusher, the outline of this mould board, and the end of the angular bars
and plate.
Figure 4 shews another form of breaker having the prongs of a curved
form to be placed behind the mould board of the common plough for breaking
up the surface of the furrow slice after it has been turned over by the
mould board.
Figures 5 and 6 are an elevation and plan of a skim or cultivator having
the said apparatus applied to it, and shewing also the use of a coulter marked h,
in front of the legs.
Figures 7 and 8 shewn the application of my breaking apparatus to another
kind of skim or cultivator.
;
Similar letters indicate the same or similar parts in the different Figures ;
a is the mouldboard; b, the share; c, c, the inclined guide bars; d, the spiked
cylinder e, the forked frame supporting the same, and attached to and
radiating from the point f; g, a plate at the back of the share; the one end
of the cylinder and frame bears upon the upper portion of the mould board,
the other is free. It will be seen that as the earth is cut and passes by the
side of the mould board it is carried along the inclined guide bars under the
prongs of the cylinder, and in urging it round causes them to tear or break
it to pieces as it passes over the ends of the bars; the cylinder not being fixed
is free to rise and give way to any violent pressure from the earth underneath,
falling down again by its own gravity. In Figures 5 and 6, 7 and 8, the action

page_text: is nearly identical with that described, and shews the position of the cutters
or coulters in front.
Having now described my Invention, and explained how the same is
constructed and acts, I now state that what I claim and wish secured by the
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the construction and use of mould boards to be used on ploughs of the
form and attached in the manner substantially as herein described and more
fully illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the use and application by the side of such mould board of bars or
plates inclining upwards from the back of the share substantially as herein
described and more fully illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the constructing and use of a breaking apparatus placed above
the said bars or plates, and arranged substantially as herewithin described
and more fully illustrated in the Drawings accompanying this Specification.
Fourth, the construction and use of cultivators with bars upwards of six
inches long, attached to or placed in an inclined position, at the back of the
cutting wings or knives, as described in the Specification and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Fifth, the adoption of the aforesaid breaking apparatus over or above such
bars as described herein and more fully illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Sixth, the use of a coulter or cutter placed in the front of the legs or chief
supports of skims or cultivators, substantially as herewithin described and
shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
Seventh, the application and use of a spiked roller placed at the back or
behind the mould board or turnfurrow of the ordinary plough as described
herewithin and more fully illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Green, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.