IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard, of Bedford, in the County of
Bedford, Agricultural Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PLOUGHS."
Sealed the 16th January 1872, and dated the 28th October 1871.

page_text: constructing such plough, whether to take one, two, or more furrows, I
propose to dispense with the handles described in the Specification of
the said Patent, and in order to steer the plough I make the axles or
standards of the wheels free to move in socketted bearings in the carriage,
and by means of an elevated lever handle fitted to the wheel carriage,
and extending to the rear of the plough the ploughman is enabled to
guide the implement in its course. The forward end of the beam has
its bearing in the carriage, and is free to turn therein to bring either set
of ploughs to the ground and into action as desired. The turning over
or reversing of the ploughs may be accomplished by rolling the ploughs
over on their breasts or mould boards, or the beam may be fitted at the
side with a swivelling bow piece extending from near the sole plate of one
plough to near the sole plate of the opposite plough. This bow piece at its
crown may carry a turn plate or table, which as the plough is rolled over
to bring the uppermost ploughs to the ground will facilitate the move-
ment of the ploughs to bring the shares into the proper line for work.
To bring the set of ploughs which have been out of action into work
as is required upon arriving at the end of the field the plough is to be
turned over sideways, and the bow standing at that time at the right
angles to the beam, the plough will roll on it until the sole plates of the
elevated ploughs are brought to the ground.
The swivelled bow is now by means of a rod or lever extending to the
rear of the beam brought into a position parallel with the beam, which
position it retains while the plough is in action. In rear of the plough
bodies is an antifriction wheel mounted on the beam, and of such
diameter as will ensure its running in the furrow and taking the bearing
pressure of the plough, whichever set of ploughs is in action.
To provide for the adjustment of the inclination or pitch of the shares,
instead of fixing the share upon an adjustable lever neck as described in
the Specification of Letters Patent, granted to me July 3rd, 1851, I
mount the share on a cranked frame or "skife," which is pivotted to the
side of the beam. This frame I make fast to the beam by a screw bolt
which passes through an elongated hole in the crank'd frame, and by
means of a bracket or stay piece projecting downwards from the beam
I steady the frame or "skife," securing it by a bolted nut to the stay
piece. The extremity of this bracket or stay picco I slot to receive the
coupling bolt and to facilitate the retention of the skife in its adjusted

page_text: position I rib or notch the extremity of the stay piece transversely to
receive a similarly ribbed or notched clamp. Through this clamp the
screwed end of the bolt is passed to receive the tightening nut, which
when screwed up will bind the stationary and adjustable parts together.
This arrangement for carrying the share is applicable to ploughs
generally.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Howard in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 27th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HOWARD, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Agricultural Engineer,
send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Howard, Her special licence
that I, the said James Howard, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Howard, 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 PLOUGHS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Howard, 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 Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Howard, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
nerformed to ho narticularly described and ascertained in and be tho

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
The chief object of this Invention is to improve the construction of
that class of ploughs which turn the furrow slices all in the same
direction.
My improvements refer more particularly to the plough for which I
obtained Letters Patent, bearing date Third February, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine, No. 339. In constructing such plough,
(whether to take one, two, or more furrows,) I propose to dispense with
the handles described in the Specification of the said Patent, and in
order to steer the plough I make the axles or standards of the wheels
free to move in socketed bearings in the carriage, and by means of an
elevated lever handle fitted to the wheel carriage, and extending to the
rear of the plough, the ploughman is enabled to guide the implement in
its course.
I also propose to facilitate the turning over of the ploughs sideways,
and to provide a furrow wheel to take the bearing pressure of tho
ploughs whichever set is in action. A further improvement relates to
the adjustment of the pitch of the shares.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn my Invention as applied
to a two furrow turn-over plough. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the
plough; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the upper set of ploughs
being removed to simplify the Drawing; and Fig 3 is a front elevation
of the plough carriage.
A, A, is the beam, the forward end of which has its bearing in the
carriage B; C, O, are the standards of the wheels, and D is the lever
handle having for its fulcrum the elevating screw E of the carriage.
The wheel standards C, O, are connected by arms c to opposite ends of a
cross bar d, which is jointed to the lever handle D; as therefore the
ploughman follows the plough he will be enabled by means of this hand
lever to steer the implement in its course.
A notched segment bar e is
provided for retaining the lever D in any desired position. F, F¹, are
two pairs of ploughs secured to the plough frame A, and f, f, are the
ploughshares.
The beam A is free to turn in its bearing in the carriage to bring
sither out of waumbe
and and into action ne decimed
The

page_text: turning over or reversing of the ploughs may be accomplished by rolling
the ploughs over on their breasts or mould boards, but to allow of the
ploughs being turned over in the opposite direction the beam is fitted at
the side with a swivelling bow piece G, extending from near the sole plate
of one plough to near the sole plate of the opposite plough, as shewn best
in the detached view Fig. 4. This bow piece at its crown may if desired
carry a turn plate or table which, as the plough is rolled over to bring
the uppermost ploughs to the ground, will facilitate the movement of
the ploughs to bring the shares into the proper line for work.
To bring the set of ploughs which have been out of action into work as
is required, upon arriving at the end of the field, the plough is to be
turned over sideways, and the bow standing at that time at right angles
to the beam, the plough will roll on it until the sole plates of the
elevated ploughs are brought to the ground.
The swivelled bow is either allowed to swing or is brought into a
position parallel with the beam and retained therein while the plough is
in action. In rear of the plough bodies is an antifriction wheel H,
mounted on the beam, and of such diameter as will ensure its running in
the furrow and taking the bearing pressure of the plough, whichever set
of ploughs is in action.
"
To provide for the adjustment of the inclination or pitch of the shares
f, instead of fixing the share upon an adjustable lever rack as described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me July Third, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, I mount the share on a cranked
frame or "skife" I, which is pivotted to the side of the beam. This
frame I make fast to the beam by screw bolts, one of which passes
through an elongated hole in the cranked frame, and by means of a stay
piece projecting from the beam I steady the frame or 'skife,"
securing it by a bolt and nut to the stay piece. The extremity of this
stay piece I slot to receive the coupling bolt, and to facilitate the
adjustment of the skife I rib or notch the extremity of the stay piece
transversely and apply thereto a similarly ribbed or notched clamp,
placed between it and the cranked frame. Through this clamp the
screwed end of the bolt is passed to receive the tightening nut, which
when screwed up will bind the parts together. This arrangement for
carrying the share is applicable to ploughs generally.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of " Improvements
in Ploughs," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,-
First. The arrangement of turnover ploughs above described, which.
provides for the steering of the ploughs when in work, and the reduction
of their draught, and facilitates the turning over of the same at the end
of the furrow.
Secondly. The means above described for carrying ploughshares and
adjusting their inclination.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Howard, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.