A NEW OR IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT FOR FORMING THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND INTO COMPLETE RIDGES, AND AT THE SAME TIME DEPOSITING MANURE AND SOWING SEED THEREIN
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Evan Thomas, the elder, Evan Thomas, the
younger, both of Meifod, in the County of Montgomery, Black-
smiths, and John Morris, of Welchpool, also in the same County,
Ironfounder, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL
IMPLEMENT FOR FORMING THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND INTO COMPLETE
RIDGES, AND AT THE SAME TIME DEPOSITING MANURE AND SOWING SEED
THEREIN."
Sealed the 9th October 1869, and dated the 4th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Evan Thomas, the
elder, Evan Thomas, the younger, and John Morris at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th May
1869.
5 We, EVAN THOMAS, the elder, EVAN THOMAS, the younger, both of
Meifod, in the County of Montgomery, Blacksmiths, and JOHN MORRIS,
of Welshpool, also in the same County, Ironfounder, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL
IMPLEMENT FOR FORMING THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND INTO COMPLETE RIDGES,

page_text: AND AT THE SAME TIME DEPOSITING MANURE AND SOWING SEED THEREIN," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to an implement which in travelling over the
surface of the ground forms at once a perfect ridge, and at the same
time deposits the necessary manure and sows the seed therein, such end
being effected heretofore by four times passing over the ground, twice by
one implement to form the ridge (one half at a time), and once by the
manure, and once by the seed depositor.
This improved implement consists of a framework composed of two
long bars placed parallelly, or side by side, and maintained or held in
that position by shorter or cross bars, staves, or bolts. The two parallel
bars bave handles or tails similar to those of a plough. The framework
thus formed carries two iron plough bodies by means of two horizontal
bars which project on each side of the framework. The plough bodies
are formed with shares and shield boards, which incline inwards or
towards each other in such manner that when in use they push the soil
from the outside of the implement towards its centre, so as to form a
complete ridge. The plough bodies are made to slide upon the horizontal
bars, so that the width of the ridge may be varied as may be desired.
A wheel mounted on an axle is provided at the forepart of the implement,
and its axle is carried in two slides, in which slides it may be fixed at
any desired height (by an arrangement of levers); in this way the height
of the wheel may be adjusted in accordance with the size of ridge. A
bar formed as a bent lever projects from one of the slides, and is con-
nected by means of a rod with a lever fixed near the handles or tails.
By means of this arrangement the wheel may be drawn downwards,
thus raising the fore end and the shares from off the ground, and
the implement may then be wheeled to where the next ridge is to be
formed.
The arrangement for depositing the manure may be thus described.
To the wheel is attached a pulley connected by an endless strap, band,
or chain with another pulley on whose spindle is keyed a bevel toothed
wheel, which gears into another bevel wheel having three or more rows
of teeth, so that the rate of motion, and thereby the quantity of manure
deposited, may be regulated. The delivering spout is so attached that it
may be set to deposit the manure at any depth required.
The seed drill is operated in the following manner:-The same spindle
which carries the bevel toothed wheel first alluded to in the description of

page_text: arrangement for operating manure depositor carries also a small pulley
and an endless band, cord, strap, or chain passing over it and over
another pulley, the spindle of which latter pulley is attached to the
hopper containing the seed to be sown. The seed hopper or reservoir is
placed behind that containing the manure in or on the framework of the
implement.
It will be seen from the foregoing statement that the implement
deposits the manure in a line along the ground, gathering up the soil
upon it so as to form a ridge having the manure within it at any depth
and in any quantity that may be required, and at the same time sows
the seed in the top part of the ridge exactly above the line of manure.
When the wheel first mentioned (that on which the implement travels) is
raised up as herein-before described it is at a certain distance from the
spindle driven by it. In this position the ploughs are in the ground,
and the driving band is tight over the pulleys, so that the manure and
seed depositors are at work, but when the wheel is drawn back so as to
raise the ploughs the distance is lessened and the band slackened, the
depositors cease to work, and no manure or seed can be wasted. A pair
of wheels may, if preferred, be attached to the implement to run at each
side of the ridge formed, and carry the hinder part of the frame.
The implement may he travelled by animal, steam, or other power...
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Evan Thomas, the elder, Evan Thomas, the
younger, and John Morris in the Great Seal Patent. Office on the
4th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EVAN
THOMAS, the elder, EVAN THOMAS, the younger, both of Meifod, in the
County of Montgomery, Blacksmiths, and JOHN. MORRIS, of Welchpool,,
also in the same County, Ironfounder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Evan Thomas, the elder, Evan Thomas,

page_text: the younger, and John Morris, Her special licence that we, the said
Evan Thomas, the elder, Evan Thomas, the younger, and John Morris,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Evan Thomas, the elder, Evan Thomas, the younger, and John Morris,
our 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, usc,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A
NEW OR IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT FOR FORMING THE SURFACE OF THE
GROUND INTO COMPLETE RIDGES, AND AT THE SAME TIME DEPOSITING MANURE AND
SOWING SEED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Evan Thomas, the elder, Evan Thomas, the younger, and John
Morris, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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 we, the said Evan Thomas, the elder, Evan
Thomas, the younger, and John Morris, do hereby declare the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to an implement which in travelling over the
surface of the ground forms at once a perfect ridge, and at the same time
deposits the necessary manure and sows the seed therein, such end
having been effected heretofore by four times passing over the ground,
twice by one implement to form the ridge (one half at a time), and once
by the manure, and once by the seed depositor.
This improved implement consists of a framework composed of two
long bars placed parallelly or side by side, and maintained or held in that
position by shorter or cross bars, staves, or bolts. The two parallel bars
have handles or tails similar to those of a plough. The framework
thus formed carries two iron plough bodies by means of two horizontal a
bars which project on each side of the framework. The plough bodies
are formed with shares and shield boards, which incline inwards or
towards each other in such manner that when in use they push the soil

page_text: from the outside of the implement towards its centre so as to form a
complete ridge. The plough bodies are made to slide upon the hori-
zontal bars, so that the width of the ridge may be varied as may be
desired. A wheel mounted on an axle is provided at the fore part of the
implement, and its axle is carried in two slides, in which slides it may
be fixed at any desired height (by an arrangement of levers). In this
way the height of the wheel may be adjusted in accordance with the
size of the ridge. A bar formed as a bent lever projects from one of the
slides, and is connected by means of a rod with a lever fixed near the
handles or tails. By means of this arrangement the wheel may be drawn
downwards, thus raising the fore end and the shares from off the ground,
and the implement may then be wheeled to where the next ridge is to
be formed.
The arrangement for depositing the manure may be thus described :-
To the wheel is attached a pulley connected by an endless strap, band,
or chain with another pulley on whose spindle is keyed a bevel toothed
wheel, which gears into another bevel wheel having three or more rows
of teeth, so that the rate of motion, and thereby the quantity of manure
deposited, may be regulated. The delivering spout is so attached that it
may be set to deposit the manure at any depth required.
The sced drill is operated in the following manner :-The same spindle
which carries the bevel toothed wheel first alluded to in the description
of arrangement for operating manure depositor carries also a small
pulley and an endless band, cord, strap, or chain passing over it and over
another pulley, the spindle of which latter pulley is attached to the
hopper containing the seed to be sown. The seed hopper or reservoir is
placed behind that containing the manure in or on the framework of the
implement.
It will be seen from the foregoing statement that the implement
deposits the manure in a line along the ground, gathering up the soil
upon it so as to form a ridge having the manure within it at any depth
and in any quantity that may be required, and at the same time sows
the seed in the top part of the ridge exactly above the line of manure.
The implement may be travelled by animal, steam; or other power,
and when designed for steam power may be made so as to form two or
more ridges by being provided with the necessary extra working parts,
such as ploughshares, depositors, and drills, with their connecting parts
as herein described.

page_text: In order that the nature of the said Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed may be distinctly described and
ascertained, this Specification is accompanied by a Sheet of Drawings,
having figures and letters of reference marked thereupon, the like letter
being used to denote a similar or corresponding part in each Figure.
In these Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2, a plan;
Figure 3, an end elevation; and Figure 4, a front elevation of the
machine; Figure 5 is a plan of a parallel motion, the office of which
will herein-after be particularly described.
It will be seen by reference to these Drawings that the implement
consists of an iron framework A, compssed of two parallel bars con-
nected and fixed at a certain width by staves or bolts B, and having
handles or tails C similar to those of a plough. This framework carries
two iron plough bodies D, one on each side, and sliding upon horizontal
bars E fixed in and projecting from the iron framework. The plough
bodies are formed with shares and shield boards fixed reversely one to
the other, both of the said bodies having the shares and shield boards
inclining inwards towards each other so as to gather or collect the soil
from each side, and thus form a complete ridge in the centre. The
plough bodies may by sliding them upon the projecting bars be adjusted
so as to make broad or narrow ridges as may be required. The clasp
head of the heel piece F is made so as to slide both parallelly and hori-
zontally, so as to adjust the depth of the shares by raising or lowering
as, well as to regulate or determine the size of the ridge. There is a
wheel G in the fore part of the framework, turning upon an axle fixed
in two slide bars H which act as bearers; they are formed in the shape
of a segment and arm of a wheel. These slides being hinged to the
framework at each side allow the curved bars of the slides to move up
and down, thus elevating or lowering the wheel as the depth of-the
plough bodies may be required. There is also a bar I formed as a bent
lever projecting from one of the slides, and communicating by means of
another bar or rod J with a handle or lever K fixed near the handles of
the framework. By means of this arrangement the man guiding the
implement raises it out of the ground when necessary. There are a pair
of wheels L (Figure 3) with axles and slide bars attached to the imple-
ment behind the plough bodies, one wheel running in each of the plough
tracks, and bearing the hind part of the implement as it is travelled
along. These wheels have a steerage motion by which the man may

page_text: guide the implement in its work. The manure drill or depositor M is
fixed upon the framework above the plough bodies, and worked or
turned by means of a strap, pitch chain, or other driving band (leading
from the pulley N) on the fore wheel G to a pulley O on an axle or
spindle P, which turns upon two bearings and carries a bevel or mitre
wheel Qwith one row of cogs or teeth. The wheel Q works in and
turns another bevel or mitre wheel R, which has two or more rows of
cogs or teeth; this wheel R is fixed on the end of the spindle or shaft
which runs through the manure depositor M, and works the movers or
lifters of the same. As there is a series of rows or circles of cogs or
teeth in the wheel R of different sizes or numbers the means is thereby
afforded of altering the speed of the movers or lifters, and thus regu-
lating the quantity of manure to be sown or distributed. The drill or
depositor is set upon pivots which allow it to be set at any inclination as
required by unlevel land. The delivering spout or coulter is attached
so as to deliver the manure at any depth from the top of the ridge as
occasion may require. This drill or depositor is adapted and may be
applied for depositing guano or any dry artificial or special manures,
and also for depositing any liquid manure. There is a sced drill or
depositor S fixed behind the manure drill on the framework, and worked
by a chain, strap, or other driving band from a pulley T fixed on the end
of the spindle P. This drill sows the seed in the top of the newly-
formed ridge, and is provided with means of regulating the quantity
and the depth at which it is to be sown. A roller may be attached
running behind the seed drill upon the top of the ridge to press the soil
down, and thus cover the seed if required; this roller may be made
either straight or concave so as to flatten or round the ridge. The
pulley O (see Figure 4) is a loose sliding pulley with a clutch on its boss
or centre part, which clutch fits into a corresponding clutch U fixed on
the spindle P. The pulley O is pushed into gear with the clutch, or
drawn out of gear by means of a parallel motion V (see Figure 5). One
side of this parallel motion is fixed to the framework, and the other
slides upon the boss of the pulley O. The sliding part is connected by
means of a jointed rod with a small lever attached to one of the slides H
of the main wheel G, so that when the slides H are drawn down to raise
the ploughs out of the ground the sliding part of the parallel motion is
drawn towards the fixed part of the same. This at once disengages the
pulley O from the clutch U, and thus lets the wheel turn without
working the drills. When the wheel G is lifted up so as to let the

page_text: ploughs into the ground it at the same time pushes the pulley into the
clutch and thus works the drills. It will be obvious, therefore, that
when the ploughs are in the ground the drills work, and when the
ploughs are out of the ground the same operation that raises them stops
the drills, and thus prevents waste of manure or seed at the headlands or
when travelling from field to field.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
what we claim as our Invention is,―
Firstly. The construction of an implement capable of forming a perfect 1
or complete ridge, and the application thereto of manure and seed
depositors or drills.
Secondly. The so combining of the said ridging apparatus, manure
and seed depositors or drills into one implement that the ridging,
manure depositing, and seed sowing are simultaneously performed by 1
the travelling of the implement.
Thirdly. The general construction and arrangement of parts and the
particular details, all as described in this Specification and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof we, the said Evan Thomas, the elder, Evan 2
Thomas, the younger, and John Morris, have hereunto set our
hands and seals, this Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.