IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EXCAVATING NARROW CHANNELS OR TRENCHES FOR DRAINING LAND." CE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Abbott of Newark-on-Trent in County of
Nottingham, Engineer, and George Storey Moore of Sunderland in the
County of Durham, Gentleman, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Abbott and George
Storey Moore at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
30th March 1882.
THOMAS ABBOTT of Newark on Trent in the County of Nottingham Engineer
and GEORGE STOREY MOORE of Sunderland in the County of Durham Gentleman
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EXCAVATING NARROW CHANNELS OR TRENCHES
FOR DRAINING LAND."
CE
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for excavating
narrow channels or trenches for draining land.
Our improved drain cutting machine operates by means of a wheel cutter armed
with teeth which are protruded from the front and under part of the wheel and
are drawn back at the upper and hinder part of the wheel to clear them from the
detached soil.
This wheel cutter is mounted upon a carriage together with a motor engine by
which it is rotated, and the implement so constituted is drawn by a rope and
winding apparatus or by other means along the land in which the channel or
trench is intended to be cut.
We construct the implement with a frame carried upon three wheels, two of
these are near the back of the machine and are upon a transverse axle, the third is
a steering wheel and is at the front of the implement. The wheel cutter is carried
at the forward end of a strong arm or frame and it can be raised and lowered by
the arm turning about a transverse horizontal shaft which passes through it at its
rear end.
The wheel cutter is driven by a small steam engine which is mounted upon the
frame on one side and has its boiler behind the axle. The engine drives a

page_text: longitudinal shaft upon which there is a worm and this gears with the transverse
This shaft is
shaft which carries a pinion gearing into the wheel cutter.
immediately in front of the axle of the carrying wheels; it has a pinion upon it
baving teeth which we prefer to be of a peg like form they gear into corresponding
recesses in the periphery of the wheel cutter. The centre part of the wheel cutter
does not revolve, it is formed of a piece with the carrying arm and is surrounded
by a ring which by the gear already referred to is caused to revolve upon the
central part or boss. There are radial slots in the two side plates of which the
ring is composed and in these slots the cutters, which are steel plates sharpened
along the edge, are able to slide. Between the side plates of the ring there is an
eccentric surface or hoop which supports the cutters and causes them to project to
a suitable distance beyond the periphery of the ring. The supporting hoop being
eccentric allows the cutters to recede and clear themselves from soil whilst they
are out of the channel or trench.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Abbott and George Storey Moore in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th September 1882.
THOMAS ABBOTT of Newark on Trent in the County of Nottingham Engineer
and GEORGE STOREY MOORE of Sunderland in the County of Durham Gentleman
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EXCAVATING NARROW CHANNELS OR TRENCHES
FOR DRAINING LAND."
This invention has for its object improvements in machinery for excavating
narrow channels or trenches for draining land.
Our improved drain cutting machine operates by means of a wheel cutter armed
with teeth which are protruded from the front and under part of the wheel and
are drawn back at the upper and hinder part of the wheel to clear them from the.
detached soil.
This wheel cutter is mounted upon a carriage together with a motor engine by
which it is rotated, and the implement so constituted is drawn by a rope and
winding apparatus or by other means along the land in which the channel or
trench is intended to be cut.
We construct the implement with a frame carried upon three wheels; two of
these are near the back of the machine and are upon a transverse axle; the third
is a steering wheel and is at the front of the implement. The wheel cutter is
carried at the forward end of a strong arm or frame and it can be raised and
lowered by the arm turning about a transverse horizontal shaft which passes
through it at its rear end.
The wheel cutter is driven by a small steam engine which is mounted upon the
frame on one side and has its boiler behind the axle. The engine drives a
longitudinal shaft upon which there is a worm and this gears with the transverse
shaft which carries a pinion gearing. into the wheel cutter. This shaft is
immediately in front of the axle of the carrying wheels; it has a pinion upon it
having teeth which we prefer to be of a peg like form they gear into corresponding
recesses in the periphery of the wheel cutter. The centre part of the wheel cutter
does not revolve, it is formed of a piece with the carrying arm and is surrounded
by a ring which by the gear already referred to is caused to revolve upon the
central part or boss. There are radial slots in the two side plates of which the ring
is composed and in these slots the cutters, which are steel plates sharpened along
the edge, are able to slide. Between the side plates of the ring there is an
eccentric surface or hoop which supports the cutters and causes them to project to
a suitable distance beyond the periphery of the ring. The supporting hoop being
eccentric allows the cutters to recede and clear themselves from soil whilst they
are out of the channel or trench.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view of our excavating machinery. Figure 2 is a plan.
Figure 3 is a side view partly in section on a larger scale of the wheel cutter and
driving pinion and Figure 4 is a plan in section of Figure 3.
a a is the frame of the carriage its rear end is supported upon a pair of wheels b
on the axle c and its front end upon a steering-wheel b¹. d are the arms which
carry the wheel cutter, they can turn freely around the transverse shaft e and at
their extremity are fixed to the sides of a circular wheel or disc f which does not

page_text: revolve, g is a circular ring with side plates or flanges g¹ projecting inwards from
it. The inner circumference of these flanges bears against the circumference of the
fixed wheel f. Between the flanges g¹ there is an eccentric which projects from
the central portion of the circumference of the fixed wheel f. The eccentric is
surrounded by a ring i which can turn around it and to which are attached the
spades or cutters j-these cutters can slide radially in grooves formed in the ring g
and its side flanges g¹.
In the disc or wheel fis a slot f¹ along one side of which is a toothed arc k
concentric with the shaft c-into the toothed arc k gears a pinion ¹ carried by a
spindle. On the spindle is a worm wheel 2 into which gears a worm on a spindle
which can be turned by a hand wheel m as shewn.
By turning this hand wheel the cutter wheel can be raised or lowered so as to
regulate the depth of trench that is being cut or to lift it clear of the ground.
m is a small circular steam engine of any ordinary construction on its revolving
spindle n is a worm o which gears with a worm wheel on the transverse shaft e-
on this shaft is a peg wheel p the pegs of which gear into recesses in the periphery
of the ring g-and revolve this ring when the machine is at work.
Having thus described the nature of our said invention and the manner of
performing the same we would have. it understood that we claim :-
First, The construction of the cutter wheel substantially in the manner
hereinbefore described.
Second, The combination of machinery for excavating narrow channels or
trenches for draining land substantially as described and illustrated in the
drawings annexed.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Abbott have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty Eighth day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
THOS. ABBOTT. (L.S.)