IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE RAKES, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO Two-WHEEL CARRIAGES.
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Marychurch, Agricultural Implement
Maker, and John Griffiths, Engineer, both of Haverfordwest, in the
County of Pembroke, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE
RAKES, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO Two-WHEEL CARRIAGES.
Sealed the 7th November 1856, and dated the 15th May 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Marychurch and
John Griffiths at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 15th May 1856.
We, WILLIAM MARYCHURCH, Agricultural Implement Maker, and Joun
GRIFFITHS, Engineer, both of Haverfordwest, in the County of Pembroke, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE
RAKES, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO Two-WHEEL CARRIAGES," to be as
follows:-
In horse rakes, as hitherto constructed, there have been affixed to the frame
series of levers attached to a handle, which, upon being depressed by a man
walking behind the rake, raise the teeth in order to relieve them of their load.
Now our Invention consists in working the teeth of horse rakes by the
forward motion of the implement itself. We find the following a good method
of carrying our Invention into effect:-We cause a ratchet wheel to revolve
with the driving wheels, and employ a lever, which upon falling into gear.

page_text: causes the onward motion of the driving wheels to raise the rake teeth,
through cranks and rods, and discharge or free them from the load. A cord
is attached to the lever and carried by a person leading the horse, and when
required to discharge the load he raises the end of the lever near to him, so
that a tongue upon the opposite end of the lever may fall into one of the
teeth of the ratchet wheel, where it is immediately secured by the onward
motion of the implement and pressed forward, turning at the same time a
crank, a bar, and other cranks, which elevate a bar and raise the teeth.
When in this position, the back of the next tooth in the ratchet wheel to that
in which the tongue of the lever was engaged, presses against a curved pro-
jection on the lever, throws it out of gear, and the teeth fall of their own
weight.
Our Invention also consists in an improved shoe for horse rakes and other
two-wheeled carriages, for taking the weight off the horse's back when going
down hill. The improvement consists in constructing the shoe in such manner
that it shall follow the periphery of the wheel instead of resting immediately
upon the ground, and in attaching to it a light frame, which supports the
foremost part, and from which the line of draught is taken..
Our claim will be, the construction of horse rakes, in such manner that the
teeth may be raised to discharge their load, and lowered by the forward motion
of the implement, and the formation of drag shoes, in such manner that the
weight will be taken off the back of the horse when going down hill with
two-wheeled carriages.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William, Marychurch and John Griffiths in the Great. Seal
"Patent Office on the 15th November 1856..
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TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
MARYCHURCH, Agricultural Implement Maker, and JoHN GRIFFITHS, Engineer,
both of Haverfordwest, in the County of Pembroke, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her, most, Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign, did,
for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said William
Marychurch and John Griffiths, Her special licence, that we, the said William
Marychurch and John Griffiths,, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said William Marychurch and John Griffiths, our

page_text: 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 HORSE RAKES, PART OF WHICH 18
APPLICABLE TO TWO-WHEEL CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that:
we, the said William Marychurch and John Griffiths, or one of us, or our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their,
or one of our or their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 William Marychurch and John Griffiths,
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 statement reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
In horse rakes, as hitherto constructed, there have been affixed to the frame
series of levers attached to a handle, which, upon being depressed by a man
walking behind the rake, raise the teeth in order to relieve them of their load.
Now our Invention consists in working the teeth of horse rakes by the
forward motion of the implement itself. We find the following a good method
of carrying our Invention into effect:-We cause a ratchet wheel to revolve
with the driving wheels, and employ a lever which, upon falling into gear,
causes the onward motion of the driving wheels to raise the rake teeth through
cranks and rods, and discharge or free them from the load. A cord is attached.
to the lever and carried by a person leading or driving the horse, and when
required to discharge the load; he raises the end of the lever near to him, so
that a tongue or tongues upon the opposite end of the lever may fall into one.
or more of the teeth of the ratchet wheel, where it is iinmediately secured by:
the onward motion of the. implement, and pressed forward, turning at the
same time a crank, a bar, and other cranks, which elevate a bar and raise the
teeth. When in this position, the back of the next tooth in the ratchet wheel
to that in which the tongue or last of the tongues of the lever was engaged
presses against a curved projection on the lever, throws it out of gear, and the
teeth fall of their own weight.
Our Invention also consists in an improved shoe for horse frakes and'
other two-wheeled carriages, for taking the weight off the horse's back

page_text: when going down hill. The improvement consists in constructing the shoe in
such manner that it shall follow the periphery of the wheel instead of resting
immediately upon the ground, and in attaching to it a light frame, which
supports the foremost part, and from which the line of draught is taken.
The Drawings hereunto annexed illustrate the manner in which we carry
our Invention into effect. Figure 1 is a plan of the horse rake; and Figure 2,-
a side elevation, partly in section, of the same, with our improvements applied
thereto. A, A, is the frame of the rake; B, B, the teeth; and C, C, the
driving wheels; D is a strong iron bar fitted into the two sides of the frame,
and extending about three inches beyond it on one side. Upon this bar D,
which revolves on its own axis, the teeth B, B, are hung, and to the same!
bar we attach three or more cranks E, E, and F; E, E, being inside the
frame A, and F outside, in order to serve as a fulcrum at G to the lever H.
The ends of the cranks E, E, carry a bar O, by which the teeth are raised.
I is the ratchet wheel fixed to and revolving with the driving wheel, having in
its circumference a number of teeth cut and placed about an inch apart, and.
protected by a cover. The lever I is furnished with tongues L, L, and a
curved end K; the tongues L, L, fall into two of the ratchets, and the curved:
end K, pressing against the back of the next tooth, releases the lever from the
hold of the wheel. We shew in the Drawings two tongues to the lever H, as
two will be found much more efficient than one, yet a lever with one tongue
only might be used. A cord is attached to the lever H, and carried by the
attendant leading or driving the horse; when required to discharge the load, he
raises the end of the lever next him, so that the tongues L, L, fall into the
teeth of the ratchet wheel, where they are immediately secured by the onward
motion of the rake and pressed forward, thereby turning the crank F, and.
consequently the bar D with the cranks E, E. These cranks then elevate the
bar O, which raises the teeth, as shewn by the dotted lines. The teeth having
arrived in this position, tho back of the next tooth of the ratchet wheel to:
that in which the last tongue of the lever was engaged, presses against the
curved end K, throws it out of gear, and the teeth fall of their own weight..
Into a cross bar which is attached to the frame of the rake we fit à screw M,
working into a female screw at Q, which is jointed to the shafts P. The shafts
are also jointed to the frame of the rack at R, R. By this arrangement the:
frame and the points of the teeth may be set to any inclination when the rake
is at work by the attendant turning the handle N.
Our improved shoe is shewn at S, Figure 2, and is intended to relieve the
horse of the weight going down hill, as herein-before described. The shoe can
be applied to all two-wheel carriages.

page_text: And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,-
First, the construction of horse rakes in such manner that the teeth may
be raised to discharge their load, and lowered by the forward motion of the
implement.
Second, the particular arrangement and construction of the various parts
of horse rakes, herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings
annexed.
Third, the employment of a screw, or other equivalent, and jointed shaft
irons, for setting the teeth at various incliuations while the rake is at work.
And, fourth, the formation of drag shoes in such manner that the weight
will be taken off the back of the horse when going down hill with two-wheel
carriages, as herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Marychurch and John Griffiths,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Thirteenth day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
W MARYCHURCH. (L.S.)
J. GRIFFITHS.
(L.S.)
W MARYCHURCH. (LS.)
J. GRIFFITHS.
(L.S.)