IMPROVEMENTS IN MOULDING PLOUGHS OR EARTHING PLOUGHS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederik Wolff, of the International Patent Office,
Copenhagen, Denmark, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MOULDING PLOUGHS OR EARTHING PLOUGHS." A communication by
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederik Wolff at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th November 1881.
FREDERIK WOLFF, of the International Patent Office, Copenhagen, Denmark
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOULDING PLOUGHS OR EARTHING PLOUGHS."
(A communication by Jens Ludvig Jensen, of Copenhagen, Denmark.)
Moulding ploughs or earthing ploughs constructed according to this Invention
are specially intended for potato cultivation, and have as compared with moulding
ploughs as heretofore made the distinguishing feature that they can be adjusted to
form as desired flat broad ridges or high sharp ridges; also, as is usual for such
ploughs, that they can be adjusted as to distance between the rows of plants, but
the adjustment is also so that ridge may be, formed to the one side and not to the
other, and this is another distinguishing feature of this Invention. The plough is
further provided with an apparatus whereby the vines in earthing can be bent out
towards the sides over the furrow between the ridges. Lastly, there is in front of
the plough body arranged a pair of spear or hoe-like feet, which stand one on each
side, but one more in advance than the other, and which are intended for cleaning
and breaking up the earth between the rows of plants. (All these appliances accord
with an earthing system of the inventor's, the main object of which is to prevent
the germinating bodies which drop down from the potato fungus on the potato
tops from penetrating through the earth down to the tubers, and thereby carry
the potato disease to them). At the same time this plough is intended to insure
the greatest possible quantitative yield of the potatoes under cultivation.
The adjustment of the mould board for a flat or for a high and sharp ridge is
effected by means of triangular or winged shaped boards on their inner sides.
These wing boards can turn each round a rivet at the front point, and are set
higher or lower according as it is desired to obtain a flat ridge or a high and
sharp ridge, and held in position by means of thumb screws in holes at different
elevations. In general it will be found most advantageous as regards quantitative
yield to ridge up flat at the first earthing up of potatoes. The winged shaped
LD.

page_text: boards are then set in the lowest position. But when the potatoes are ripening, or
at all events as soon as traces of disease have shown themselves in the tops or
vines, then high ridging is to be resorted to, and the winged shaped boards are
then raised so that their lower edge is about flush with the lower edge of the
mould boards, in order that the high ridge may have proper incline and width
below. Should it according to circumstances appear desirable the wing boards may
be placed intermediately between the two aforesaid positions. By this cultivation
of potato fields disease in the tubers is prevented (inasmuch as the strong covering
up of potatoes by the high steep ridging or earthing prevents the disease, which
really generally makes its appearance towards the time of ripening) from propa-
gating from the tops to the tubers. On the other hand the development of the
tubers is not impeded by the earthing up, as the main object of the first flat
earthing up is to get the weeds away from the spaces between the rows, and to
ensure that the plants derive a full benefit from the rain water, until the time
comes when the appearance of the disease on the leaves necessitates the high ridge
earthing. But at this time the tubers have, generally speaking, attained their full
size. In order that the mould boards may be set according to the distance between
the rows of plants, and if desired to earth up towards the one side and not to the
other (which latter is rather important, partly because in this way the ridge can
be made higher, and partly because the earth thus carried up one sided can keep
the bent plant top in an inclined position), the mould boards are made to turn
round a bolt forming a hinge. The mould boards have towards the rear each a
curved link which passes through an eye in the beam, and are by means of a peg
and corresponding holes in the-eye-and-in-the-links.held in the desired position.
If it is desired to earth up to one side only, then one mould board is placed close
up to the beam, while the other mould board forms a suitable angle therewith.
As the one sided earthing should always be to the same side the mould boards
are adjusted alternately each time the end of a row is reached, as otherwise it
would be necessary to run the plough back without doing any work, in order each
time to start from the same end of the field. This mode of earthing is only applied
in the last earthing of the potatoes, when it is desired at the same time to lay the
potato vines to one side over the next furrow in order that the fungus germs which
might drop down from them may fall more in the furrow than on the ridge, and
in order that the somewhat inclined vines may become less apt to lead the water
down in the earth to the root, with the object of thereby hindering the propagation
of the disease from the tops to the tubers.
For the purpose of inclining the top over the furrow a bar is used on one sido
of the plough at its front end jointed to a nut, which can be screwed higher up
or lower down on a screwed peg on the beam of the plough for adjusting the
inclination of the bar; this latter is besides held between two guide bars which
have holes through the bar, having corresponding holes so that a peg passed
through the same may retain the bar in the desired position.
The hoe and spear shaped feet at the front of the plough serve to cleanse and
break up the earth in front of the plough-share and mould boards before the latter
push the earth up against the potato plants. These feet pass through eyes or
staples which can slide on a cross-bar which is in a slanting position, so that they
can be adjusted both in the vertical direction and along the cross-bar, and also
according to circumstances as to their distance apart. By the slanting position of
the cross-bar one of the feet is made to act in advance or before the other, whereby
the earth is broken up more completely. The slanting position of the cross bar
also gives more room between the feet for the passage of the earth, the weeds, and
accidental impediments.
The mould boards being fastened to the beam by means of tho hinge bolt
they can easily be removed, and the plough thus be converted to an ordinary
horse hoe.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederik Wolff in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th May
1882.
"
FREDERIK WOLFF, of the International Patent Office, Copenhagen, Denmark,
Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MOULDING PLOUGHS OR EARTHING PLOUGHS."
(A communication from Jens Ludvig Jensen, of Copenhagen, Denmark.)
Moulding ploughs or earthing ploughs constructed according to this Invention
are specially intended for potato cultivation, and have as compared with moulding
ploughs as heretofore made the distinguishing feature that they can be adjusted to
form as desired flat broad ridges or high sharp ridges; also, as is usual for such
ploughs, that they can be adjusted as to distance between the rows of plants, but
the adjustment is also so that ridge may be formed to the one side and not to the
other, and this is another distinguishing feature of this Invention. The plough is
further provided with an apparatus whereby the vines in earthing can be bent out
towards the sides over the furrow between the ridges. Lastly, there is in front of
the plough body arranged a pair of spear or hoe-like feet, which stand one on each
side, but one more in advance than the other, and which are intended for cleaning
and breaking up the earth between the rows of plants. (All these appliances
accord with an earthing system of the inventor's, the main object of which is to
prevent the germinating bodies which drop down from the potato fungus on the
potato tops from penetrating through the earth down to the tubers, and thereby
carry the potato disease to them). At the same time this plough is intended to
insure the greatest possible quantitative yield of the potatoes under cultivation.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side view, and Figure 2 part plan
of such a plough.
The adjustment of the mould boards a for a flat or for a high and sharp ridge is
effected by means of triangular or wing shaped boards 6 on their inner sides.
These wing boards can turn each round a rivet c at the front point, and are set
higher or lower, according as it is desired to obtain a flat ridge or a high and sharp
ridge, and held in position by means of thumb screws in holes at different elevations.
In general it will be found most advantageous as regards quantitative yield, to
ridge up flat at the first earthing up of potatoes. The wing shaped boards b are
then set in the lowest position, as shown at Figure 1. But when the potatoes are
ripening, or at all events as soon as traces of disease have shown themselves in the
tops or vines, then high ridging is to be resorted to, and the wing shaped boards b
are then raised so that their lower edge is about flush with the lower edge of the
mould boards, in order that the high ridge may have proper incline and width
below. Should it according to circumstances appear desirable, the wing boards
may be placed intermediately between the two aforesaid positions. By this
cultivation of potato fields disease in the tubers is prevented (inasmuch as the
strong covering up of the potatoes by the high steep ridging or earthing prevents
the disease which really generally makes its appearance towards the time of
ripening) from propagating from the tops to the tubers. On the other hand, the
development of the tubers is not impeded by the earthing up, as the main object
of the first flat earthing up is to get the weeds away from the spaces between the
rows, and to ensure that the plants derive a full benefit from the rain water, until
the time comes when the appearance of the disease on the leaves necessitates the
high ridge earthing. But at this time the tubers have generally speaking attained
their full size. In order that the mould boards may be set according to the
distance between the rows of plants, and if desired to earth up towards the one
side and not to the other (which latter is rather important, partly because in this
way the ridge can be made higher, and partly because the earth thus carried up
one sided, can keep the bent plant top in an inclined position), the mould boards
are made to turn round a bolt f, forming a hinge. The mould boards have towards
the rear each a curved link g which passes through an eye or slot h in the beam,

page_text: and are by means of a peg i and corresponding holes in the eye or slot part of
the beam, and in the links held in the desired position. If it is desired to earth up
to one side only, then one mould board is placed close up to the beam, while the
other mould board forins a suitable angle therewith.
As the one sided earthing should always be to the same side, the mould boards
are adjusted alternately each time the end of a row is reached, as otherwise it
would be necessary to run the plough back without doing any work, in order each
time to start from the same end of the field. This mode of earthing is only applied
in the last earthing of the potatoes when it is desired at the same time to lay the
potato vines to one side over the next furrow in order that the fungus germs which
might drop down from them may fall more in the furrow than on the ridge, and in
order that the somewhat inclined vines may become less apt to lead the water
down in the earth to the root, with the object of thereby hindering the propagation
of the disease from the tops to the tubers.
For the purpose of inclining the top over the furrow, a bar j is used on one side
of the plough at its front end k, jointed to a nut which can be screwed higher up
or lower down on a screwed peg m on the beam of the plough, for adjusting the
inclination of the bar j; this latter is besides held between the guide bars n which
have holes through the bar j. having corresponding holes so that a peg p passed
through the same may retain the bar in the desired position.
The hoe and spear shaped feet q at the front of the plough serve to cleanse and
break up the earth in front of the plough share vand mould boards a, before the
latter push the earth up-against-the_potato_plants. These feet_pass_through_eyes_
or staples r, which can slide on a cross bars which is in a slanting position, so that
they can be adjusted both in the vertical direction and along the crossbar, and also
according to circumstances as to their distance apart. By the slanting position of
the crossbar one of the feet is made to act in advance or before the other, whereby
the earth is broken up more completely. The slanting position of the cross bar
also gives more room between the feet for the passage of the earth, the weeds, and
accidental impediments.
The mould boards being fastened to the beam by means of the hinge bolt f, they
can easily be removed, and the plough thus be converted to an ordinary horse hoe.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect as communicated to me, I declare that I
claim all substantially as described and shown,-
First. The application to earthing ploughs of the adjustable wing shaped boards b
for regulating the height and the width at top and bottom of the ridges formed by
the plough.
Second. The adjusting of the mould boards a relatively to the beam, so that
with the same plough earthing up may be done at will to both sides simultaneously,
or to one of the sides by changeable mould-boards, and also the means by which
the adjusting is obtained.
Third. The employment in earthing ploughs of the apparatus for laying the
vines slanting over the adjoining furrow.
Fourth. The application of the feet q to earthing ploughs, also the mode of
placing them, so that one is set a little before the other.
Fifth. The combination of parts forming the improved earthing or moulding
plough.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederik Wolff, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sights the
FREDERIK WOLFF. (L.S.)