IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING OR CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Samuel William Blyth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th July 1875.
I, SAMUEL WILLIAM BLYTH, of Great Slamseys, near Braintree, in
the County of Essex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING OR CULTIVATING LAND BY
STEAM POWER," to be as follows:-
In balance ploughs as heretofore usually constructed two sets of
ploughs have been carried by beams from opposite sides of a shaft
mounted transversely of the implement.
According to my Invention I mount two sets of ploughs or tilling
implements upon the opposite sides of a shaft placed longitudinally of
the implement, the several ploughs or implements of each set on cither
side of the shaft being set one behind the other and at increasing
distances from the shaft. The leading plough or implement of one set
being nearest to and of the other furthest from the shaft.
When the implement is being drawn over the land one set of ploughs
or implements on one side of the shaft are resting upon the land, and
arc in action whilst the other set of ploughs or implements upon the

page_text: other side of the shaft are raised up out of the ground and are out of
action. The ends of the shaft are supported in bearings at the top of
vertical pivots around which the axles of the supporting wheels are free
to swivel, these axles carry a wheel at each end, and the wheels which
have to run in the furrows are made of larger diameter than the wheels
which run upon the unploughed land.
The ropes by which the implement is to be hauled to and fro over the
land are connected one to the centre of the frame carrying one set of
ploughs, and the other to the centre of the frame carrying the other set.
The ropes are also led through eyes or guides on the axles in such
a manner that whenever one or other of the ropes commences to act as a
hauling rope the set of ploughs or implements to which it is attached is
brought down on to the ground whilst the other set is raised and kept
out of action.
The frame which carries cach set of implements also carries a lover
with a fork upon it to embrace the axle which is the leading axle when
that set of implements is at work, and also carries a screw shafi by
which the forked lover can be moved on its axis and control the position
of the axle for the purpose of steering the implement. The screw shaft
is turned by a hand wheel upon it, which comes just in front of a scat
upon which the attendant sits. There being one such seat for each set
of ploughs.
In order also that each axle as it in turn comes to be the rear axlo
may be locked at right angles to the implement, the fork embracing the
axle has a link jointed to it, which link still remains embracing the axle
at the time when the fork is lifted away from it by the turning up of
the ploughs or implements, and the axle thereby remains locked or held
by the steering gear.
When the axle is acting as the leading axle and the fork embraces it,
the link before mentioned turns up out of the way below the axle and is
held up by a spring, other means than those above described may be
adopted for retaining the axle which is for the time being the rear
axle.