IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TILLING AND CULTI- VATING LAND
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wilson, of Wansford, Northamptonshire, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TILLING AND CULTI-
VATING LAND."
Sealed the 31st May 1859, and dated the 9th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th December 1858.
I, JOHN WILSON, of Wansford, Northamptonshire, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TILLING AND
CULTIVATING LAND," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for tilling and
cultivating land. For these purposes a chain or rope is employed which has
an anchor or suitable fixing apparatus at each end, so as to hold the same
fast at or near a headland, towards which the tilling or cultivating implement is
being moved. A suitable carriage, by preference on four wheels, is constructed
in such a manner as to carry a chain wheel drum or pulley which receives
motion from a steam engine, which, together with its boiler, is also carried by
the carriage. The ploughs or other agricultural implements are attached to
and dragged by the carriage, and to prevent the necessity of turning the
carriage and implements at the end of each bout, it is preferred to employ
two sets of ploughs or implements, so that one set may be in and the other out

page_text: of action at each bout. The chain used is conducted partly around the chain
wheel by suitable guide wheels, so that as the chain wheel is caused to rotate,
it will, on the carriage passing from one headland to the other, progressively
pick up and again deposit the chain, and the end of the chain from which
the carriage is for the time being moving will have its anchor or holding
apparatus moved so that in the next bout the carriage and implements will act
on a fresli portion of the land; or in place of a chain and chain wheel, a
rope and pulley or drum may be employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th June 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WILSON, of Wansford, Northamptonshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Wilson, Her special licence that I, the said John
Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Wilson, my 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TILLING AND CULTIVATING LAND," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Wilson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 per-
formed, 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 I, the said John Wilson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for tilling
and cultivating land. For these purposes a chain or rope is employed which
has an anchor or suitable fixing apparatus at each end, so as to hold the
same fast at or near the headland towards which the tilling or cultivating
implement is being moved. A suitable carriage, by preference on four
wheels, is constructed in such a manner as to carry a chain wheel drum or
pulley which receives motion from a steam engine, which, together with its
boiler, is also carried by the carriage. The ploughs or other agricultural
implements are attached to and dragged by the carriage, and to prevent the
necessity of turning the carriage and implements at the end of each bout, it
is preferred to employ two sets of ploughs or implements, so that one set may
be in and the other out of action at each bout. The chain used is conducted
partly around the chain wheel by suitable guide wheels, so that as the chain
wheel is caused to rotate, it will, on the carriage passing from one headland to
the other, progressively pick up and again deposit the chain, and the end of
the chain from which the carriage is for the time being moving will have its
anchor or holding apparatus moved, so that in the next bout. the carriage and
implements will act on a fresh portion of the land; or in place of a chain and
chain wheel, a rope and pulley or drum may be employed.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures and 2 show the two opposite side elevations of an engine
combined according to my Invention; Figure 3 shews a plan of the chief
parts of the engines and boiler; and Figure 4 shews a plan of the chief parts
of the carriage on which the boiler and engines are mounted. I have not
thought it necessary to shew the whole of the details, as they are well
understood by engineers. In each of the Figures the same letters are used
to indicate the same parts; a is the main crank shaft which receives motion
from the steam engines b, b; on the end of the shaft a is a bevil toothed wheel,
which gives motion to the bevil toothed wheel c, on the inclined axis d, on the
lower end of which is a screw or worm e, which takes into and drives the
screw wheel e' on the shaft f; the shaft f has on it two chain wheels g, g,
which give motion to the two chain wheels h, h, on the axis of two of the four
wheels i, i, and it is by these means that the carriage is moved when on
common roads. On the shaft is a chain wheel j, which gives motion to the
chain ; this chain, when the carriage is in use for moving ploughs or other
agricultural implements, is anchored at each end, by suitable anchoring

page_text: apparatus capable of being moved along the headlands each bout equal to
that which the ploughs or other implements are capable of acting on at
each bout; 1, 1, are two small chain wheels, over which the chain is raised.
The two wheels 1, l, are combined in their action by means of an endless strap
on the drums m, m, on the axles of the wheels 1; 1, and it is by these means.
that the carriage is moved from headland to headland when the carriage is in
use for moving ploughs or other agricultural implements. The carriage is by
preference constructed with a locking motion at both ends, with provision for
fixing either locking apparatus and for steering at either end of the carriage;
or the two axles of the wheels i, i, may be connected together by connecting
rods in a convenient manner to facilitate the turning of the carriage, as is well
understood. The ploughs or. other agricultural implements are attached to
the ends of the carriage, and it is preferred to employ two sets of ploughs
.or other agricultural implements, and to attach one set to each end of the
carriage, and to make provision for raising the set which, for the time being, has
been in action out of the land, and to lower the set which for the time has
been out of action so as to come into action in or on the land in the next
bout.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim
to any of the mechanical parts separately, but what I claim is the combi-
nation herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.