IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR SOWING OR DEPO- SITING SEED OR GRAIN
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HAMMOND BENTALL, of Heybridge, in the County of Essex, Ironfounder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighteenth day of December, in the eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the.
said Edward Hammond Bentall, Her especial license, full power, sole privi-
lege and authority, that I, the said Edward Hammond Bentall, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Edward Hammond
Bentall, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR SOWING OR DEPO-
SITING SEED OR GRAIN;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
obliging me, the said Edward Hammond Bentall, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Hammond Bentall, do hereby declare that the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
It
The object of my Invention is to construct an efficient implement for
depositing grain or seed in small quantities in the ground capable of being
used with facility by children. In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn
three arrangements or constructions of apparatus by which an intermittent
dropping is obtained. Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of my improved imple-
ments for depositing grain, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same.
consists essentially of a circular casing a, a, in the side of which a tube b is
inserted for admitting the seed or grain. The bottom plate of the casing a is
furnished with a pipe c, through which the seed is allowed to drop on to the
ground at regular intervals. Within the casing a is a cylinder d, having at
its bottom edge a flange or ring pierced with a series of holes e, e. The
interior of this cylinder is furnished with certain projections f & f*, forming
inclines, for the purpose hereafter described. The peculiar construction of
this cylinder will be better understood by reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5; Fig. 3
being a plan view, shewing the edge of the projections f, and also the holes e, e;
Fig. 4, a vertical section; and Fig. 5 a view, representing the cylinder as rolled
out flat. g, g, is a circular casing, placed within the cylinder d, and furnished
with a slot h the whole of its length. Upon the upper part of this casing g
is a flange, which serves as a cover to the casing a, and at bottom it is secured
to that casing by a nut and screw i. j is a rod, carrying at its upper end a
handle, and at its lower end a finger k, which passes through the slot h, and
works between the inclined planes f and f. In the interior of the casing g,
the end of a wooden handle 7, by which the laborer holds the apparaus, is fitted.
The end of this handle has an opening up the middle to allow of the free up
and down movement of the finger k. The rod j, as will be seen on inspecting
the Drawing, passes through this handle, but has no connection therewith.
For convenience sake, I propose to supply seed or grain to the tube 6 through
a tube of calico or other suitable material, which may be filled before com-
mencing to sow, and suspended by a band or strap passed round the neck of
the laborer. The action of the improved apparatus is as follows:-The seed,
descending by its own gravity down the tube b, falls on to the flange or ring at
the bottom of the cylinder d and into the holes e; the finger k is then drawn
up by means of the handle *, and, coming in contact with the inclined edge of
one of the projections f, will move the cylinder d part of a revolution, equal
to the distance between the centre of one hole e to the centre of the next

page_text: aujoming more.
The descent of the finger k will cause a similar movement of
the cylinder by its coming in contact with one of the lower inclines f. It will
now be readily understood that a repetition of such movements will bring the
holes e, filled with grain, &c., in succession over the pipe c, down which the
grain will fall in small quantities to be deposited in the ground. m is a brush,
fixed in the casing a, to prevent the fall of more grain down the pipe c than
is contained in the openings e. The quantity of grain or seed to be deposited
by the apparatus may be regulated by the capacity of the openings or
holes e.
Figs. 6 and 7 represent another plan whereby I effect the deposit of seed
in the ground at requisite intervals; Fig. 6 being a view, with the side plate of
the implement removed; and Fig. 7, a vertical section of the same, taken in
the line 1, 2, of Fig. 6. It consists of a framing (the upper part of which is
formed into a handle for holding the instrument), covered by two side plates
a, a, between which a ring of metal b, having an opening c, is fixed. Within
this ring is another ring d, pierced with circular holes e at equal distances from
each other. One edge of the periphery of this ring d is formed into a ratchet,
the teeth of which are equal in length to the distance between the centres of
the holes e. f is a catch, taking into the ratchet wheel, a portion of the ring b
being cut away to leave the ratchet wheel exposed to the action of the catch.
To the upper end of the catch a rod is jointed, which forms a handle for
working the apparatus; the ratchet is kept at its lowest position by the spring
g. h is a stationary brush, for preventing the fall of more grain or seed than
is deposited in the holes e; i is the shoot or channel down which the seed
drops on to the ground. The seed or grain is supplied to the centre of the
pierced ring d through a pipe l, cast or soldered on to one of the side plates.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The catch f, taking into a tooth
of the ring d when drawn up to its full extent, will cause the ring d to make
part of a revolution, and bring one of the holes e filled with seed or grain over
the opening c, when it will discharge its contents down the channel i. By
letting go the catch the spring g will force it down to its original position,
where it will take into the next tooth of the ratchet wheel by the pressure of
the spring j. k is a spring for preventing the return of the ratchet.
The third arrangement of seed-dropper, shewn at Figs. 8 and 9, is very
similar to the one last described; the only difference being, that instead of a
ring d pierced with holes, a disc of metal or other substance is employed, in
which recesses or cups are sunk for holding a certain portion of seed or grain.
The brush in this instance is situated above the disc d, as shewn at h, and an
opening is made in the ring 6 at 6* to allow of the seed falling into the cups e.

page_text: The parts of this instrument coinciding in other respects with that last described,
any further explanation will be unnecessary, as similar letters of reference
denote similar parts in these Figures.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim, under the above in
part recited Letters Patent,-
With respect to my first-described implement, the application of a revolving
ring, plate, or flange pierced with holes for regulating the quantity of seed to
be dropped at intervals from a hand-dropping machine; and also the appli-
cation of a cylinder (attached to or in connection with the revolving plate),
having slanting projections .or grooves, in which a finger or pin is made to
work, and cause the revolution of the said ring or flange, for the purpose above
described.
With respect to the second-described implement, I claim the peculiar con-
struction of revolving ring shewn in the Drawing, whereby the seed or grain
is delivered at intervals on to the ground.
With respect to the third-described implement, I claim a revolving disc, in
the periphery of which cups or recesses are formed for holding grain or seed,
when such disc is applied to hand-droppers.
And, lastly, with respect to the above described implements, I claim the
application of a flexible tube or bag for supplying the same with grain or
seed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Hammond Bentall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.