Improvements in or connected with Ploughing by Electricity.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Apr.. 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Ploughing by Electricity.
We, FRIEDRICH BRUTSCHKE, of No. 9, Wilhelmsplatz, Charlottenburg, and
HUGO SCHIMPFF, of No. 37, Merseburgerstrasse, Halle a/S, both in the German
Empire, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in the application of electricity
for driving ploughs.
The first idea which suggested itself for working ploughs by electricity was the
utilization of electrically propelled carriages which take the place of traction
engines, ploughs attached to the electric carriage in front and behind being
alternately raised and lowered. This plan dispensed with the necessity of turning
the carriage, but involved the shifting of the conductors, every time the carriage
had completed a double journey, to the extent of the width of the furrows and
occasioned a waste of time and was costly inasmuch as it required a double
conductor along three sides of the field to be ploughed. Moreover, for ploughing,
a special kind of conductor was required to convey the current to the electro-
motor, since, as the cables could not be allowed to slide along the ground, which is
loose, and often hilly and stony, the ordinary contact carriage is not available, lest
in consequence of an obstacle the tackle or the contact rollers should spring out or
the cable be injured.
The present invention obviates these disadvantages by the combination with a
tipping or balance plough of an electro-motor with special arrangements for
conveying the current.
The power is supplied from a generating station to the electro-motor of the
plough (which is furnished with a switch) either along conductors at one side of
the field to be ploughed, at right angles to the direction of travel of the plough,
or, in the case of very long fields, on a line bisecting the field to be ploughed, the
said conductors being carried by insulators on poles. If it be desired to use a
compound wound dynamo, the number of the conductors used must, correspond to
the dynamo.
From these two conductors two cables extend to the two terminals of the electro-
motor the said cables being attached to the conducting wires by clamps and led
over the field to be ploughed, in a diagonal direction. Upon the frame of the
plough is a projecting arm with insulators, for the attachment of these two cables,
and on the land-wheel side is a switch for reversing the direction of rotation of
the motor.
Half the length of the two insulated cables, measured from the conductors lies
free upon the ground, whilst the other half, fastened to the plough, is carried by a
number of light three-wheeled carriages or porters with high wheels.
These cable-carrying carriages or porters consist of a triangular frame, supported
at the angles by wheels the standards of which work in vertical bearings so that
the wheels will adjust themselves automatically according to the direction of
traction, and adapt themselves to every inequality of the surface of the ground. A
frame secured to the triangular carriage is provided with four wood clamps in
which the cables can be properly clamped, side by side.

page_text: The electro-motor on the plough frame moves the plough by means of a chain
which lies upon the ground and is secured at the ends, the motor armature being
geared to a chain wheel over which the chain passes.
The chain is led over this chain wheel and is kept in the proper direction by
guide rollers in front and behind. The end of the chain which passes from the
end of the plough which is at the moment in the rear is led to a suitably arranged
roller and passes off on the unploughed side, so that the loose end of the chain
may not be ploughed in.
The traction chain is secured at the ends of the field by means of ground
anchors each of which may have two wheels, which enable the anchor to be easily
raised out of the ground by rotating a hand lever.
The following important advantages are gained by the use of this invention :—
1. The only motor required in the field is the one which is mounted upon the
plough.
2. The very considerable wear and tear of rope which has hitherto been
experienced in mechanical ploughing, as well as the loss of power caused by the
friction of the rope and by braking the drum of the windlass, are entirely got rid
of, a considerable economy in power being the result.
3. The present mechanical plough can, in consequence of its construction, be
used even on billy ground.
4. Since the driver of the plough has the motor also entirely under his control,
there is no necessity for any signalling and further, since the employment of the
electro-motor renders it possible to use an arc or incandescent lamp, the ploughing
can be carried on even during thick fog, or in the night time.
5. The price of the complete outfit, with a generating station is considerably
less than the cost of a complete steam ploughing tackle and moreover in addition
to the saving in interest etc., there is considerable economy in labour.
Dated the 10th day of August 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
We, FRIEDRICH BRUTSCHKE, of No. 9, Wilhelmsplatz, Charlottenburg, and
HUGO SCHIMPFF, of No. 37, Merseburgerstrasse, Halle aj S, both in the German
Empire, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
The present invention relates to improvements in the application of electricity
for driving ploughs.
The first idea which suggested itself for working ploughs by electricity was the
utilization of electrically propelled carriages which take the place of traction
engines, ploughs attached to the electric carriage in front aud bebind being
alternately raised and lowered. This plan dispensed with the necessity of turning
the carriage, but involved the shifting of the conductors, every time the carriage
had completed a double journey, to the extent of the width of the furrows and
occasioned a waste of time and was costly inasmuch as it required a double
conductor along three sides of the field to be ploughed. Moreover, for ploughing,
a special kind of conductor was required to convey the current to the electro-
motor, since, as the cables could not be allowed to slide along the ground, which is
loose, and often hilly and stony, the ordinary contact carriage is not available, lest
in consequence of an obstacle the tackle or the contact rollers should spring out or
the cable be injured.

page_text: The present invention obviates these disadvantages by the combination with a
tipping or balance plough of an electro-motor with special arrangements for
conveying the current.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 and 4 are diagrammatical plan views illustrating the method of working
with the plough and the position of the cables for conveying the current:
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a ground plan and side elevation of the carriage
which supports the cable and which can adapt itself to every movement of the
plough :
Figure 5 is a front elevation of a plough provided with an electro-motor; and,
Figure 6 is a plan of the plough, the electro-motor being omitted for the sake of
clearness :
Figures 7 and 8 are side views and a plan shewing the ground anchor in and out
of the ground:
Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the method of employing the ground anchor.
The power is supplied from a generating station to the electro-motor of the
plough (which is furnished with a switch) either along conductors at one side of
the field to be ploughed at right angles to the direction of travel of the plough, as
shewn in Figure 1, or, in the case of very long fields on a line bisecting the field to
be ploughed, as shewn in Figure 4, the conductors a and being carried by
insulators on poles. If it be desired to use a compound wound dynamo, the
number of the conductors used must correspond to the dynamo.
From these two conductors a and b two cables k, extend to the two terminals
of the electro-motor, the said cables being attached to the conducting wires by
clamps and led over the field to be ploughed in a diagonal direction to the electro-
motor of the plough which is standing ready for work by the side of the anchor a.
Upon the frame' of the plough is a projecting arm with insulators for the attachment
of these two cables, and on the land-wheel side is a switch for reversing the
direction of rotation of the motor.
Half the length of the two insulated cables, measured from the conductors a, b
lies free upon the ground whilst the other half, fastened to the plough, is carried by
a number of light three-wheeled carriages or porters with high wheels, as shewn in
Figures 2 and 3.
These cable-carrying carriages or porters consist of a triangular frame e
supported at the angles by wheels the standards of which work in vertical
bearings el so that the wheels will adjust themselves automatically according to
the direction of traction, and adapt themselves to every inequality of the surface of
the ground. A frame f secured to the triangular carriage is provided 'with four
wood clamps f in which the cables can be properly clamped side by side.
If now the plough moves from the anchor a towards ẞ, the cables k, k¹ are
carried in the same direction by the cable-porters and take up the positions shewn
in dotted outline, until the plough reaches the anchor ẞ, so that the cables and their
porters execute a to-and-fro movement, the centre of rotation of which lies at c in
the centre of the field to be ploughed. As the plough returns from ẞ to a, the
cables gradually return to the position shewn in full lines. When the plough as
the process of ploughing is continued, reaches the vicinity of the centre of
rotation c, the cable-porters are shifted from the point c to c¹ so that the cables
now move to-and-fro round the point c'.
The electro-motor b' on the plough frame a' (Figures 5 and 6) moves the plough
by means of a chain which lies upon the ground, whilst in mechanically driven
ploughs hitherto in use this has been effected by traction by means of ropes from a
definite source of power and passing over the field.
The essential novelty thus consists in the case of the plough referred to herein in
the direct combination of the plough with a motor, all intermediate mechanism
such as cables, windlasses, etc. being dispensed with.
The electro-motor b' is so arranged upon the framing of the balanced four-furrow
ipping plough that the mid plane of the plough corresponds with that of the

page_text: motor. From the axle of the motor, by means of a double wheel gearing, a chain
wheel, which also lies in the mid plane, is driven, and the speed of the latter is
adapted to the rate of rotation of the motor by means of the aforesaid gearing.
The chain which is stretched over the field is led over this chain-wheel c² and is
kept in the proper direction by guide-rollers 9 and g¹ in front and behind. The
end of the chain which passes from the end of the plough which is at the moment
in the rear is led to a suitably arranged roller h and passes off on the unploughed
side so that the loose end of the chain may not be ploughed in.
The traction chain is secured at the ends of the field by means of the ground
anchors shewn in Figures 7 and 8. These consist of three or four (according to
the size of the plough) leaf-shaped anchors k² rotating round a cranked axle w
furnished with two wheels; these anchors when the axle is pulled upon by the
chain and rotates in consequence, enter the ground, and after the chain has moved
from 15 to 20 centimeters anchor it fast. On the other hand the anchor can be
easily raised out of the ground by rotating a hand lever v, and, after the pawl has
been placed under a projection on the frame of the ground anchor, the latter may
easily be removed by means of this hand-lever to another point, only one labourer
being required for the purpose.
The method of working with the mechanical plough is as follows:-One ground
anchor a, Figure 9, having been let in the chain is attached to it by means of a
rotating swivel on the latter, passed over the chain wheel c², through the plough,
and across the field. The second ground anchor ẞ is then let into the ground at
the opposite end of the field. The motor is then supplied with current and caused
to rotate in the proper direction thereby winding the chain over the chain wheel
and moving the plough across the field, the plough being steered from the driver's
seat in the usual way, and the depth of the furrow regulated at the same time.
When the plough has reached the anchor ẞ and has been stopped, it is tipped, the
chain loosened at the end, which has been the traction end, by a few turns of the
motor in the reverse direction so that the anchor ẞ can be raised, shifted through a
distance corresponding to twice the breadth of the furrows to ẞ' and again let into
the soil. The plough is now guided into the new furrow, and the return movement
carried out by the rotation of the motor, as far as the anchor a which is then
shifted in the way just described.
The following important advantages are gained by the use of this invention:-
1. The only motor required in the field is the one which is mounted upon the
plough.
2. The very considerable wear and tear of rope which has hitherto been
experienced in mechanical ploughing, as well as the loss of power caused by the
friction of the rope and by braking the drum of the windlass, are entirely got rid
of, a considerable economy in power being the result.
3. The present mechanical plough can, in consequence of its construction, be
used even on hilly ground.
4. Since the driver of the plough has the motor also entirely under his control,
there is no necessity for any signalling, and further, since the employment of the
electro-motor renders it possible to use an are or incandescent lamp, the ploughing
can be carried on even during thick fog, or in the night time.
5. The price of the complete outfit, with a generating station is considerably
less than the cost of a complete steam ploughing tackle and moreover in addition
to the saving in interest, etc. there is considerable economy in labour.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
A balance or tipping plough which is moved to and fro, by means of an electro-
motor mounted upon it, along a chain stretched across the field and anchored at
both ends, the electro-motor receiving its current from a movable conductor of
which the part nearest the plough swings, when following the motion of the plough,

page_text: in a horizontal plane around a variable centre (the middle supporting point of the
conductor) substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.