IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF STEAM POWER TO THE CULTIVATION OF LAND
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th June
1864. A communication from abroad by Aristide Paul Blanchet,
Notary, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF STEAM POWER TO THE CULTIVATION
OF LAND," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved steam locomotive apparatus suitable
for working all kinds of agricultural apparatus, but especially applicable for
driving ploughs or other field apparatus. This apparatus is represented in
the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1, Sheets 1 and 2, represents a vertical elevation of the machine, while
Fig. 2, Sheets 3 and 4, shows a plan of same. The same letters of reference
represent like parts in the two Figures.
The apparatus consists, first, of a strong iron framing C serving to carry the
various parts. Secondly, of a steam engine of about ten-horse power, com-
prising a steam boiler A with two cylinders B placed in an inclined position on
each side of the fire-box. Thirdly, of a cranked shaft D forming the principal
driver, receiving motion from the pistons of cylinders B. On this driving shaft
are mounted three toothed pinions, one of which E is at the centre, and the
two others e near each end outside the framing; these pinions are rendered
fixed or movable at will by means of clutches. Fourthly, of four wheels, the

page_text: two smaller being in front, and the two larger R behind; these wheels have
very broad flanges, in order to prevent their sinking in the ground to any
great extent. The two large wheels are fitted with spring axles, and the
smaller ones turn on central pivots, the four forming the entire support of the
framing and various parts. On the axle of the large wheels is fitted about
midway a toothed pinion F, over which passes an endless chain H also
passing over pinion E on the driving shaft. The two large wheels R, which
may be rendered fixed or movable on their axes and disconnected or con-
nected at will, receive motion from the driving shaft D by means of endless
chains H connecting the two pinions E and F. In order to give them greater
hold on the ground they are furnished with small transverse projecting ribs on
their peripheries. The small wheels r simply support the framing at the
centre point G, and may be turned on their pivots to the right or left, and so
guide the machine in any direction. For this purpose two steering arms I
are connected to the ends of the axle of the small wheels, which arms are
actuated by hand gear J, as will be herein-after described. 5thly, of a drum T
placed at the back of the frame and fixed on a shaft turning in bearings, on
which are mounted two toothed wheels K. Each of these wheels K is con-
nected by an endless chain h to a toothed wheel e on the driving shaft, by
means of which chain motion is transmitted therefrom to the drum T. On
this drum T is wound an iron wire cable t, the end of which is attached to the
instrument of culture employed. 6thly, of a frame or anchor L furnished with
three points or projections, which are fixed in the ground to prevent the recoil
of the apparatus when the cable is put in tension, which frame is readily
withdrawn by the forward motion of the locomotive. The frame is further
provided in front at the under part with a large case M, serving as a reservoir
of water for feeding the boiler, and also containing at its upper part a small
supply of coal, which may be readily withdrawn by a trap situated at the feet
of the engine driver. q is a pipe serving as a communication between the water
reservoir and feed pumps; N, footboard for the driver and surrounding rails,
The boiler is further furnished with two water guages, safety valves, and steam
whistle.
Action of the machine.-The locomotive is first placed on the ground to be
operated on, the implement of culture being behind in close proximity to it. It is
thus necessary that the machine should advance, for which purpose the driver
by means of hand gear O, seen only in face view in Sheet 1, allows the steam
contained in chest P of the regulator to escape into cylinders B by a double
vertical pipe Q extending from each side of chest P. The piston rods actuate
the crank shaft D by means of forked rods S forming, as before mentioned,

page_text: the principal driving shaft. The two toothed wheels e are then disconnected
and consequently rendered loose on the driving shaft, while, on the contrary,
wheel E in the centre is fixed on said shaft and receives motion therefrom,
which it transmits by means of endless chain H to a large toothed wheel F,
the latter in its turn imparting motion to the two large driving wheels R;
these latter by the motion thus received propel the whole machine forwards
to any point desired by the driver, where he can immediately arrest its further
progress by simply disconnecting the toothed wheel E. I have before stated
that the small toothed wheels e, connected by the aid of endless chains /¹ to
the large toothed wheels K, were disconnected and loose on the driving shaft D,
whence it results, that as the locomotive advances the slightest tension on the
wire cable exerted by the implement will cause the drum T to turn in an
inverse direction to that of the machine, as also toothed wheels K and in
such manner that an amount of cable will be wound off the drum equal in
length to the forward motion of the locomotive; but when the cable has
been unwound a sufficient length, the driver by disconnecting wheel E stops
the movement of the locomotive, which thus becomes a stationary power,
while by gearing the toothed wheels E motion is imparted to the drum on
which (by a reverse movement to that produced when travelling in a forward
direction) the cable is wound, and by this means works the instrument of
culture employed in the tilling. I have also observed, that as this action
tends to draw the machine backwards, the hind frame or anchor is embedded
in the ground by its three points, and thus offers sufficient resistance to
counteract such back strain.
Method of transporting the machine from one place to another. It has
been seen that when only the locomotive travels forwards the cable is unwound
from the drum. I will now proceed to explain how the apparatus is removed from
one position to another. The locomotive actuates the whole apparatus, but as it
is necessary that the drum be prevented from turning, in order that the cable
drawing the implement be not unwound, I obtain this result by disconnecting
wheels e on driving shaft D and. rendering them fixtures, which has also the
effect of fixing the drum; for this purpose the driver, by the aid of a suitable
lever placed at his hand, lowers the pawls U mounted on the outside of the
framing into ratchet teeth on the back of wheels e, which pawls are again
withdrawn by the aid of the same lever when it is not desired to move the
whole apparatus together.
Direction. The driver may also back the machine by the aid of the lever,
while, as before mentioned, the large wheels R may be connected or discon-
nected, and fixed or movable on their axes according to requirements. The

page_text: hand gear J placed in front at the disposition of the driver enables him to
turn the small wheels r in front of the machine to the right or left, or in any
direction desired. This hand gear consists of a crank handle a imparting
motion to a pinion X 'gearing with a bevil wheel y turning shaft z. At the lower
end of this shaft is fixed a toothed wheel m, round which passes an endless
chain ; one end of this chain is attached to a pulley a on the end of the
steering bar I, while the other end of the chain, after passing over a turning
pulley f, is attached to another pulley a, also mounted on the steering bar.
The steering apparatus, as I have before observed, is furnished with a small.
wheel at each end, so that by turning the crank handle either to the right or
left the driver may guide the steering bar in any desired direction. In order
to prevent oscillation and preserve the equilibrium of the steering apparatus a
sector o is placed under the water chamber, in which sector the steering bar
is pivotted..
Method of gearing wheel E.-The driving shaft is made perfectly round at
the part where wheel E is mounted, so that it may turn freely thereon, it
being otherwise of polygonal form; above it are mounted on each side two
rings g, g¹, fixed vertically, but capable of horizontal motion, so as to slide
on the driving shaft. The faces of these rings next the wheel are toothed,
and gear with similar teeth on each side of wheel E; one of the rings g¹ has
a small groove on its exterior, in which is received a ring carried by a lever
arm, to be herein-after described. Next to the latter ring there is a smaller
grooved one gl, likewise fixed vertically to the driving shaft, but having a sliding
inotion on the shaft. In the groove of this small ring is also received the
ring of one of the lever arms above mentioned. The large and small rings
g, g¹, are connected together by a stem, as shown dotted in plan, Fig. 2,
received in a groove in the driving shaft. A lever at the disposition of the
driver terminated at its lower part by two arms, each having a ring, takes into
the grooves of rings g¹, g¹. The axis or pivot of this lever is at the centre of
these two arms, that is to say, one is above and the other below. The upper
arm is in connection with ring g', while the one below the axis gears with the
ring g". From this arrangement it will be seen that by moving the lever to
the right, for example, (the driver turning his back to the direction in which
the machine is travelling,) the wheel E will be thrown into gear; in fact, the
ring g' by sliding on the driving shaft causes the teeth to gear with those of
wheel E, at same time that the ring is slid along the shaft in the opposite
direction, carrying with it ring 9 by the aid of the inner stem uniting the two
together, which is thereby brought up to wheel E, the teeth on the side of
the latter gearing with the ring 9; in this operation it will be seen that the

page_text: rings 9', gl, separate one from the other, while by moving the lever in the
opposite direction the wheel F will be disconnected.
Details. Clearers fixed to the arms of the steering apparatus are placed in
front of wheels r for removing any unevenness which might cause an obstacle
to the motion of the locomotive. The anchor frame before described is sus-
pended when not in use at the rear end of the framing by means of a small
chain
p and ring, so as to prevent its dragging on the ground. As the engine
will serve not only for tilling but various other uses, such as threshing, the
locomotive may be converted into a portable engine, and transmit power to all
kinds of machinery by the aid of straps. To obtain this result the driving
shaft is turned of polygonal form at each end U, on which a wheel may be
fitted with strap. In order to balance the small wheels 7, and equalize the
draught either when moving backwards or forwards, I employ a chain, one
end of which is at the centre of the lower edge of the water compartment
connected by means of a ring or collar to a rod serving as a pivot mounted
perpendicularly on the axle of the small wheels, the ring sliding freely on said
rod; from this ring extends another chain, which is attached at a point at
back of the frame below the boiler; by this means the small wheels will be
kept in position when moving in either direction.
The Invention thus consists in the improved locomotive apparatus for
ploughing and tilling land by steam, herein described, which passes first over
the land to be cultivated, drawing after it the implements of culture. This
locomotive may also, as before mentioned, serve as a portable engine for
transmitting motion to all kinds of machinery by means of straps.