IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKING, PULVERIZING, OR SCARIFYING LAND, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wood Homer, of Athelhampton, near
Dorchester, in the County of Dorset, Agriculturist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKING, PULVERIZING, OR SCARIFYING LAND, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE."
Sealed the 13th November 1866, and dated the 22nd May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wood Homer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd May 1866.
I, GEORGE WOOD HOMER, of Athelhampton, near Dorchester, in the County
of Dorset, Agriculturist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKING, PULVERIZING, OR SCARIFYING LAND, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSE," to be as follows:―
The object of this Invention is to break, pulverize, or scarify cach furrow
as it is turned by the plougb, and the nature of the Invention consists in
attaching to the ordinary plough (or to a steam plough) a breaker, cutter, or
instrument of any well-known construction, and of such a form as will follow.
immediately behind or by the side of the "turn-furrow," and break or pul-
verizo each furrow as it is turned, and bring to the surface all couch grass
or other roots and weeds. It will be evident that the precise form of the
breaker, cutter, or implement to be attached to the plough for the above
purpose may be varied very considerably without departing from the chief
feature of my Invention, as above described, and will depend in a great

page_text: measure upon the nature of the land and other circumstances under which it
is to be employed, as will be well understood by a practical implement maker;
but I will here describe the instrument or breaker in the form which I have
found to be effective and suitable for general purposes, and which can be
attached to or detached from the plough at pleasure.
The apparatus consists of three parts, namely, the shaft or bar, the con-
necting rod, and the breaker or knife. The shaft or bar is to be attached to
the beam of the plough at about the same place and by the same means as
the ordinary skim coulter. This shaft or bar projects downwards from the
beam and is curved in such a form that its lower end shall lie in the last
furrow (or that previously made by the plough the last time it was drawn
along), and to this end is jointed the connecting rod which is of such a length
that the breaker or knife which is attached to its other end shall follow at a
certain distanco (say about 4 inches) behind the turnfurrow. The form of the
breaker or knife which projects upwards near to the rear end of the con-
necting rod may be greatly varied; but that which I have found to answer
the purpose well is about ten inches long and slopes backwards at an angle of
about fortyfive degrees. As the plough is drawn along the earth is thrown
by the turnfurrow on to the connecting rod in front of the breaker or knife,
which is thus drawn through the centre of the earth or furrow just turned,
cutting through and breaking it up, and at the same time bringing all couch
grass and other roots and weeds to the surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Wood Homer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WOOD HOMER, of Athelhampton, near Dorchester, in the County of Dorset,
Agriculturist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Wood Homer, Her special licence that I, the said George Wood Homer,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Wood Homer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter,
2

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREAKING, PULVERIZING, OR SCARIFYING LAND, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR
SUCH PURPOSE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Wood Homer, 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 performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the dato of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Wood Homer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to break, pulverize, or scarify each furrow as
it is turned by the plough, and the nature of the Invention consists in
attaching to the ordinary plough (or to a steam plough) a breaker, cutter, or
instrument of any well-known construction, and of such a form as will follow
immediately behind or by the side of the turnfurrow and break or pulverize
each furrow as it is turned and bring to the surface all couch grass or other
roots and weeds. It will be evident that the precise form of the breaker,
cutter, or implement to be attached to the plough for the above purpose may
be varied very considerably without departing from the chief feature of my
Invention, as above described, and will depend in a great measure upon the
nature of the land and other circumstances under which it is to be employed,
as will be well understood by a practical implement inaker; but I will here
describe the instrument or breaker in the form which I have found to be
effective and suitable for general purposes, and which can be attached to or
detached from the plough at pleasure.
.
The apparatus consists of three parts, namely, the shaft or bar, the con-
necting rod, and the breaker or knife. The shaft or bar is to be attached to
the beam of the plough at about the same place and by the same means as
the ordinary skim coulter. This shaft or bar projects downwards from the
beam, and is curved or otherwise made in such a form that its lower end shall
lie in the last furrow (or that previously made by the plough the last time it was
drawn along), and to this end is jointed the connecting rod, which is of such a
length that the breaker or knife which is attached to its other end shall

page_text: follow at a certain distance (say about four inches) behind the turnfurrow.
The form of the breaker or knife, which projects upwards near to the rear end
of the connecting rod may be greatly varied, but that which I have found to
answer the purpose well is about ten inches long and slopes backwards at an
angle of about forty-five degrees. As the plough is drawn along the earth is
thrown by the turnfurrow on to the connecting rod in front of the breaker or
'knife, which is thus drawn through the centre of the earth or furrow just
turned, cutting through and breaking it up, and at the same time bringing
all couch grass and other roots and weeds to the surface.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in Breaking, Pulverizing, or Scarifying Land, and in Apparatus employed for
Euch Purpose," I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
and in order that the same may be distinctly understood, I have annexed here-
unto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with
figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 represents a side view of a plough with
my improvements applied thereto, and Figure 2 is a plan or horizontal view
of the same, as seen from above.
The shaft or bar a, b, is made in two parts, so as to enable it to be set
either higher or lower, and also a greater or lesser distance sideways from tho'
point of the coulter. The part of the shaft passes perpendicularly through
a socket in the beam c of the plough, and is fixed to the proper beight (when
adjusted) by the set screw d. The upper arm of the part 6 is capable of
being moved horizontally in the claw at the lower end of the part a, and when
adjusted to the proper width of the furrow is fixed therein by a set screw.
The lower arm of the part 6 has jointed to its lower extremity the connecting
rode, the other end of which lies in the furrow last made and projects about
four inches bebind the turnfurrow f, having attached to it the knife or
breaker g.
It will be evident that as the plough is drawn along the earth or
soil is thrown by the turnfurrow fon to the connecting rode at about the
point in front of the knife or breaker g, which is then drawn through it,
cutting through and breaking it up, and at the same time bringing all couch
and other roots and weeds to the surface.
grass
Having now described the nature and object of my said "Invention for
Improvements in Breaking, Pulverizing, or Scarifying Land, and in Appa-
ratus employed for such Purpose," together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would

page_text: remark in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention, attaching a knife,
breaker, cutter, or other analogous instrument to a plough, substantially in
the manner and for the purpose herein-before set forth and illustrated in the
Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, tho said George Wood Homer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEORGE WOOD HOMER. (L.S.)