IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Cooke at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1881.
JOHN COOKE, of Lindum Works, in the City of Lincoln, Plough Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS."
My Invention relates to improvements in ploughs, and especially to those types
of ploughs known as "gang" ploughs and "tirnwrest" ploughs.
According to my first improvements the gang plough consists of one main beam
(preferably the angle iron beam, as described in my British Letters Patent, No. 767,
dated 12 March 1869) which carries the hinder frame or plough, and from this
beam the secondary iron beam, which carries the front frame or plough, is carried
by large screws, which thus admits of the latter beam being set further from or
nearer to the main beam, so as to plough a wider or narrower furrow, as desired.
At the front part of the plough the pole is attached between the two beams,
hereinbefore referred to, in such a manner (by means of screws, &c.) that its pitch
at the extreme end and position can be altered to adapt the plough for being
drawn by 2, 3, or 4 horses, as desired, to suit the nature of the soil and work.
The draw-hook and lanes are attached to the main beam and pole in such manner
as to be readily moveable to suit the draught for 2, 3, or 4 horses.
A cross bar is fixed at right angles to the line of draught on the top of both
beams (by means of sockets or carriages provided with pinch screws to admit of
the cross bar being moved backwards or forwards), and this cross bar carries the
axles or standards of the two large wheels, and also the driver's seat. Thus the
whole weight of the driver is brought directly over the axle of the wheels, which
are exactly opposite to each other, so that the plough can turn round in the smallest
space without causing one or both of the wheels to bind or drag sideways, as would
be the case if not exactly opposite to each other.
By such arrangement the weight of the whole implement is exactly balanced, so
that when working or going loose on the headlands or roads, no weight is thrown
on the horses necks, nor.on the hind or working part of the plough..
The land wheel to the left of the driver is fixed on a cranked lever, the lower
part of which forms the axle. This lever is placed within easy reach of the
driver, and is so arranged that the power of the driver is brought to bear ou

page_text: it to the greatest advantage, thus, it is pushed when it be desired to raise the plough
for going round the headlands, &c. (which is the only time at which the driver has
to use any exertion, and which is but slight), and pulled when it be required to
take up the wheel for throwing the ploughs into the ground. The lever is provided
with a spring catch which is held in notches cut in a quadrant, and serves to throw
the plough right out of work, or out of the ground for travelling round headlands or
on the roads, and for regulating the depth of ploughing to the greatest nicety whilst
the plough is at work.
My second improvements relates to turn-wrest ploughs, and more particularly to
a simple effective arrangement of the wheels of same.
In turn-wrest or one-way ploughs (which turn the furrows all in one direction
by means of left handed and right handed breasts or mould boards, which are
changed at each end of the furrow), it is necessary to have the wheels attached in
such a manner that they will each alternately act as land and furrow wheels,
according as to which breast is then in work (left or right hand), and to accomplish
this without obliging the ploughman to stop at each end and leave the handles to
adjust the wheels, which would occasion a considerable waste of time, I fix under-
neath the beam, and parallel with it, a swing carriage or holder, having two square
holes through which the wheel-slides pass or work at right angles to the beam, and
in which the slides are securely held by square loops and screws.
This swing-
carriage has a round shoulder or pin at each end, which work in sockets securely
fixed to the beam. Thus it will be seen that whilst the wheel-slides are securely
fixed to the swing carriago, and the swing carriage itself is securely kept in a
parallel position to the beam, it will swing quite loose across the beam underneath,
so that each will be raised or lowered to act as a land or furrow wheel, as
desired.
Now in order to fasten the wheels or lock them on either side for ploughing, a
piece of iron of circular shape provided with three circular holes is rigidly attached
to the swing carriage, and passes over from side to side, and over the top of the
beam, the middle hole is exactly over the top of the beam, and through this hole
a spring bolt passes, which is held in a chair or fastener fixed on top of the
beain.
The spring bolt is attached by a small iron rod to a lever between the handles of
tho plough, close to the ploughman, and when pulled back, the bolt is drawn out of
the hole in the aforesaid circular piece of iron (which is part of the swing-carriage),
so that the carriage is then loose to adapt itself for either land or furrow wheel; and
when it is swung into the right position, the spring bolt goes of itself into the hole
in the circular piece, and thus locks the wheels.