A MACHINE FOR DIBBLING AND DRILLING ALL KINDS OF GRAIN AND PULSE
Year: 1806

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JAMES PLUCKNETT, of the Parish of Christ Church, in the County of Surrey,
Agricultural Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, on or about the Seventeenth day
of April, in the forty-sixth year of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas James Plucknett, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas
James Plucknett; my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, during the term of fourteen
years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, exercise, and
vend, within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A MACHINE FOR DIBBLING AND DRILLING ALL
KINDS OF GRAIN AND PULSE;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas James Plucknett, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under 'my hand
and seal, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within one' calendar month next and immediately after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE; that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas James Plucknett, do hereby declare that my said Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be carried into effect and practice, aro
described in manner following, that is to say:-
As dibbling is now found to be the only effectual way to sow corn, pulse,
&c., in order to insure crops and save seed, by which the farmer will save
immense expence and never be disappointed of a crop. It is made as follows,
viz: A hollow roller of about three feet diameter, the ends made of wood or
iron or other fit material about one inch and an half thick, the roller about
one foot long, made with bars of iron about one inch and an half square, or
any other fit material sufficiently strong placed all round the circumference of the
roller, at about six inches asunder or at any other distance at which it may be
necessary to plant or dibble the corn, pulse, &c., for the distance of these
bars will be the exact space of one dibbled hole from the other following.
Therefore those bars will be placed round the two heads of the roller at six
inches distance from cach other, or more or less as may be required; these
bars, being about twelve inches long, screwed or otherwise fastened at cach
end at about six inches asunder to the two heads of three fect diameter, form
what I above describe as a hollow roller. Through the center of this roller is
fixed a square axle of either wood or iron or any other fit material with only
a sufficient round at cach end for the round collar to work in, which will be
either cut out of the ends or metal collars fixed to them; the square of the
axle should project sufficiently through the ends of the roller to admit of fixing
securely to them shafts or a handle similar to a garden roller or wheel barrow
of a hand machine. But if made larger for a horse it will be necessary to
have shafts for the horse to draw in; in either case it must be so securely
fixed on the square of the axle that the roller shall turn freely about it in the
collars beforo described, by which means the axle becomes a fixture to the
shafts or handle. On this square axle is hung a hopper or trough within side
the before described hollow roller, of such dimensions as will hang freely
without any part of it being so close as to rub or at any time touch tho bars
or inside of the heads of the roller. The mouth of this hopper or trough may
be made to any convenient size within the hollow roller, but the bottom must
be about two inches wide and of nearly the length of the roller, made of iron
or wood, &c., so that it is sufficiently strong to sustain the continued shocks of
the bars which will strike the bottom of the tumbler which is fixed in the
bottom of this hopper or trough. I call it a tumbler because, as the bars
strike the lower end, the upper part, which is fixed in a mortice or grove
in the bottom of the hopper or trough, is tumbled out of the mortice by means
of its being fixed through the middle by a pin at the bottom of the hopper or
trough. The upper part within the mortice is the segment of a circle about

page_text: four inches diameter and about one inch and an half thick, or any other
dimensions as may be for the convenience of sowing large or small grain or
pulse, &c. This segment is so cut at the bottom of the hopper that the center
is fixed just below the bottom outside the hopper, for the convenience of
changing the segment agreeably to the size of the grain or pulse which is to be
sown; for the segment of this roller, working within the grove or mortice
which is cut through the bottom of the hopper, so that the seed is agitated by
the tumbler on its own axis, will consequently never open any part of that grove
or mortice which will prevent the grain or pulse within the hopper from
dropping out; and in order that it shall deliver or tumble out the same
quantity at every time the bars of the roller strike against the lower part of
this tumbler or small segment of a roller which is fixed at the under side
of the hopper, there must be cut out of the upper edge of the segment next
the front of the hopper a recess of a proper size for that purpose, something in
the shape of a bean, which must be sunk within the thickness of the segment,
at the same time taking care to preserve the edges of the thickness of the roller
up to the segment, otherwise the corn, &c., will be liable to jamb between the
mortice or grove and the side of the segment; therefore the form of the recess
will be like the bowl of a teaspoon, but smaller or otherwise, as may be found
necessary for the quantity of seed to be delivered. This recess being placed
just within the thickness of the front of the bottom of the hopper, it will
compleatly shut up the mortice or grove until it is thrown open by the
playing of the lower part of the tumbler against the bars as the machine is
moved forward, which will be at six inches intervals more or less agreeably to
the position of those bars which strike against the lower part of the tumbler,
force it up in order for the bars to pass it, which must always be the case
while the lower part of the tumbler is a little longer than the radii of the
roller, or the bars revolve round its axis a little within the lower end of the
tumbler. To the lower end of the tumbler is fixed a prong on a joint which will
only open from the under side of the hopper so as to project perpendicularly
downwards, and there be stopped by means of its joint swiveling no further
round the lower part of the tumbler; therefore, this being about two inches
long will strike the bars, but when doubled under the hopper by means of the
joint the bars will pass freely by it without disturbing the tumbler, and con-
sequently not let out any of the contents of the hopper, which is necessary
to preserve the contents of the hopper from waste by rolling the machine the
reverse way to that when at work. I have called it above a prong because
this little swivel is fixed to the outside of the tumbler with two ears, through
which and the bottom of the tumbler is a little pin on which it swivels; the

page_text: lower end, which is about two inches or more if necessary, is divided so as to
make a prong, as above described, by which means the hole which the dibble
makes will be filled up and the end covered over, as the dibble will deposit the
grain between the prong which is drove into the ground at the same instant
the bars lift the lower part of the tumbler and prong, because the dibble
is fixed to the upper part of the segment, and consequently, the segment being
on a center, the dibble must be forced into the carth in the same proportion as
the bars lift the lower end or more as may be found necessary by fixing one
or the other more or less from the center. The hind part of the dibble is
hollowed sufficiently to convey the grain, &c., to the ground; the lower part
is pointed, and the front about the thickness of a coulter because it has two
motions, being struck into the ground and passing forward at the same time;
the upper end is placed in an eye of iron about as much above the joint as the
point is below, fixed to the outside of the hopper through which it passes freely
every time it strikes into the ground, which is done by the motion of the
tumbler which turns out the seed at the same instant.
The above is the most simple and best suited to agricultural purposes, being
the least likely to be put out of repair, and if at any time injured, so little
complicated that it will be sufficiently within the capacity of any country
tradesman to repair it. Notwithstanding, this instrument or dibbling machine
may be made several different ways, and the principle still be the same; such
as, with cogg wheels and with plain round holes in the bottom of the hopper,
which may be eclipsed by a slide and screw to adjust the quantity to be
delivered at each stroke of the bars against the ends of small flaps or shutters,
which are fixed on a hinge and shut up the bottom of the hole every time by
means of a spring wire fixed inside through the hole at the bottom of the
hopper which agitates the seed. Every time the bars pass the ends of these
shutters, being a little below the bars, as above described, throw open the
hole and let out the seed; the moment it is passed it again is shut by the wire
which at the same time agitates the seed and prepares for the next discharge.
The dibble in this case may be fixed to each bar, or with a colter placed in a
frame before the hole, to prepare a furrow as the machine is pressed forward.
The above is for the use of one man, and compleatly within his power; but if
one or more horses, it is ouly necessary to make a larger and longer roller
and place several hoppers withinside it at such distances as is best suited to
the country or lands where it is intended to be used, and which will be proper
for the work of the number of horses to the machine. The whole of which
machine may be made of either wood or iron, or partly of both, or any other
proper material, if it is sufficiently strong for the purpose. The machine may

page_text: be varied in its formation, but the principle of dibbling or placing seed in the
ground at equal distances (or nearly so) will still be by dibbles fixed to the
roller or as above described. These are the most plain and easy to be repaired
in the country, yet I do not confine myself to these ways only, as the above-
mentioned roller and bars may be made to drive a spring dibble first up the
hopper or bin and with a recess in the back of it, like the bowl of a tea spoon,
or any other form suited to the purpose, bring out of the hopper the quantity
necessary, and deposit it in the hole made by the spring dibble at the hind part
of it, which would be as regular as the bars struck the dibble point, which by
projecting a little below the bars would be by every one driven up to let them
pass, and by means of the before described spring would be forced into the
ground and deposit the quantity of seed necessary at the same instant. The
action of this dibble would be similar to the spring bolt of a lock of a door,
only with this difference, projecting perpendicularly downwards to the earth.
This likewise can be made of any material sufficiently strong, iron, wood, &c.,
or partly of both as may be found requisite. The roller may be made in
halves, or a part of the bars to open, for the convenience of putting in the
seed in the hopper, bin, or trough, or the bars may be placed and secured
round the heads of the roll after the hopper is fixed to the axle, as there will
be sufficient space to put the seed in the hopper between the bars; however,
it can be done either way, as may best suit the convenience of the person and
the levality of the country where it is intended, to be put in practice.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas James Plucknett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of May, in the year of