IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING MANURE, PLANTING POTATOES, SOWING SEED, RAISING ROOTS, AND APPLICABLE FOR OTHER AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES.
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Reid at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patonts on the 21st April 1882.
THOMAS REID, of Monkton Miln, in the County of Ayr, North Britain,
Farmer IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS OR APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING MANURE,
PLANTING POTATOES, SOWING SEED, RAISING ROOTS, AND APPLICABLE FOR OTHER
AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES.
This Invention has for its object the construction of improved implements or
apparatus for various agricultural purposes, and parts of which are designed for
operating in a satisfactory manner in depositing manure, whilst other parts are for
planting potatoes, others for sowing seed and others for raising roots.
In carrying out the Invention in accordance with a general arrangement which
is considered preferable, a special light iron framing, is provided for carrying the
various details of the apparatus some of which details have to be changed for the
different operations. The framing which is of a flat open construction and is
generally in a horizontal position or nearly so, is supported on five wheels, and is
in the form of a rectangle to the front of which a triangle has been added. The
rectangular part of the framing has several transverse bars some of which at the
forward part project beyond the sides of the framing. Two of the carrying wheels
are at the sides of the rectangular part of the framing behind the projecting
transverse bars, and they are on a shaft or axle connected to the framing by levers
with details for adjusting the framing at a higher or lower level. A third wheel is
arranged as a caster wheel and is connected to the central front annular point of
the framing by a lever for adjusting the height of the framing and which is con-
nected by a link to a hand lever at the back of the implement. The remaining
two wheels are placed at the sides a little forward of the rectangular part of the
framing and both act together as steering wheels, being arranged with vertical
spindles having levers which are connected by links to each other and to a hand
lever at the back. The implement is arranged for being drawn by two horses but
for some purposes may have three harnessed to it.
When arranged for depositing manure five small shares are fixed to the transverse
bars, the middle one with two mould boards being put the furthest back, the two
next with small or no mould boards being furthest forward and the two outer ones

page_text: with two mould boards like the middle one in intermediate positions. The manure,
which should be of a dry powdered kind for this apparatus, is deposited immediately
behind the two forward shares in the furrows formed by them, and is covered by
the successive actions of the outer and middle shares and mould boards. For
delivering the manure in a regular manner thero is a transverse rotating shaft
carried above the framing and driven by means of a pitch chain or belt from the
shaft of the two back wheels. There is a hopper over cach place where the manure
is to be deposited and each hopper has its bottom otherwise open end nearly closed
by a drum or pulley on the rotating. shaft. The drum fits closely at its sides but
between its cylindrical surface which has a number of projecting points and the
front and back bottom edges of the hopper there are narrow spaces which are
partly closed by brushes. On the descending side the brush is adjustable by means
of a screw so that more or less of the manuro may be carried out by the drum as
is rotates. If necessary a duct is provided in connection with each hopper to lead
down the manure; and the hoppers may be made movable either by hand or
automatically for the purpose of shaking down the manure. When sowing seeds a
similar arrangement of hopper and drum may be used, or any suitable known
construction of sced delivering apparatus may be fitted upon the framing.
For planting-potatoes there is for each_row_or_drill a hopper_having_a_duct or
passage proceeding horizontally-or at an inclination from the bottom of it there
being an endless band moving along the bottom of the duct to carry the potatoes
along in single file. The band is narrower than a potatoc, as is also the pulley
round which the outer end of the band passes, and this pulley is nearly in contact
with the periphery of a rotating drum or pulley, on the ascending side of the
latter: The drum has pairs of projecting prongs-fixed-nt-suitable-intervals-to-its-
periphery, and as each pair of prongs come round they pass up one on each
side of the endless band and lift off and carry round a potatoe, the potatoes
_ following_each_other_along_the_band_as_they_are_successively lifted off. The drum
carries the potatoes round over its top and delivers them into a duct which guides
them down into the furrow in which they are to be planted; and when wished a
knife may be placed so as to divide them as they are being carried round by the
drum in which case suitable guides are fitted on the two sides of the knife to lead
the two halves down to different positions.
The apparatus last hereinbefore described may be modified so as to deposit
manure along with the potatoes, for which purpose each pronged drum may be
made hollow or in the form of a barrel with a movable door for introducing the
manure and with perforations for its discharge as the drum rotates. A fixed guard
is applied in contact or nearly so with the perforated part of the drum or barrel
to prevent the egress of the manure except at the bottom.
For thinning, weeding, or cultivating root crops or for cutting shaws preparatory
to lifting potatoes or other roots, rotating cutting disks with sharp or saw-toothed
edges are fitted upon the framing in vertical, inclined or horizontal positions,
being arranged to turn with the forward motion of the implement or being
positively driven by pitch chains or suitable wheel gearing from the shaft of the
hind wheels.
For lifting potatoes and other roots the framing has first fitted to it cutting
disks and shares placed so as to divide and move to the side the lateral parts of the
shaws and of the drills or ridges; this preliminary operation is however not
always required. For the final operation there is provided for each drill a central
vertical cutting disk to divide the shaws which as the implement moves forward
are caught between cutting disks and the inclined edges of a kind of double mould
board so as to be severed and turned over to the sides. The central vertical disk
is followed by a small share having sock feathers which pass beneath the potatoes
and raise and partly loosen them; and the potatoes and carth are finally operated
on by a transverse horizontal bar having loose on it a number of spur like spiked
pieces which turn with the forward motion of the implement. A transverse
reciprocating motion is imparted to the bar by gearing from the shaft of the

page_text: hind wheels, and the bar with its spurs effectually loosens the potatoes and
separates the earth from them, leaving them ready for removal in the place where
they have been growing and without having been subjected to any violent or
injurious action.
The arrangement of transverse reciprocating bar with loose spurs is very suitable
for harrowing purposes, and when used therefor, two or more of the bars may be
fitted upon the implement.