An Improved Apparatus for Sowing Seeds or Planting Bulbs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1894-Accepted, 14th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Sowing Seeds or Planting Bulbs.
WILLIAM WOOD PERKINS 36 Gilmore Road Lee Kent Photographer and
GEORGE ROSS JAGGS of 17 Boone's Road Lee in the County of Kent Plumber
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for sowing seeds in holes, drills
or rows. It consists of a tube made of any suitable material preferably of metal
with a dibble made to work freely inside the tube so as to allow the seed to pass
through the tube and to pass by the dibble and to drop through the bottom of the
tube which bottom part is made tapering so as to be always over the hole in the
ground which is made by the dibble being pressed or forced through the tube into
the ground. After the hole is made the dibble is withdrawn from the ground and
is held or fastened high enough in the tube to allow the seed after being dropped
in at the top to drop directly into the hole already made in the ground to receive
it. For sowing seeds in rows or drills we provide a sleeve or socket made to fit over
the bottom tapered end of the tube this sleeve is made with a bend or elbow on
its small end so as to guide the seed into the rows or drills but if prefered it can
be left without bend or elbow and can be reduced to any size desired.
The said tube is made with a receptacle near the top to hold the seeds so that
the seed can be quickly picked up and dropped into the tube and for convenience
of holding we fix a handle near the top.
This invention will enable the operator to sow seeds without stooping or kneeling
as it can be done in a standing position and thus make it easy to follow out any
design and with slight modifications this apparatus could be used for planting
bulbs.
:
Dated this 4th day of April 1894.
WILLIAM WOOD PERKINS.
GEORGE ROSS JAGGS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Sowing Seeds or Planting Bulbs.
WILLIAM WOOD PERKINS, of No. 36 Gilmore Road, Lee, in the County of
Kent Photographer, and GEORGE ROSS JAGGS of No. 17 Boone's Road Lee, in
the County of Kent Plumber do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for sowing seeds in holes, drills
or rows and the object of the said invention is to enable the operator or user of
the said apparatus to sow seeds or plant bulbs while in an upright or standing
position and to enable the said operator to sow seeds or plant bulbs without
stooping or kneeling.
The apparatus consists of a tube made of any suitable material preferably of
metal, with a dibble made to work freely inside the tube so as to allow the seed to
pass through the tube and to pass by the dibble and to drop through the bottom
of the tube which bottom part in this form of the apparatus (Fig. 1) is made
tapering so as to be always over the hole in the ground which hole is made by
the dibble being forced or pressed into the ground. The said tube is made long

page_text: enough to be operated while the operator is in a standing or upright position.
The dibble is made longer than the tube so that it can he operated while the
operator is in a standing or upright position and the said dibble can be used with
or without the tube.
After the hole has been made in the ground by the dibble the dibble can be
withdrawn from the ground and held up or fastened up in the tube high enough
to allow the seed after being dropped in at the top of the tube to pass down
through the tube into the hole in the ground already made to receive it.
For sowing seeds in drills or rows we provide a sleeve or socket made to fit over
the bottom or tapered end of the tube.
This sleeve is made with a bend or elbow on its small end so as to guide the
seed into the rows or drills, but if prefered it can be made without bend or elbow
and reduced to any size desired; and if it be prefered the sleeve can be made
with its large end parallel instead of tapered so as to fit the end of a parallel
tube afterwards to be described (Fig. 3) when the tubes are used with the sleeves
or sockets the dibble is removed from the tubes.
The tubes are made long enough to be used while the operator is in a standing
or upright position, and are provided with handles fixed near the top so as to be
conveniently handled and we also fix or form a receptacle near the top to hold
seeds so as the seeds can be quickly picked up and dropped into the top of the
tubes.
For sowing seeds in rows or drills the tubes can be used without the dibble
and with any form of sleeve preferred or any other suitable device attached to
the bottom end of the tubes.
For planting bulbs we prefer a tube made nearly the size of the bulbs to be
planted this tube can be of parallel shape so as to allow the bulbs to slide
down the tube easily and drop into the hole made in the ground to receive them
it will be found that by pressing a piece of soft clay or earth on the bottom part
of the bulb that it will cause the bulb to go down the tube in an upright position
into the ground.
We make the tubes preferably of round section but do not limit them to that
section.
We make the tubes parallel with tapered ends; and tapered also in their entire
length from top to bottom.
We make the tubes parallel from top to bottom.
We also make the tubes to work telescopically so that they can be made longer
or shorter.
The dibble we make longer than the tubes with its top end enlarged for con-
venience of handling and with a hook or similar article fixed near the top to
enable the dibble to be fastened up in the tube when desired; and we make an
adjustable stop or guage to fix on the dibble at any desired part, so that holes
may be made of any desired depth and we provide a screw or similar fastening to
the guage.
This invention therefore consists of various constructions and combinations of
parts in connection with means used for sowing seeds or planting bulbs without the
discomfort of stooping or kneeling; and for a full understanding of the invention
a detailed description of the same will now be given in connection with a con-
struction embodying the invention in the prefered forin, reference being had to the
drawings forming a part of this Specification, in which :-
Fig. 1. shows a tube A with a dibble D inside A, the tube A is shown made
long enough to be used while the user is in a standing or upright position: the
tube A is made parallel except a short part of its lower end L which is made
tapering as shown allowing the dibble D to be moved up and down in the tube A.
The tube A has a handle H fixed near the top for convenience although if
prefered the handle H can be dispensed with and the tube A held in any other
manner desired.

page_text: The tube A has a receptacle R formed or fixed near the top to hold seed &
the like but if prefered the receptacle can be dispensed with.
The dibble D is shown made longer than A so that the dibble D can be operated
while inside the tube A the operator being in a standing or upright position.
The dibble D is provided with a hook K so that when the dibble D is drawn
up from the hole in the ground the hook K can be hooked over on the top edge
of tube A thus leaving the hand of the operator free to drop the seed in at the
top of tube A.
Fig. 2 shows a tube marked B which is another form of tube, being made
tapering from top to bottom.
Fig. 3 shows a tube marked C which is another form of tube, being made
parallel from top to bottom.
These two forms of tubes B and C can be used in the same manner as tube A
and can be used without the handle H and the receptacle R if desired.
:
Fig. 4 shows the dibble D with the adjustable stop or guage G which guage is
made to slide freely on the dibble D and can be fixed at any point by screwing
up the set screw Z which we provide to the guage G, the dibble D has its top end
enlarged for convenience of holding and also has a hook K fixed as shown at K
this hook can be unfixed if desired to fix the guage G above it on the dibble D,
the bottom of the dibble D is shown tapering, but may be shaped otherwise if
desired, the dibble D is made long enough to be used in a standing or upright
position, and to be used with or without a tube.
Fig. 5 is another view of the guage G it is made to slide up and down on the
dibble D, and has a set-screw Z or the like, so as to fix it at any part of the
dibble D that may be desired.
Figs. 6 and 7 show the sleeves or sockets made in the forms of elbows, the outlet
part of Fig. 6 is of round section as shown.
The outlet part of Fig. 7 is of oval section as shown.
Fig. 8 shows a sleeve or socket the outlet of which is bent, and is of round
section.
Figs. 68, 78, and 88 are sectional views of Figs. 6, 7, and 8.
Fig. 9 shows a sleeve or socket without bend or elbow, and is simply tapered,
and is of round section.
Fig. 10 shows a sleeve or socket made parallel on its larger end X which end is
the prefered form for using with the tube C Fig. 3. Of course these sleeves with
parallel ends can be made with elbows, bends or any other prefered shapes on their
outlet ends.
From what has been described it will be clear that for tubes A Fig. 1, and B
Fig. 2, that sleeves or sockets with tapered inlet ends will be the prefered form.
Of course we do not limit the shapes of the sleeves on their outlets to the
shapes described, as any shape, or section may be adopted if prefered.
It is clear that many other modifications may be made in the constructions
shown and described as the prefered forms of our invention and our invention is
not to be limited to the exact construction shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The improvent in the art of sowing seeds in holes, rows, drills and the like
without having to stoop down or kneel by the operator, the improvement consists
in using a tube made long enough so that when held by the operator while in a
standing or upright position the tube will reach the ground, and the said tube will
receive the seed in its top end and guide the seed into the holes, rows, drills or
the like prepared to receive the seed, substantially as described.
2. The improvement in the art of planting bulbs without having to stoop down
or kneel by the operator, the improvement consists in using a tube made long
enough so that when held by the operator while in a standing or upright position

page_text: the said tube will receive the bulbs in its top end and conduct them into the holes
prepared for them, substantially as described.
3. The improvement in the art of making holes in the ground of a given or
uniform depth for the reception of seeds or bulbs or the like which improvement
consists in making the holes with an improved dibble the said dibble being made
with an adjustable stop or guage and made long enough to be used in conjunction
with the tube before described and the said dibble can be used either with the
tube or without the tube substantially as described.
4. A tube of any prefered section, long enough to reach the ground while being
held by the operator the operator being in an upright or standing position ennabling
the operator to sow seeds in holes, rows, drills or the like without stooping down
or kneeling by the operator, substantially as described.
5. A tube of any prefered section, long enough to reach the ground while being
held by the operator the operator being in an upright or standing position enabling
the operator to plant bulbs without stooping down or kneeling by the operator,
substantially as described.
6. A dibble D Fig. 4 with an adjustable stop or guage G to enable the
operator to make holes in the ground of a given or uniform depth for bulbs or
seed the said dibble to be used with or without a tube, substantially as described.
7. The combination shown at Fig. 1, the tube A with the dibble D inside A,
the tube made parallel except a short part of its bottom end which is made
tapering, the tube A having a handle formed near its top for convenience of
handling, the tube A having a receptacle formed near its top for holding seed the
combination as shown ennabling the operator to make holes in the ground with
the dibble D for the reception of seeds, and after the holes are made the dibble D
can be held up, or fastened up in the tube by the hook K provided on the dibble
near its top end, when the dibble is drawn high enough in the tube, the seed can
be dropped in the top end of the tube which tube is made long enough so that
when it is held by the operator while in a standing or upright position it will
ennable the operator to sow seeds without stooping down or kneeling, substantially
as described.
8. The tube A without the dibble D for sowing seeds without stooping down
or kneeling on the part of the operator, substantially as described.
9. The tube A in combination with the sleeves or sockets shown at Figs. 6, 7, 8
and 9 or other forms or devices as desired for sowing seeds without stooping
down or kneeling on the part of the operator, substantially as described.
10. The tube A with a sleeve or socket as shown at Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 or
other form or device made integral if desired, for sowing seeds without stooping
down or kneeling on the part of the operator, substantially as described.
11. The tube B Fig. 2 tapering from top to bottom used with the dibble D for
sowing seeds while the operator is in a standing or upright position without stooping
down or kneeling on the part of the operator, substantially as described.
12. The tube B Fig. 2 tapering from top to bottom without the dibble D for
sowing seeds without stooping down or kneeling on the part of the operator,
substantially as described.
13. The tube B Fig. 2 tapering from top to bottom used in combination with
the sleeves or sockets shown at Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 or other forms or devices if
prefered, for sowing seeds without stooping down or kneeling on the part of the
operator, substantially as described.
14. The tube B Fig. 2 tapering from top to bottom with the sleeves or sockets 6,
7, and 9 or other forms or devices made integral with the tube if prefered, for
sowing seeds without stooping down or kneeling on the part of the operator,
substantially as described.
15. The tube C Fig. 3 parallel from top to bottom in combination with the
dibble D or without the dibble D for sowing seeds or planting bulbs without
stooping down or kneeling on the part of the operator, substantially as described.

page_text: 16. The tube C Fig. 3 parallel from top to bottom in combination with the
sleeves or sockets at Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 with their inlet ends made parallel as shown
at Fig. 10x for sowing seeds without stooping down or kneeling on the part of the
operator, substantially as described.
17. The tube C Fig. 3 parallel from top to bottom in combination with any
other prefered devices for sowing seeds without stooping down or kneeling on the
part of the operator, substantially as described.
18. The tube C Fig. 3 parallel from top to bottom with the sleeves or sockets
as at Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 or other prefered forms or devices made integral therewith
if prefered, for sowing seeds without stooping down or kneeling on the part of the
operator, substantially as described.
19. A tube made long enough wether made in one or more pieces or parts to
enable the operator to sow seeds while in a standing or upright position and
without stooping down or kneeling on the part of the operator, substantially as
described.
20. A tube made long enough wether made in one or more pieces or parts to
enable the operator to plant bulbs while in a standing or upright position and
without stooping down or kneeling on the part of the operator, substantially as
described.
21. A tube or tubes made adjustable or telescopically so as to form a tube long
enough to enable the operator to sow seeds while in a standing or upright position
and without stooping down or kneeling, substantially as described.
22. A tube or tubes made adjustable or telescopically so as to form a tube long
enough to enable the operator to plant bulbs while in a standing or upright
position and without stooping down or kneeling, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1894.
WILLIAM WOOD PERKINS.
GEORGE ROSS JAGGS.