IMPROVEMENTS IN. MACHINERY OR IMPLEMENTS FOR CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Allin Williams, of Baydon, in the County of
Wilts, Farmer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN. MACHINERY OR
IMPLEMENTS FOR CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Allin Williams at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th June 1861.
I, JOHN ALLIN WILLIAMS, of Baydon, in the County of Wilts, Farmer; do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR IMPLEMENTS FOR CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
compound implement for effecting the further reduction of the soil after it
has been ploughed or cultivated, and consists in the combination in one
machine or implement of a land roller or rollers, land pressers, clod crushers,
Norwegian harrows, spiked rollers, or other similar revolving implements
for reducing the soil with drag frames placed in the front and rear of the
rollers, barrows being suspended to one or both ends of the main framing
of the implement, the front harrow being lifted up whilst the hind one is
in action. The main framing of the implement is of a rectangular form,
supported in the centre by the roller shaft and provided at each end with

page_text: suitable steering wheels. This frame carries at the front and rear of the
roller one or more drag frames working within the main frame from a
lever joint. These drag frames are raised or lowered for adjusting their
depth at the lever joint by a nut and screw or other suitable mechanical
contrivance, and are raised and lowered at the opposite or free end for the
purpose of clearing the same from weeds by means of a chain and pulley
worked by a lever handle carried by the main framing. According to another
arrangement these drag frames are lifted vertically at both ends, simultaneously
in suitable guide or slotted bars by the aid of chains and pullies on the main
framing. A double seat for the steersnian is constructed over the roller,
and is so arranged as to enable him to steer and work the implement in
either direction, the same being hauled to and fro without turning by steam
power. When spiked rollers or Norwegian harrows are used, or the roller
is in any way displaced, a pair of ordinary travelling wheels are employed
for carrying the frame. In using the presser wheels I prefer to carry them
in lever frames, each wheel having an independent action of its own, but if
desired they may be fixed upon the roller shaft above referred to:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Allin Williams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ALLIN WILLIAMS, of Baydon, in the County of Wilts, Farmer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Allin Williams, Her special license that I, the said John Allin
Williams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Allin Williams, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should.at any
time agree with, and no others; from time to time and at all times thereafter
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
MACHINERY OR IMPLEMENTS FOR CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER," .upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Allin Williams, my executors

page_text: or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my band and seal, or
under the hand and seal of one of them, 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 date of the
said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Allin Williams, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
compound implement for effecting the further reduction of the soil by stream
power after it has been ploughed or cultivated, and consists in the combination
in one machine or implement of a land roller or rollers, land pressers, clod
crushers, Norwegian harrows, spiked rollers, or other similar revolving
implements for reducing the soil with drag frames placed in the front and
rear of the rollers, and barrows suspended to one or both ends of the main
framing of the implement, the front harrow being lifted up whilst the hind
one is in action. The main framing of the implement is of a rectangular
form, supported in the centre by the roller shaft and provided at each end
with suitable steering wheels. This frame carries at the front and rear of
the rollers one or more drag frames working within the main framing according
to one modification from a lever joint. These drag frames are raised or
lowered for adjusting their depth at the lever joint by a nut and screw or
other suitable mechanical contrivance, and are raised and lowered at their
opposite or free ends for the purpose of clearing the same from weeds by means
of a chain and pulley worked by a lever handle, carried by the main framing.
According to another arrangement these drag frames are lifted vertically at
both ends simultaneously in suitable guide or slotted bars by the aid of chains
and pullies or windlasses on the main framing. A double seat for the
steersman is constructed over the roller, and is so arranged as to enable
him to steer and work the implement in either direction, the same being
hauled to and fro without turning by steam power. When spiked rollers
or Norwegian harrows are used, or the roller is in any way displaced, a pair
of ordinary travelling wheels are employed for carrying the franie. In using
the presser wheels I prefer to carry them in lever frames, each wheel having
an independent vertical action of its own, but if desired they may be fitted
loosely upon the roller shaft or main axle above referred to.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I
shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of my
compound implement for effecting the cultivation of land by steam power, and
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same.
A, A', represent the main framing of the machine; it is of a rectangular
form in plan, and is divided into three compartments by the two cross bars
A'; A'. The centre compartment or space contains either a set of three land
rollers B, as shewn in the Drawings, or in licu thereof land pressers, clod
crushers, Norwegian harrows, spiked rollers, or other rotating implements
for operating upon the soil, may be substituted. These land rollers are
supported by and rotate freely upon one common axle C which passes through
them, and is carried in bearings on the under side of the main framing in the
curved bearing bars C', attached to the beams A', A', of the main framing.
The two opposite extremities of this axle are each made to receive a sup-
porting or running wheel, one of which wheels is shewn in dotted lines at D
(Figure 1); these wheels are of larger diameter than the rollers or other
revolving implements employed, so that such rollers or other implements
may be clear of the ground when the wheels are applied, and thus enable
the machine to be transported to any desired locality without injury to the
implements. When in actual use the running wheels are removed, as shewn
in Figure 2, (excepting in the case of spiked rollers,) the entire weight of
the machine being then supported by the land rollers B, and the small leading
and trailing disc steering wheels k, k, bercin-after referred to. In the
compartments or spaces on each side of the land rollers I place the drag
frames or cultivators F, F, provided with straight tines f, f. These drag
frames are suspended by means of the chains G, G, from the overhead
shafts H, H, which are carried by and rotate in the bearings I, I, bolted
to the upper side of the main framing. K, K, are lever arms secured to
the ends of the shafts II, for the purpose of rotating the same when raising
or lowering the drags from or into the soil, and L, L, are ratchets and detents
for maintaining the drag frames at any desired elevation so as to enable their
tines to penetrate more or less deeply into the soil, or to be entirely out of
action by being elevated above the surface of the land; at each of the four
corners of the two drag frames there is a vertical guiding spindle M fixed
in brackets N, N, which are bolted to the main framing, and passing through

page_text: guide plates in the corners of the drag frame. These vertical guiding spindles
serve to steady and guide the drag frames during their rising and falling
motions and to connect them securely to the main framing A, A¹, so that
they may move along with it when being hauled across the land. To each
end of the main framing of the machine or implement are connected by means
of the links O, O, a pair of ordinary harrows P, P, P¹, P. These connecting
links are jointed at a, a, to the ends of the main framing, whilst their opposite
ends carry the shafts Q, Q, which are supported by the running wheels R, R,
and to which shafts the arms c, c, of the harrows P, P', aro jointed so
as to admit of the harrows turning freely thereon, and of being elevated
above the ground, as shewn at P1, P1, when not required to be in action.
In order to facilitate the elevation of both pairs of harrows either together
or separately as may be required, two vertical levers S, S', are employed,
connected at their lower ends by pin joints d, d, to the curved bar T, and
guided by the upper curved guide bar U, which passes through the lower
forked extremities of the levers. To each of these levers is connected a rod
or chain V, V, extending to the upper ends of the bent arms c, e, to which
they are connected, such arms being secured to the outer ends of the harrows,
and enabling the strain of the lifting rods or chains V, V', to be applied in
an advantageous manner upon lifting the harrows; either or both pairs of
barrows may be maintained in an elevated position by simply inserting a
stop pin f¹ into a hole in the guide bar in front of the corresponding lever,
as shewn in my Drawings. To one side of the main framing of the implement
or machine is fitted a chain barrow W; it is linked on to the bar X, which
is jointed at its inner end by a pin g to the end of the main axle of the
machine; a wheel Y on the outer end of the bar X serving to support it
parallel with the surface of the ground; Z is a stay connected by a bolt
or pin at h to the bar X, and jointed at i, i, to lugs in the side of the main
framing. This stay maintains the bar X perfectly firm and rigid horizontally,
but allows it to rise or fall at its outer end in accordance with the inequalities
of the ground, the pin joints or connections at i, i, and g respectively serving
as hinges for the free vertical play of the bar and chain harrow.
The steerage of this implement is effected simultaneously at the front and
rear ends of the main framing by the two disc steering wheels k, k, carried
in the lower forked ends of the vertical spindles 1, 1, which are supported
in the brackets m, m, bolted to the diagonally opposite corners of the framing.
On the upper ends of the spindles are keyed the cross arms n, n, which
are connected by the rods o, o, to the central horizontal steering lever p;
this lever works on a vertical stud centre q, fitted or formed upon the curved

page_text: bar T, and is prolonged to form a steering handle at r; this lever handle
imparts a steering motion to both the steering wheels simultaneously through
the coupling rods o, o, which are so disposed as to adjust the steering wheels
in opposite directions, by which means a more instantaneous and effective
steering action is obtained than when one steering wheel only is in action
at one time. In using this implement the whole or any subordinate com-
bination of the separate implements contained therein may be brought into
action as found desirable. It is intended to be hauled to and fro across
the land without turning by the aid of wire ropes t, t', respectively attached
to the implement at u, u', and wound upon separate drums or windlasses
actuated by a suitable steam engine. The line of draught may be varied
to suit the requirements of the implement by passing the hauling rope round
a stud or pin w, which is capable of being fitted into any one of a series
of holes made to receive it in the end bars of the main framing, as shewn
in Figure 2. In order to facilitate the taking of fresh ground at the
headlands for the next traverse of the implement, I propose to fix permanently
a stud or pin x at or near the inner corner of each end of the framing, over
which stud or pin the hauling rope is thrown so as to bring the line of
draught on to one side of the implement, and thereby ensure its more speedy
entrance into fresh ground when the windlasses are again started.. This
position of the hauling rope is indicated by a-blue-line in Figure 2. The
rope t, which in Figure 2 is shewn as the slack or tail rope, is passed when
so acting over a pin y' on the extreme outer side of the main framing so as
to be deposited clear of the side of the machine, but when it is to be adjusted
into the proper position for acting as the hauling rope, it will be necessary to
unhook the end of the rod V from the arm e of the harrows in order to
allow the rope passing over such arm to its proper hauling position. So
soon, however, as the implement has taken up its proper position for the
next traverse the hauling rope is slipped over the end of the pin x by the
action of the small lever handle y, when the rope will instantly resume its
hauling position against the pin w, which should be made higher than the
pin x, so as to catch the rope when released from the last-mentioned pin.
By this arrangement the implement may be made to take up a fresh position,
and then to continue its direct course without stopping the engine, the
attendant being simply required to depress the disengaging lever imme-
diately he sees that the inner side of the implement is in a line with the outer
edge of the work last completed.
Figure 3 represents a detail side elevation and edge view of one of a series,
of spiked rollers which may be substituted if desired for the land rollers B,.

page_text: shewn in Figure 2, a number of these spiked rollers, which are formed with
webs Z between the spikes, being strung on to the axle side by side, when
by their rotation arising from the movement of the implement over the
ground they will effectually disintegrate the soil. When using spiked rollers
or 'pressers" of any kind it is necessary to apply the running wheels D to
prevent them from penetrating too deeply into the soil.
In some cases I propose to dispense with the chain harrow represented in
Figure 2, and to remove the harrows P & P¹ from their present position at
the ends of the machine, and to place a pair of such harrows at the side of
the machine so as to occupy the position of the chain barrow. Figure 4
represents a side view of one of these harrows adapted to be drawn to and
fro by the bar X. For this purpose I place a bar 1 on the top of each
barrow, extending from the front to the rear end, and having a ring 2 running
loosely thereon, such ring being connected by a chain 3 with a second ring 4
on the bar X'. This arrangement enables the harrows to be drawn from
either end to and fro without turning. I may observe, however, that I lay no
claim to this arrangement as part of my Invention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the general construction, arrangement
and combination of machinery or apparatus for cultivating land by steam
power, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Allin Williams, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
JOHN ALLIN WILLIAMS. (L.S.)
JOHN ALLIN WILLIAMS. (L.S.)