IMPROVEMENTS in MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXCAVATING, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR DRAINAGE PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Love, of Bedford, in the County of Bed-
ford, Agricultural Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS in
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXCAVATING, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR
DRAINAGE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 17th January 1873, and dated the 20th July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Love at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th July 1872:
I, PETER LOVE, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Agricultural
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EXCAVATING, ESPECIALLY APPLI-
CABLE FOR DRAINAGE PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the construction of machinery or
apparatus which comprises a subsoil excavating arrangement consisting
of a strong iron or metal box which is to work into the fen, bog, or

page_text: ground, the front of which has a strong sharp projection or coulter.
The box is hollow, communicating with the portion of the apparatus
above ground. Through this box an upright spindle descends, and by
means of bevil or other gear works a horizontal spindle in connection
therewith, the front end of which is provided with a screw cutter which
works immediately behind the strong sharp projection or coulter which
protects it from injury from coming in contact with stones or other
refractory substances. The material excavated passes up through the
hollow box as the work progresses, a wooden or other follower being
attached to the rear of the box serving to keep the drain or tunnel in
form as made by the excavator.
The arrangement above described is connected with a frame carriage
which travels above ground, and is provided with a rigger, whereby a
wire or other rope or connector may be worked by means of a portable
engine which will also draw the machine onwards so as to follow up its
work. The rigger acts upon gearing which drives the upright spindle
and thus works the screw cutter.
Other motive arrangements may, however, be used as these are
subsidiary to the main feature of the Invention, namely, the hollow
box provided with screw cutter.
The front of the frame carriage is provided with a disc or circular
cutter which clears the surface to enable the box and screw cutter to
work without obstruction. The travelling wheels can be raised from
the ground by means of pulleys fitted to suitable suspensory framing or
by any other raising and lowering gearing, and by this means the machine
may be raised from or let into the ground as the workings may require,
suitable handles being provided.
The steerage I prefer to effect by means of the front wheels and two
horizontal semi-wheels which act upon a central horizontal wheel,
whereby the fore wheels are turned as required, which the operator
works by a handle and worm and wheel movement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Love in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
Love, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Agricultural Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said, Peter Love, Her special licence that I,
the said Peter Love, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Peter Love, my executors, administrators, and
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 APPA-
BATUS FOR EXCAVATING, ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR DRAINAGE PURPOSES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter Love, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Peter Love, 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:-
The object of my said Invention is to provide machinery for the
purpose of excavating and of draining lands, such, machinery being
workable by traction power arrangements, whereby great efficiency
and economy will be effected in carrying out these operations. This
machinery or apparatus comprises a subsoil excavating arrangement,
consisting of a strong iron or metal box, which is to work into the fen,
bog, or ground, the front of which has a strong sharp projection or coulter,
the box, being hollow, communicating with the portion of the apparatus

page_text: above ground. Through this box an upright spindle descends, and by
means of bevil or other gear works a horizontal spindle in connection
therewith, the front end of which is provided with a screw cutter which
works immediately behind the strong sharp projection or coulter, which
protects it from injury from coming in contact with stones or other
refractory substances. Or, as I generally prefer, I have a cutting disc or
discs placed in advance of the box instead of the said coulter which will
protect the screw cutter by acting as wheels to carry the whole machinery
over any impediment that may come in the way. This arrangement is
shown by the Drawings hereafter referred to and accompanying these
Presents. The material excavated passes up through the hollow box
as the work progresses, a wooden or other follower or other arrangement
being attached to the rear of the box to keep the drain or tunnel in
form as made by the excavator.
The arrangement above described is connected with a frame carriage
which travels above ground, and is provided with a rigger, whereby a
wire or other rope or connector may be worked by means of a portable
engine, which will also draw the machine onwards so as to follow up its
work. The rigger acts upon gearing which drives the upright spindle,
and thus works the screw cutter or excavator.
Other motive arrangements may, however, be used, as these are
subsidiary to the main feature of the Invention, namely, the hollow
box provided with screw cutter, working in connection with the excavator
or excavators.
The front of the frame carriage is provided with a disc or circular
cutter which clears the surface to enable the box and screw cutter to
work without obstruction. The travelling wheels can be raised from
the ground by means of pulleys fitted to suitable suspensory framing or
by any other raising and lowering gearing, and by this means the
machine be raised from or let into the ground as the workings may
"require.
may
The steerage I can effect by any known means or by using the
arrangement hereafter described and illustrated by the, accompanying
Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS,
and of the manner of performing or carrying out the said INVENTION.
The Drawings show a machine arranged so that by steam or any
other traction power I can make drains of any given diameter and

page_text: reasonable depth, passing the soil excavated up through a box or tunnel
shaft to the surface, leaving a clean cut out drain, the sides of which.
become rapidly firm by the drainage and held together by the natural
cohesion of the earth forming a tunnel that will not collapse in clastic
earths, as is the case when drained on the principle of merely forcing
the earth aside.
My machine consists of the following novel arrangements :-
First. The hauling or traction rope is fastened either to an anchor or
engine at each end of the land, then passed round the pulley wheels of
the machine causing the said pulley wheels to give motion, to the;
excavating, pulping, and elevating mechanism at the same time giving
double hauling power to the engine used.
Secondly. Discs are used working as deep or deeper than the excavator,
thus while acting as coulters cutting a passage for the body box or
tunnel shaft of the machine they also act as wheels to carry the machine.
over any impediment that may stand in the way.
Thirdly. Each disc is worked in a frame hung on a centre acting as
a hinge allowing it to be steered either to the right or left; when great
depths are worked a series of discs in frames are hinged together and acted
upon by differential leverage which steers each frame into the side of a
polygon making the working parts of the machine form the segment of
a circle, rendering the machine though long easily steered.
Fourthly. Compound leverage that simultaneously alters the line of
direction of the cutting parts and the point or centre of haulage so as
to act in unisoon with each other, thus making a most efficient and easy
steerage.
-
Fifthly. A body that forms a box or tunnel shaft through which the
material excavated is raised to the surface by the pressure of the
Archimedian screw used as the excavator; the projectile force given by
the beaters (used to pulp the material fine enough to pass through the
narrow box) and lifting power of the screw or other elevators.
Sixthly. For very soft marshes and bogs I use a double-action machine
suspended in a float to work forwards and backwards, and on the firmer
lands I use a machine with half of the cutting and steerage appliances-
cut off, as shown by line c, d, (in the Drawing Fig. 2), and mounted
upon wheels that enable it to be turned at each end; while on really
firm ground I use only a single rope and make the carrying, wheels, give
motion to the excavator and other parts of the machine.

page_text: In the said Drawings Fig. 1 denotes a plan or bird's-eye view of
machine; Fig. 2, elevation of machine with excavator, pulpers, and
part of elevator exposed to view; Fig. 3, plan or bird's-eye view of float
and derrick; Fig. 4, elevation of float; Fig. 5, end elevation of float
and derrick; Fig. 6, section on line A, B, of Fig. 2.
A denotes the hauling rope, which gives motion also to the machinery;
and A* denotes the rigger or pulley on which the hauling rope acts;
B represents the steerage apparatus, consisting of the rope B* (see
Fig. 2), which passes over guide pulleys B2 (see Figs. 1 and 2), being
wound round the steerage rollers or spindles (B) which shift the com-
pound differential levers 'B³ and connecting lever B', which carries the
guide wheel B³ and traction rope A, passing same either to right or left
as desired.
The dotted lines C show the position these parts are made to assume
when steerage apparatus is acted upon by the handles; they also show
the maximum of deviation given to the cutting discs and the hauling
rope.
D is the opening through which the machine works while suspended
to the derrick at the depth required; and E (Fig. 2) denotes the box
through which the material excavated passes up to the surface; F is
the screw cutter; G, pulpers and beaters; H, screw spindle working
pulpers and beaters and excavator; I, internal gear, by which the wheel
gear shown by K, K, K, in Fig. 6, (one wheel having the regulating
handle) works the spindle H; L, pulley wheels, which by means of
the intermediate pulleys M, M, give motion to the pinion O, to which
the reversing lever P is centred, as shown.
The framing and other parts of the machinery not designated with
letters of reference will be readily understood by inspection of the
Drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or
carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the hercin described
Invention of "Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Excavating,
especially Applicable for Drainage Purposes," wherein the following are
important and peculiar features :-
(1.) The use of the hauling rope or chain to give motion to the
machinery

page_text: (2.) The cutting coulters or discs in frames hinged or jointed together,
and the application of differential leverage to each part so as to give
facility and ease of steerage, the same being applicable to other agri-
cultural or earth working machines.
(3.) The use of compound leverage to simultaneously alter the pro-
gressive direction of the cutting coulters, discs, or other guiding parts,
and that of the point of haulage so as to make the traction power act in
unison with the altered direction of the cutting or other guiding parts
of excavating or agricultural implements.
(4.) The using of part of the machine as a box or tunnel shaft through
which to raise the soil excavated to the surface as the machine pro-
gresses, cutting out drains or tunnels of any required size and at any
required depth practicable by steam or other traction power.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Love, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
JOHN MEEK,
3, Adelaide Square,
Bedford.
PETER LOVE. (L.S.)