IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR APPLYING STEAM POWER IN CULTIVATING LAND
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert William Thomson, of Edinburgh, in the
County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR APPLYING STEAM POWER IN
CULTIVATING LAND."
Sealed the 23rd August 1870, and dated the 1st March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert William
Thomson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st March 1870.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM THOMSON, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for 65 IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR APPLYING STEAM
POWER IN CULTIVATING LAND," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to certain convenient and efficient arrangements
for applying steam power in cultivating land, the said arrangements
being specially designed for use in connection with traction engines,
and more particularly although not exclusively with traction engines of
the kind having clastic wheel tires similar to those patented by me on

page_text: the 24th day of October 1867, No. 2986/7, and known as "Thomson's
road steamers."
In carrying out the improved arrangements two triangular frames are
connected to the back of the road steamer, each frame consisting of a
transverse front bar, from the inner end of which close to the centre
line of the road steamer a longitudinal bar extends backwards, whilst a
side bar which is inclined in plan connects the outer ends of the
transverse and longitudinal bars. On each inclined bar one or more,
and by preference three or four, ploughs, grubbing tincs, or other culti-
vating instruments are fixed, being adjusted along the bar to suit the
desired width of furrow or distance between the tines or other cultivating
instruments. When ploughs are used they_are_shaped-and-arranged on
-the-right-hand frame so as to throw the furrows to the right hand, and
those on the left hand frame are arranged to throw the furrows to the
left. The ploughs on one frame only are in action at one time, the
other frame with its ploughs being elevated off the ground and carried
clear of the surface by the road steamer. By using the right hand and
left hand ploughs alternately as the road steamer travels to and fro the
furrows will be thrown all in one direction, thus getting rid of open
furrows. The two triangular frames are quite independent of each
other, and the connections between them and the road steamer are
adjustable, admitting not only of either or both being raised clear of the
land, but also of either being set to plough or cultivate the land to various
depths. Instead of regulating the depth of the furrows or the depth to
which the tines or cultivating instruments penetrate by an adjustable
attachment to the road steamer, these depths may be regulated by
adjustable wheels or slides running on the ground, and in all cases the
hindmost parts of the triangular frames are by preference supported
by wheels or slides running on the ground. When two or more ploughs
are fixed on each frame the side and sole plates may be dispensed with
in all but the hindmost one, and even in it an antifriction wheel or
wheels may be substituted for those plates to reduce the tractive resist-
ance as much as possible. To facilitate the guiding of the road steamer
adjustable wheels or slides are attached to the front part of it to run or
slide in the outermost of the preceding set of furrows, and the front or
steering wheel of the road steamer is adjusted so as to make the supple-
mentary wheel or slide bear steadily against the land side of the furrow.
With this arrangement the road steamer will so guide itself as to make
the successive sets of furrows at the proper distances. When ploughing

page_text: the turning at the headlands is facilitated by backing the road steamer
previously to lifting the ploughs last in action, and to admit of this the
connections between the frames and the road steamer are made with
bars and suitable joints and not with chains.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert William Thomson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 31st August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WILLIAM THOMSON, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Robert William Thomson, Her special licence
that. I, the said Robert William Thomson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert William Thomson,
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
"IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR APPLYING STEAM POWER IN CULTIVATING LAND,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert William
Thomson, 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 Robert William Thomson, 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

page_text: in and by the following statement in writing, reference being, had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
My said Invention relates to certain convenient and efficient arrange-
ments for applying steam power in cultivating land, the said arrange-
ments being specially designed for use in connection with traction
engines, and more particularly although not exclusively with traction
engines of the kind having elastic wheel tires and known as "Thomson's
road steamers."
.
In carrying out my improved arrangements two triangular frames
are connected to the back of the road steamer, and on an inclined
bar of each frame one or more, and by preference three or four, ploughs,
grubbing tines, or other cultivating instruments-are-fixed. When
ploughs-are-used they are shaped and arranged on the right hand
frame so as to throw the furrows to the right, and those on the left
hand frame are arranged to throw the furrows to the left. By using
the right hand and left hand ploughs alternately as the road steamer
travels to and fro the furrows will be thrown all in one direction, thus
avoiding open furrows.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet
of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing
a road steamer with my improved arrangements for ploughing adapted
thereto.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is a side elevation, whilst Figure 3
is an end elevation of certain guiding details.
The example delineated is arranged for working with two sets of four
ploughs each 1, 1, 1, 1, and 2, 2, 2, 2, which are fixed to two triangular
frames 3, 4, 5, and 6, 7, 8, each frame consisting of a transverse front
bar 3, 6, from the inner end of which close to the longitudinal centre
line of the road steamer a longitudinal bar 4, 7, extends backwards,
whilst an inclined side bar 5, 8, connects the outer ends of the trans-
verse and longitudinal bars. It is on the inclined side bars 5, 8, that
the ploughs. 1, 2, are fixed, whilst the coulters 9 are fixed to inner
inclined bars 10. The ploughs may be made adjustable along the bars
5, S, to suit the different widths of furrow, or grubbing tines or other
cultivating instruments may be substituted for them.
The shapes
and arrangements of the ploughs are such as that those 1 on the

page_text: right hand frame 6, 7, 8, throw the furrows to the right, and those 2
on the left hand frame 3, 4, 5, throw the furrows to the left. The
ploughs on one frame only are in action at one time, the other frame
with its ploughs being elevated out of the ground and carried clear of
the surface by the road steamer. In Figure 2 the left hand frame
3, 4, 5, is shown in the position for ploughing, whilst the elevated position
which the right hand frame should then have is (to avoid confusion)
indicated by red lines. Each frame is provided with three wheels
11, 12, 13, two small ones 11, 12, at the tail and inner front corner to run
on the unploughed land, and one 13 at the side to run in the last of
the preceding set of furrows, and the depth at which the ploughs work
is regulated by the adjustment of these wheels on the frame, their
axles being on vertical bars which are adjustable in sockets on the
frame. The two frames 3, 4, 5, and 6, 7, 8, are quite independent of
each other and may be raised or lowered separately or together. Each
frame is raised by means of chains 14 and rods 18, the chains 14, two in
number, being connected to the inner and outer ends of the transverse
bar 3 or 6 at their bottom ends, and at their upper ends to two sectors
15 keyed on a transverse horizontal rocking shaft 16 carried in bracket
bearings 17 fixed to the back end of the frame of the road steamer.
The rod 18 is jointed at one end to the inner sector 15 and at the
other end to the tail end of the frame. There are similar parts on
both sides for the two frames, and the two rocking shafts 16 have levers
19 keyed on them and connected by rods 20, to the piston rods of two
independent steam cylinders 21 fixed one to each side of the boiler of
the road steamer.
With these arrangements a simple movement of the valve lever of the
cylinder 21 to admit steam to one end or the other is all that is required
for causing either of the frames to be raised or lowered. If preferred,
however, worm and wheel or other gearing to be actuated by hand may
be substituted for the arrangement shown. When it is wished to work
with both frames at the same time (with grubbing tines, for example,)
the two rocking shafts 16 may be coupled at the inner adjacent ends
so as to work together. Each frame is connected to the road steamer by
a traction bar 22 jointed at its front end to a block which is adjustable
vertically on a bracket 23 depending below the frame of the road steamer,
whilst its back end is jointed to a block which is adjustable horizontally
on the transverse bar 3 or 6 of the frame. Instead of the wheels 11, 12,

page_text: 13, on the frames 3, 4, 5, and 6, 7, 8, slides may be substituted or wheels
may be applied at some points and slides at others. When two or more
ploughs are fixed on each frame the side and sole plates may be dispensed
with in all but the hindmost one, and even in it an antifriction wheel
or wheels may be substituted for these plates to reduce the tractive
resistance as much as possible. To facilitate the guiding of the road
steamer adjustable wheels 24 (or it might be slides) are attached to the
front part of it, being set upon a transverse bar 25 capable of angular
movement in a transverse vertical plane to depress one wheel into the
furrow when the road steamer is travelling in one direction and the other
when the road steamer is returning. The front or steering wheel 26 of
the road steamer is adjusted so as to make the supplementary wheel 24
or slide bear steadily-against-the-land-side of the last of the preceding
set of furrows. With this arrangement the road steamer will so guide
itself as to make the successive sets of furrows at the proper distances.
When ploughing the turning at the headlands is facilitated by backing
the road steamer previously to lifting the ploughs last in action, and to
admit of the ploughs being moved back by the road steamer traction or
connecting bars 22 such as are herein-before described are used instead
of connecting chains. The three wheels 26, 27, 27, of the road steamer
always run on the unploughed land; they are delineated with plain rubber
tires, but may be protected by metal shoes if required.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated;
but that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
"
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of cultivating
apparatus in connection with a "road steamer or other suitable
traction engine, substantially in the manner herein described and
delineated.
2. The applying of the guiding wheels (24) or slides in front of the
road steamer, as herein-before described..
3. The applying of two frames for ploughs or other cultivating instru-
ments to be used independently or together and substantially in the
manner herein-before described.

page_text: before described.
1
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert William Thomson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
R. W. THOMSON. (L.S.)