IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SOWING GRAIN AND OTHER SEED
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ODERT
GRIPENBERG, of Finland, in the kingdom of Russia, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of July,
in the tenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Odert Gripenberg, my exors, admors, and
assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Odert Gripenberg, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SOWING GRAIN AND OTHER SEED;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Odert
Gripenburg, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
'ment in writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Odert Gripenberg, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed (that is to say) :-
Description. This engine, which may be constructed of different dimensions
and proportions, the parts of it as well as the whole, can be employed for sow-
ing all kinds of grain, and many sorts of the pea species, tares, clover, and
grass seeds, etc., is going upon 2 wheels, and is drawn by one or several horses,
consists of the following principal parts, viz.:―
1º, a cylinder (Pl. 1, 4, 5, 6, A), from which the seeds of grain are passing
through several rows of holes into an open 2° box (Pl. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, B), with
divisions corresponding with the rows of holes. From this case or box the
seed drops through the 3° channels (Pl. 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, C), which conduct it
into the tracks of the 4° plow-shares (Pl. 2, 3, 4, D), which draw the sowing
seed into the soil. At a distance behind the plow-shares, and on both sides of
their tracks, are other 5° plow-shares (Pl. 1, 2, 3, 4, E), placed for covering
the seed with more or less of mould. The cylinder revolving by means of
toothed wheels, of which the one fixed to one of the cart wheels, and the other
to the end of the axle of the cylinder, whose other end is furnished with a pin,
which moves an area and longi-meter, consisting of four cipher plates con-
tinually pointing out the areal extent of field sown. Particulars:-The cylinder
(Pl. 1, 4, 5, 6, A,) is double. The seed is to be poured into the interior cylin-
der through a hole (Pl. 1, 4, 5, 6, a), which is supplied with a sliding cover for
the purpose of shutting or opening this filling hole. From the interior cylinder
the grains or seed passes to the interstice (Pl. 4, 5, 6, 6) through two larger
holes (Pl. 5, c), furnished with two sorts of flaps (Pl. 4, 5, 6, d, e). One of
these opens itself towards the interstice, more or less, according to the lesser or
greater quantity of seed at the time contained in the interstice; the other
flap (e) opens towards the concavity of the interior cylinder, more or less, in
the proportion of the pressure which a curved iron pin (Pl. 4, 5, 6, f,) during
the cylinder's movement around its axle produces against an iron band (Pl. 4,
7, 9,) fitted to the bottom of the box in such a manner that it can be raised or
lowered as required by means of a screw (Pl, 1, 3, 4, 7, h,) on the fore part
of the box. The holes of the interior cylinder will be opened only so far as the
mentioned iron band (9) is raised, because a spring (Pl. 4, 5, 6, i,) fixed to
the cylinder's axle continually presses from within upon the aforesaid flap (e).
The purpose of both these flaps, as well as of the cylinder, being double, in
connection with all its other parts, is continually to furnish the interstice with
an equal quantity of seed, whereby the pressure on the holes of the exterior

page_text: cylinder remains unvaried. Upon this pressure, proportioned to the largeness
of the holes of the exterior cylinder, depends the out-pouring quantity of seed.
In order to be able to ascertaine easily that the interstice of the cylinders
always contain the proper quantity of sowing seed, it requires only to observe
from the forepart of the cylinder, whilst revolving, whether the grains seen
through the holes as they reach these keep within the height of those holes
which are on a level with the edge of the box. The higher the grain or seed
is ascending above the said edge or level, the more is the quantity in the
interstice. For keeping an adequate quantity of sowing in the interstice, it is
only necessary to raise, more or less, the curved iron band (9) which is fitted to
the bottom of the box. This object is attained by screwing, during the work-
ing of the machine, in a very short time. The little holes of the exterior
cylinder are to be enlarged or diminished by the help of screws (Pl. 4, 5, 6, k),
which move in either direction a kind of iron belt (Pl. 4, 5, 6, 7). This iron
belt detached from the cylinder has a number of parallel projecting iron rims
around its circumference, which are fixed to a number of narrow slips of iron
at right angles the length of the cylinder, which slips, according to the move-
ment of the belt by the screws, diminish or enlarge the apertures for the
sowing. The size of these holes is measured by a separately graduated trian-
gular plate. The number of holes, and their distances from each other, are
determined by the size of the cylinder. For a more expeditious determination
of the proper quantity of seed which should be put into the interstice, half of it.
is to be filled after having quite felled the interior cylinder. The more accurate
determination of the quantity of seed required for the area of the field is per-
formed during the actual sowing by filling entirely the interior cylinder at
every fifth, half, or whole acre, from a measure, which, containing a certain
number of gallons, is graduated and marked on its inside, beginning from the
top downward, thus shewing the number of gallons sown between each filling
of the interior cylinder. In this manner the density is controled during the
whole act of sowing. An intelligent workman does not want long time for
acquiring the necessary habitude of regulating the holes to whatsoever density
of sowing he pleases. The lever (Pl. 1, 3, m) is used for elevating the
cylinder when the sowing is to cease. When employing a long cylinder, one
or more intermedial divisions may be applied within it for preventing the seed
to accumulate towars any of the ends of the cylinder, when sowing upon sloping
ground. Should all the rows of holes not be wanted some may be closed by
leather straps buckled round. On mere trying the machine the loose tubes or
channels, and the fore plow shares, are to be omitted. The elevation of the
tubes is effected by a small iron chain. The vertical front and hind parts of the

page_text: box, being on hinges, can be turned downwards. Brushes fitted to the .hind
part of the box clean the holes of the cylinder. On filling the interior cylinder
the seed spreads by means of the iron bar (Pl. 6, n,) furnished with vertical
plates being pushed backwards and forwards. The box is divided by iron plates
(Pl. 4, 7, o,) with circular edges placed opposite to the belt rims, in order to
separate the seed. The channels are of two sorts, fixed (Pl. 2, 3, 4, 7, p) and
loose (Pl. 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9). The former (p) by hinges attached to the box
arranged in divisions, which, at their upper end, correspond with the divisions
of the box, but their lower ends are at equal distances from each other; the
latter (9), which is fastened to the fixed channels by cramp and bars. They
move around an iron pin, and can be firmly screwed to the lower, edge of the
iron plates (Pl. 2, 7, r), when put at the distance from each other which the
rows of sowing demand, The channels are spported by springs fixed to the
bottom of the box. The loose channels (9) consist of two parts, the lowest of
them moving upon separate axles (Pl. 7, 8, 8, t), as well in a vertical, as a
horizontal direction. The construction of the fore plow shares can be so very
various that a complete description is useless. Those fore plow shares (Pl. 2,
3, 4, D,) which are shown on the Drawing, are applied to iron shafts (Pl. 1,
2, 3, 4, v,) strongly fixed to iron rings (Pl. 2, 3, 4, u), which are running
upon an axle (Pl. 2, x). On the upper side of the shafts, and opposite to the
said rings, there are raised ledges (Pl. 4, y), sliding in a groove of the above
lying plank (Pl. 1, 2, 3, 4, 2), of hard wood, which is moveable by tenons
(Pl. 1, 2, 3, a',) into tenon holes in the rafters, which point downwards from
the thills. Every shaft is fastened to the plank by two screws. By both these
Inventions the plow shares can be moved as well in a vertical direction as in a
horizontal, for lessening or increasing the distances between the sowing rows.
The plow shares (D) are firmly forged to shafts (Pl. 3, 6) of a few inches,
which, near to the plow shares, are fastened to the long shafts (v) by rivets
(Pl. 4, c¹), around which a vertical motion is possible, and on the other end
they are furnished with dents, into which a moveable ring around the long
shafts is to be pushed and screwed on, after having given to the shares. the
suitable direction for their entering into the earth. The elevation of the plow
shares, and the conducting and forcing them into the soil, may be per-
formed either at the front or hind part of the engine, or at either side of it.
In the last-mentioned case there is to be used a crooked lever, furnished on
one side with a spring, which presses it into the dents of a curved, iron fixed on
the outward side of one of the thills, whereby the said lever, which grasps one
of the tenons of the plank fastened on the plow share's shafts, elevates or lets
down all the plow shares at once. If this lifting apparatus is applied at the

page_text: front or hind part of the engine, there is to be used an iron bar, which can be
used up and downward, being furnished with a spring on one side and dents
on the other. The hind plow shares may be either of the form (Pl. 1, 2, 3,
4, E), or (Pl. 8, d³), or any other shape. The first mentioned are better, when
sowing less close. In every case they ought to be constructed in such a man-
ner that they suit the space between the tracts of the fore plow shares. Their
moveableness may be attained in two ways, viz., by an oblong hole (Pl. 8, e¹)
in the cross timber, or by iron cramps (Pl. 8, f¹) around the cross timber.
Their entering deeper or shallower into the soil, and thereby covering the seed
more or less, is regulated by putting a greater or less number of rings upon the
hook (Pl. 1, 2, 3, 4, g¹), and raising or lowering the bars, on which are the
castors (Pl. 1, 2, 3, 4, h¹). The harrow may be lifted from off the ground,
when necessary, by means of a pole, with teeth and spring fitted to the harrow
by an iron pin. It is plain that the harrow may be omitted if agreeable. The
harrow may also be employed for weeding between the seed rows.
The area
and longi-meter have four round plates (Pl. 1, 3, 4, ¹), furnished with cogs,
and an equal number of ciphers and pins working upon the cogs. The plates
move around centre axles fitted into square holes in upright supporters (Pl. 3,
4, k¹), which are fastened to a separate loose board upon one of the thills,
and which at the same time may be used as indexes on the cipher plates. The
cogs, which on the fourth or last plate may be of any number, ought, on the
third and on the second to be ten, but on the first plate it depends upon and
must be in proportion to the largeness of the cart wheels, and their distance
from each other. This proportion is adjusted so that the surface which it
passes over by the engine after one complete revolution of the cart wheels will
exactly be a certain part of the area which is expressed by the ciphers of the
second plate, and which, on an English sowing machine, might preferably be
the 100th part of an acre, or 435,6 square feet, if an acre be reckoned equal to
4840 square yards. The setting of the area-meter to the beginning number
is to commence with the last of the plates, and continue with the rest towards
the cylinder. The reason for this procedure will very easily appear on practice.
It is easily perceived that, if desirable or found necessary, a box for carrying
manure may, without difficulty, be applied to the hind part of the machine,
and that from this box a contrivance may be made for conducting the manure
into the seed rows by channels, so that the manure either becomes mixed with
the seed, or placed either above or underneath it, or upon the soil which the
hind plow shares turn over the seed.
The superiority of the above-described sowing machine to those..already in
use, and its great advantages, are following:-The greater facility for observing,

page_text: determining, and altering the sowing, as well as getting the seed placed more
or less deep into the soil, whether dry or humid, and the property the machine
possesses of showing constantly the extent of field sown by means. of the area
and longi-meter attached to it.
In witness whereof, I; the said Odert Gripenberg, have hereunto set my 5
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
Taken and acknowledged by Obert
Gripenberg (party hereto), at
Wiborg, in the Grand Duchy of
Finland, this 24th day of De-
ODERT (L.S.) GRIPENBERG.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the oath of William Henry Ritchie,
the Specification aforesaid was enrolled, word for word, as above written, and
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty coun