Improvements in and connected with Drills or Machines for Dis- tributing Seed, Manure, and other Solid Substances over Grass and Arable Land.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 26th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Drills or Machines for Dis-
tributing Seed, Manure, and other Solid Substances over Grass
and Arable Land.
I, GEORGE GREENFIELD, of Rufford, in the County of Nottingham, Farmer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for distributing seed, manure and other substances
either broadcast or in rows over grass and arable land.
According to my invention the drill is provided with a number of slides or doors
termed distributors extending the full length of the drill which distributors may be
worked together or independently of each other. These distributors are adapted to
have an oscillating motion imparted to them or to be raised and lowered as
required.
The drill or machine can either be attached to a cart and driven from the wheels
thereof or mounted on independent wheels. The motion obtained may be multiplied
by gearing or not as may be required according to the nature of the different
substances to be distributed.
Dated the 2nd dare of Droombo 1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Drills or Machines for Dis-
tributing Seed, Manure, and other Solid Substances over Grass
and Arable Land.
I, GEORGE GREENFIELD, of Rufford, in the County of Nottingham, Farmer, 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:-
My invention relates to an improved drill or machine for distributing seed, artificial
manures and other substances, either broadcast or in rows over grass or arable land,
or growing crops, and comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing :-
Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved drill ;
Figure 2 is an end view of the same; and,
Figure 3 is a view of a detail drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating a slight
modification.
Figures 4 and 5 are views illustrating another modification.
a is the frame of my improved machine; b, b are the travelling wheels, and c is a
hopper into which the seed, manure or other material to be distributed placed, which
hopper may be of the shape shown or of any other desirable shape. The lower part
or board d of the rear side of the said hopper is adapted to be reciprocated laterally,
or endwise backwards and forwards during the operation of the machine to agitate
the seed or other substance to cause it to flow from the hopper, and for this purpose
it is suspended from the fixed portion of the said hopper by means of bars or
slings e, e.
A shield is fixed within the hopper as shown in figure 4 and serves to prevent
the material therein from lying against the said board and so impeding its motion.

page_text: Motion is imparted to the said board through the medium of the connecting rod f
one end g of which is jointed to a pin on the board d, while the other end is connected
to a crank h to which rotary motion is imparted from the travelling wheels through
the medium of the spur-wheels i, i and the bevel-wheels j, j¹.
To allow the escape of the seed or other material from the hopper c a series of
openings k, k are formed in the lower part of the board d, through which openings
the material can pass. 1, 1 are distributors or regulating doors which serve to control
the quantity of material passing through the openings k, k. These regulators can be
-opened individually by hand or simultaneously. For the latter purpose each of them
is provided with an extension m adapted to bear upon a bar n carried by levers o, o
supported on the board d, as shown in figure 1. It is obvious that by altering the
angle of the said cranks o, o by means of a handle p forming a continuation of one of
the said cranks, the rod n will be raised or lowered and the regulators correspondingly
opened or closed.
In some cases, when it is required to deliver from the hopper only very small
quantities of seed or the like, I find it advantageous to provide each regulator / with
an auxiliary door or regulator 1, as shown most clearly in figure 3. These auxiliary
regulators 1, 1 are open and closed by the bar n in the same manner as the
regulators, 1, the arrangement being such that, when the regulators / have been
opened to a certain extent the regulators 1, will commence to open.
?"
d¹ is a board forming the bottom of the hopper, which board is suspended at one
side by means of chains d², d² inside the hopper, and supported at the other side by a
bar 9, one end of which engages with an eye beneath the board, as shown, while the
other is connected at q with one end of a lever » pivoted at 1, and carrying at or
near its other end a weight r². With this arrangement it is obvious that the board d₁,
under ordinary circumstances, is pressed against the bottom edge of the board d and
that, if desired, by raising the lever r. the board can be shaken for any desired
purpose, such, for instance, as for facilitating the flow of seed through the
openings k, k.
s is a kind of comb which normally lies above the board d¹ and which for
broadcast sowing serves to distribute the seed passing through the openings k. This
distributor is carried upon pivoted arms s' attached to the board d and moves
therewith, being supported by means of a chain or the like (not shown) so that the
teeth are not in contact with the board d¹. When desired the comb can be thrown
back so as to be inoperative.
I sometimes find it desirable to laterally reciprocate the bottom board d¹ at the
same time as the board d, and for this purpose, I advantageously provide a connecting
rod t, one end of which is connected to the board d, while the other arm is connected
to one arm of a double crank t¹, the other arm of which crank extends down within
the hopper and is connected to a lug on the board d', as indicated by the dotted lines.
It is obvious with this arrangement that, as the board d' is moved to and fro by the
crank h, motion will be also imparted to the board d¹ by the rod t and double
crank t. A chain indicated by the dotted line t2 serves to support the rod t when
not connected to the crank t'.
I also provide for continuously shaking the board d' up and down, if required.
To accomplish this I employ a bell-crank lever u, one arm of which is connected by a
rod or chain with the board d¹, while the other arm is adapted to be connected to
the end g of the rod f, as indicated by the dot and dash line w. In this case the
bar is disconnected from the board di so as not to impede its movement.
To prevent materials, which do not flow easily, from sticking in the hopper, a
board x at the front of the hopper is mounted so that it can be reciprocated laterally,
either intermittently or continuously, from the board d through the medium of the
double crank figure 4, one arm of which is connected with the said board x, while
the other is designed to be attached to a connecting rod also attached to the board d,
so that both the boards d, a can move simultaneously.
To permit of the intermittent or occasional movement of the board a I advan-
tageously employ the mechanism shown in figure 5, which comprises a ratchet.

page_text: wheel mounted upon an axis secured to the fixed part of the hopper and a
pawl connected to the board d, and having its free end in engagement with the
teeth of the ratchet wheel, so that during the reciprocation of the board & motion
will be imparted to the said wheel. On the axis is also mounted a cam-piece.
which is capable of turning freely thereon but which at certain times is caused to
move with the wheel by means of the stud . The connecting rod is notched
at so that it can be readily engaged with and disengaged from the pin of the
crank. The connecting rod is provided with an extension designed to be acted
upon by the cam-piece. With this arrangement so long as the cam-piece supports
the extension of the connecting rod no motion will be imparted to the board x.
When, however, the cam-piece has been moved so far round that its free end is
adjacent to the connecting rod, it will, owing to its own weight combined with the
weight of the said extension drop to the position indicated by dotted lines, so that
the rod also drops whereby its notch engages with the pin of the crank ², and
continues to operate the same until the cam-piece again lifts the said rod under the
action of the stud. It is obvious that by varying the length of the said cam-piece
the time during which the connecting rod is held out of engagement with the crank
can be correspondingly varied. is a pawl which prevents the ratchet wheel from
turning in the wrong direction.
In working upon hillside land it may sometimes happen that the seed, instead of
dropping directly over the edge of the board d¹ exactly opposite the openings k from
which it is discharged, will slide to one end of the board and so cause an unequal
distribution. In order to provide against this I advantageously furnish the board d¹
with a series of ribs or grooves, for instance as indicated at y in figure 1, to cause
the seed or other material to travel straight across the board.
In order to allow of the distribution of very fine materials in a better manner than
can be effected by means of the distributor herein before described, I in some cases
perforate the board d' so that it constitutes a kind of sieve.
When it is desired to sow or distribute in rows instead of broadcast 1 suspend
tubes or funnels in such a manner as to receive the material discharged from the
various openings.
The hopper may be adjustably mounted upon the frame so that it can be raised or
lowered, and it may also be adapted to be adjusted upon its horizontal axis so as
to maintain it substantially vertical when working either up or down hill.
In the foregoing description I have described the apparatus as being mounted
upon wheels, I wish it understood, however, that it may be mounted behind a cart
or waggon, motion being imparted to the varions parts from one of the wheels of
the cart or waggon by means of a chain or its equivalent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a drill or machine for distributing seed, artificial manure or the like, the
employment of a hopper, the lower portion of the rear side of which is made movable,
and has a series of openings through which the material is discharged, such
openings being provided with regulating doors, substantially as described.
2. A drill or machine for distributing seed, artificial manure and other substances,
having a hopper forned with a movable bottom and with the lower portion of the
rear side also movable, and means whereby such movable portions may be operated
ogether or separately, substantially as described.
3. A drill or machine, of the kind herein before described, for distributing seed,
rtificial manure and other substances, provided with a comb or distributor as set
orth.
4. In a drill or machine of the kind hereinbefore described, the combination with
he hopper of a stirrer adapted to be moved either continuously or intermittently
ubstantially as described.

page_text: 5. The manufacture and use of the improved drill or machine herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 12th day of March 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.