A New or Improved Weed, Seed, Worm, Grub, and Insect Destroyer and Soil Fertilizer.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Weed, Seed, Worm, Grub, and Insect Destroyer
and Soil Fertilizer.
JAMES MORTEN Wine and Spirit Merchant Victoria House Bridge Road
Woolston near Southampton do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to the destruction of animal and vegetable life in earth
which is being prepared for the reception of seed, and to the fertilization of the
same by the conversion of the remains of such insect and vegetable organisms into
manurial material and by the fertilizing effects chemical or otherwise of fire applied
to the earth.
My apparatus is intended to be attached to or form part of some, or any, of the
implements commonly used in agriculture, such for instance as a plough scarifier,
harrow, drill, or the like, and may be arranged to work, either before, that is to
say in front of, or behind, that is to say, after, the ordinary mechanism of the
implement, or both, and comprises firstly, a furnace, lamp, or other arrangement
for producing heat, or flame, or both, from portable fuel or combustible material;
and secondly, a blast preferably operated either by power obtained from the
carrying wheels of the implement, or trailing or other wheels provided for the
purpose or the blast may be generated directly by means of the heat produced by
the apparatus, and such blast is employed to drive the flame, or heated air, or both
downwards on to the earth so as to cause the flame to burn the surface thereof. as
it is slowly carried over it by the moving machine. Thus for instance in the case,
of a plough one flame may be driven down on the earth in front of the coulter,"
this destroying all life, both animal and vegetable, on or near its surface, and
another similar flame may be made to play behind the share and thus sterilize the
newly turned up surface.
In the case of an implement which operates a considerable breadth of land at
one time, such for instance as a scarifier, a flame or heat, producing apparatus of
width corresponding with the implement is used or a number of flames. placed side
by side.
The effect of the passage of the flame over the earth is to destroy the life in or
near the surface thereof and thus converting noxious and injurious weeds and insects
and their seeds and eggs into manure, also by the action of the flame fertilizing the
earth and rendering it more productive.
Dated the 31st day of October 1893.
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the' Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Weed, Seed, Worm, Grub, and: Insect. Destroyer.
and Soil Fertilizer.
I, JAMES MORTEN, Wine and Spirit Merchant, Victoria House, Bridge Road,
Woolston Southampton, 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 the destruction of animal and vegetable life in earth

page_text: which is being prepared for the reception of seed and to the fertilization of the
same by the conversion of the remains of such insect and vegetable organisms into
manurial material and by the fertilizing effects chemical or otherwise of fire applied
to the earth.
My apparatus is intended to be attached to or form part of some or any of the
implements commonly used in agriculture such for instance as a plough, scarifier,
harrow, drill, or the like, and may be arranged to work, either before, that is to say
in front of, or behind, that is to say, after, the ordinary mechanism of the
implement, or both, and comprises firstly, a furnace, lamp, or other arrangement
for producing heat, or flame, or both, from portable fuel or combustible material;
and secondly, a blast preferably operated either by power obtained from the
carrying wheels of the implement, or trailing or other wheels, provided for the
purpose, or by hand or the blast may he generated directly by means of the heat
produced by the apparatus or both, and such blast is employed to drive the flame,
or heated air, or both downwards on to the earth so as to cause the flame to burn
the surface thereof as it is slowly carried over it by the moving machine. Thus
for instance in the case of a plough one flame may be driven down on the earth in
front of the coulter, thus destroying all life, both animal and vegetable, on or near
its surface, and other similar flame or flames may be made to play behind the share
and thus sterilize the newly turned up surface.
In case of an implement which operates a considerable breadth of land at one
time such for instance as a scarifier, a flame or heat producing apparatus of width
corresponding with the implement is used or a number of flames placed side
by side.
The effect of the passage of the flame over the earth is to destroy the life on or
near the surface thereof and thus converting noxious and injurious weeds and
insects and their seeds and eggs into manure, also by the action of the flame fertilizing
the earth and rendering it more productive.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1. is an elevation in which portions of the exterior are represented as
removed in order to show certain internal arrangements.
Fig. 2. a section and Fig. 3. a plan of my apparatus.
Figs. 4. and 5. are detail drawings of the burner and Fig. 6. is a transverse section
thereof.
A, is a platforma to which my apparatus is attached by bolts such as a. B, is a
lever working on the centre c. and serving to operate the double pump of
which C. and D. are the cylinders and which pump is fitted with suitable check
valves. E. is a tank preferably either round, oval or square and of convenient
dimensions. I find 3 feet high and 18 inches broad a very useful size, and this tank
I fill to about half its capacity with benzoline, or other like gas-producing
material, through which air is forced by the pumps and becomes charged with
inflammable gas, F. is a pipe leading from the pumps C. and D. to a non-
return valve f. and from thence by the pipe g to a coil at the bottom of and
within the tank E. This coil has numerous small perforations through which
the injected air passes into the benzoline or the like and such air being retained
in a state of compression serves to drive the paraffin in the tank G. up the pipe J.
and thence to the burners.
Within the tank E. is a smaller tank G. for containing paraffin oil and which is
fixed by attachments to the stays, k, k, and a pipe J. passes from the bottom of such
inner tank through the cover of the tank E. to the non return valve i, and thence
to the cock j. and to the burner H. Part of this pipe at J' is made of flexible
metal to allow of easy adjustment. K. is a funnel for charging the tank G. with
paraffin. r. is a stop cock. H. is a burner shown more fully in the Figs. 4. and 5,
drawn to a larger scale, comprising a coiled pipe d. in which the paraffin is heated
and vapourized and from which it passes through d' and d² to the jet or nozzle e
within the cover which is perforated with air holes m. fitted with adjustable
covers.

page_text: A pipe L, part of which L', is flexible, communicates through the cock L' with
the interior of the tank E, and conveys the air which has been pumped through
the benzoline and rendered inflammable to the burner where it is delivered from the
jets n.
A lamp formed of a cup or vessel o is provided for the purpose of heating
the coil to start the burner. P. is a pressure gauge p. a gauge, q. is a strainer
at the end of pipe J. Q. is the base for supporting the internal tank G. R. is a
safety-valve. S. a manhole and cover. T. T. are adjustable stays supporting the
burner and pipes.
The flame issuing from the burner H. is driven downwards by the force of the
current of the burning vapours and effectually burns the surface of the soil. The
pipes and fittings leading from the tanks to the burners may be duplicated on
the other side of the tank.
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. A new or improved weed, seed, worm, grub, and insect destroyer and soil
fertilizer, substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
2. The apparatus for scorching, or burning the surface of the soil substantially as
hereinbefore described and for the purpose set forth.
3. The burner comprising a coil of pipe through which the oil passes and in
which it is converted into vapour before reaching the jet, combined with a jet
supplied with air rendered inflammable by its passage through benzoline or like
inflammable spirit, substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
Dated the Thirteenth day of August 1894.
JAMES MORTEN.