Improvements in Seed Drills.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Seed Drills.
I, WILHELM MEINSHAUSEN, of Lüderitz, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Empire
of Germany, Agriculturer 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 :-
My present invention relates to seed drills and consists in a device the object of
which is to permit an easy and exact regulation of the quantity of grain sowed.
In order to attain this object, I employ, in conjunction with chutes through which
the seed falls, sowing discs the circumference of which is provided with teeth or
indents, and cylinders or sleeves which are provided with longitudinal bars fitting
exactly into the indentations of the sowing discs. These cylinders may be displaced
longitudinally. My present improvement may be applied to seed drills of various
constructions, and particularly to the machine described in my British Patent
No. 1930, dated Feb. 1, 1892.
In order to make my meaning clear, I will proceed to give a specific description
of my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of that part of a seed drills to which my
improvements relate.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the above mentioned bars in their middle
position.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of a sowing disc and the cylinder and bars connected to
the same.
"
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the complete device.
Similar letters denote similar parts throughout the several views.
In the drawings is the chute, through which the seed falls from a suitable
receptacle down to the sowing-disc t. The lower end of the chute is made so as to
correspond with the shape of the discs t. These discs are provided at their
circumference with teeth or indents the form of which may be varied, in the
drawings I have shown teeth analogous in form to those of a ratchet-wheel, as will
be seen at Fig. 4, where the teeth are lettered t'. a is the shaft on which the discs t
are placed. These discs are provided at one of their ends with an annular smooth
rim . On the shaft a are also loosely mounted the cylinders or sleeves A, to which
are secured longitudinal bars 1. At their free ends these bars are provided with small
notches r. The cross-section of these bars exactly corresponds with the
indentations of the discs t, so that no interstices are left at the place where the bars
are in contact with the discs. The cylinders may be displaced on the shaft a by
means of forks which fit into grooves of the cylinders, these forks being all secured
to a common shaft x, so that all cylinders will be displaced identically and
simultaneously.
When the cylinders are in their extreme position to the left (see Fig. 1), the
discs t are entirely covered by the bars 1, with the exception of the small notches
through which the seed may be discharged. This position of the cylinders l' will
be employed especially for sowing very small seeds, such as colza seeds. When the
seeds or grains to be sown are of larger size, the cylinders are drawn towards the
left so as to leave a free space z (see Fig. 3) between the rim or collar t¹¹ and
the ends of the bars 1. The quantity of seeds discharged at each turn of the discs t
may thus be exactly adjusted, and the seeds drop merely through the apertures <,
and cannot get to that part of the indentations of the discs t which is covered
by the bars i
My improved adjusting device as hereinbefore described permits to employ one
and the same machine for sowing grains and seeds of different kinds, no other

page_text: change being necessary than a lateral displacement of the cylinders l' In drill-
ploughs as usually constructed the driving wheels or the, seed-distributing discs, and
in some cases the shafts carrying the same must be exchanged when wishing to sow
grains of another kind. In the ordinary machines it is however impossible to effect
an exact adjustment of the quantity of seed discharged, and slight variations of
this quantity are likewise impossible; with my improved drill-plough, this is easily
attained.
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 :-
In a seed drill :-
:-
a
1. A device for regulating the breadth of the opening through which the seeds
are discharged, characterized by a toothed seed-distributing disc t and
displaceable cylinder fitted with longitudinal bars filling the indentations of the
disc t, for the purpose of adjusting the quantity of seeds discharged at each rotation
of the seed-distributing disc.
2. A regulating device of the kind claimed under head ; in which the
cylinders, fitted with longitudinal bars 1, may be displaced simultaneously and
identically by means of the forks and the shaft x, substantially as described.
3. A regulating device of the kind claimed under head 1, in which the
longitudinal bars are provided with notches r, for the purpose of permitting to sow
a definite minimum quantity of fine seeds, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 14th day of November 1892.
WILHELM MEINSHAUSEN,
By F. Bosshardt & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.