IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR TILLING, PLOUGHING, HARROWING, DIGGING, AND CULTIVATING LAND
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Belmont at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd May
1867.
I, HENRY BELMONT, of Romford, in the County of Essex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR TILLING, PLOUGHING, HARROWING, DIGGING, AND CULTIVATING
LAND," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
machinery or apparatus for the purpose of cultivating land by various
operations, such as tilling, ploughing, harrowing, digging, rolling,
breaking, or cutting and turning, or otherwise as may be required; such
improvements being also applicable for digging or preparing land for
building, draining, trenching, and other such purposes.
I propose to construct a rectangular frame of hard wood or metal,
provided on two opposite sides with axle bearings through which two
cranked axles are passed; these axles are made with square pins fitting
corresponding boxes in four supporting wheels outside the frame, so that
the axles turn with the wheels. The axles may be made of a cylindrical

page_text: or tapering form, but they must be set in the boxes by means of keys
running in grooves, so as to fix the wheels to their axles. The bearings
in the frame are circular, to permit the cranks to turn freely therein;
those parts of the cranks being turned to fit the bearings, the arms of
the cranks consequently come within the frame, and the intervening
axle shaft is cut or turned with circular spaces to form supports for a
second frame, on which journals or boxes are fixed, or through which
apertures are made in order that such second frame may be suspended
therefrom. The cutting frame may be suspended from the axles of the
main frame by means of four clasps consisting of semicircular rings and
opening and closing bars; sheaths are fixed to the frame, and the com-
pound rings are set on the axle, the sheaths and rings are then connected
by screw bolts. The frame contains a series of parallel bars or a full
plate, in which a number of spaces are formed to receive the stems of
various tilling or cultivating tools or implements, such as forks, shovels,
spades, or otherwise. Of course the height or position of these stems,
in relation to the level of the frame, determines the extent of their
penetration in the ground according to the judgment of the operator.
The cutters or implements are secured in position by iron rods traversing
the frame, and passing through holes made in the stems of the cutters
at the desired level, and the rods are fixed in the frame by suitable
fastenings after their adjustment, in order that the several implements
may be rendered fixtures for the time being in the suspended or
secondary frame. The main or primary frame is provided with hooks
or other equivalents for the draught of the horse or team; the rear end
of the frame contains a series of vertical iron rods capable of being
clevated or depressed, and to these are fixed cutters or coulters doing the
work of the ordinary coulter shares. I propose that these imple-
ments should present in their horizontal section an acute angled
triangle terminating in a sharp blade; the stem being set at the base,
so that the cutting edge travels through the ground in a vertical line
in advance of the vertical stem, the coulter share should be of wrought
iron or steel, or of cast iron, and made hollow with a bottom sole of
polished flat steel or iron. The height should be about six inches, and
the rod or stem may be fixed thereto by a screw or other fastening;
but all these rods are passed through spaces or apertures in a strong bar
running across the framework and set in adjustable sockets, or otherwise
rendered capable of turning in stationary or fixed sockets whereby any
extent or degree of tilt may be given to the cutters, and if necessary

page_text: they may be even lifted completely clear of the ground. These
operations (which are very important, since it is frequently necessary
to adjust the coulters according to the preceding work done by the
suspended frame) are effected, firstly, by rendering the bearers of the
adjusting bar capable of clutching it, and then by turning the bearers
and clutches by a ratchet and non-return motion. This could easily be
effected by a square head fixed to the socket, which being turned by a
handle and key would set the clutch and bar at any definite angle
required for the tillage of the coulters, or even lift them out of the
ground. On the other hand if the sockets were made fixtures in the
frame the bar might also be turned by the key within the socket, and
fixed by a spring catch gearing with any one tooth cut within the edge
of the socket. Then in order to release the bar and coulters it would
mercly be necessary to press the spring by means of a small projection,
when they would fall to their original position. The length of the
frame with the cutters is regulated in accordance with the diameter of
the wheels, and when the frame is made of short length two tillages
may be necessary, the second being so directed as to operate on the
gaps of the first, which is easily done by starting so as to till the former
untouched land.
In order to facilitate the turning of the machine I set a peg or bolt
on the front of the frame and apply to the bolt a flat plate of iron
turning on the bolt, which works in a female screw socket in the frame;
the back portion of the frame is provided with two similar bolts holding
small running wheels set crosswise in regard to the main wheels, when
by turning the screw bolts the machine is raised off the main wheels,
and may be turned by the horses. One man or boy is only required to
work the machine; his duty being to direct the horses, and the result
will equal the performance of many ordinary ploughs. The cutting is
effected vertically and horizontally, it digs deeply, crushes and pulverizes
the ground, turns it, and forms furrows. One or two rows of a harrow
may be added behind the apparatus or a roller, both being suspended at
each end by hooks fixed inside the lateral portions of the frame. The
cutting frame being made so as to be easily fixed or removed from the
carcase of the machine, as well as the coulter shares, the main frame
may be utilized as an ordinary cart for all other agricultural purposes
by placing a cart body or a platform in the square above the motion of
the cranked axles. The vertical cuttings preceding the work, the

page_text: ultimate furrowing is effected with the greatest ease, the draught of
the horses being proportionately lessened. The cutters clean the ground
from weeds which the harrow gathers, and leaves them to be removed
after the tillage.
The machine may also be rendered serviceable for builders and brick- 5
makers, and for levelling land for railways. It would supersede every
kind of hand work, and perform general gardening on a large scale, as it
would do the work of 30 day labourers in about one hour.
For draining marshes, bogs, and swamps, digging deep trenches and
gutters or canals it would be equally useful; it being only necessary to 1
apply suitable digging or cutting tools to the cutting frame.