IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Volkmann, of the City of New York, in
the United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PLOUGHS."
Sealed the 21st May 1867, and dated the 3rd December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Volkmann at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd December 1866.
I, FREDERICK VOLKMANN, of the City of New York, in the United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PLOUGHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a new and improved plough of such a con-
struction that the adjustability of the same may be effected without the aid of
plough handles or any equivalent therefor, and that the ploughshare when
thrown out of the furrow by any impediment will resume its original position
in the furrow without any effort on the part of the attendant.
Supported by the land and furrow wheels is a vertical rectangular frame, to
the lower part of which a segment shaped draught bar is attached, the bar
being furnished with holes to receive the regulating pin or screw which
adjusts and maintains the position of the draught rod. Secured to the lower

page_text: bar are also two bars furnished with holes to receive the lower end of a vertical
screwed shaft, the upper bearing of which is carried by the top bar of the
vertical frame; this bearing is fitted to the bar in such manner that it is
free to slide thereon, and may be secured in any required position by a
clamping screw. A crank handle is keyed to the top of the screw shaft for
giving it an axial motion. Fitted to the screwed shaft is a tapped nut, from
the side of which is suspended a balance lever; the ends of this lever are
hooked to receive each a link connected to the head of the plough beam, and
it is by these links that the head of the beam is suspended; by turning
therefore the screw shaft the head of the beam may be raised or lowered at
pleasure to adjust the dip of the ploughshare. To secure the beam laterally
it is coupled to the screw shaft by means of a chain and set screw. The lateral
adjustment of the wheels with regard to the beam will be effected by shifting
the screw shaft to the right or left (as required) in the vertical frame, and
the "land" wheel will be adjusted as usual to suit different depths of
ploughing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Volkmann in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
VOLKMANN, of the City, County, and State of New York, in the United States
of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Frederick
Volkmann, Her special licence that I, the said Frederick Volkmann, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick
Volkmann, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PLOUGHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick
Volkmann, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under

page_text: my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Volkmann, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and. ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
This Invention consists in a new and improved plough of such a construction
that the adjustability of the same may be effected without the aid of plough
handles or any equivalent therefor, and that the ploughshare when thrown out
of the furrow by any impediment will resume its original position in the
furrow without any effort on the part of the attendant.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my Invention I will
proceed to more particularly describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying Drawing, in which Fig. 1 represents a front view of my improved
plough; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal view of the
same. The same letters mark the same parts in all the Figures.
A, B, C, D, E, F, represents the plough frame; G represents the shaft of
the plough frame; and D¹, D³, represent the axles of the running wheels;
C is the right wheel of the plough frame, and F is the left wheel of the same;
I represents the screw tree; D is a semicircular bar provided with regular
openings for receiving the clamping screws of the draught rod G, by means
of which the line of draught is regulated; K represents the plough trace, L
the plough beam and n the screw chain; e represents a small balance beam,
in which the screw chain with the plough beam hangs. The fulcrum of this
beam is carried by a tapped collar e', which is fitted on to and supported by
the screw tree I. M is the ploughshare. The axle of the frame D', D³,
consists besides the usual horizontal axle of two parallel plates attached
thereto, the upper plate having perforations to admit of the screw tree I being
slrifted and secured to the right or left of its indicated position, as desired.
The screw tree is fitted with a crank handle P. R is a clamping screw for
securing the screw tree to the bar A of the plough frame when properly
stepped in the bars d; T is the regulating screw for the vertical frame piece E,
which consists of two parallel pieces. The head of the plough beam L is hung
ou the small balance beam e by means of the screw chain or screw and chain n,

page_text: whereby the plough beam is held to the screw tree I. By turning the crank P
the collar e¹ will be raised or lowered, and consequently the suspending beam e
which it carries; this allows therefore of the depth of the furrows being
lessened or increased at pleasure. The width of the furrow is fixed and deter-
mined by the position of the screw tree in the holes on the bar d, it being
capable, as already stated, of being shifted either to the right or to the left;
thus, if standing behind the plough and desiring to make the furrow broader,
I put the screw tree in the holes to the left (as shewn in Fig. 3); if it is
desired to deepen the furrow more than can be done by turning the screw
tree I, I can effect it by adjusting the wheel F in the usual way. When the
plough is used the plough frame must be brought into a vertical position,
which is done by correctly straining the plough trace K. In ploughing by
this new plough care must be taken that the larger wheel C should 'move
inside of the furrow and close to the outside. The plough is kept straight by
the draught rod, the position of which may be fixed by moving the pin below
the regulating screws into one of the holes of the semicircle D, and fastening
it therein by means of said screw, as shewn in Fig. 8. The balance beam e
prevents the possibility of the plough beam being turned over to the right,
and the screw chain n, which may be loosened or tightened by the screw n¹,
prevents it from being turned over to the left. Any impediment which should
throw the ploughshare out of the furrow, either upwards or sideways, can
only do so for one moment, as the balance beam and the screw chain will
cause it to assume its former position immediately, and without any aid from
the driver or other person. This construction of the plough imparts to it a
bigh degree of flexibility, so that it may be easily turned to the right or to
the left at the end of a straight furrow, and during the time in which it turns
no ploughing will be performed, for the reason that the large wheel C will not
move in the furrow during that time, whereby the plough beam is elevated
sufficiently to raise the ploughshare out of the ground. As during the opera-
tion of ploughing the course and depth of the ploughshare is regulated and
determined by the position of the principal parts of the plough the use of any
plough handle is superfluous. This plough is easily used, and two of them
may be led by one man or boy without any difficulty, all that is required of
the attendant being the leading of the horses properly, the depth and width
of furrows being fixed before the commencement of the ploughing.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
Ploughs," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish
it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I

page_text: claim, constructing wheel ploughs in the manner and for the purpose above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Volkmann, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
FREDERICK VOLKMANN. (L.B.)