IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Harrison, of Barningham, Foreman on the
Glebe Farm, and John George Harrison, of Kirby, Ravensworth, Black-
smith, both in the North Riding of Yorkshire, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS."
Sealed the 11th July 1862, and dated the 14th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Harrison and.
John George Harrison, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,.
with their Petition, on the 14th January 1862.
We, THOMAS HARRISON, of Barningham, Foreman on the Glebe Farm, and
JOHN GEORGE HARRISON, of Kirby, Ravensworth, Blacksmith, both in the
North Riding of Yorkshire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists more particularly in adapting to ploughs a pressing
wheel and plate combined for the purpose of performing in a more efficient
manner than heretofore at one operation the ploughing of the land, and press-
ing of the furrows so produced, so as to form a bed suitable to receive the
seed; hitherto these operations have been separately performed. To construct
a plough according to this Invention I proceed as follows:-I take, for example,
an ordinary two-horse plough, and to the straight side plate thereof I adapt and
connect by an iron rod a pressing wheel, said wheel turns upon the aforesaid
iron rod, and is capable of being slided and adjusted to suit the breadth of the
furrow turned over, I also fix an iron plate to the hinder end of the mould

page_text: board, commencing at the tail end thereof, and form the edge of said plate of a
sharp wedge shape, gradually increasing to a smooth rounded surface (somewhat
resembling the back of a person's hand when holding a pen to paper). This
plate, when in operation, begins to press the furrow slice just as it is falling
into its proper place, and thus forms the further side of the seed bed, and
in so doing materially lessens the resistance that the pressing wheel would
meet with had it to form the seed bed by itself or unassisted by the aforesaid
pressing plate
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Harrison and John George Harrison in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 14th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
HARRISON, of Barningham, Foreman on the Glebe Farm, and JOHN GEORGE
HARRISON, of Kirby, Ravensworth, Blacksmith, both in the North Riding of
Yorkshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date, the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Harrison and John George Harrison Her special licence that we,
the said Thomas Harrison and John George Harrison, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Harrison
and John George Harrison, our 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 we, the said Thomas
Harrison and John George Harrison, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Thomas Harrison and John George
Harrison, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
This Invention consists more particulary in adapting to ploughs a pressing
wheel and plate combined, for the purpose of performing in a more efficient
manner than heretofore at one operation the ploughing of the land and press-
ing of the furrows so produced, so as to form a bed suitable to receive the
seed; hitherto these operations have been separately performed. To construct
a plough according to this Invention, we proceed as follows:-We take, for
example, an ordinary two-horse plough, and to the straight side plate thereof we
adapt and connect by an iron rod a pressing wheel; said wheel turns upon the
aforesaid iron rod, and is capable of being slided and adjusted to suit the breadth
of the furrow turned over. We also fix an iron plate to the hinder end of the
mould board, commencing at the tail end thereof, and form the edge of said
plate of a sharp wedge shape, gradually increasing to a smooth rounded surface
(somewhat resembling the back of a person's hand when holding a pen to
paper). This plate, when in operation, begins to press the furrow slice just as it
is falling into its proper place, and thus forms the further side of the seed bed,
and in so doing materially lessens the resistance that the pressing wheel would
meet with had it to form the seed bed by itself or unassisted by the aforesaid
pressing plate.
In order to explain our said Invention as completely as possible, we will
now proceed to describe the best means by which it may be carried into prac-
tical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawing accom-
panying this Specification, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference
marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a front view of a plough constructed with our improve-
ments. Figure 2 is a plan of the same. Figures 3 and 4 are details hereafter
referred to. A, A, is the frame of the plough formed of wrought iron or other
suitable material. B is the pressing wheel, of cast iron or other metal, and
which rotates on the bent axle C, shown more clearly at Figure 3. The
pressing wheel is curved angularly, so as to form a suitable seed bed, and may
be adjusted to the width of the furrows by sliding it along the axle C, and kept
in its proper place by the set screws D, D. E is a forked scraper or cleaner,
mounted on the spindle F. This scraper is furnished with a counterweight
G, and may be adjusted by the chain H. The axle C is formed at one end
with a fork I, and is jointed by a pin J to the bracket K, bolted to the frame
A. This construction allows the axle to receive a vertical motion to accom-

page_text: modate the pressing wheel to the depth of the furrow. The opposite end of the
axle C is furnished with an arm L, and supported by the chain M fixed to the
chain links of the main bar or whippletree of the plough. The pressing plate
O is fitted to the tail end of the mould board P of the plough by the bolts Q,
Q', and held firmly by the adjustable tie rod P. The plate is formed with
slots R to adjust the cutter S to the required position. The cutter S is
formed of a wedge shape, as shewn at the edge view, Figure 4, and being
rounded off at the lower edge, and placed at an angle, it cuts or presses the
furrow slice just as it is falling into its proper place, and thus forms the further
side of the seed bed, and in so doing materially lessens the resistance that the
pressing wheel would meet with had it to form the seed bed by itself. By
the combined operation of the aforesaid pressing wheel B and plate O, the
ploughing of the land and pressing the furrows, so as to form a good seed bed,
is performed in a more efficient manner than heretofore. T, U, the ordinary
coulter and share.
Having now fully described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention of "Improvements in Ploughs," and the manner of carrying
the same into practical effect, we hereby declare our Invention to consist in,
and we claim,-
First, the construction and application to ploughs of the pressing wheel B
and pressing plate O, for the purposes herein-before described and represented
in the annexed Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Harrison and John George
Harrison, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
two
nis
THOMAS X HARRISON.
mark
(L.S.)
JOHN GEORGE HARRISON. (L.S.)
Witness to the mark of Thomas Harrison,
W. F. WHARTON,
Rector of Barningham, Yorkshire.