IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DIGGING LAND
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edmund Crossby, of Chelmsford, in the County
of Essex, and Arthur Carey, of the Firm of Carey, Stilwell, and Birch,
Agricultural Engineers, of Rochford, in the County of Essex, for an Invention
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edmund Crossby
and Arthur Carey at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
24th May 1881.
WILLIAM EDMUND CROSSBY, of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, and
ARTHUR CAREY, of the Firm of Carey, Stilwell, and Birch, Agricultural Engineers,
of Rochford, in the County of Essex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
DIGGING LAND."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for digging of land by
steam, manual, or other motive power.
This improved construction and arrangement of digging machine advantageously
consists of a portable or traction steam engine and boiler, combined with digging
tools or instruments attached at one end. Also that these digging tools or
instruments attached to a frame may be hauled by wire rope connected with
other engines or horse gear, or this frame and digging apparatus may be drawn by
horses.
The engine may be vertical, horizontal, or of any other design most suitable for
the size and construction of the machine required, being made of any suitable width.
All the parts of the digging apparatus are so arranged that any of them can be
taken off, exchanged, or removed when required.
The required speeds for the digging apparatus as well as for locomotion are
obtained by means of intermediate shafts, pitch chain and wheels, or cranks and
connecting rods in the usual manner."
The machine is steered in like manner to a traction engine or by an ordinary
boiler and engine mounted on a frame, and the digging apparatus may consist of

page_text: any suitable number of forks, spades, or tines, according to the size of the machine
employed and the nature of the ground to be dug.
The forks, spades, or tines move up and down and are guided in side frames or
other motion bars, either by means of a rack and cog wheel eccentric cam, or by
crank, or by side levers and connecting rods, actuated from an intermediate shafts
or otherwise, or by bevel gearing.
Upon the head of each of the forks a grooved pulley is mounted, being governed
by an adjustable guide attached to the side plate or frame.
After the forks, tines, or spades have entered the ground at any suitable angle
and to the required depth, which may be regulated by worm and segment, or by
crank or lever, or other motive power, the earth is turned over; this action being
effected by the head of the forks, tines, or spades being stopped or arrested by the
bottom of the motion bars, side plates, or otherwise before the racks or cranks have
attained their maximum length of stroke, or by a spring if desired.
The side frames are so arranged that the depth of the spit can be regulated by
the connecting rods or by other means capable of adjustment, such as by raising
and lowering either the steering or travelling wheels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Edmund Crossby and Arthur Carey in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th November 1881.
WILLIAM EDMUND CROSSBY, of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, and
ARTHUR CAREY, of the Firm of Carey, Stilwell, and Birch, Agricultural Engineers,
of Rochford, in the County of Essex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
DIGGING LAND."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for digging of land by
steam, manual, or other motive power.
This improved construction and arrangement of digging machine advantageously
consists of a portable or traction steam engine and boiler, combined with digging
tools or instruments attached at one end.
Also that these digging tools or instruments attached to a frame may be hauled
by wire rope connected with other engines or horse gear, or this frame and digging
apparatus may be drawn by horses.
The engine may be vertical, horizontal, or of any other design most suitable for
the size and construction of the machine required, being made of any suitable
width.
All the parts of the digging apparatus are so arranged that any of them can be
taken off, exchanged, or removed when required.
The required speeds for the digging apparatus as well as for locomotion aro
obtained by means of intermediate shafts, pitch chain and wheels, or cranks and
connecting rods in the usual manner.
The machine is steered in like manner to a traction engine, or by an ordinary
boiler and engine mounted on a frame, and the digging apparatus may consist of
any suitable number of forks, spades, or tines, according to the size of the machine
employed and the nature of the ground to be dug.
The forks, spades, or tines move up and down and are guided in side frames or
other motion bars, either by means of a rack and cog-wheel eccentric cam, or by
crank, or by side levers and connecting rods, actuated from an intermediate shaft or
otherwise, or by bevel gearing.
Upon the head of each of the forks a grooved pulley is mounted, being governed
by an adjustable guide attached to the side plate or frame.
After the forks or spades have entered the ground at any suitable angle
and to the required depth, which may be regulated by worm and segment, or by
crank, or lever or other motive power, the earth is turned over; this action being
effected by the head of the forks, tines, or spades being stopped or arrested by the
bottom of the motion bars, side plates, or otherwise before the racks or cranks havo
attained their maximum length of stroke, or by a spring if desired.
The side frames are so arranged that the depth of the spit can be regulated by
the connecting rods or by other means capable of adjustment, such as by raising
and lowering either the steering or travelling wheels.
And in order that our improvements may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an end elevation of
mashing for discing land (aambined with and actuated heen tunting suminat

page_text: a, a, are the spades, forks, tines, or digging instruments, the heads of which are
fixed or bolted to the bar a' of each separate set, each machine being arranged to
carry and actuate one or more bars or sets of digging tools or instruments a.
The bars a' are connected by arms a² and axes or pin joints bx, to the connecting
rods b, carried by the cranks c¹ on the axis c, to raise and lower the bars al
and forks a, a. Motion is communicated to the cranks c¹, c¹, in the following
manner
c² is a bevel toothed wheel fixed on the axis c, which receives motion from the
bevel pinion d' fixed on the intermediate shaft or axis d; a bevel wheel d² on
which receives motion from a bevel wheel e¹ fixed on the main crank shaft e of
the traction engine A, the arrangement of which is shown in the Drawing, but
as it forms no part of our Invention it is not necessary to give & description
thereof.
The bearings a* of the bars a¹ are guided up and down in slots f* formed in
the side plates or guides f, supported and carried by the axis c, the position
of the guides f, f*, being capable of adjustment by means of the rods or
stays h, h.
The arms a, a, of the bars a¹ are formed so that they can be attached to the
ends of the connecting rods b by the pin joints or axes bx at different points or
distances in order to cause the bar a¹ to turn up or tip when its bearings a* have
descended to the bottom of the slots fx, the pressure of the connecting rod b on
the lever arms a² being the means by which the bars a¹ are caused to turn on their
axes a* to throw up the tines a out of the ground.
g is a spring (fixed on each of the side plates or guides f) which serves to guide
the bar a as it turns upon its axes in its up and down movements.
The bar a' and tines a may also, if desired, be guided up and down by means of
a grooved friction roller a** (as represented in Figure 3* of the Drawings) mounted
on the head or bar a¹ of each set of forks, the roller a** being guided by an
adjustable guide f** fixed on the side or guide plates f. h, h, Figure 1, are stays,
the position of which and guide plates f can be adjusted to vary the depth and
angle of the spit as required.
When the bar a¹ has descended to the bottom of the slots fx in the guides fit is
caused to make a partial revolution on its axes a* (whilst supported in the bearings
at the bottom of the slot f* as previously stated) by the pressure of the connecting
rod on the pin 6x and lever arms a³, thus causing the bar a¹ to make a partial
revolution and thereby turn the forks or tines a up suddenly into the position
shown by dotted lines in Figure 1. The upward movement of the connecting
rod b causes the bar a¹ and forks a to return to their former positions ready to be
forced into the land again, the traction engine in the interval having travelled a
suitable distance for another descent of the digging instruments.
Figures 7, 8, and 9, are corresponding views of a similar digging machine
(combined with and actuated by a traction engine) to that previously described
with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, corresponding parts being marked with
similar letters of reference.
In this arrangement each time or spade a moves on a pin joint a* formed on the
bar a¹, which is guided up and down by the guide rods suspended on the axes c.
The tines a are spaced and kept in position by projections on the front of the bar a³,
being governed in their tipping action by the bar fx, which serves as an equivalent
for the slot f in the arrangement previously described.
х
When the bar a¹ with the lines a have descended nearly to their lowest position,
the resistance offered by the bar f* causes them to be turned up suddenly into
the position shown in Figure 7. The dotted lines show the position of the bar a
when out of gear for travelling.
The bar is carried by the arms f' and rod f, being capable of moving on a
pin joint at f, carried by the adjustable arms f³ attached to the framing of the
machine.

page_text: The mechanism for giving motion to the crank axis c differs from that previously
described, as follows:-
c2 is a toothed wheel fixed on the crank axis c and receives motion from the
toothed pinion d fixed on the intermediate shaft or axis d, a pulley d² on which
receives motion by means of an endless chain ex from the pulley e fixed on the
main crank shaft or axis e actuated by the steam traction engine A, the arrange-
ment of which is clearly shown in the Drawings.
Figures 13, 14, and 15, show a side elevation, plan, and end view of a digging
machine, the working parts and implements being similar in arrangement,
construction, and action to those previously described. The digging machine is
actuated and caused to travel over the land by means of a wire rope A driven by
a portable steam engine or other motive power.
The parts which correspond with similar or equivalent parts in the Drawings
previously described are marked with similar letters of reference, and as the
action of the operating parts or digging implements is the same it will not be
necessary to repeat the description thereof.
The crank axis c in this arrangement is actuated by means of the endless wire
rope A (from a portable steam or other motive power engine) passing around the
driving pulley e on the axis of which the pinion e' is fixed, which gives motion to
the toothed wheel on the axis d, a bevel pinion d' on which gives motion to
the bevel wheel c² fixed on the crank axis c which actuates the digging implements,
which are capable of adjustment as in the machines previously described.
Motion is communicated to the travelling wheels i in the following manner :-
c is a toothed wheel fixed on the crank axis c and gives motion to the
intermediate toothed wheel c', on the axis of which the toothed wheel wheel c³ is
fixed, which takes into and drives the toothed wheel c fixed on the axis of the
travelling wheels i, which can be thrown into or out of gear by the levers
actuated by the driver of the implement, the steering wheel being under the
control of the driver from his seat ; mounted on the framing of the machine.
It will be evident that the arrangement and construction of the parts and the
method of actuating the same may be considerably varied without departing from
the main features of our Invention, at the same time we do not claim any of the
mechanical parts separately, which are well known and in common use, but what
we claim is,―
First. The improved arrangement and combination of machinery for digging
land, in which a series of spades, forks, tines, or digging instruments a carried by a
bar or frame a', a², are guided in their descent by an adjustable plate f and slot f *,
the bar a being caused to make a partial revolution on its axes a* to throw up
the tines or digging instruments & and earth thereon, substantially in the manner
herein before described and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 3x, 4, 5, and 6, of the
Drawings hereto annexed.
Second. The improved arrangement and combination of machinery for digging
land in which the series of forks or digging instruments a carried by the bar a¹
are guided up and down by the adjustable rods f, the bar a being caused to turn
or tip on the adjustable bar fx to throw up the tines a, substantially in the manner
herein before described and represented in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, of the
Drawings hereto annexed.
Third. The improved arrangement and combination of machinery for digging
land, actuated substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and represented
by Figures 13, 14, and 15, of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Fourth. The improved method and apparatus for adjusting the position of the
bar a' and tines a to regulate the depth and angle of the spit, substantially in the
manner hereinbefore described and represented in the Drawings annexed.
Fifth. The improved general arrangement and combination of machinery for

page_text: digging land, arranged to act substantially in the manner herein before described
and represented in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Edmund Crossby and Arthur Carey,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty second day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. E. CROSSBY.
(L.S.)