IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAINAGE PLOUGHS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Owen Cuppaidge, of Kilkenny Abbey, Glasson,
in the County of Westmeath, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DRAINAGE PLOUGHS."
Sealed the 14th August 1877, and dated the 27th February 1877.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Owen Cuppaidge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th February 1877.
HENRY OWEN CUPPAIDGE, of Kilkenny Abbey, Glasson, in the County of
Westmeath, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAINAGE PLOUGHS."
According to my Invention I construct drainage ploughs in the following
manner: To the draw bar is attached a blade somewhat similar in form to
an ordinary ploughshare, to the bottom of which is attached a flat sole plate which
rests upon the surface of the soil to be operated upon, and extends some distance
back from the blade. On the nose of the said blade is secured a nozzle carrying a
transverse bar or sock extending some distance on either side of the blade. This
bar or sock has a notch on its front face in line with the draw bar, and one or more.
other notches of each side thereof. Into one or other of these notches fits the back
edge of a coulter blade extending downwards from the sock to a distance cor-
responding with the depth to which it is required to make an incision in the soil.
The coulter also extends upwards from the sock, and enters an adjustable socket or
eye on the draw bar, in which it is secured in an adjustable manner so as to be
capable of being raised or lowered.
According as the coulter is fitted into the central-notch of the cross bar or sock,
or in either of the side notches, it assumes a vertical or a more or less inclined or
oblique position, so as either to make a vertical cut in the soil, or by consecutively
making two oblique cuts in opposite directions, to cut a V shaped drain in the soil.
The cross bar or sock has a row of holes at each end for the purpose of receiving
"scribe pins," which, as the plough travels along, scribe lines on each side of the
central cutting for determining the width of the drain to be cut, and also to
indicate the presence of a piece of rock, stone, or other impediment in the cutting,
inasmuch as when the coulter strikes against a stone, the operator, feeling the
obstruction; will depress the handles, so as by the leverage of the long sole plate to

page_text: raise the coulter over the obstruction, and the cross bar with the scribe pins being
thus also raised off the soil the interruption of the mark made by the latter will.
indicate the place where the obstruction exists in the cutting.
For making lateral incision in the soil at the bottom of the vertical cut I employ
a coulter, having fixed or formed on its lower end two lateral blades projecting
horizontally and at an angle backwards from the front, edge of the coulter, so that
when this is drawn through the soil the side blades undercut the chase made by it.
For the purpose of completing the chases made by the plough in portions of the
land which is inaccessible to the plough, I employ a coulter blade having a. crutch
or handle at its upper end, by which it can be held in a vertical or inclined position,
while a second crutch or handle is pivotted to the coulter at a point near its lower
end, so that the coulter being inserted into the soil at the termination of the chase
cut by the plough, and held in a vertical or inclined position by one operator, a
second operator in pushing the blade forward, by means of the second crutch,
causes it to extend the incision made by the plough.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Owen Cuppaidge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th August 1877..
HENRY OWEN CUPPAIDGE, of Kilkenny Abbey, Glasson, in the County of West-
meath, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAINAGE PLOUGHS."
According to my present Invention I construct drainage ploughs in the following
manner: To the draw bar is attached a blade somewhat similar in form to an
ordinary ploughshare, to the bottom of which is attached a flat sole plate, which
rests upon the surface of the soil to be operated upon, and extends some distance
back from the blade. On the nose of the said blade is secured a nozzle carrying a
transverse bar or sock extending some distance on either side of the blade. This
bar or sock has a notch on its front face in line with the draw bar, and one or more
other notches on each side thereof. Into one or other of these notches fits the back
edge of a coulter blade, extending downwards from the sock to a distance cor-
responding with the depth to which it is required to make an incision in the soil.
The coulter also extends upwards from the sock, and enters a socket or eye on the
draw bar, in which it is secured in an adjustable manner, so as to be capable of
being raised or lowered.
According as the coulter is fitted into the central notch of the cross bar or sock,
or in either of the side notches, it assumes a vertical or a more or less inclined or
oblique position, so as either to make a vertical cut in the soil, or by consecutively
making two oblique cuts in opposite directions, to cut a V shaped drain in the soil.
The cross bar or sock has a row of holes at each end for the purpose of receiving
"scribe pins," which, as the plough travels along, scribe lines on each side of the
central cutting for determining the width of the drain to be cut, and also to indicate
the presence of a piece of rock, stone, or other impediment in the cutting, inasmuch
as when the coulter strikes against the stone, the operator feeling the obstruction,
will depress the handles, so as by the leverage of the long sole plate to raise the
coulter over the obstruction, and the cross bar with the scribe pins being thus also
raised off the soil, the interruption of the mark made by the latter will indicate the
place where the obstruction exists in the cutting.
For making lateral incisions in the soil at the bottom of the vertical cut I employ
a coulter, having fixed or formed on its lower end two lateral blades projecting
horizontally and at an angle backwards from the front edge of the coulter, so that
when this is drawn through the soil, the side blades undercut the chase made by it.
For the purpose of completing the chases made by the plough in portions of the
land which are inaccessible to the plough, I employ a coulter blade having a crutch

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews a perspective view of my before-described improved drainage plough,
and Fig. 2 shews a plan of the removeable surface sock detached.
The ploughshare A has attached to its under side a flat sole plate B extending
some distance beyond it in the rear, and on the nose of the ploughshare is fitted the
socket of the surface sock C, which has three or more notches c, c, c², in its front edge,
the notch c being vertically under the draw bar D, while c², c², are at any required
distance to either side thereof. On the draw dar D is a socket or eye d, in which is
secured the neck of a coulter blade E. For making a vertical cut in the soil, a coulter
blade, such as is shewn in the Drawing, is employed, having a straight neck, and
fitting with its back edge into the middle notch c of the sock. The blade E is
adjustable vertically in the socket d, so as to cut the furrow to any required depth
in the soil. If it is desired to cut a V grove or drain in the soil, this is effected by
first fitting to the plough a sock with oblique neck, so as to extend obliquely, say,
to the right, fitting into the notch c² of the sock, and after forming a corresponding
oblique cut therewith, a coulter is introduced extending obliquely to the left, and
fitting into the notch c¹ of the sock. In the holes c³ in the sock are fitted scribe
pins for the purpose before described. When it is desired to undercut or make
lateral incisions in the cutting, a coulter blade is employed, as shewn in perspective
at F, Fig. 3, having two lateral blades f, f, at its lower extremity. By removing
the surface sock, putting on the ordinary ploughing sock, and raising the coulter
blade, as in the ordinary plough, the implement may be used as a subsoiling
plough.
Fig. 4 shews the before-described coulter blade to be worked by hand for finishing
the chases in portions of land inaccessible to the plough. To the blade G is fixed
a crutch or handle g, and a second handle g' is connected to a hole gå in the blade,
so that while one man holds the coulter in a vertical position in the soil by the
handle 9, another operator pushes it along by the handle g¹.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I claim,-
First. Constructing drainage ploughs with a surface sock fitting on to the nose of
the ploughshare, and having a series of notches for receiving the back edge of a
vertical or oblique coulter blade fitted adjustably to the draw bar, and extending
any desired distance below the sole plate and sock, substantially as herein
described.
Second. The use in combination with drainage ploughs, constructed as set forth
in the first claim, of a coulter blade having lateral blades for under cutting, sub-
stantially as herein described.
Third. The use, for cutting chases in land inaccessible to the drainage plough, of a
hand-coulter blade constructed as herein described with reference to Fig. 4 of the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Owen Cuppaidge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
HENRY OWEN CUPPAIDGE. (LS.)