AN IMPROVED CORN, SEED, AND MANURE DRILL, PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Besley, of Halberton, in the County of Devon,
Farmer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CORN, SEED, AND MANURE
DRILL, PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS."
Sealed the 7th November 1865, and dated the 15th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Besley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
May 1865.
'I, HENRY BESLEY, of Halberton, in the County of Devon, Farmer, do hereby
B'declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CORN, SEED, AND
"MANURE DRILL, PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of an implement which, in its general construction,
is somewhat similar to an ordinary corn, seed, or manure drill, having corn, seed,
and manure boxes, used separate or together, being furnished with a series of
tubes and tins for conveying and depositing the corn, seed, or manure in the
ground, the tubes and tins being mounted in levers at one end, and provided
at or near the other with chains which pass over a roller above, by turning
which the depth of the drills is regulated, or the drills may be removed
5 altogether from the ground.
In my improved drill I form holes in the back and front of the manure,
corn, or seed boxes, one hole being over each tube, according to the number
of drills in the width of the machine, and I place two or more rollers running

page_text: the whole width of the machine; round these rollers passes a series of endless
chains, bands, or cords through the corn, seed, or manure in the box, each of
the same passing out through one of the openings in the back of the box or
boxes, and returning underneath the same. One or more of these rollers is
driven by means of spur gearing, chain, or band, or partly by chain or band,
from one of the running wheels of the machine, or both may be driven if pre-
ferred. The endless chains, bands, or cords are provided with cups, holes, or other
such contrivance for retaining the corn, seed, or manure, which, as the rollers
revolve, take a certain quantity of the corn, seed, or manure from the box
through the openings, and as they pass over the roller deliver the same into
the tubes, which in turn convey it to the drills, the endless chains, cords, or
bands being cleaned, if necessary, by means of a small fixed or revolving
brush. In order to regulate the quantity of corn, seed, or manure delivered,
'each of the openings is furnished with a slide. or fender and with an india-
rubber or other mouth-piece, the said slides being all mounted on a bar or
bars of wood or other material extending the whole length of the machine,
provided at each end with a regulating set screw, so that the slides can all be
raised or lowered at once, and thus the amount of corn, seed, or manure
deposited in the drills can be regulated with the greatest exactitude. To
prevent the possibility of the manure "arching," and that a coarser description
may be used if required, the manure box is provided with cranked stirrers,
with or without finger-pieces, to keep the manure in continual motion, and
so working as to be constantly bringing it towards the different chains, bands,
or cords, and the finger-pieces raking back stones or any other coarse material;
and that each portion of the manure may be thoroughly stirred and none left
in the bottom I form the bottom of the manure box to match the stirrers
thus
As so many chains would not be required for
•
seed as for corn it is necessary to remove the front board of the seed box and
to place one with a less number of holes and with a bottom to match, thus
converting it into a manure box, This part of my Invention is also applicable
to a turnip box or drill'separate, also to a grass seed machine, either attached
or separate from the corn, seed, or manure drill.
The Invention further consists of a screw or piece of tubular iron with a
bar and pin to raise or lower the several manure boxes when going up or
down hill; this part of my Invention is also applicable to other similar
agricultural implements.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Besley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BESLEY, of Halberton, in the County of Devon, Farmer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me;
the said Henry Besley, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Besley,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Besley, 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 Channe}
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED CORN, SEED, AND
MANURE DRILL, PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the
said Henry Besley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Henry Besley, 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,.
that is to say:-
2 ..
This Invention consists of an implement which in its general construction
is somewhat similar to an ordinary corn, seed, or manure drill, having corn,
seed, and manure boxes, used separate or together, being, furnished with a
series of tubes and tins for conveying and depositing the corn, seed, or manure
in the ground, the tubes and tins being mounted in levers at one end, and.
provided at or near the other with chains which pass over a roller above, by:
turning which the depth of the drills may be regulated, or the coulters may
be removed altogether from the ground.
;
In my improved drill I form, holes in the back, front, or bottom of the.

page_text: manure, corn, or seed boxes, one hole being over each tube, according to the
number of drills in the width of the machine, and I place two or more rollers
or pulleys running the whole width of the machine; round these rollers or
pulleys passes a series of endless chains, bands, or cords through the corn and
seed boxes, each of the same passing out through one of the openings in the
back of the box or boxes, and returning underneath the same.
One or more
of these rollers is driven by means of spur gearing, chain, or band, or partly
by chain or band, from one of the running wheels of the machine, or both
may be driven, if preferred. The endless chains, bands, or cords are provided
with cups, holes, or other such contrivance for retaining the corn or seed, or
which, as the rollers revolve, take a certain quantity of the corn or seed from
the box through the openings, and as they pass over the rollers or pulleys
deliver the same into the tubes, which in turn convey it to the drills. The
manure is pushed by the stirrer on to the endless chain fixed round the pulley,
and thus conveyed to the tubes, and thence to the drills. In order to regulato
the quantity of corn, seed, or manuro delivered, each of the openings is fur-
nished with a slide or slides and with an india-rubber or other mouth-piece;
the said slide or slides being mounted, if required, on a bar or bars of wood
or other material, extending the whole length of the machine, provided with
regulating set screws, so that the slide or slides can all or part be raised or
lowered at once, and thus the amount of corn, seed, or manure deposited in
the drills can be regulated with the greatest exactitude. To prevent the
possibility of the manure "arching," and that a coarser description may be
used if required, the manure box is provided with stirrers, with or without
finger pieces, to keep the manure in continual motion, and so working as to
be constantly bringing it towards the different chains on the pulleys, and the
finger pieces taking back stones or any other coarse material. As so many
chains or bands would, not be required for seed as for corn it is necessary to
remove the back board of the seed box and to place one with a less number
of holes and with a bottom to match, thus converting it into a manure box
for seed. This part of my Invention is also applicable to a turnip seed box or
drill separate; also to a grass seed machine, either attached to or separate
from the corn, seed, or manure drill.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "An Improved
Corn, Seed, and Manure Drill, Parts of which Invention are also applicablo
to other similar Agricultural Implements," I will now proceed to describe more
in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinctly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have

page_text: marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:―
In the annexed Drawings Figure 1 represents a side view, and Figure 2 a
back view, of my improved corn, seed, and manure drill. a, a, is the seed
box, b, b, the wheels, and c, c, the coulters, which are mounted on levers d, d,
provided with chains e, e, passing over a roller f.f, so that by turning this roller
by means of the cross handle g,g, at one end, the coulters may be removed
altogether from the ground when required. In the back board of the seed
box are a series of holes or openings h, h, through which endless chains i, i,
pass from rollers inside the seed box round the rollers k, k, outside the same,
and thus conduct the corn or seed to the tubes 1, 2, which convey it to the drills.
Figure 8 is a side view (drawn upon a larger scale) of the two rollers j.j,
k, k, with the chain &,, passing round them; and Figure 4 is a side view of
part of one of the rollers. The larger pulley m, m, is that round which the
chain for supplying the manure is fixed.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the interior of the corn or seed box. It
will be seen that the bottom n, n, forms a series of ridges and furrows, and it
is beneath the openings o, o, at the bottom of the furrows that the endless
chains i, i, pass.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the turnip seed box. Instead of the
endless chains i, i, endless bands p, p, of leather or other suitable material are
employed, passing over rollers 9, 9, and having holes or openings r, r, which
carry the sced to the tubes as the rollers revolve.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for "An
Improved Corn, Seed, and Manure Drill, Parts of which Invention are also
applicable to other similar Agricultural Implements," together with the manner
in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the improved
corn, seed, and manure drill as above described and shewn in the Drawings
annexed, or any mere modification or imitation thereof, constructed and
operating in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Besley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.