IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING OR CULTIVATING LAND
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hunter, of Kilmahumaig, in the County of
Argyll, North Britain, Farmer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING OR CULTIVATING LAND."
Sealed the 6th March 1860; and dated the 13th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hunter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th October 1859.
I, JAMES HUNTER, of Kilmahumaig, in the County of Argyll, North
Britain, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING OR CULTIVATING
LAND," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery or
apparatus adapted for the agricultural operation of ploughing or cultivating
land. This improved machine is by preference propelled by steam, and under
one modification a vertical, tubular, or other boiler and steam engine is
mounted on the front or fore end of an oblong rectangular frame. This part
of the framing is supported upon a pair of wheels with broad tires, which
wheels run loosely upon an axle, to which a partially circular motion in a
horizontal plane is imparted by ineans of a steering apparatus arranged above;
the motion thus imparted to the axle and wheels serving to turn the machine

page_text: about when required. At or about the central part of the main horizontal
framing is fitted anaxle on which are carried four or other convenient number
of wheels or discs which are arranged parallel to each other, and within the
longitudinal parts of the framing. These wheels or discs are firmly secured
to each other by means of transverse rods which are passed through holes
made in the rims of the wheels or discs, and fastened by nats or other means.
To each of the wheels or discs are attached a series of curved blades or
coulters which project in a radial direction all round the periphery of the
wheel or disc. The coulters are so arranged as to enter the ground with as
little resistance as possible, and as the machine is propelled forward by the
engine, the motion of which is communicated to these wheels or discs, the
Coulters penetrate the soil, and so dig it up or cut it into strips, opening up a
path as it were for the ploughs which follow behind. The motion of the
engine is communicated to the wheels or discs by means of an endless chain,
or by gearing or other means which admit of being readily connected and
disconnected. To the rear end of the main frame is attached a secondary
frame carrying a number of ploughs which are arranged to correspond in
number to the coulter wheels or discs in front, and so turn over the soil which
has been previously cut into strips. In lieu of the ploughs grubber points
may be substituted where a simple digging or loosening only of the soil is
required. When the machine is not in action the rear end rests upon a pair
of carrying wheels which are lifted off or run loosely on the ground while the
tilling operations are going on. The axle which carries the coulter wheels or
discs is prolonged outwards beyond the framing, and to its extremities is fitted
a moveable frame; this frame carries at its after end and immediately behind
the main frame an axle on which is fitted the pair of broad carrying wheels. One
of the carrying wheels is keyed to the axle, and when the coulter wheels are
in action acts as a fly-wheel thereto, theaxle being connected to the prolonged
end of the coulter axle, either by means of a crank and connecting rod, a chain
and pin or other suitable attachment. By means of a worm wheel and screw
or other suitable contrivance the main frame, coulters, and ploughs are raised
clear off the ground, when it is required to turn the machine or move it from
place to place. The entire weight of the machine now rests upon the front and
carrying wheels atthe rear, and the motion of the engine being communicated
to these latter wheels, the machine is thereby propelled along the ground.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Hunter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th April 1860.
JAMES.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
HUNTER, of Kilmahumaig, in the County of Argyll, North Britain, Farmer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Hunter, Her special license that I, the said James Hunter,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Hunter, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree. with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE
KENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING OR CULTIVATING LAND,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Hunter, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 James Hunter, 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery
orapparatus adapted for the agricultural operation of ploughing and cultivating
land. This improved machine is, by preference, propelled by steam, and under.
one modification, a vertical, tubular, or other boiler and steam engine is
mounted on the front or fore end of an oblong rectangular frame. This part
of the framing is supported upon a pair of wheels with broad tires, which
wheels run loosely upon an axle, to which a partially circular motion in a hori-
zontal plane is imparted by means of a steering apparatus arranged above;
the motion thus imparted to the axle and wheels serving to turn the machine

page_text: about when required. At or about the central part of the main horizontal
framing is fitted an axle, on which are carried four or other convenient number
of wheels or discs, which are arranged parallel to each other and within the
longitudinal parts of the framing. These wheels or discs are firmly secured to
each other by means of transverse rods, which are passed through holes made
in the wheels or discs, and fastened by nuts or other means. To each of the
wheels or discs are attached a series of curved blades or coulters, which project
in a radial direction all round the periphery of the wheel or disc. These
coulters are so arranged as to enter the ground with as little resistance as pos-
sible, and as the machine is propelled forward by the engine, the motion of
which is communicated to these wheels or discs, the coulters penetrate the soil,
and so dig it up or cut it into strips, opening up a path as it were for the
ploughs which follow up behind. The motion of the engine is communicated
to the wheels or discs by means of an endless chain, or by gearing or other
means which admit of being readily connected and disconnected. To the rear
end of the main frame is attached a secondary frame carrying a number of
ploughs, which are arranged to correspond in number to the coulter wheels
or discs in front, and so turn over the soil which has been previously cut into
strips. In lieu of the ploughs, grubber points may be substituted where a
simple digging or loosening only of the soil is required. When the machine
is not in action the rear end rests upon a pair of carrying wheels, which are
lifted off or run loosely on the ground while the tilling operations are going on.
The axle which carries the coulter wheels or discs is prolonged outwards
beyond the framing, and to its extremities is fitted a moveable frame; this
frame carries at its after end and immediately behind the main frame an axle,
on which is fitted the pair of broad carrying wheels. One of the carrying
wheels is keyed to the axle, and when the coulter wheels are in action, acts as
a fly wheel thereto, the axle being connected to the prolonged end of the
coulter axle, either by means of a crank and connecting rod, a chain and pin,
or other suitable attachment. By means of a worm wheel and screw or other
suitable contrivance, the main frame coulters and ploughs are raised clear off
the ground when it is required to turn the machine or move it from place to
place. The entire weight of the machine now rests upon the front and carrying
wheels at the rear, and the motion of the engine being communicated to these
latter wheels, the machine is thereby propelled along the ground.
And in order that my said Invention of "Improvements in machinery or
apparatus for ploughing or cultivating land may be properly understood,
I shall now proceed to describe the Figures on the accompanying Sheet of
illustrative Drawings for the purpose of showing certain modifications under

page_text: which
say-
my improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that is to
Figure 1, on the acccompanying Sheet of Drawings, is a longitudinal eleva.
tion, showing one modification of my improved ploughing machine; and
Figure 2 is a plan corresponding.
The framing of the machine consists of the two parallel main beams A,
connected behind by a similar transverse beam, which is indicated by dotted
lines in Figure 2, which may be formed of wood or iron, but are, by preference,
made of boiler plate, so as to form a hollow rectangular receptacle on each side
of the machine. These hollow beams serve as tanks for holding a supply of
water for the engine. The front ends of the beans A are connected by à trans-
verse tie piece, to which is attached externally a protecting piece of timber.
Extending out behind the beams A, and connected thereto by the downwardly
curved bracket pieces B, is the wood framing C, in which the ploughshares are
arranged. From the backward end of the framing C, the two angular stays D
extend towards the front part of the machine, where their extremities are bolted
to the boiler E. The machine is supported at the front part on the two bearing
and guiding wheels F, and at the after part when the ploughs are notin action
upon the driving and bearing wheels G. All these wheels are made with
broad tires, to prevent them from sinking into the ground, and, if neces-
sary their peripheries may be made with transverse projecting ribs, for the
purpose of taking a firm hold on the ground, and of assisting the progression.
At the front part of the machine and pendent from the side beam is the
platform H, on which the attendant who has charge of the steering wheel I
stands. This wheel is fast to the transverse shaft which carries the worms J;
these gear with the worm wheels K, the spindles of which pass through the
discs L, and are carried in a transverse beam extending between the side
beams A. To the lower faces of the worm wheels K are bolted, or otherwise
secured, the brackets M which carry the guiding and bearing wheels F. Thus
as the attendant causes the worn wheels to rotate upon their axes, the wheels
Fare moved either to the right or left, and the machine is caused to turn in a
corresponding direction. Above the front end of the framing, but not shown
in the Drawing, is built a receptacle for coal or coke; this receptacle next the
attendant is open, so that he is enabled to attend as well to the stoking of the
furnace. The boiler E is, by preference, of the vertical tubular class, the
furnace being arranged in the lower part, the smoke and products of com-
bustion passing through the tubes in the body of the boiler and away by the
funnel. The steam is conveyed by the laterally branching pipes N to the
valve chests O, and the used steam passes from the cylinders P into the pipe

page_text: Q, and from thence escapes into the smoke.box of the boiler. The cylinders
are bolted down to overhanging brackets, which are attached to the side beams
A, they are arranged in an angular position with the valve chests O. on their
upper parts. The outer extremity of each piston rod forms a crosshead, which
works in a guide R which is bolted to the cylinder cover and side beams A.
Each piston rod is connected by a rod S to the disc crank Tkeyed to the end
of the driving shaft U; this shaft is carried in bearings which are bolted to the
stays D. The peripheries of the disc cranks are toothed, and they gear with
the spur wheels V, which are fast to the transverse shaft W, the bearings of
which are carried by the stays D. At the centre of the shaft W is fitted a
chain wheel X, which by means of the chain Y, gives motion to the large
chain wheel on the shaft Z, this shaft being carried in bearings pendent from
the under sides of the beams A. On the shaft Z are arranged a series of four
discs or wheels to which coulter blades or tines a are attached, and which are
disposed parallel to each other. One set of the coulter blades or tines is
bolted, either in pairs or otherwise, so as to be readily detached when required
for the purposes of renewal or repair, to the side of the chain wheel, which is
keyed to the shaft Z, and the contiguous set on the left-hand side to a wheel b
running loosely on the shaft Z. The two outer sets of rotatary coulters are
bolted to the broad tired wheels c, which rest upon the unploughed land and
serve to prevent the coulters from sinking too far into the ground when the
ploughs are working. The wheels c are also loose on the shaft Z,but the four
wheels are connected to each other so as to move in unison with the chain
wheel by means of the transverse bolts d, which are screwed and fitted with
jam nuts. This arrangement admits of the coulter wheels being adjusted to
the width of the furrow required to be cut, and they are placed so as to be in
a line with the front extremities of the ploughs. When the machine is
employed in tilling, the blades of the four rotatory coulters are by its weight
caused to descend into the ground in a vertical direction, thus offering the
least possible obstruction to the onward pregress, and so cut the land into a
corresponding number of slices, which are afterwards turned over by the
action of the ploughs. As the coulter wheels slowly rotate, the curved steel
pointed blades or tines successively penetrate the earth and take hold of it,
and in this manner the machine is propelled along the ground; the bearing
wheels G being meanwhile raised, as will be presently described.
In this modification of the machine there are four ploughs.capable of adjust-
ment as regards their distance asunder, and arranged one in advance of the
other, but any other suitable number may be adopted. Across the end frame
Care fitted eight bars of timber or iron, which are arranged in pairs contiguous

page_text: to each other, forming four transverse slots extending across the plough frame.
In the slots so formed are arranged the vertical bolts e; these are screwed
throughout their length, and they are supported on the cross bars by broad
flanged nuts, and are fixed in the position by the jam nuts f. The lower
extremities of the screw bolts e are secured to the stay frames g, to which the
ploughs h are attached: The upper part of each stay frame extends backward
to admit of its being attached by a second screw bolte to the cross bars of the
frame C. The triangular pendent part at the front of each stay frame g'is
firmly attached to the side of each of the ploughs h, and the back part of the
mould board is in like manner secured to the laterally projecting stay of the
frame. In this way a rigid and immoveable attachment of the ploughs to
the frame C is obtained, at the same time the arrangement of the screw
bolts e and the jam nuts fadmit of the ploughs being readily adjusted either
vertically or laterally, so as to obtain the required depth and width of furrow.
The engineer in charge of the engine stands upon a platform arranged above
the plough frame C, but not shown in the Drawing, to avoid partially con-
cealing the details. Immediately in front of him is the hand lever i, by means
of which the coupling J is actuated, and the chain wheel X put into or out of
gear with the shaft W. Parallel to the hand lever i and centred upon the
same cross piece are two other hand levers k which actuate the couplings/on
the shaft W; these couplings impart motion to the worms m, which otherwise
run loosely on the shaft W. The worms m gear with the worm wheels "
through the centre of which the vertical screws o work; the worm wheels are
carried in bosses, which are affixed to and project inwards from the stays D.
The lower ends of the screws o are fast to bosses carried on the shaft p, on the
extremities of which the bearing wheels G are fitted. It is preferred to have
one of these wheels loose on the shaft, the other beiug keyed thereto acts as a
fly wheel during the tilling operations, and a driving wheel when the machine
is required to be turned round or moved from place to place. The machine is
represented in the accompanying Drawings with the bearing wheels raised off
the ground. When it is required to lower these wheels and withdraw the
tilling implements, the engineer couples the worms m with the shaft W. The
worm wheels n being thus put in motion, the screws o are caused to descend,
carrying with them the shaft p and the bearing wheels G, the curved bracket
pieces B admitting of this vertical traverse of the shaft. The continued
rotation of the worm wheels n in the fixed bosses on the framing, after the
bearing wheels G are resting on the ground, has the effect of raising the after
part of the machine, and so lifting the implements, coulter wheels, as well as

page_text: ploughs clear of the ground. While this operation is being effected, and when
the tilling implements are not in use, the chain wheel X on the shaft W is
thrown out of gear by means of the hand lever i and coupling j. On the
extremities of the shaft Z are keyed two rods 9, which connect it to the shaft p
of the driving wheels G,the shaft turning in bosses at the end of the rods, and
outside one of these connecting rods is a chain wheel r, the motion of which is
communicated by the chains to the chain wheel on the boss of the driving
wheel G. The slide valves of the engine are worked by the eccentrics t on
the driving shaft U, the rods of which extend forward to the link motion u
that is connected to the spindles of the slide valves. The motion of the
engine is reversed by means of the hand lever w, which is connected by a
lever to the transverse shaft æ; each extremity of this shaft is connected by
means of a lever y and link z with the link motion u. When the tilling
implements are to be brought into operation, the screws o are raised, so as to
lift the wheels G off the ground, and allow the frame A to descend; the
principle weight of the machine then rests upon the rotatory coulters. Upon
the coulters being put in motion, the superincumbent weight facilitates their
descent into the earth, and as the machine is impelled forward the land is cut
into strips, which is then undercut and turned over by the ploughs following
in the rear of the coulters. The utility of this machine may be extended by
substituting for the common ploughs grubber teeth, scarifiers, trenching
ploughs, or other implements of a generally similar kind. The power of the
engine may also, with trifling modifications, be applied to other useful purposes
connected with agricultural operations than that of ploughing. With these
several improvements in the steam ploughing or cultivating machine, its con-
struction is greatly simplified, and its management rendered as easy as that of
an ordinary agricultural engine, at the same time all secondary or sup-
plementary adjuncts for assisting the operations of the machine are dispensed
with.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
for ploughing or cultivating land, as herein-before described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of ploughing or cultivating land by means of

page_text: machinery or apparatus arranged and constructed as herein-before described
and delineated in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification of
the same.
Third, the system or mode of arranging, constructing, and adjusting the
rotatory coulters of steam ploughing or cultivating machinery, for the purpose
of effecting the preparatory operation of cutting the land into strips, as herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, the weight of
the machine being made to assist partially in effecting the said operation.
Fourth, the system or mode of propelling steam ploughing or cultivating
machinery or apparatus during the ploughing or cultivating operation, by
means of rotatory coulter wheels and blades or tines, or other equivalent
therefor, which, by the weight of the machine are caused to penetrate and take
hold of the ground, and so draw the machine along, and at the same time
effect the tilling operations, as herein-before described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Fifth, the system or mode of arranging, constructing, and adjusting the
ploughs and parts connected therewith, together with the mechanical arrange-
ment for lifting the tilling implements out of the land, or causing them to
enter the same, as herein before described and delineated in the accompanying
Sheet of explanatory Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hunter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
JAMES HUNTER. (L.B.)