Year: 1879

page_text: I, JAMES MCKIDD of Thurso Foundry in the County of Caithness, North
Britain, Engineer and Implement Maker seek leave to amend the Specification
of Letters Patent, No. 2809 of 1879, as shown in red ink in the copy of the
original Specification hereunto annexed :-
.
On page 5 to strike out all the words from line 3 to line 31 both inclusive and
to substitute the following in lieu thereof:
Having now particularly described my said Invention and in what manner the
same is performed I wish it to be understood that I do not broadly claim the
employment of machines of the kind described for scraping down the sides of
turnip drills, as I have learned that machines have been long in use in which
scarifying knives have been fitted on a framing supported by self-accommodating
rollers arranged to run on the drills such knives being carried only by shanks fixed
near their front ends. These knives have a vertical and swivelling adjustment in
eyes formed in the framing through which such shanks pass and they are secured
by pinching screws passing into the eyes and gripping the shanks. In the
hereinbefore described machine the knives are supported not only in front as
usual but also at or near their rear ends from lifting rods connected to hand levers
by which the knives can be raised or lowered. Vertical and lateral adjustment
is provided at the forward ends of the knives in the usual way and similar
adjustment is provided in addition at the rear ends, the adjusting devices thus
providing for the moving apart or bringing closer together of the knives either
in front or at the rear ends so that the knives may be brought to act evenly on the
sides of the drill.
What I do claim is:
First. In a turnip drill scarifying machine provided with the usual self-
accommodating rollers and knife frames the adjustable knives supported
at front and rear, adjustable stay rods, lifting rods and hand levers arranged
and combined substantially as herein described and illustrated.

page_text: Second. The construction and arrangement of the knives or scarifiers of turnip
drill scarifying machines, such knives being supported at the rear ends, and
connected by adjusting_devices_to the usual self-adjusting frames, so that
they may be adjusted vertically or in a lateral direction at the rear as well-
as in front to suit any form of drill substantially as herein described and
illustrated.
My reasons for making this amendment are as follows:-That by inadvertence,
the-claims of the original Specification have been drawn to embrace more than was
new at the date of said Patent.
J. CLARK HALL,
Deputy
Comptroller-General.

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James McKidd, of Thurso Foundry, in the County of
Caithness, North Britain, Engineer and Agricultural Implement, Maker, for
the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE SCARIFYING OR
SCRAPING DOWN THE WEEDS OFF THE DRILLS OF YOUNG TURNIPS,"
Sealed the 2nd January 1880, and dated the 15th July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James McKidd at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th July 1879.
JAMES MCKIDD of Thurso Foundry, in the County of Caithness North Britain
Engineer and Agricultural Implement Maker, "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE
FOR THE SCARIFYING OR SCRAPING DOWN THE WEEDS OFF THE DRILLS OF YOUNG
TURNIPS."
This Invention has reference to a new or improved construction, or arrangement
and combination, of the parts of a machine to be drawn by horses, for the scarifying
or scraping down of the weeds off the sides of the drills of young turnips; which
will save much time and labour over the weeding by hand hoes, and effect the work
better, than has heretofore been done by such agricultural weeding machines, and
enable the farmers to single, or thin out the young turnips better or more conve-
nient, either by hand, or by a machine, than has been possible heretofore. And the
nature and novelty of the Invention, or construction and arrangement of the parts
consists all as follows:-The framing of the machine carrying the whole is made of
the same construction as that usually employed for turnip drill sowing machines,
with a pair of ordinary or other wood shafts, attached in front for the horse to draw
the machine by, walking in the furrow in the middle between the two drills being
dressed. Then for carrying and guiding the whole, there are two loose angled
groove rollers, with a large gap in the middle between each, so that these rollers run
on the sides of each drill to be dressed, without touching or injuring the tops of the
turnips in the least These rollers being mounted on a strong axle or rod through
the centre of them, much the same as the rollers for a turnip sowing machine, these
rollers moving out and in of themselves to suit the different widths of the drills.
Each roller is fitted with an iron frame round it, so as to move out and in with it
to suit the width of the drill To the back of each of which frames two knives are
attached, shaped to the angle of the sides of the drills to about 75°, reaching par-
tially across the bottom: these knives being so jointed and fitted to their frame as
to move out and in, and up and down by means of screws or other equivalent, to
adjust them to suit the shape and requirement of the drills they are to work over
for the time being. This setting of the knives would only require to be made to
suit the particular kind of ploughing or form of the drills, and drill roller used in
the sowing of the turnips peculiar to the land or farm, so that the shifting and
setting of the knives would very seldom require to be done, perhaps only once or
twice during the season. The knives when so adjusted and the machine drawn
forward by the horse, would scrape down all the weeds off the two sides and bottom
of the two drills at one time, leaving them there to dry and rot.
But in case of the knives getting occasionally choked with weeds where the ground
is very dirty with these, the frames of the knives would be fitted with lifting rods

page_text: connected to levers, one to each frame mounted over the main frame outwards and
back wards, convenient for the man in charge of the horse walking behind the machine,
holding in his hand and raising them from time to time as may be required to allow
the weeds to fall or be drawn off the knives, while the machine.is-being-drawn.forward,.
and without requiring to stop it. And this clearing of the weeds from the knives
might be effected either with or without raising knives by a sliding cleaner auto-
matically, fitted to move across each knife, by a separate arrangement of connecting
rods and land levers, in some cases when desired, as for very weedy land. Although
a guiding wheel in front has not been described, this might be used, running in the
central furrow between the drills being dressed when desired: and guiding shafts
may also be used, mounted behind the machine over the central furrow, for the
-man-walking in it steadying and guiding the machine to some extent, although
with this arrangement of self adjusting rollers and frames this has not been found
necessary, where this new or improved machine has yet been tried; and which is of
such light draught that it is considered possible with one horse and a man to clear
twelve acres of turnips per day

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James McKidd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th January
1880.
JAMES MCKIDD, of Thurso Foundry, in the County of Caithness, North Britain,
"A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE
Engineer and Agricultural Implement Maker.
FOR THE SCARIFYING OR SCRAPING DOWN THE WEEDS OFF THE DRILLS OF YOUNG.
TURNIPS,"
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction or arrange-
ment and combination of the parts of a machine to be drawn by horses, for the
scarifying or scraping down of the weeds off the sides of the drills of young turnips;
which will save much time and labour over the weeding by hand hoes, and effect
the work better than has heretofore been done by such agricultural weeding
machines, and enable the farmers to single or thin out the young turnips better, or
more conveniently, either by hand or by a machine, than has been possible
heretofore.
And in order that the nature and novelty of the said Invention, and the manner
of performing or putting the same into effect or practice may be properly.understood,
I have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings for that purpose, the
same reference letters representing the same or like parts wherever they are 'marked.
Figure 1 on these Drawings is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3
is an end elevation, of a modification of my improved machine.
The machine comprises an iron or other light framing A, A, made of analogous
construction to that usually employed for turnip drill sowing machines, with a pair
of ordinary or other wood, or it might be tubular iron shafts A¹ A' attached in
front for the horse to draw the machine by walking in the furrow in the middle
between the two drills being dressed, and which are shown by the dotted lines 1-1.
For carrying and guiding the whole, there are two light angled grooved or hollowed
rollers B, B with a large gap or groove b in the middle of each, so that these
rollers B B run over or on the sides of each drill 1-1 to be dressed, without
These rollers B B¹ are
touching or injuring the tops of the turnips in the least.
mounted on a strong axle or rod C, passing through the centre of them, and fixed at
each end by nuts to side frames D bolted to the framing A above and strengthened
by a stay rod D¹ passing across above the rollers B, and fixed to each side fraine D,
all much the same as for the rollers for a turnip sowing machine and move or slide
these rollers B, B¹ out and in of themselves on their spindles C to suit the different
widths of the drills, or one roller B, only being left free to move transversely
whilst the other may be held in its place by collars on the axle C, or by springs at
each side so as to admit of a slight lateral adjustment to suit inequalities of the
drill. Each roller B B₁, is fitted with an iron frame E round it, fitted so as to
swivel loosely on the axle C, and so as to move out and in with the rollers B B¹ to
suit the width of the drill and to the back of each of these frames E two knives,
scarifiers or scrapers F F are attached by means of screw pins or studs e on them,
fitting into slots e¹ in the frames E the knives F F being shaped to the angle of
the sides of the drills to about 75°, an elongated curved portion F¹ on which may
reach partially across the bottom, these knives F F being jointed and fitted to
their frame E so as to be readily moved out and in and up and down by means of

page_text: the screws e, fitting into the slots e¹, on the frame E which admits of both vertical
and lateral movement, or other equivalent adjusting arrangements may be used
the knives being kept at the desired distance apart at their tail ends, by a pair of
stay rods passing through-eyes-in-bars-E₁_projecting_back_from_the_roller
frames E, and held fixed thereto by jam nuts at f¹ to adjust them to suit the shape
and requirements of the drills they are to work over for the time being. This
setting of the knives which could be easily effected by an ordinary ploughman,
would only require to be made to suit the particular kinds of ploughing or form of
-the-drills, and drill roller_used in the sowing of the turnips, peculiar to the land or
farm so that the knives F F¹, would very seldom require to be shifted and-set;
perhaps only once or twice during the season.
The knives FF' when so adjusted to suit the angle or contour of the sides of
the drills, and the machine drawn forward by the horse, would scrape down all the
weeds off the two sides and, if desired off the bottom of the two drills at one time,
leaving them in the furrows to dry and rot; the top and back part of the knives
F F¹ being shaped like the mould board of a plough to throw the weeds and earth.
over into the bottom of the drills, the top and sides of the drills being left clean
and free from weeds. But in case of the knives F F' getting occasionally choked
with weeds where the ground is very dirty with these, and for use when the
machine has to be turned at the end of a field, or removed from place to place, the
frames E of the knives F F are fitted with lifting rods H, H, connected to hand
levers h, h, one to each frame E jointed and mounted in guide brackets ¹h" over
the main frame A outwards and backwards convenient for the man in charge of
the horse walking behind the machine holding in his hand and raising them from
time to time as may be required, to allow the weeds to fall or be drawn off the
knives F F while the machine is being drawn forward and without requiring to
stop it, and these levers may be fixed at any position in their guide frames ¹, by a
pin fitting into holes in these, or lifted to their highest position, and held by a
notch h². This clearing of the weeds from the knives might be effected either with
or without raising the knives by a sliding cleaner automatically fitted to move
across each knife by a separate arrangement of connecting rods and hand levers in
some cases when desired as for very weedy land. Although a guiding wheel
in front is not shown, this might be used, running in the central furrow between
the drills being dressed, when desired, and guiding shafts may also be used mounted
behind the machine over the central furrow for the man walking in, steadying and
guiding the machine to some extent, although with this arrangement of self
adjusting rollers B, B₁ and frames E, and horse shafts A¹, this has not been found
necessary where this new or improved machine has yet been tried, and which is of
such light draught that it is considered possible with one horse and a man to clear
twelve acres of turnips per day.
An important advantage of the improved machine is that it does not open up the
--sides-of-the-drills and expose the manure in the bottom of the drill to the action of
the weather, thereby allowing the ammonia in the manure to evaporate, and after
the turnip drills are scraped down by this machine, nearly double the work can be
done daily by the hoe or thinning machine in singling the turnips, as the young
turnips are left entire in a clean state in a ridge in the centre of the drill, The
rollers B, B¹ may be made of hollow cast-iron or other metal, or of wood, or they
may be made in two parts held in position by springs which would yield; but in
either case with a groove or gap in the centre to clear the young plants in the top
of the drill, and the framing might be modified to suit particular cases.
And although this machine has only been shown fitted with two rollers and sets
of knives, it will be understood that three or more rollers and knives with their
fittings might be attached to the machine, to dress, a corresponding number of drills
simultaneously, and when the drills are ploughed or formed to one width as by
ploughing machines which regulate the width of the drill, the rollers might not
require to be fitted to shift or be adjusted laterally on their spindles, and the

page_text: machine might have a centre pole, instead of the two shafts A¹ when two horses are
required to draw the machine as when four drills are dressed at a time.
Although the guide rollers B, have been described and shown as running on the
top of the drills, these might be made to run in the bottom of the drills or furrows,
and guide the adjustable frames E, and their knives or scarifiers F, F¹, so as to
scarify or clean the weeds off the sides of the drills into the bottom of the furrows,
all otherwise substantially as described.
And although the machine has only been described as for removing the weeds
from the sides of turnip drills, it may also be advantageously used for removing the
weeds from other young plants sown in drills like turnips, such as mangel wurzel
or beet root.
Having now particularly described my said Invention and in what manner
the sume is performed I wish it to be understood that I do not broadly claim the
employment of machines of the kind described for scraping down the sides of
turnip drills, as I have learned that machines have been long in use in which
scarifying knives have been fitted on a framing supported by self-accommodating
rollers arranged to run on the drills such knives being carried only by shanks
fixed near their front ends. These knives have a vertical and swivelling
adjustment in eyes formed in the framing through which such shanks pass and
they are secured by pinching screws passing into the eyes and gripping the shanks.
In the hereinbefore described machine the knives are supported not only in front
as usual but also at or near their rear ends from lifting rods connected to hand
Vertical and lateral
levers by which the knives can be raised or lowered.
adjustment is provided at the forward ends of the knives in the usual way and
similar adjustment is provided in addition at the rear ends, the adjusting devices
thus providing for the moving apart or bringing closer together of the knives
either in front or at the rear ends so that the knives may be brought to act evenly
on the sides of the drills.
What I do claim is :-
First: In a turnip drill scarifying machine provided with the usual self-
accommodating rollers and knife frames the adjustable knives supported
at front and rear, adjustable stay rods, lifting rods and hand levers
arranged and combined substantially as herein described and illustrated.
Second. The construction and arrangement of the knives or scarifiers of
turnip drill scarifying machines, such knives being supported at the rear
ends, and connected by adjusting devices to the usual self-adjusting frames,
so that they may be adjusted vertically or in a lateral direction at the rear as
well as in front to suit any form of drill substantially as herein described
and illustrated.
Having-now-particularly-described my-said-Invention,-and-the-manner-in-which
the-same is performed, I wish it to be understood that 1-do not confine myself
to-the-precise-details herein-deseribed and delineated, but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
hereinbefore-in-part-recited-Letters-Patent-is:
1. The general construction and combination of the parts--of-a--machine for
scarifying or scraping down or removing the weeds off the sides, of-the-sides-and
bottom of the drills of young turnips, having grooved self adjusting-rollers and
raising-and-lowering frames and adjustable knives and serapers, fitted-all-substan-
tially-as-and-for-the-purposes herein described, in reference to and shewn-in-the
accompanying Drawings.
2.-The-construction, application-and-use of self-adjusting-rollers, and-raising-and
lowering-adjustable frames and knives or scarifiers, in-machines for scarifying or
scraping-down-or-removing the weeds from the drills of young turnips, substantially
us-herein-described-in-reference to and shown in the accompanying-Drawings-or
any-mere-modification-thereof.
3.-The-construction-and-use-of-iron or wooden-rollers-curved-to-run-on-the-top
of-the-drills,-having-grooves-in-their-centres to clear the young-plants, preferably

page_text: self-adjustable, and fitted with raising and lowering adjustable-frames,-and-knives
er-searifiers-in-or-for-being-applied-to-machines for senrifying scraping down-or
removing the weeds-off-the-drills-of-y young turnips, substantially as herein-described
in-reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any-mere-modifien-
tion-thereof.
4.-The-construction-and-arrangement of the knives-on-searifiers of machines-for
searifying-or-scraping down-the-weeds off turnip drills, such-knives being carried
in-self-adjusting frames; and made easily adjustable-vertically and literally-to-suit
any form of drill and its guiding roller, all substantially as herein described, in
reference-to-and-shown in the accompanying Drawings or any mere-modifiention
thereof.

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James McKidd, of Thurso Foundry, in the County of
Caithness, North Britain, Engineer and Agricultural Implement Maker, for
the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR THE SCARIFYING OR
SCRAPING DOWN THE WEEDS OFF THE DRILLS OF YOUNG TURNIPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James McKidd at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th July 1879.
JAMES MOKIDD, of Thurso Foundry, in the County of Caithness, North Britain,
Engineer, and Agricultural Implement Maker. "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE
FOR THE SCARIFYING OR SCRAPING DOWN THE WEEDS OFF THE DRILLS OF YOUNG
TURNIPS."
- This Invention has reference to a new or improved construction or arrangement
and combination of the parts of a machine to be drawn by horses for the scarifying
or scraping down of the weeds off the sides of the drills of young turnips, which
will save much time and labour over the weeding by hand hoes, and effect the work
better than has heretofore been done by such agricultural weeding machines, and
enable the farmers to single or thin out the young turnips better or more conve-
nient, either by hand or by a machine, than has been possible heretofore. And the
nature and novelty of the Invention, or construction and arrangement of the parts
consists all as follows:-The framing of the machine carrying the whole is made of
the same construction as that usually employed for turnip drill sowing machines,
with a pair of ordinary or other wood shafts attached in front for the horse to draw
the machine by, walking in the furrow in the middle between the two drills being
dressed. Then for carrying and guiding the whole there are two loose angled
groove rollers with a large gap in the middle between each, so that these rollers run
on the sides of each drill to be dressed without touching or injuring the tops of the
turnips in the least, these rollers being mounted on a strong axle or rod through
the centre of them, much the same as the rollers for a turnip sowing machine, these
rollers moving out and in of themselves to suit the different widths of the drills.
Each roller is fitted with an iron frame round it so as to move out and in with it
to suit the width of the drill, to the back of each of which frames two knives are

page_text: attached, shaped to the angle of the sides of the drills to about 75°, reaching par-
tially-across the bottom, these knives being so jointed and fitted to their fraine as
to move out and in and up and down by means of screws or other equivalent to
-adjust them to suit the shape and requirement of the drills they are to work over
for the time being. This setting of the knives would only require to be made to
suit the particular kind of ploughing or form of the drills and drill roller used in
the sowing of the turnips peculiar to the land or farm, so that the shifting and
setting of the knives would very seldom require to be done; perhaps only once or
twice during the season. The knives when so adjusted and the machine drawn
forward by the horse would scrape down all the weeds off the two sides and bottom
of the two drills at one time, leaving them there to dry and rot.
But in case of the knives getting occasionally choked with weeds where the ground
is very dirty with these, the frames of the knives would be fitted with lifting rods
connected to levers, one to each frame, mounted over the main frame outwards and
back wards, convenient for the man in charge of the horse walking behind the machine
holding in his hand and raising them from time to time, as may be required, to allow
the weeds to fall or be drawn off the knives while the machine is being drawn forward
and without requiring to stop it. And this clearing of the weeds from the knives
might be effected either with or without raising knives by a sliding cleaner, auto-
matically, fitted to move across each knife, by a separate arrangement of connecting
rods and hand levers in some cases, when desired, as for very weedy land. Although
a guiding wheel in front has not been described, this might be used, running in the
central furrow between the drills being dressed, when desired, and guiding shafts
may also be used, mounted behind the machine over the central furrow, for the
man walking in it steadying and guiding the machine to some extent, although
with this arrangement of self adjusting rollers and frames this has not been found
necessary where this new or improved machine has yet been tried, and which is of
such light draught that it is considered possible with one horse and a man to clear
twelve acres of turnips per day.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James McKidd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th January
1880.
JAMES MOKIDD, of Thurso Foundry, in the County of Caithness, North Britain,
Engineer and Agricultural Implement Maker. "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE
FOR THE SCARIFYING OR SCRAPING DOWN THE WEEDS OFF THE DRILLS OF YOUNG
TURNIPS."
My said Invention has reference to a new or improved construction or arrange-
ment and combination of the parts of a machine to be drawn by horses for the
scarifying or scraping down of the weeds off the sides of the drills of young turnips,
which will save much time and labour over the weeding by hand hoes, and effect
the work better than has heretofore been done by such agricultural weeding
machines, and enable the farmers to single or thin out the young turnips better or
more conveniently, either by hand or by a machine, than has been possible
heretofore.
And in order that the nature and novelty of the said Invention, and the manner
of performing or putting the same into effect or practice may be properly understood,
I have hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings for that purpose, the
same reference letters representing the same or like parts wherever they are marked.
Figure 1 on these Drawings is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3
is an end elevation of a modification of my improved machine.
The machine comprises an iron or other light framing A, A, made of analogous
construction to that usually employed for turnip drill sowing machines, with a pair
of ordinary or other wood, or it might be tubular iron shafts A¹, A¹, attached in
front for the horse to draw the machine by, walking in the furrow in the middle
between the two drills being dressed, and which are shown by the dotted lines 1-1.
For carrying and guiding the whole there are two light angled grooved or hollowed
rollers B, B, with a large gap or groove b in the middle of each, so that these
rollers B, B', run over or on the sides of each drill 1-1 to be dressed without
touching or injuring the tops of the turnips in the least. These rollers B, B¹, are
mounted on a strong axle or rod C passing through the centre of them, and fixed at
each end by nuts to side frames D bolted to the framing A above, and strengthened
by a stay rod D' passing across above the rollers B, and fixed to each side frame D,
all much the same as for the rollers for a turnip sowing machine, and move or slide
5 these rollers B, B', out and in of themselves on their spindles C to suit the different
widths of the drills; or one roller, B, only being left free to move transversely
whilst the other may be held in its place by collars on the axle C, or by springs at
each side, so as to admit of a slight lateral adjustment to suit inequalities of the
drill. Each roller B, B¹, is fitted with an iron frame E round it, fitted so as to
0 swivel loosely on the axle C and so as to move out and in with the rollers B, B', to
suit the width of the drill, and to the back of each of these frames E two knives,
scarifiers, or scrapers F, F1, are attached by means of screw pins or studs e on them,
fitting into slots e' in the frames E, the knives F, F¹, being shaped to the angle of
the sides of the drills to about 75°; an elongated curved portion F, on which may
5 reach partially across the bottom, these knives F, F¹, being jointed and fitted to
their frame E so as to be readily moved out and in and up and down by means of
the screws e fitting into the slots e¹ on the frame E, which admits of both vertical
and lateral movement; or other equivalent adjusting arrangements may be used,
the knives being kept at the desired distance apart at their tail ends by a pair of
0 stay rods f, f, passing through eyes in bars E¹ projecting back from the roller
frames E, and held fixed thereto by jam nuts at f¹ to adjust them to suit the shape
and requirements of the drills they are to work over for the time being. This
setting of the knives, which could be easily effected by an ordinary ploughman,
would only require to be made to suit the particular kinds of ploughing or form of

page_text: the drills and drill roller used in the sowing of the turnips peculiar to the land or
farm, so that the knives F, F¹ would very seldom require to be shifted and set,
perhaps only once or twice during the season.
The knives FF when so adjusted to suit the angle or contour of the sides of
the drills and the machine drawn forward by the horse, would scrape down all the
weeds off the two sides and, if desired, off the bottom of the two drills at one time,
"leaving them in the furrows to dry and rot, the top and back part of the knives
F, F, being shaped like the mould board of a plough to throw the weeds and earth
_over_into_the_bottom_of_the_drills,-the-top-and-sides-of-the-drills-being-left clean
and free from weeds. But in case of the knives F, F1 getting occasionally choked
with weeds where the ground is very dirty with these, and for use when the
machine has to be turned at the end of a field or removed from place to place, the
frames E of the knives F, F1, are fitted with lifting rods H, H, connected to hand
levers h, h, one to each frame E, jointed and mounted in guide brackets h', h", over
the main frame A outwards and backwards, convenient for the man in charge of
the horse walking behind the machine, holding in his hand, and raising them from
time to time, as may be required, to allow the weeds to fall or be drawn off the
knives F, F, while the machine is being drawn forward and without requiring to
stop it, and these levers may be fixed at any position in their guide frames h¹! by a
pin fitting into holes in these, or lifted to their higbest position and held by a
notch h². This clearing of the weeds from the knives might be effected either with
or without raising the knives by a sliding cleaner automatically fitted to move
across each knife by a separate arrangement of connecting rods and hand leyers, in
some cases, when desired, as for very weedy land. Although a guiding wheel
in front is not shown this might be used, running in the central furrow between
the drills being dressed, when desired, and guiding shafts may also be used, mounted
behind the machine over the central furrow, for the man walking in, steadying, and
guiding the machine to some extent, although with this arrangement of self
adjusting rollers B, B', and frames E, and horse shafts A¹, this has not been found
necessary where this new or improved machine has yet been tried, and which is of
such light draught that it is considered possible with one horse and a man to clear
twelve acres of turnips per day.
An important advantage of the improved machine is that it does not open up the
sides of the drills and expose the manure in the bottom of the drill to the action of
the weather, thereby allowing the ammonia in the manure to evaporate, and after
the turnip drills are scraped down by this machine nearly double the work can be
done. daily by the hoe or thinning machine in singling the turnips, as the young
turnips are left entire in a clean state in a ridge in the centre of the drill, The
rollers B, B1, may be made of hollow cast-iron or other metal, or of wood, or they
may be made in two parts held in position by springs which would yield, but in
either case with a groove or gap in the centre to clear the young plants in the top
of the drill, and the framing might be modified to suit particular cases...
And although this machine has only been shown fitted with two rollers and sets
of knives it will be understood that three or more rollers and knives with their
fittings might be attached to the machine to dress a corresponding number of drills
simultaneously, and when the drills are ploughed or formed to one width, as by
ploughing machines, which regulate the width of the drill, the rollers might not
require to be fitted to shift or be adjusted laterally on their spindles, and the
machine might have a centre pole instead of the two shafts A' when two horses are
required to draw the machine, as when four drills are dressed at a time.
Although the guide rollers B have been described and shown as running on the
top of the drills, these might be made to run in the bottom of the drills or furrows
and guide the adjustable frames E and their knives or scarifiers F, F¹, so as to
scarify or clean the weeds off the sides of the drills into the bottom of the furrows,
all otherwise substantially as described.
And although the machine has only been described as for removing the weeds
from the sides of turnip drills it may also be advantageously used for removing the
'

page_text: weeds from other young plants sown in drills like turnips, such as mangel wurzel
or beet root.
Having now particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details herein described and delineated; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,--
1. The general construction and combination of the parts of a machine for
scarifying, or scraping down, or removing the weeds off the sides or the sides and
bottom of the drills of young turnips, having grooved self adjusting rollers, and
raising and lowering frames, and adjustable knives and scrapers, fitted all substan-
tially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shewn in the
accompanying Drawings.
2. The construction, application, and use of self adjusting rollers and raising and
lowering adjustable frames, and knives or scarifiers in machines for scarifying or
scraping down or removing the weeds from the drills of young turnips, substantially
as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or
any mere modification thereof.
3. The construction and use of iron or wooden rollers curved to run on the top
of the drills, having grooves in their centres to clear, the young plants, preferably
self adjustable, and fitted with raising and lowering adjustable frames and knives
or scarifiers, in or for being applied to machines for scarifying, scraping down, or
removing the weeds off the drills of young turnips, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
4. The construction and arrangement of the knives or scarifiers of machines for
scarifying or scraping down the weeds off turnip drills, such knives being carried
in self adjusting frames and made easily adjustable vertically and laterally to suit
any form of drill and its guiding roller, all substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James McKidd, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
aight hundred and eighty.
JAMES MCKIDD. (L.S.)