IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SOWING SEED AND DEPOSITING MANURE
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fowler, of Temple Gate, Bristol, in the
County of Somerset, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SOWING SEED AND DEPOSITING MANURE,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fowler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1852.
I, JOHN FOWLER, of Temple Gate, Bristol, in the County of Somerset,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR SOWING SEED AND DEPOSITING MANURE" to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements in machines for drilling or
dropping seeds and manure. Measured and regulated quantities of
seed are delivered by a vibratory rotating measure working at the
bottom of the hopper, and so arranged that according as it is moved a
greater or less distance it delivers to the drill or dropping instrument a
larger or less quantity of seed. Measured and regulated quantities of
manure are delivered from the bottom of a hopper by a flap hinged
thereto, which is opened and shut alternately by a platform, on to which
the manure drops from the hopper and is pushed off by the flap.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Fowler in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN FOWLER, of Temple Gate, Bristol, in the County of Somerset,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said John Fowler, Her special
licence that I, the said John Fowler, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Fowler, 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
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SOWING SEED AND DEPOSITING MANURE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Fowler, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and scal, 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 John Fowler, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof (that is to say):
My Invention consists in improvements in machines for drilling or
dropping seeds and manure. Measured and regulated quantities of
seed are delivered by a vibratory rotating measure working at the
bottom of the hopper, and so arranged that according as it is moved a
greater or less distance it delivers to the drill or dropping instrument a

page_text: larger or less quantity of seed. Measured and regulated quantities of
manure are delivered from the bottom of a hopper by a flap hinged
thereto, which is opened and shut alternately by a platform, on to which
the manure drops from the hopper and is pushed off by the flap. And
in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued
by me.
of
DESCRIPTION OF SHEET 1, OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a plan; Figure 2, a section; and Figure 3, a back view
my improved machine for dropping seeds. f, is the seed box; i, i, are
the seed cans or guides; 9,9, is the framing; 9',g', are the carriage
wheels; 9, is the main carriage axle; j, is a roller in the seed box f,
provided with suitably formed recesses or indentations j', for the seed to
drop into, each of such recesses 1, being in a line with its respective
coulter 6, so that by a vibratory motion being given to the roller j, (as
herein-after described,) the seed will be thrown out and deposited in
the furrows prepared for it by the coulters b. The roller j, is provided
with axes k, k, at its ends, having bearings in the frame g, g, to which
the seed box f, is affixed. To one of the axes k, of the roller j, an arm l,
is fixed, which is connected by a pin A, to the rod m, of the excentric n
fixed to a collar 2, on which is also a pinion n³, which revolves inde-
pendantly of its axis and receives its motion from the toothed wheel o,
on the inside of one of the carringe wheels g¹. When it is required to
move the machine from one place of working to another the coulters
b, b, can be drawn up clear of the ground by means of the chains r, 1,
attached to the levers of the coulters and to the windlass barrel or
angular roller P, which may be supplied with handles suitable for work-
ing it by, or it may have holes or recesses to be worked by a handspike,
and a ratchet and pall to sustain it when so raised.
Figure 3, a back
DESCRIPTION OF SHEET 2, OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, is a plan; Figure 2, a section; and
view of my improved manure carrier and distributor.
a, is the manure
box to hold a supply of manure; the bottom of the box a, is hinged
at the side a¹, and its opposite side rests upon the manure board a", as

page_text: shown in the section, Figure 2; and it is by the motion given to the
manure board that the flow of manure is regulated. The manure board
receives its motion as follows:-On one end of the manure board a²,
pieces of metal are attached, which serve to connect the chains a³, a³,
which pass over the pullies a', a', on the rod or axis a', to which they
are connected. At one end of the rod or axis a, is fixed a lever handle
a, having a slot in it through which is passed the segment piece a', and
by micans of the lever handle a, the segment piece a', which is fixed to
the framing of the machine, the adjustment of the end of the manure
board is obtained, and it is there fixed by means of the set screw a³.
The other end of the manure board a, is attached to the end c', of the
lever c, keyed on the rocking shaft, the end c, of the lever c, being
connected by an excentric rod c', to the excentric &, on the axis d,
which receives motion from the toothed wheel e, attached to the inner
surface of one of the carriage wheels, which takes into and drives the
pinion d', fixed on the shaft or axis d.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is,―
First, the mode herein described of combining parts of machinery
for depositing measured quantities of seed by means of a vibrating
measure; and,
Secondly, I claim the mode of combining apparatus or machinery for
depositing measured quantities of manure.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fowler, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
JOHN FOWLER, JUN. (L.S.)