IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLOUGHS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm. of
Harris and Mills, Patent Agents, 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLOUGHS."-A communication from abroad by
the "Collins Company," of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, United
States of America.
Sealed the 16th April 1867, and dated the 25th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th October 1866.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills,
Patent Agents, 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLOUGHS," communicated to me from abroad by
the "Collins Company," of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, United
States of America, to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
ploughs. Heretofore steel ploughs have been made of plate or rolled steel
worked into shape by bending, welding, and other forging operations; but to
this mode of manufacture serious objections exist, among which may be
enumerated that of the various parts_being_constructed of nearly-uniform-

page_text: thicknesss, whilst the wear is much greater upon some portions of the plough
than upon other portions, whereby some portions of the plough may be worn
out before other portions are scarcely polished by use; there is also con-
siderable difficulty in fashioning the parts to the exact shape desired.
Now the present Invention consists, firstly, in the manufacture of those
parts of a plough commonly made of steel, and known as the "land side," the
"mould board," and the "standard," or frame of cast "cast steel," and of
irregular form and of variable thickness, as desired, according to the amount of
wear to which the various parts are liable.
For the purpose of uniting these pieces together the casting forming the
"mould board" and "standard" is made with a flange at the foot and back
of the "standard," for the purpose of attaching the "land side" thereto by
rivets or bolts countersunk on the outside of the "land side," said flange being
thrown back under the "mould board," so as to produce a flush joint. This
casting forming the "mould board" and "standard" may also be made with
a flange (of similar character to that just described) in front of the "standard,"
and a rebate along its front or lower edge, so that the back or upper edge of
the share may lap over it, and thereby form a flush joint.. The share is
secured to the "mould board" by bolts or rivets passing through the rebate
described and countersunk on the outside. Each casting is made by pouring
molten "cast steel" from a crucible or other vessel into a mould, whose cavity
is of any desired form, according to the description of plough to be made. It is
preferred for the sake of greater convenience in casting, as well as of insuring
a greater solidity of the metal and freedom from "honey combing," to make
the plough in two or more pieces or castings as described.
.
The Invention relates, secondly, to an improved mode of working when
casting the share, the "mould board," the "standard," or frame, and the
"land side" of steel, and consists in the opening or loosening up of the mould
as soon as the steel is poured and before the metal chills enough to shrink-to
any considerable extent, thereby relieving the casting and preventing its
cracking by shrinkage, which it is otherwise apt to do.
The moulds may be prepared in any well-known manner; but metal moulds
are preferred, and those made of fine cast iron have been found to answer
well. The tube formed for conveying the molten steel to the mould should
be so arranged that the molten steel shall not strike upon the interior surface
of the mould, but shall flow into it from one side, for in striking upon any
portion of the interior surface of the mould it will cut or melt away that
portion and render the mould worthless.
The ventilation of the mould should be made by extremely narrow openings

page_text: which will allow the air to escape and yet retain the molten steel. These
openings are made by placing pieces of thin hoop iron between the joints of
the mould, or by making very shallow grooves in the faces of the joints. The
clamps for securing the moulds should be so made and united as to be readily
detached, as the utmost expedition must be had in raising the moulds to
relieve the casting. The steel used may be that of commerce, but when of a
"high quality" it may be reduced by mixing with it a portion of iron. To
determine when the steel is sufficiently limpid or fluid to pour into the moulds
an iron rod may be inserted into the molten steel, and by the quantity of steel
adbering thereto the fluidity of the steel may be correctly ascertained; the
smaller the quantity of steel adhering to the rod the more suitable is its
condition for being poured into the moulds.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, Patent Agents,
35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, Her special licence that I, the said
Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF
PLOUGHS," a communication to me from abroad by the "Collins Company," of
Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain.
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: · 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 Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
1
The Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
ploughs. Heretofore steel ploughs have been made of plate or rolled steel
worked into shape by bending, welding, and other forging operations; but to
this mode of manufacture serious objections exist, among which may be
enumerated that of the various parts being constructed of nearly uniform
thickness; and as the wear is much greater upon some portions of the plough
than upon other portions, some portions of the, plough may be worn out
before other portions are scarcely polished by use. There is also considerable
difficulty when manufacturing ploughs as before referred to in fashioning the
parts to the exact shape desired.
. Now the present Invention consists, firstly, in the manufacture of those
parts of a plough commonly made of steel, and known as the "land side," the
"mould board," and the "standard," or frame of cast "cast steel," and of
irregular form and of variable thickness, as desired, according to the amount
of wear to which the various parts are liable.
Figures 1 and 2 represent opposite side views of a plough constructed
according to the Invention; Figure 3 is a rear view of the same; Figure 4
is an under side view, Figure 5 is a plan, Figure 6. is a perspective view of
the share; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the casting forming the
mould board and standard.
a is the share, which is of one casting; 6 is the mould board; and c
is the standard, which are of another piece or casting; and d is the land
side, which is of a third piece or casting. For the purpose of uniting these
pieces together the casting forming the "mould board" 6 and "standard" c
is made with a flange c¹ at the foot and back of the standard c, for the
purpose of attaching the "land side" d thereto by rivets or bolts counter-
sunk on the outside of the "land side" d, said flange c³ being thrown
back, as shewn under the "mould board" b, so as to produce a flush joint.
This casting forming the "mould board" and "standard" c is also made
with a flange 6 (of similar character to that just described) in front of the
standard c and a rebate 6 along its front or lower edge, so that the back or

page_text: upper edge of the share may lap over it, and thereby form a flush joint. The
share is secured to the "mould board" by bolts or rivets passing through the
rebate & described and countersunk on the outside. Each casting is made by
pouring molten cast steel from a crucible or other vessel into a mould, whose
cavity is of any desired form, according to the description of plough to be
made. It is preferred for the sake of greater convenience in casting, as well
as of insuring a greater solidity of the metal and freedom from "honey-
combing," to make the plough in two or more pieces or castings, as
described..
The Invention relates, secondly, to an improved mode of working when
casting the share, the "mould board," the "standard," or "frame," and the
"land side" of steel, and consists in the opening or loosening up of the mould
as soon as the steel is poured and before the metal chills enough to shrink to
any considerable extent, thereby relieving the casting and preventing its
cracking by shrinkage which it is otherwise apt to do.
The moulds may be prepared in any well-known manner; but metal moulds
are preferred, and those made of fine cast iron have been found to answer well.
The tube formed for conveying the .molten steel to the mould should be so
arranged that the molten steel shall not strike upon the interior surface of the
mould, but shall flow into it from one side, for in striking upon any portion of
the interior surface of the mould it will cut or melt away that portion and
render the mould worthless.
The ventilation of the mould should be made by extremely narrow openings
which will allow the air to escape and yet retain the molten steel. These
openings are made by placing pieces of thin hoop iron between the joints of
the mould, or by making very shallow grooves in the faces of the joints.
The clamps for securing the moulds should be so made and united as to
be readily detached, as the utmost expedition.must be had in raising the
moulds to relieve the casting. The steel used may be that of commerce,
but when of a "high quality" it may be reduced by mixing with it a
portion of iron. To determine when the steel is sufficiently limpid or
fluid to pour into the moulds an iron rod may be inserted into the molten
steel, and by the quantity of steel adhering thereto the fluidity of the steel
may be correctly ascertained, the smaller the quantity of steel adhering to
the rod the more suitable is its condition for being poured into the moulds.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention and the mode in which
the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,

page_text: "mould board," "standard," and "land side" of cast "cast steel," as herein
described.
And, secondly, I claim the mode of working when making the various parts
of a plough of cast "cast steel," substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
FRED*. HARRIS,
Patent Agent,
35, Southampton Buildings.
B. J. B. MILLS. (L.B.)