IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE WORKING OR CULTIVATION OF LAND, AND IN THE MEANS OF DRIVING THE SAME
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Seaman, of the Britannia Iron Works,
Bedford, in the County of Bedford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE WORKING OR CULTIVATION
OF LAND, AND IN THE MEANS OF DRIVING THE SAME."
Sealed the 26th October 1858, and dated the 26th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Seaman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
April 1858.
I, JOSEPH SEAMAN, of the Britannia Iron Works, Bedford, in the County of
Bedford, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE WORKING OR CULTIVATION OF
LAND, AND IN THE MEANS OF DRIVING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a peculiar construction, arrangement, and
combination of machinery or apparatus for effecting the ploughing or other
cultivation of land by the aid of steam or other power; secondly, to an
improved system or mode of driving or actuating such machinery.
The improved cultivating machine may be fitted with ploughs or any other
cultivating implement for working the soil as occasion may require. The
ploughs or other implements are carried on two frames or beams which
are furnished with joints so as to work on diametrically opposite sides of a

page_text: drum or barrel, which is supported upon the main axle of the machine; these
joints are, when required, made ridged to set the ploughs at any angle with
the axle.
The two frames or beams above referred to have the points of the ploughs
arranged in opposite directions, and are used alternately, the two sets of
ploughs being thus fitted with right and left turnfurrows respectively. The
plough bodies are made separately adjustable in height and inclination upon
the frames or beams by attaching them thereto by eyes, passing through slots
having vertical screws working through the eyes, and the turnfurrows are
also made adjustable on the plough bodies with bolts passing through slots, in
both cases the surfaces in contact being roughened or serrated to increase
their hold upon each other. The frame or beam which is out of action is
elevated by turning it upon its centres, and it is maintained in this elevated
position by a peculiar friction clutch arrangement. This arrangement consists
of a screw having a right and left thread respectively at each end, and this
screw operates upon the cheeks of the joint or hinge, so as to press them
together firmly, and thus render the joint rigid. The inner faces of the cheeks
may be roughened or serrated so as to afford a better holding surface. This
same joint also enables the ploughs or other similar implements to be adjusted
as regards their inclination with the ground. The drum or barrel to which
are jointed the frames or beams of the ploughs turns freely upon the main
axle, and is fixed in any desired position thereon for the purpose of increasing
or diminishing the depth of the furrows by means of a break of a peculiar
construction. This break consists of a steel ring, which is open at one side to
allow it to expand or collapse over a convenient portion of the periphery of the
drum or barrel. This steel ring is attached to the main axle, and opens by
its own elasticity, a tightening screw serving to close it over and grip the
drum when requisite for fixing the same. The main axle on the land side is
furnished with steerage wheels fixed to a balance beam, worked by a rack
and pinion. This balance beam is capable of oscillating on the axle as a
centre, causing the wheels to come into action with the soil alternately, as may
be required for the working of the machine.
At each end of the balance beam is attached a hinged bearing bar, the
object of which is to form a support for the plough frame, which is not in
action, and may be occasionally used to take off any extreme pressure or
weight of the frame or beam in action, by having such frame or beam
suspended by a hook or otherwise from the bearing bar. In order to regulate
the width between the main running wheels, I employ an arrangement of
telescopic axle, the one part sliding within the other. The outer or female

page_text: portion of the axle as split longitudinally so as to be capable of gripping more
readily the portion which slides therein, this gripping action being obtained
from a split ring which surrounds the axle, and is tightened up by a screw. A
vertical screw and nut or other convenient means placed inside a cylinder are
also employed for giving the vertical adjustment to the furrow wheel.
The second portion of the Invention consists in the application and use of
a endless chain, rope, or band, extending over the length of ground to be
operated upon. This chain or band is carried by suitable pulleys fitted in
adjusting frames, these frames being mounted upon a truck placed upon
portable rails or trams at each end of the land, the steam engine being placed
on a similar truck in conjunction therewith, the driving parts being coupled
with a chain or band in an ordinary way. The cultivating machine is
connected to the endless chain by a suitable coupling apparatus carried by the
machine, the coupling apparatus being so made as to readily grip the chain or
be disconnected therefrom as required.
The motion of the trucks carrying the pulleys at the land's end for the
purpose of keeping the endless chain over the work is obtained from the chain
pullies above referred to, the teeth of which are brought into gear with a
stationary chain forming a species of rack, which thus enables the trucks to
move themselves along by the rotation of the pullies when brought into gear
therewith for that purpose; suitable trailing pullies are attached to the endless
chain for the purpose of keeping it off the ground as much as possible. In
cultivating inclined or hilly ground, it is proposed to raise the endless actuating
chain, so that it may pass over the cultivating machine and rest upon that
portion which is out of work, the machine being attached by an intermediate
length of chain to the main endless chain, some short. distance in advance
of that part of the machine actually in operation, whereby a better traction is
obtained. This endless chain, rope or band is equally applicable to the
hauling of reaping machines and other agricultural implements over the land,
which may not be actually used as soil disintegrators or workers.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Seaman, Her special license that I, the said Joseph Seaman,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Seaman, my executors, administrators, or 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
OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE WORKING OR CULTIVATION OF LAND, AND IN
THE MEANS OF DRIVING THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Joseph Seaman, 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 Joseph Seaman, do bereby 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, firstly, to a peculiar construction, arrangement,
and combination of machinery or apparatus for effecting the ploughing or
other cultivation of land by the aid of steam or other power; and, secondly,
to an improved system or mode of driving or actuating such machinery.
The improved cultivating machine may be fitted with ploughs or any other
cultivating implement for working the soil, as occasion may require. The
ploughs or other implements are carried on two frames or beams, which are s
furnished with joints so as to work on diametrically opposite sides of a drum
or barrel, which is supported upon the main axle of the machine; these
joints are, when required, made rigid, to set the ploughs at any angle with
the axle.
The two frames or beams above referred to have the points or ploughs so s
arranged as to be used alternately, the two sets of ploughs being thus fitted
with right and left turnfurrows respectively. The plough bodies may be
made separately adjustable in height and inclination upon the frames or beams
by attaching them thereto by bolts passing through slots, and the turnfurrows

page_text: may also be made adjustable on the plough bodies in a similar manner in both
cases, the surfaces in contact being roughened or serrated to increase their
hold upon each other. The frame or beam which is out of action is elevated
by turning it up on its centres, and it is maintained in this elevated position by
a peculiar friction clutch arrangement. This arrangement consists of a screw
passing through the centre, which screw operates upon the cheeks of the joint
or hinge so as to press them together firmly, and thus render the joint rigid.
The inner faces of the cheeks may be roughened or serrated so as to afford a
better holding surface. This same joint also enables the ploughs or other
similar implements to be adjusted as regards their inclination with the ground.
The drum or barrel, to which are jointed the frames or beams of the ploughs,
turns freely upon the main axle, and is fixed in any desired position thereon
for the purpose of increasing or diminishing the depth of the furrows by means
of a break of a peculiar construction; this break consists of a steel ring,
which is open at one side to allow it to expand or collapse over a convenient
portion of the periphery of the drum or barrel. This steel ring is attached to
the main axle, and opens by its own elasticity a tightning screw, serving to
close it over and grip the drum when requisite for fixing the same.
The main
axle on the land side is furnished with steerage wheels fixed to a balance
beam worked by a rack and pinion; this balance beam is capable of scillating
on the axle as a centre, causing the wheels to come into action with the soil
alternately, as may be required for the working of the machine.
At each end of the balance beam is attached a bearing bar, the object of
which is to form a support for the plough frame which is not in action, and
may be occasionally used to take off any extreme pressure or weight of the
frame or beam in action, by having such frame or beam suspended by a hook
or otherwise from the bearing bar.
In order to regulate the width between the main running wheels, I employ
an arrangement of telescopic axle, the one part sliding within the other. The
outer or female portion of the axle is split longitudinally, so as to be capable
of gripping more readily the portion which slides therein, this gripping action
being obtained from a split ring which surrounds the axle, and is tightened up
by a screw. A vertical screw, and nut, or other convenient means placed inside
a cylinder, are also employed for giving the vertical adjustment to the furrow
wheel.
The second portion of my Invention consists in the application and use of
a separate draught rope or chain for coupling the machine to the endless
chain, rope, or band extending over the length of ground to be operated
upon. This chain, rope, or band is carried by suitable pullies fitted in frames

page_text: purpose
mounted upon trucks, and placed upon portable rails or trams at each end of
the land, a steam engine being placed on a similar truck in conjunction with
the two end trucks, and working a large actuating driver or pulley. The
cultivating machine is connected to the endless chain by a suitable coupling
apparatus carried by the machine, the coupling apparatus being so made as
to readily grip the chain, or be disconnected therefrom as required.
The motion of the trucks carrying the pulleys at the land's end for the
of keeping the endless chain or rope over the work, may be obtained by placing
a toothed wheel on the main shaft of the actuating pulley, the teeth of which
wheel are brought into gear with a stationary chain forming a species of rack,
which thus enables the trucks carrying the engine and pullies to move them-
selves along by the rotation of the pullies. This second part of my Invention
is equally applicable to the hauling of reaping machines and other agricultural
implements over the land which may not be actually used as soil disintegrators
or workers.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of my
cultivating machine, as fitted up for ploughing, the near wheel and the plough-
shares and turnfurrows being removed.
Figure 2, on Sheet 2, is a plan of the machine with the upper plough beams
and ploughs removed, the section being made along the line 1-2 in Figure 1.
On this Sheet are also represented in plan the several pullies and travelling
platforms with the endless rope employed in actuating the machine, or drawing
it over the land. The machine itself consists of two beams, A, A, each beam
carrying three plough bodies, and being jointed or hinged so as to turn freely
on centres at B, B¹, such centres being on opposite sides of a central barrel C,
which is capable of turning freely on the main axle D of the machine.
When required the joints B, B', are made rigid or fixed by turning the
lever handles E, E', which by means of screw spindles passing through and
forming the pins of the joints, squeeze the sides or jaws of such joints firmly
together, and consequently hold the beams fixed in any desired position. By
the combination of the working centres B and C, facility is afforded for
adjusting the ploughs or other cultivating instruments at any desired angle
with the ground, and at any required height therefrom, or depth therein;
Lence a perfect command of the cultivating instruments is readily obtained.

page_text: As I have illustrated ploughs on my Drawings, I shall hereafter, for the
sake of brevity, simply refer to ploughs, although, as I have before remarked,
I do not confine myself to the use of ploughs only. The points or ploughs on
the two sets of beams A, A¹, are so arranged and fitted respectively with right
and left turnfurrows so that each set may be used alternately, the machine
passing to and fro over the surface of the ground without the necessity for
turning it at the headlands. The plough frames F, F¹, are severally made
adjustable in height and inclination independently of the supporting beams;
this adjustment is accomplished by making slots in the plough frames at the
points of attachment to the beams, as shewn at a, a. I also propose to make
the turnfurrows adjustable on the plough frames by using slots, as shewn at
b, 61; in both cases the contact surfaces are roughened slightly to increase
their hold.
c, Figure 3, is a small angular stud piece which is bolted on to the side of the
plough frame, and serves to take the breast. The advantage of this form of
frame is, that it can be cut out of a flat plate of wrought iron, the portion
called the frame being one flat piece of a uniform thickness throughout. The
beam which is out of action is elevated by turning it up on its centres B and
C, and is there retained by the tightening screws and levers E, before referred
to, the inner faces of the cheeks or jaws of the joint at B being roughened to
increase their holding powers.
The drum or barrel C is maintained in any desired position by the friction
strap or break G, which embraces the barrel and is secured to the axle itself,
the handle H and screw spindle serving to tighten the break when requisite.
The main axle on the land side is fitted with a balance beam I, which carries
at each extremity a small steerage wheel K, K'. This beam is capable of
having either end depressed, so as to bring either steerage wheel into action,
according to the direction in which the machine is travelling, the steerage
wheel in all cases following the main running wheel L. The end of the axle
which carries the wheel L is jointed by a vertical pin at M to the other part
of the axle, so as to enable the wheel L to be set at any desired angle with the
machine, and so effect the steerage or guiding thereof. This adjustment may
be accomplished by means of the rack N, connected by an arm O with the
main portion of the axle, and a pinion P fast on the steerage shaft Q, which is
carried in bearings in the side of the balance beam I, the whole steerage
apparatus vibrating together vertically on the main axle as a common centre,
so that the pinion will always be in gear with the rack. R, R', are bearing
bars fitted loosely into each end of the beam I, and serving in conjunction with
the prop or support S, to take the weight of the upper plough beam. In order

page_text: to regulate the width between the two main running wheels, I make the end
of the axle next the furrow wheel telescopic, an opening & being made longi-
tudinally therein, as shewn in Figure 1, into which a correspondingly shaped
shank is inserted, which shank carries a vertical screw and hand wheel T for
adjusting the height of the furrow wheel, the axis of which wheel slides
vertically along the screw spindle within an enclosing metal box or cylinder.
The split ring U serves to grip or tighten the outer portion of the axle over
the part which slides within it, when the proper width between the running
wheels has been obtained. I employ an endless rope or chain V, for dragging
the machine over the ground when working, but in place of attaching the
machine direct to the endless traction rope, I connect it therewith by the aid
of a separate draught rope or chain W, which is hooked at one end to a
plough frame, and is connected at the opposite end by a clutch X with the
endless rope. This clutch, which is shewn on a larger scale at Figure 4, is
made to grip the rope, and is tightened thereon by a screw and lever e, so that
when the machine is arrived at one end of the field the attendant has merely
to turn the leyer e, when the clutch will be released from the endless rope and
the machine will of course stop; the endless rope being allowed to continue
its course without interruption; the machine is readily started again by
simply screwing up the clutch, when the draught immediately comes into
operation again. By this simple clutch arrangement, the necessity for signalling
to the engineman to stop his engine is altogether dispensed with, except for
reversing the same when the machine returns again. Y, Y, are two grooved
pullies (round which the rope is passed), carried by travelling trucks or plat-
forms y, y, placed at each end of the field; and Z is the main actuating pulley
round which the rope is wound one or more times. This pulley is worked by
suitable reversing gear from any convenient farm engine, which engine, with
the pulley Z, is supported on a travelling platform z, the whole being moved
along by a chain or rope anchored ahead, and wound on to a drum on the
negine. The endless traction rope passes round the pulleys Y, Y, and twice
round the large pulley Z, which latter serves also as a tension pulley for
keeping the rope continually stretched tight. After each traverse of the
machine across the field, the end trucks or platforms are moved forward along
temporary rails by the attendants, and the main drum is correspondingly moved
by the aid of the chain and anchor above referred to, when the machine will
be in readiness for cutting the next succeeding furrows. The trucks carrying
the pullies Y may be filled with stones or earth to keep them firm, and should
be fitted each with a pair of small travelling wheels, as shewn in the Drawing.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the
principles or main features of my said Invention; 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,-
First, the general construction, arrangement, and mode of working or
operating machinery or apparatus for cultivating land, as herein-before
described.
Second, the application and use of a pair of plough beams, jointed or hinged
respectively on to opposite sides of a drum or barrel, which drum or barrel is
free to turn on the main axle of a pair of running or supporting wheels,
whereby a perfect command of adjustment is obtained over the ploughs or
other cultivating instruments attached to the beams, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of rendering the joints of the plough beams fixed
or rigid, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the peculiar construction and arrangement of steerage apparatus,
as herein-before described and illustrated in the Drawings.
Fifth, the system or mode of effecting the hauling of cultivating or other
agricultural machines by attaching them to an endless traction rope, by the
aid of a separate or intermediate length of draught chain or rope, as herein-
before described.
Sixth, the application and use, in combination with an endless traction rope,
of a disengaging clutch or gripping apparatus for the purpose, herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Seaman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
JOSEPH SEAMAN. (L.S.)