IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE HAULING TACKLE OF STEAM CULTIVATING APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN DICK of Glasgow in the County of Lanark, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE
HAULING TACKLE OF STEAM CULTIVATING APPARATUS" to be as follows:-
This Invention which relates to improvements in connection with the hauling
tackle of steam cultivating apparatus has for its object to better adapt such
apparatus for employment in cultivating between rows of trees, bushes, and other
plants such for example as between the rows of plants in Tea gardens and between
rows of vines and it relates more particularly to means for conveying the trailing
or idle end of the drag rope into proper position for attachment to the cultivator in
succeeding rows.
Under this Invention I make use by preference of what is known as the
stationary system of steam cultivation, that is to say, the system in which a
portable steam engine of the usual class for such work, is stationed at one corner or
other point of the plot to be operated upon. This engine is provided with a wire
or other drag rope and windlass or drum and the usual guiding and anchoring
appliances. The said rope and appliances are laid out around the plot a suitable
anchor being placed at each headland or end of the supposed furrows. These two
anchors are each fitted with a pulley to guide the hauling or drag rope (hereinafter
called the main rope) and on the spindle or shaft of each pulley there is, under this
Invention, fitted a winding drum free to turn on the shaft but capable of being
thrown into and out of gear with the pulley by a clutch friction gear or its
equivalent. Upon each of these drums is wound a light rope or cord (hereinafter
called the messenger rope) with a loop or safety catch on its free end. These
messenger ropes are for conveying in turn the free end of the main rope along the
row or lane adjacent to that in which the cultivator is working.
After the cultivator has been placed in position for commencing operations and
connected to one end of the main rope and before the engine is put in motion the
messenger rope on the drum of the anchor at the headland opposite the cultivator,
is passed round a guide pulley and taken by hand along between the next two
rows of bushes and fixed to the free end of the main rope. On the body of the
cultivator is carried an arm of height sufficient to clear the tops of the plants or
bushes and of such length that the point of the arm extends over to the lano second

page_text: from the one in which the cultivator is working. The end of the second messenger
rope after being also conducted round a guide pulley is connected to the point or
end of the said arm and the clutch or gear of the drum of the second messenger
rope is disengaged from the pulley carrying the main rope so as to enable the drum
to move freely on its shaft whilst the other drum is geared with the pulley carrying
the free end of the main rope.
Thus when the engine is put in motion the cultivator is moved along by the
main rope and this passing round the pulley in connection with the drum on the
forward anchor the messenger rope is so wound upon the said drum that the free
end of the main rope will arrive at the further headland at or about the same time
as the cultivator and consequently be in position to be attached thereto for the
return journey.
The
The engine being then stopped and the anchor moved along two spaces tho
formerly fast and now free end of the main rope is in turn attached to the end of
the messenger rope brought along from the drum at the other side of the plot by
the arın on the cultivator which messenger rope is removed from the arm for that
purpose whilst the end of the other messenger rope is connected to the arm.
engine being again started so as to move the cultivator in the reverse direction
down the space between the next rows of bushes a similar series of movements
takes place and so on until the plot is finished the free end of the main rope being
always laid in position to be attached to the cultivator by the apparatus itself,
manual or animal labour is thus dispensed with.
In situations where the height of trees or bushes would prevent the use of the
arm on the cultivator for carrying the second messenger rope that part of the work
may be done by hand and the arm may be jointed so as to render it capable of
being thrown back under such circumstances or it may be entirely removed.
1001

page_text: I, JOHN DICK of Glasgow in the County of Lanark, Engineer, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE
HAULING TACKLE OF STEAM CULTIVATING APPARATUS " and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
This invention has for its object improvements in connection with the hauling
tackle of steam cultivating apparatus so as the better to adapt such apparatus for
employment in cultivating between row of trees, bushes and other plants such
for example as between the rows of plants in tea gardens and between rows of
vines; and the Invention relates more particularly to a system or means for
conveying the trailing or idle end of the drag rope into proper position for
attachment to the cultivator in succeeding rows.
Under the invention I, as shown by figure 1, of the annexed drawings make use
by preference of what is known as the stationary system of steam cultivation, that
is to say, the system in which a single portable engine A, of the usual class for
such work is stationed at one corner or other point of the plot or field to be
operated on. This engine is provided with a wire or other drag rope B, and a
windlass or drum P, and in conjunction with it the usual fixed anchor D, and
movable or shifting anchors E, E', are also employed these latter anchors being at
the headlands or ends of the supposed furrows.
The anchors E, E¹, are each fitted with a pulley F, to guide the hauling or drag
rope (hereinafter called the main rope) and as seen more particularly by the detailed
side elevation at figure 2, on the spindle or shaft G, of each pulley F' there is carried
a winding drum H, free at times to turn loosely on the shaft but capable of being
geared therewith by means of a clutch I, actuated by a lever J, or its equivalent.
Upon each of the drums H, is wound a light rope or cord (hereinafter called the
messenger rope) which cord has a loop or eye at its free end.
These messenger ropes L, L, are, for time about, conveying the trailing or idle
end of the drag rope B, along the row or lane adjacent to that in which the
cultivator C, is working.
After the cultivator has been placed in position for commencing operations and
connected to one end of the main rope B, and before the engine A, is put in motion
the messenger rope L¹, on the drum H, of the anchor E', at the headland opposite
that from which the cultivator C, is to start is passed round a guide pulley 0¹,
carried on the said anchor E', and is thence taken by hand along the lane R, next
to that in which the cultivator is first to operate. The end of the messenger rope L¹,
so carried is attached to the front of a truck or trolley N, to whose rear part the
idle or trailing end of the main rope B, is secured as indicated at figure 1.
On the truck N, is carried an arm M, (more particularly seen at figure 3) of
height sufficient to clear the tops of the plants or bushes and of such length that
the extremity of the arm extends over to the lane S, second from the one in which
the cultivator C, is working. The end of the second messenger rope L, after being
also conducted round a guide pulley O, is connected to the extremity of the
arm M, and the clutch I, is operated so as to render the drum H, loose on the
shaft G, whilst the other clutch is so operated as to gear the drum H', with its
shaft G. By this arrangement when the engine A, is put in motion the cultivator C,
is hauled along the lane T, by the main rope B, which passing round the pulley F
fast on the shaft G, and to which shaft the drum H³, is also for the time being

page_text: clutched the messenger rope L¹, is so wound on the said drum that the idle end of
the rope B, is hauled down the lane R, and arrives at the further headland at or
about the same time as the cultivator C, and consequently is in position to be
attached to the cultivator for the return journey in the lane R, By the same action
the other messenger rope L, connected for the time being to the arm M, is laid i
in the lane S, and the end of it arrives at the further headland at the same time as
the cultivator C, and the idle end of the rope B, connected to the truck N.
The engine A, being then stopped the truck N, is disconnected from the
ropes B, L, L, and moved into the lano S, and so that its arm M, projects over
the lane U.
The anchor E¹, is also moved forward so as to bring its end of the rope B,
opposite the lane S, where it is connected to the rear of the truck N, the end of
the rope L, being connected to the front of the said truck and the end of the
rope L¹, to the arm M, The cultivator C, which is or may be hauled opposite the
lane R, by the engine A, is then connected to the end B*, of the main rope, that is
to say, to the end which during the next preceding operation of the cultivator
was the trailing end and the engine A, being again set in motion the apparatus acts
as before but in the reverse direction.
When the cultivator has arrived at the end of the lane R next the anchor E, the
the said anchor is moved forward two rows so as to lay its end of the rope B, in
the lane U, and the truck is moved into the said lane so as to lay the messenger
rope L, in the lane V, and so on until the end of the field or plot has been reached,
-the trailing end of the main rope being always laid in position for attachment to
the cultivator. By this means manual or animal labour is lessened or dispensed-
with.
In situations where the height of trees or bushes would prevent the use of the
arm M, on the truck N, for laying the messenger rope in the lane second from that
in which the cultivator is operating that part of the work may be done by hand,
and as indicated at figure 3, the said arm is or may be capable of swinging round
on its seat so as to be thrown rearwards under such circumstances or it may be
entirely removed from the tackle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,
First In connection with hauling tackle for steam cultivating apparatus the
system or means herein before described for laying the trailing or idle end of
the main rope in position to be attached to the cultivator and consisting in the
employment of two messenger ropes (L, L¹) connected to a truck or carriage N,
whereto the idle end of the main rope is also attached substantially as set forth.
Second In connection with hauling tackle for steam cultivating apparatus the
means herein before described for laying a messenger rope in the lane or space
second from that in which the cultivator is operating.
Third In connection with hauling tackle for steam cultivating apparatus the
combination on the movable or shifting anchors E, E¹, of drums H, messenger
rope L, and clutch arrangement whereby the drums are alternately caused to pay
out and haul in the said messenger ropes as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Twenty seventh day of December 1884.