IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR DEPOSITING MANURE AND SEED
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hornsby, of Grantham, in the County of Lincoln,
and John Bonnall and George Black, both of Spittlegate, in the said County
of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRILLING
OR DEPOSITING MANURE AND SEED."
Sealed the 12th September 1879, and dated the 21st June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hornsby, John
Bonnall, and George Black at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 21st June 1879.
JAMES HORNSBY, of Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, and JOHN BONNALL
and GEORGE BLACK, both of Spittlegate, in the said County of Lincoln. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR DEPOSITING MANURE AND SEED."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drilling or
depositing manure and seed.
The bottom of the manure hopper is of trough like form; the front side consists
of sliding plates or shutters, which can be raised or lowered by racks and pinions
so as to regulate the feed. The back of the bottom of the hopper is a fixed plate
which serves as a guide for a number of fingers which slide to and fro on the plate
and act as stirrers to cause the manure to descend evenly through the aperture
between the fixed plate and the sliding plates or shutters.
The rear ends of the stirrers are bolted to a horizontal transverse bar at the back
of the fixed plate, which is caused to reciprocate in the direction of its length by
means of a cam surface or surfaces on the main axle of machine. Plates or bars are
fixed in the hopper (which need not be divided into compartments as is usual) to
prevent the bulk of the manure from being carried to and fro by the stirrers.
Below the back plate of the hopper bottom there are spring scrapers which bear
against a barrel which is formed with longitudinal projections which are set spirally
on its surface. The barrel is carried on the main axle of the machine, and is
driven by one or both of the carrying wheels through a spring ratchet clutch or
clutches.
The manure descending from the hopper fills the recesses between the steps on
the barrel, and being carried round by the revolution of the barrel is scraped off by
the spring scrapers.

page_text: These scrapers each consist of two castings or parts jointed together, and one of
them carries the scraping blades. They have at their rear ends projecting arms
(like the handles of a pair of shears), which are forced apart by a spring. A square
bar fixed at its ends at the back of the machine passes through holes in these
castings or parts and connects them together.
The hole in the part carrying the scraping plate is circular, so that this part is
free to turn on the square bar, but the hole in the other part is square, so that this
part cannot turn. This latter part has a bow spring fixed to it which bears against
the end of a thumb screw on the part carrying the scraping plate. By turning the
thumb nut the pressure of the scraping plate against the barrel can be regulated.
The scraping plate is carried by its arm in a similar way to a plane iron, so that it
can be set more and more forward to compensate for wear, and can be readily
removed and replaced when worn out.
The square bar carrying the scrapers and the back plate of the hopper bottom
may be made movable, so that the whole series both of the scrapers and stirrers
can be removed for cleaning, leaving the bottom of the hopper open so that it can
readily be emptied and cleaned.
In some cases cross pieces are placed on the stirring fingers to prevent the manure
from rising up to their rear ends.
When the machine is used to drill the manure drops from the barrel into the
ordinary funnels, but when it is desired to distribute the manure broad cast it drops
from the barrel on to a distributor, which consists of a barrel or drum with open
work sides formed of square laths, set with an angle outwards. This drum is
supported by bearings which are free to slide up and down in guides on the frame
of the machine, and it is driven by a chain from a chain wheel fixed on one of the
carrying wheels of the machine, or the drum may be driven by a separate band
wheel or wheels, but in any case it should revolve considerably faster than the
carrying wheels.
The seat for the driver is placed on a pivot on one side of the machine in front
of the hopper in such a position that the driver can see the barrel and thus observe
the quantity of inanure being delivered; and the handles for regulating the working
of the various parts of the machine are placed within his reach.
When drilling seed the apparatus for delivering the sced to the drills consists of
a series of discs on an axis driven from the carrying wheels of the machine. The
discs have on both sides a number of seed cups which are of a trough like form,
their length being much greater than their breadth; these cups may have one,
two, or more cross partitions. When the discs revolve these cups dip into the seed
hopper, become filled, and continuing to revolve turn over and empty themselves,
the seed passing down the funnels to the ground in the usual way.
In order to regulate the amount of seed delivered pairs of dividing guard plates
are placed one on each side of each disc. Their lower ends are pivotted far enough.
apart to allow the seed cups to pass between them. Above the plates curvo towards
each other, and then become parallel, or nearly so, their upper ends being below
those seed cups which are at the top of the disc. Part of the seed emptied out of
the seed cups falls between the dividing guards and drops back into the hopper,
and part falls outside the guards on each side, and from thence descends through
the funnels to the ground in the ordinary way, the series of cups on each side of the
disc sowing one row. Each guard is pivotted at its lower end, about which it can
be turned, Thus it will be seen that by moving the upper ends of the dividing
guards towards or away from each other the quantity of seed delivered to the drills
can be increased to the full capacity of the cups when the dividing guards touch
the discs, or can be diminished to nothing when the dividing guards are so far
apart that no part of them is vertically under any of the cups.
A handle is provided for causing the guards of each pair to move simultaneously.
towards or from each other, and in addition. each dividing guard can be moved
aside independently when it is desired to stop any one row, or to sow a less
number.

page_text: Small holes or cups are formed in the backs of the cups; these are used when a
very small quantity of seed is required, as, for example, when sowing turnips.
When it is desired to employ these small cups instead of turning the axis carrying
the discs end for end, as is now usual, we simply cause the direction in which it
rotates to be reversed.
The bottom of the seed hopper is not inado continuous but is divided into com-
partments, one for each disc. This plan has the advantage of preventing the seed
from running to one end of the hopper when the machine is working on inclined
ground, and thus causing more seed to be delivered to some of the discs than to
others.
The bottom of the hopper is hinged to the upper part so that by dropping the
lower part the hopper can readily be emptied.
In some cases in order to simplify the machine we carry the discs on a tube
surrounding the axle of the carrying wheels and drive it in a similar way to the
manure barrel before described.
The manure or seed barrels we prefer driving with a spring clutch at each end
of the drill, which enables the sowing to be done with greater regularity than
heretofore.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Hornsby, John Bonnall, and George Black in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 20th December 1879.
JAMES HORNSBY, of Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, and JOHN BONNALL
and GEORGE BLACK, both of Spittlegate, in the said County of Lincoln. "IMPROVE-.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR DEPOSITING MANURE AND SEED."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drilling or
depositing manure and seed.
Apparatus for drilling or depositing manure we form as follows:-The bottom of
the manure hopper is made of a trough like form; the front side consists of sliding
plates or shutters which can be raised or lowered by racks and pinions, so as to
regulate the feed. The back of the bottom of the hopper is a fixed plate which
serves as a guide for a number of fingers which slide to and fro on the plate, and
act as stirrers to cause the manure to descend evenly through the aperture between
the fixed plate and the sliding plates or shutters.
The rear ends of the stirrers are bolted to a horizontal transverse bar at the back
of the fixed plato, which is caused to reciprocato in the direction of its length by
means of a cam surface or surfaces on the main axle of machine. Plates or bars
are fixed in the hopper (which need not be divided into compartments as is usual),
to prevent the bulk of the manure from being carried to and fro by the stirrers.
Below the back plate of the hopper bottom there are spring scrapers which bear
against a barrel which is formed with longitudinal projections which are set spirally
on its surface, the barrel is carried on the main axle of the machine, and is driven
by one or both of the carrying wheels through a spring ratchet clutch or clutches.
The manure descending from the hopper fills the recesses between tho steps on
the barrel, and being carried round by the revolution of the barrel, is scraped off
by the spring scrapers.
These scrapers each consist of two castings or parts jointed together, and one of
them carries the scraping blades. They have at their rear ends projecting arms
(like the handles of a pair of shears), which are forced apart by a spring. A square
bar fixed at its ends at the back of the machine passes through holes in these
.castings or parts, and connects them together.
The hole in the part carrying the scraping plate is circular, so that this part is
free to turn on the square bar, but the hole in the other part is square, so that this
part cannot turn. This latter part has a bow spring fixed to it, which bears against
the end of a thumb screw on the part carrying the scraping plate. By turning the
thumb nut the pressure of the scraping plate against the barrel can be regulated.
The scraping plate is carried by its arm in a similar way to a plane iron, so that it
can be set more and more forward to compensate for wear, and can be readily
removed and replaced when worn out.
The square bar carrying the scrapers and the back plate of the hopper bottom
may be made movable, so that the whole series, both of the scrapers and stirrers,
can be removed for cleaning, leaving the bottom of the hopper open, so that it can
readily be emptied and cleaned.
When the machine is used to drill, the manure drops from the barrel into the
ordinary funnels; but when it is desired to distribute the manure broad cast, it
drops from the barrel on to a distributor, which consists of a barrel or drum with
open work sides formed of square laths set with an angle outwards. This drum is
supported by bearings which are free to slide up and down in guides on the frame
of the machine, and it is driven by a chain from a chain wheel fixed on one of the
carrying wheels of the machine, or the drum may be driven by a separate land
wheel or wheels or otherwise; but in any case it should revolve considerably faster
than the carrying wheels.

page_text: The seat for the driver is placed on a pivot on one side of the machine in front
of the hopper in such a position that the driver can see the barrel, and thus observo
the quantity of manure being delivered, and the handles for regulating the working
of the various parts of the machine are placed within his reach.
Figure 1 shews a plan view; Figure 2, a front view; Figure 3, an end view;
and Figure 4, a back view partly in section of an apparatus for drilling or depositing
manure, constructed as above described.
A are the main wheels, which by clutches B, can be made fast with their axle C.
The sliding clutches B can be shifted to and fro along the axle by clutch levers D, as
shewn at Figure 2; these levers are each acted on by a spring which tends to
throw the clutches into gear. When it is desired to draw back both clutches out
of gear, they can be drawn back by rods D¹ acting on the upper ends of the clutch
levers, as shewn at Figure 2. The rods D¹ are slotted at their ends as shown, so
that unless the clutches are both held back out of gear by the rods D¹ being moved
endwise by the handle D2 upon one of them, each clutch will be kept in gear by its
own spring, but either of them is free to yield if the axle is being turned by one
wheel faster than by the other.
་
E is the manure hopper, E¹ are plates at the front of the hopper, which can be
raised or lowered to regulate the quantity of manure delivered. The plates have
racks upon them, into which gear toothed pinions on axes F, as shewn at Figure 2,
so that by turning these axes, the plates El can be raised or lowered. G is a plato
which forms the back of the lower portion of the hopper. H are the fingers or
stirrers above this plate. These are seen best at Figure 5, which is a cross section
on a larger scale of the hopper, and parts in connection therewith. The stirrers are
fixed to a bar H', to which an endway to and fro motion is given by a cam on the
main axle.
A grooved cam, such as shown at Figures 1, 2, and on a larger scale at Figure 6,
may be used for the purpose, or simply a disc fixed at an angle to the axle, as shewn
at Figures 7 and 8.. The back ends of the several stirrers fit one against the other,
as shewn at Figure 1, and prevent the escape of manuro where the back ends of
the stirrers pass out from the hopper. In order that the hopper may readily be
cleaned, there is a door E2 along the lower part of the back of the hopper, which
can be lifted away; the stirrers or fingers and the bar H which carries them, can
then be drawn back and taken away, so as not to interfere with the cleaning of
the lower part of the hopper, and also so that they themselves may the more readily
be cleaned.
.
I, I, are plates or bars fixed to the front of the hopper to prevent the whole bulk
of the manure from being oscillated to and fro by the stirrers; J is the barrel below
the outlet from the hopper and with projections set spirally on its surface; this barrel
is fixed on the axle of the main wheels; K, K, are the scraper blades, nearly of the
same width as the projections on the barrel. Each scraper blade is a blade of steel
held by a screw and nut against the bottom of a casting L, which is carried by
and is free to turn around a square bar M; the blades are slotted where the screw
passes through them, so that they can be set forwards towards the barrel as they
become worn. The castings L fit roughly one against the other and so prevent the
descent of manuro between them, and form a continuation of the lower part of the
hopper to conduct the manure to the barrel J, and as each of them is continuously
in movement to and fro the manure is kept from clogging or forming into a hard
cake as it descends from the hopper to the barrel.
The scraper blade is kept bearing agaiust the barrel J by a spring N fixed to an
arm O, which extends out from the square bar M. The holes in the end of the
arm O where the bar M passes through it are square, and fit to the bar so that
the arms cannot turn. The spring bears upon the end of a scrow P carried by the
casting L; by turning this screw the force with which the scraper blade is pressed
against the barrel may be adjusted.
Figures 9 and 10 shew separately a plan view and back view of one of the

page_text: castings L, and scraper carried by it, and also of one of the arms O, shewing how
they are carried by the bar M.
".
In place of a spring being used to press the scrapers against the barrel a weight
might be secured to the tail end of the casting L which carries the scraper blade,
in this case the arms O would not be required.
The manure as it falls from the barrel. J drops on to a revolving distributor Q,
formed of a number of laths or bars set at a distance apart from one another around
a shaft R, as shewn at Figures 2, 3, and 4, and also at Figures 11 and 12. The
distributor is revolved considerably faster than the barrel J and scatters the manure
evenly in case any of the manure in falling was not struck by one of the bars
above the shaft of the distributor it would be struck by one of the bars below the
shaft, and so a very even distribution is effected. At Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the
shaft of the distributor is shewn to be driven by an endless chain from a chain
wheel on one of the supporting and driving wheels. At Figures 11 and 12 the
shaft of the distributor is carried and turned by a pair of wheels smaller than the
main wheels, and is also coupled by links to the fore part of the frame; other
arrangements for driving the shaft of the distributor might however be adopted.
S is the driver's seat in front of the axle of the main wheels, so that the driver
may observe the quantity of manure, which is carried round and delivered by the.
barrel.
The manure distributor above described is applicable for distributing dry
powdered manures or manures in a moist plastic state; it might also be used for
distributing sand, gravel, or such like.
Our improvements in apparatus for drilling or depositing seed have mainly for
their object to form the apparatus for delivering seed to the drills in such a manner
that the quantity of seed delivered can readily be controlled without varying the
speed at which the discs which carry the measuring cups are revolved, or without
changing one set of cup wheels for another having different sized cups.
For this purpose we employ a series of discs on an axis driven from the carrying.
-wheels of the machine. The discs have standing out from them on one or both
sides a number of seed cups as heretofore, but the seed cups we, make of an
elongated or trough like form, their length being much greater than their breadth.
These cups may have one, two, or more cross partitions. When the discs revolve
theso cups dip into the seed hopper, become filled, and continuing to revolve, turn
over and empty themselves, the seed passing down the funnels to the ground in the
usual way.
In order to regulate the amount of seed delivered pairs of dividing guard plates
are placed one on each side of each disc. Their lower ends are pivotted far enough
apart to allow the seed cups to pass between them. Above, the plates curvo
towards each other, and then becomo parallel or nearly so,
their upper ends being
below those seed cups, which are at the top of the disc. Part of the seed emptied
out of the seed cups falls between the dividing guards and drops back into the
hopper, and part falls outside the guards on each side, and from thence descends
through the funnels to the ground in the ordinary way; the series of cups on each
side of the disc sowing one row. Each guard is pivotted at its lower end about
which it can be turned. Thus it will be seen that by moving the upper ends of
the dividing guards towards or away from each other the quantity of sced delivered
'to the drills can be increased to the full capacity of the cups when the dividing
guards touch the discs, or can be diminished to nothing when the dividing guards
are so far apart that no part of them is vertically under any of the cups.
. A handle is provided for causing the guards of each pair to move simultaneously
towards or from each other, and in addition cach dividing guard can be moved
aside independently when it is desired to stop any one row or to sow a less
number.
Small holes or cups are formed in the backs of the cups; these are used when a
very small quantity of seed is required, as, for example, when sowing turnips.

page_text: When it is desired to employ these smalls cups, instead of turning the axis carrying
the discs end for end, as is now usual, we simply cause the direction in which it
rotates to be reversed.
The bottom of the seed hopper is not mado continuous, but is divided into
compartments, one for each disc; this plan has the advantage of preventing the
seed from running to one end of the hopper when the machine is working on
inclined ground, and thus causing more seed to be delivered to some of the discs
than to others.
The bottom of the hopper may also be hinged to the upper part, so that by
dropping the lower part the hopper can readily be emptied.
In some cases in order to simplify tho machine we carry the discs on a tube
surrounding the axle of the carrying wheels, and drive it in a similar way to the
manure barrel before described.
The manure or seed barrels we prefer driving with a spring clutch at each end of
the drill, which enables the sowing to be done with greater regularity than
heretofore.
.On
.
Figure 13 shews a section of oue end of a seed box and measuring apparatus
arranged in the manner above described; Figure 14 is a transverse section of the
same; Figure 15 is a plan view of some of the parts on a larger scale. Other
details are shown at Figures 10, 17, and 18. A are the discs on an axis B which
may be driven from the axle of the main wheels in any ordinary manner.
each side of the discs are cups C in the ordinary manner, or they might be on one
side only. The cups in place of being of the usual circular form are of an
elongated form, as shewn at Figure 13, or in the ways shewn on a larger scale at
Figures 18. Or cups of the ordinary form might be used in pairs or sets of three.
in a row, one cup being set further from the disc than the other. Dare the dividing
guard plates; they each turn on a hinge joint D' at their lower back end; the
hinge joints of the two plates which come on the opposite sides of any one of the
discs are at such a distance apart from one another as to be clear of the cups which
stand out from the disc. The upper part of the forward ends of the plates is.
curved inwards towards the disc to resemble somewhat the breast of a plough, so
that part of the upper edge may be brought close up to the side of the disc, as
shewn by the Drawings. Each disc revolves in a separate cell or compartment,
each supplied separately with grain or seed from the seed hopper E, as shewn at
Figure 13, and as is the case in some seed drills heretofore made.
The spaces F
between these cells or compartments form channels by which any seed falling into
them is conducted to the tins or jointed channels which convey the seed down into
the drills or furrows formed to receive it by the several tines or tubes of the seed
drill in the ordinary manner, so that we have not thought it necessary to shew in
the Drawings how the seed is thus conducted down. When the discs carrying the
measuring cups are revolved the cups fill and carry up seed from the lower part of
the cell or compartment in which they turn. As the cups get some distance above
the axis by which they are carried the seed falls out from the cups, and if the .
dividing guard plates D are held away from the discs the seed falls back again into.
the cell or compartment from which it had been lifted; but if the dividing guard
plates are turned to bring their forward ends near to the discs the sced falling from..
the cups will drop on to these plates, and will by them be conducted into the spaces
between the compartments in which the discs revolve, and drop into the tins which:
convey them to the ground, and the nearer the dividing guard plates are brought
to the discs the greater will be the amount of seed, so delivered. All seed grain:
striking the dividing plates being delivered to the tins, whilst all seed falling clear
of the plates drops back into the compartment from which it had been lifted.
Various mechanical contrivances may be adopted for controlling the position of .
the dividing guard plates relatively to the discs, and so controlling the delivery of
seed. In the arrangement shewn in the Drawing each plate at its forward end has
a projection D standing back from it, to which is jointed a lever catch G. On:
one end of this lever is a weight G¹ to hold the other end of the lever, which is

page_text: slotted up to. and against bars H, I.. Pins K on these bars enter the slots.of the.
lever catches. The bars. H, I, are. mounted so that: they can be moved end wise to r
and fro, and they are coupled together by a lever L, so that when one is moved in.
one direction the other is moved the same distance in the opposite direction, and as
the bars are moved to and fro so the dividing guard plates are moved towards or.
from tho, discs.. To move the bars to and fro wo use a shaft M with a screw thread
upon it, as shewn at Figure 13. On the screw thread is a nut N coupled to the..
bar H, and also to one end of the lever L, the opposite end of which lever is.
coupled to the bar I, as shewn at Figure 16. Thus by turning the shaft. M by the
crank handle 'M' at its end the bars H, I, can be moved endwise in opposite. 1
directions, and the amount of seed delivered be thereby adjusted. The plates on
one side of the discs are coupled, as above described, to one bar, and the plates on.
the opposite side of the discs are coupled to the other bar...
•
When it is desired to stop seed being delivered to any one or more rows the
plates used for guiding seed to this row or rows may be disconnected from the bars 1
by lifting the weighted ends of the lever catches and then turning the plates away..
from the discs.
As before stated, we in some cases form small cups at the back of the larger
cups to be used for sowing small seed, as is now commonly done, but in place of
reversing the shaft which carries the discs and measuring cups end for end, when 2
these small cups are to be brought into use we simply drive the shaft in the opposite.
direction, and this we do by introducing an intermediate wheel into the gearing by
which motion is transmitted from the main wheels to the shaft carrying the discs,.
and providing means for either transmitting the motion through this wheel or not, .
according to the direction in which the discs are to be turned.
-At O, Figure 14, is shewn how the lower part of the seed hopper is made capable:
of turning down on a hinge to empty the hopper of seed whenever required.
2
As before stated, the discs which carry the measuring cups may be carried by a
tube surrounding the axle of the main wheels, and be driven from the main wheels
just, in the same way as herein before described in respect to the barrel of the 3
manure distributor with a spring clutch at each end of the drill, so that whichever
wheel is turning faster than the other shall drive the axle..
By mounting the discs which carry the measuring cups on the axle of the main
-wheel, as above described, the construction of seed drills is simplified, and yet by
the means herein before described any desired quantity of seed may be delivered 3
without the speed at which the shaft which carries the discs revolves being varied.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, we would have it understood that we claim,-.
1
First. The construction of manure drills, substantially as herein before described.":
Second. The combination with the manure hopper of the fingers or stirrers
moved slowly to and fro by a cam on the main axle to cause the manure to descend
uniformly to the hopper outlet, and the fixed bars standing out in to the interior of
the hopper to prevent the bulk of the manure being carried to and fro by the.
stirrers, substantially as described.
Third. The arrangement by which the fingers can readily be withdrawn from 4.
the hopper for the purpose of cleaning them, substantially as described.
Fourth. The employment of hinged scrapers, substantially as described, to form
a continuation of the lower part of the hopper and convey the manure passing
from it to the barrel which controls its distribution and against which the scrapers
act.
Fifth. The employment of scraper blades formed of steel plate bolted to the
castings forming the body of the scrapers, so that the scrapers as they become worn
can be set up towards the barrel, substantially as described.
Sixth. The employment of a revolving cylinder composed of bars set around a
shaft with spaces between them, substantially as described, for scattering the 5
manure as it falls from apparatus which measures or controls its delivery.
5

page_text: Seventh. Mounting the barrel which controls the delivery of the manure from
the hopper upon the axle of the main wheels, substantially as described.
Eighth. The employment in seed drills of plates which can be moved towards
or away from the discs which carry the measuring cups and be held at any required
distance from them, so that they shall intercept part or the whole of the seed which
drops from the measuring cups and conduct the seed to the tins or funnels, substan-
tially as described,
Ninth. Mounting one end of the dividers or guard plates on hinge joints which
are clear of the measuring cups carried by the discs, and curving them at their
opposite end to allow of this end being brought near to the discs, substantially as
described.
Tenth. Providing means for permitting the discs which carry the measuring cups
to be revolved in either direction, according as it is desired to bring into action one
or other of two sets of cups formed or set back to back.
Eleventh. Mounting the shaft which carries the discs and measuring cups of seed
drills upon the axle of the main wheel.
Twelfth. Driving the shaft which carries the discs and measuring cups of seed
drills through spring clutches at each end of the axle of the main wheel, substan-
tially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bonnall, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
JOHN BONNALL. (L.B.)