IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE HOES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lake Baker and Thomas Newton Cox,
both of Hargrave, in the County of Northampton, Agricultural
Implement Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HORSE HOES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lake Baker and
Thomas Newton Cox at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 12th May 1873.
We, JOHN LAKE BAKER and THOMAS NEWTON Cox, both of Hargrave,
in the County of Northampton, Agricultural Implement Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HORSE HOES," to be as follows:-
:-
The chief objects of this Invention are to facilitate and improve the
steering, and to simplify the construction of horse hoes, thereby econo-
mizing their manufacture, and reducing the cost and labour of working
them.

page_text: Horse hoes have heretofore been steered by an attendant, who, walking
behind, can by means of handles swing the levers carrying the hoes from
side to side until they come in contact with travelling wheels. The
objection to this construction of the implement is that the same is
affected by the slightest unsteadiness of the horse in the shafts, and
requires the greatest vigilance on the part of the attendant behind and
of the one who leads the horse to prevent the hoes cutting up the corn.
An improvement in the above implement has been made by the intro-
duction of a fore-carriage steerage, which makes the implement to a
certain extent independant of the lateral movement of the horses, but
renders a third attendant necessary, who however, in consequence of
having his back to the hoes; frequently does not work in harmony with
the attendant who steers behind.
In constructing horse hoes according to our improvements we provide
them with a light fore-carriage steerage, which may have either one
wheel, or two or more wheels. We couple the wheel or wheels of this
fore carriage with the apparatus that guides or adjusts the hoes, thus
enabling one attendant to guide the implement with the greatest ease
through the rows of corn, even when the same is drilled very irregularly,
and to have complete control of the said implement independently of the
horses.
For coupling the wheel or wheels of the said fore carriage with the
apparatus for adjusting or guiding the hoes we employ levers connected
to the vertical shaft of the fore carriage and to a horizontal shaft. Or
we use a horizontal shaft geared by bevil pinions with the said vertical
shaft. Or we may use a link motion or an endless band or belt or other
suitable contrivances for effecting the same object. The said vertical
shaft is connected to this coupling mechanism by a clutch or other
apparatus, whereby it is readily disconnected, so that the steering wheel
or wheels may turn freely upon their vertical axis in the fore carriage to
allow the machine to be turned at the headlands, the hoes being then
raised out of the ground.
The said apparatus is preferably provided with two handles or levers,
whereby the attendant controls the steerage and the adjustment of the
hoes.
Our Invention, with slight modifications, is applicable to existing

page_text: The machine is most conveniently constructed to be steered and con-
trolled by an attendant walking behind it; but if desired its parts may
be arranged for the attendant to walk at either side or in front of the
same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Lake Baker and Thomas Newton Cox in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
LAKE BAKER and THOMAS NEWTON Cox, both of Hargrave, in the
County of Northampton, Agricultural Implement Manufacturers, send
greeting.
1.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Lake Baker and Thomas Newton Cox,
Her special licence that we, the said John Lake Baker and Thomas
Newton Cox, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Lake Baker and Thomas Newton Cox, our 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 HORSE
HOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
Lake Baker and Thomas Newton Cox, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, 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 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 we, the said John Lake Baker and Thomas
Newton Cox, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described

page_text: and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention relates to horse hoes, with a fore-carriage steerage,
and is designed to simplify the construction of such horse hoes, and
facilitate the steering of the same, thereby economizing their manufac-
ture, and reducing the cost and labour of working them.
: Horse hoes have heretofore been steered by an attendant, who, walking
behind, can by means of handles swing the levers carrying the hocs from
side to side until they come in contact with the travelling wheels. The
objection to this construction of the implement is that the working of
the same is affected by the slightest unsteadiness of the horse in the
shafts, and the greatest vigilance is required on the part of the attendant
behind, and of the one who leads the horse, to prevent the hoes cutting
up the corn.
An improvement in the above implement has been made by the
introduction of a fore-carriage steerage, which makes the implement to
a certain extent independant of the lateral movement of the horses, but
renders a third attendant necessary, who, however, in consequence of
having his back to the hocs, frequently does not work in harmony with
the attendant who steers behind.
In constructing horse hoes according to our improvements we provide
them with a light fore-carriage steerage, which may have cither one
wheel, or two or more wheels. We couple the wheel or wheels of this
fore carriage with the apparatus that guides or adjusts the hoes, thus
enabling one attendant to guide the implement with the greatest ease
through the rows of corn, even when the same is drilled very irregularly,
and to have complete control of the said implement independently of the
horses.
The manner in which our Invention may be conveniently and advan-
tageously carried into practice is clearly shewn in the accompanying
Drawings, which we will now proceed to describe.
Like
Figure 1 is a plan of a horse hoc, with our Invention applied to it;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the main portions of the same.
letters indicate the same parts in both Figures.
is the frame of the machine: ½ ½ are its main or travelling wheels -

page_text: c is the frame of the steering or fore carriage; d, d, are the wheels of
the same.
For coupling the wheel or wheels of the said foro carriage with the
apparatus for adjusting or guiding the hoes, so that both are under the
control of one attendant, we employ the following mechanism :-e is a
lever fixed on the upper end of the vertical shaft of the fore carriage,
which shaft is attached to the axle g of the wheels d. The axle 7 is
preferably made in two parts, so that the wheels d may be adjusted to
any required width. The lever e is extended back to meet the end of
the vertical lever i, which is fixed on the end of the horizontal shaft j;
the latter is supported to turn freely in bearings k, and its rear end is
provided with handles or levers 7, whereby the attendant controls the
steerage of the implement and the adjustment of the hoes. The vertical
lever i has in its extremity a hole or slot for the reception of the end of
the lever e. If desired this end of the lever e may be provided with an
antifriction roller to work in the said slot. By coupling the levers e
and i in this manner it is obvious that any movement of the shaft j will
be transmitted to the axle and wheels of the fore carriage. To permit
the implement to be readily turned at the headlands, we arrange the
shaft to slide endwise in its bearings, so that the lever i may be drawn
out of connection with the lever e; and the said shaft is provided with a
pawl or catch m, which drops behind the front bearing k, and holds the
shaft back. The spring n in front of the said bearing throws the shaft
forward to bring the levers again into connection when the said shaft is
released by the pawl. In turning the headland the hoes must be raised
out of the ground. The lower end of the lever i is connected by the
rod to the frame r, which carries the levers 8, so that the lateral
adjustment of the hoes t, and the turning of the vertical axle and wheels
of the fore carriage will be effected by the same movement of the
handles l.
Or instead of the above mechanism for connecting the shaft ; with the
fore carriage we may gear the said shaft with the vertical shaft by bevil
pinions, and provide an ordinary clutch for disconnecting the shaft j
with the said vertical shaft. Or we may use a link motion or an endless
band or belt or other suitable contrivances for effecting the same object.
The said apparatus is preferably provided with two handles or levers 7,
as shewn, so that the attendant will be able very easily to control the
steerage and the adjustment of the hoes.

page_text: Our Invention with slight modifications is applicable to existing
implements constructed either with or without a fore carriage.
The implement is most conveniently constructed to be steered and
controlled by an attendant walking behind it; but if desired its parts
may be arranged for the attendant to walk at either side or in front of
the same.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and shewn how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, we
wish it understood that we claim,―
First. In a horse hoe connecting the steering or fore carriage and the
apparatus for adjusting and guiding the hoes in such a manner that both
are under the control of one attendant.
Second. The mechanism above described for effecting the purpose of
our Invention, arranged in combination with the other parts of a horse
hoe, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Newton Cox, for myself
and on behalf of the said John Lake Baker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
THOMAS NEWTON COX. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.