IMPROVEMENTS IN DOUBLE FURROW AND OTHER PLOUGHS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Edward Ransome and
John Robert Jefferies at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th March 1870.
We, JAMES EDWARD RANSOME and JOHN ROBERT JEFFERIES, both
of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DOUBLE FURROW AND OTHER
PLOUGHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in double furrow and
other ploughs.
According to our Invention we construct a double furrow plough with
two sets of ploughing instruments, mounted in such manner that by
turning them about a horizontal and longitudinal axis either one set or
the other may be brought into a working position, and so that as the
implement is drawn to and fro over the land it may throw the furrows
always in the same direction, thus forming a double furrow one way
plough. The horizontal and longitudinal axis above mentioned con-

page_text: stitutes the main beam of the plough, and at the front is carried by a
pair of wheels and in rear by a single central wheel carried between a
pair of plough handles or arms, in which the main beam terminates.
This wheel is adjustable, so that the inclination of the beam to the
ground may be slightly varied to suit the state of the soil. Two cross
heads are mounted on the main beam, one near each end thereof, and
in such manner as to be able to turn thereon, and these cross heads
receive upon them two plough beams or bars, on each of which is
mounted two plough frames, each with its mould board, share, coulter,
and other parts. These ploughing tools do not work simultaneously,
but when one set is at work and below the main beam or axis the other
set is above it and out of work. The bars or beams on which these
ploughing tools are carried can either be rigidly fixed to the cross heads
or can be made adjustable, and are then capable of being moved to and
from each other along the cross heads and of being fixed thereon in any
desired position, and so that the width of the furrows may be adjusted at
pleasure. In order to stiffen the beams between the cross heads one or
more additional cross heads or couplings are introduced, and which can
either be made fixed or adjustable in length, as desired.
The cross
heads when at work are locked to the main beam or axis by locking
pins or otherwise, which at the end of a bout are removed, the set of
tools which has been at work is raised, and by the same act the other
set is brought down to a working position and is there locked.
The implement is drawn to and fro over the land by attaching the
horses or other means of draft in the usual way to the fore end of the
main beam. The leading wheels are so mounted on the main beam
that they may be raised and lowered both for the purpose of adjusting
the depth of work and also to take the plough out of its work on
coming to the end of each bout, and also further to lift the ploughing
tools sufficiently off the ground for them to be moved freely around the
main beam or axis.
The leading wheels are carried in the following manner:-There is a
socket in the main beam, through which a stem with a fork at the lower
end passes. This fork embraces the axle, which however is able to rock
upon the pin which secures it, so that the axle may incline one way or
the other to admit of either wheel running on the land whilst the other
is in the furrow.

page_text: Whilst the implement is at work the axle is locked in position by a
spring bolt or in other convenient way, but at the end of a bout when
it is desired that the implement should run out of the furrow this
bolt is drawn, so that the axle may gradually become horizontal as
the furrow wheel runs on to the land. In returning on re-entering
the furrow the axle inclines in the opposite way, and is again locked
when the proper inclination (for which there are suitable adjust-
ments) is attained. The stem which carries the axle of the leading
wheels has a long steering handle fixed on it, by means of which the
ploughman is able to lock the wheels round, and so to steer the
implement, or other suitable means may be resorted to for steering
the implement.
To raise the fore end of the main beam to admit of the ploughing
tools being turned around it, as already described, the leading wheels
of the implement are depressed. This may be done by means of
a bell-crank lever mounted on the front of the beam in an upright
position, and from it a cord passes to a drum at the back of the im-
plement, and the ploughman when he wishes to depress the leading
wheels winds the cord upon the drum. The other end of the bell-crank
lever either acts directly on the lower part of the main wheel stem or
upon the axle, in which case it is forked, and when the axle is horizontal
both sections of it bear on the axle. When the axle is inclined only
the higher end receives the pressure of the lever. The pressure on the
axle by means of the lever thus tends to bring it to a horizontal position,
whilst at the same time it lifts the main beam of the implement. The
axle of the leading wheels is so made that the distance between the
wheels may be adjusted to suit the width of the furrows and to bring
the furrow wheel into the angle of the furrow, and the stem which
carries this axle is provided with an adjustable collar to set the wheels
to any required depth of ploughing. The axle is also bent at its ends,
so that when ploughing the land wheel may be upright or nearly so,.
whilst the furrow wheel inclines well into the angle of the furrow, and
the rims of these wheels are rounded the better to adapt them for this.
alternate work.
Double furrow steam ploughs may be constructed as above described,
but with two stoering wheels at each end to avoid the necessity for
turning the implement half round at the headland, the ploughs being

page_text: mounted on their beams accordingly, i.e., with two shares pointing in
one direction and two shares in the other.
The method herein described of carrying the ploughing tools on two
bars or beams adjustable bodily to and from each other according to the
width of furrow required, and also the method of lifting the plough
out of work at the headlands is applicable to double furrow ploughs.
which are not constructed to turn the furrows all in one direction, as
above described.
The particular arrangement of the wheels and method of depressing
them is also applicable to Kentish turnwrest, Skelton's Patent turnwrest,
and other turnwrest ploughs in which each wheel has alternately to
run on the land and in the furrow.
We mount the land wheel of double or multiple furrow ploughs on a
bell-crank lever, which lever is attached by a pin, on which it is free to
turn to an upright spindle working in bearings attached to the plough 1
frame. On this upright spindle is attached the main steering lever,
which is actuated by the ploughman at the plough handles. And on
this steering lever is mounted a second lever, which is connected by one
or more connecting rods to the bell crank of the land wheel. This second
lever is for regulating the depth of the ploughing, and also for lifting the 2
plough out of work at the headlands to facilitate turning. The front
furrow wheel standard is attached to the front part of the plough by a
bearing, which allows the wheel to lock, and on this standard is attached
an arm, which is connected by a rod to a second arm on the top of
the upright spindle carrying the bell crank and land wheel. When a
the plough arrives at the headland the ploughman moves the lever
attached to the main steerage lever, and so forces down the land wheel
and raises the front part of the plough, and as the plough moves on the
cutting parts of the plough are quickly lifted out of the ground. The
plough is then easily steered round into the return furrow by the main 3
steerage lever acting on both land and furrow wheels. The steerage
arm on the upright spindle to which the land wheel is attached can be
made longer than the steerage arm on the furrow wheel standard, and
this will allow of the furrow or leading wheel to lock more than the land
or trailing wheel.
In constructing plough frames of wrought iron or steel plate it is now
usual to weld or rivet upon the frame a nose to receive upon it the
3

page_text: socket of the ploughshare. We make the share nose in one piece with
the frame. The plate of metal of which the frame is formed is usually
bent over at an angle at its upper edge, so as to form a flange, to which
the breast of the plough is fixed. We continue the plate and this
flange at its upper edge, reducing both in width until they terminate
nearly in a point projecting on front of the plough breast and this
point forms the nose for the reception of the share.