IMPROVEMENTS IN CORN, SEED, AND MANURE DRILLS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Coultas and James Perkins Coultas, of
Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Agricultural Engineers, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORN, SEED, AND MANURE
DRILLS."
Scaled the 15th December 1874, and dated the 20th June 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Coultas and
James Perkins Coultas at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 20th June 1874.
D
We, JAMES COULTAS and JAMES PERKINS COULTAS, of Grantham, in
the County of Lincoln, Agricultural Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORN, SEED, AND
MANURE DRILLS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the obtainment of greater uniformity
of pressure upon the coulter levers, whilst the strain on the drill frame.
is reduced; also the preventing of access of dirt to the gearing in con-
nection with the seed and manure boxes.

page_text: In carrying out our Invention we apply flat and helical springs to the
press bars or levers of drills, or if desired to the coulter levers them-
selves; and we apply the pressure by means of a lever acting upon and
through the said springs, whereby a yielding pressure of any amount is
obtained.
The particular arrangement of lever which we prefer to use for
pressing on to the said springs, and for lifting the several coulters, con-
sists of a jointed lever fitted with a self-acting catch, which catch comes
into action when the lever is moved in one direction for the purpose
of applying pressure to the coulter levers, and is out of action when the
lever is moved in the opposite direction for the purpose of lifting the
several coulter levers, each coulter lever being connected by a chain in
the usual manner to the said lifting lever.
The pressure is applied directly to the before-mentioned springs by a
cross bar carried by the pressing lever, which bar bears upon and
presses down the springs when the lever is turned for that purpose.
We also propose to apply large wing or side boards or shields to each
side of the drill, between the seed. and manure boxes and the running
wheels, in order to prevent the access of dirt to the gearing; and in the
case of artificial manure drills we further propose to apply a shield or
cover along the back of the manure box for the purpose of shielding the
manure from the wind. The seed box is covered so as to exclude rain,
dirt, or other substances, thus keeping the seed dry and clean.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Coultas and James Perkins Coultas in the 2
Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th December 1874.
3
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JAMES
COULTAS and JAMES PERKINS COULTAS, of Grantham, in the County of
Lincoln, Agricultural Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, .
1

page_text: give and grant unto us, the said James Coultas and James Perkins
Coultas, Her special license that we, the said James Coultas and James
Perkins Coultas, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said James Coultas and James Perkins Coultas, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CORN, SEED, AND MANURE DRILLS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said James Coultas and James Perkins.
Coultas, 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 James Coultas and James Perkins
Coultas, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our said Invention has for its object the obtainment of greater uni-
formity of pressure upon the coulter levers of corn, seed, and manure
drills, and the reducing of the strain on the drill frame; and consists in
the application of blade springs, helical springs, or both combined, to
the press bars or levers of such drills (or if desired to the coulter levers
themselves), and in applying pressure to the coulter levers by means of
a lever acting upon and through the said springs, whereby a direct,,
powerful, and yielding pressure to any extent is obtained.
The arrangement of actuating lever which we prefer to use for
applying the pressure directly to the said springs (which lever may also
be used for lifting the several coulters) consists of a jointed lever fitted
5 with a self-acting catch, which catch comes into action when the lever
is moved in one direction for the purpose of applying pressure to the
_coulter levers, but is out of action when the same lever is moved in the

page_text: levers.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts in both the Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents a side elevation, partly in section,
of a corn drill having our improvement attached thereto, and Figure 2
is a detail of one of the press levers detached with its springs com-
pressed as herein-after fully described.
A is the framing of the drill, which, apart from the mode of giving
pressure to the coulter levers, may be of the ordinary or any improved
construction, and be adapted either for corn, seeds, or manures; B is
the supporting axle shown in cross section; C is the outline of the
running wheels mounted on the said axle in the usual or other manner.
To each side framing of the drill there are bolted the brackets D, D,
which carry the two rectangular shafts or bars E, E¹. To these bars are
fitted the clip lugs F, F¹, adjustable laterally thereon,.and to the said
lugs there are hinged or jointed at a, a¹, the coulter levers G and press
levers H. The coulter levers with their conducting tubes I, corn
boots K, and coulters L may be of the usual or other construction or
arrangement, excepting so far as we shall herein-after point out.
Each press lever (one of which is situate near cach side of the drill) is
provided with a curved blade spring M. composed of one or more plates,
such spring being secured to the said lever near.the middle thereof by a
shoe b, as shown in our Drawings, or in any other convenient manner.
These springs are curved upwards towards the rear of the drill, and a
their upper ends work freely over the ends of the spindles c hinged at d

page_text: to the rear ends of the press levers H. The spindles are provided with
screw threads, which work in the lower ends of the adjustable telescopic
spring boxes e, containing each a helical spring f, as shown clearly in
Figure 2. The upper part of each spring box slides freely within the
lower part, but is prevented from escaping by two screws, which enter
slots made in each side of the sliding part of the spring box. The
spring contained inside the box is compressed when the upper part of
the box is forced downwards, as we shall herein-after explain. N is the
press bar, which may be of the usual or other construction, and jointed
in the middle, as is well understood; it is secured at or near its ends to
the two press levers H by a nut and screw, as shown. This bar may be
secured to the press levers at different distances from their fulcra,
according to the pressure to be applied to the coulter levers. In our
Drawings we have shown an extra bolt at g nearer to the fulcrum for
the reception of the press bar if desired. Immediately over the blade
springs M there is situate the transverse rocking shaft O working in
bearings P secured to the main framing. This rocking shaft has a lever
arm Q keyed on to it near each side of the drill, and the lower ends of
these lever arms are connected by a rod or bar R extending from side to
side of the drill. To this bar are attached the several chains h by which
the coulter levers are lifted, as is well understood. To one of the two
lever arms Q, which is extended, as shown at Q¹, above the rocking
shaft there is jointed at i the lever arm Q", which lever arm carries a
hinged catch engaging into a notch in the upper end of the lever
arm Q. There is also a lateral projecting lug or stop formed on the
upper end of the said lever arm Q', against which. the hinged lever
arm Q bears when pulled downwards for the purpose of lifting the
coulters. But when such lever arm is pushed upwards, or in the
direction of the drill, for the purpose of applying pressure to the
coulters, then the hinged catch k by engaging with the notch in the
lever Qrenders the two levers Q¹ and Q" rigid, and the rod or bar R is
brought to bear upon and press down the springs M, as shown clearly
in the detail, Figure 2. Thus it will be seen that the same set of
levers Q, Q, and Q", which are used for lifting the coulters, are rendered
available through the intervention of the springs M and f for applying
the requisite pressure to the coulters. If a moderate pressure only be
required, as in the case of light soils, then the press bar may be shifted
to the bolts g on the press levers, and the blade springs M alonė
brought into action, the helical spring boxes e being screwed down

page_text: their spindles so as to be out of range of the ends of the blade springs..
But for hard ground, or where extra pressure is required, then the press
bar may be situate (as shown in Figure 1) nearer the free ends of the
press levers, and the resistance of the helical springs brought into action
in addition to that of the blade springs, by screwing up the spring
boxes e (as shown in Figure 2), so as to cause the ends of the blade
springs when being depressed to compress at the same time the helical
springs inside the spring boxes. S is the usual notched disc, and T the
catch lever engaging therewith for locking the levers Q in any desired.
position, whether for the purpose of maintaining the coulters elevated
or for fixing the depressing rod or bar R over the springs when the
coulters are depressed. When not in actual use the lever arm Q" is
folded down over the drill box so as to be out of the way, as is well.
understood, it being simply necessary for this purpose to lift the catch k
from its notch in the end of the lever Q¹.
With a view to preventing the access of dirt to the gearing in con-
nection with the seed and manure boxes, we propose to apply between
the seed and manure boxes and the supporting wheels large wing or
side boards U of a semicircular or other convenient form, as shown in
dotted lines in Figure 1. Moreover, in the case of artificial manure.
drills, we further propose to apply a shield or cover along the front of
the manure box for the purpose of protecting the manure from the
wind, and thus preventing it being blown about in the form of dust.
The seed box is provided with a hinged lid or cover V, so as to
exclude rain, dirt, or other substances, thus keeping the seed dry and
clean.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we con-
sider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,―
First. The construction and use of corn, seed, and manure drills,
wherein the pressure is applied to the coulters through the intervention
of springs acted upon by the same system of levers which' serve to lift
the said coulters, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated by the Drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: Secondly. The application of blade and helical springs either separately
or in combination to the press levers, or to the press bars, or to the
coulter levers themselves of corn, seed, and manure drills when such
springs are acted upon, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings hereunto
annexed..
Thirdly. The combination of the hinged catch k, or its equivalent,
and its engaging notch with the lever arms Q¹ and Q", substantially as
and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Coultas and James Perkins
Coultas, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth
day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
THOMAS THORNICROFT,
Clerk,
Spittlegate,
JAMES COULTAS.
(L.S.)
JAMES PERKINS. COULTAS. (L.S.)
Grantham,
Lincolnshire.