AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF HARROW
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Smith and Thomas Woodhouse Ashby, of
Stamford, in the County of Lincoln, Agricultural Implement Makers, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF HARROW."-A com-
munication from abroad by Messrs. J. Pintus & Co., of Berlin, in the
Kingdom of Prussia.
Sealed the 14th February 1860, and dated the 25th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Smith and Thomas
Woodhouse Ashby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 25th August 1859.
We, HENRY SMITH, and THOMAS WOODHOUSE ASHBY, of Stamford, in the
County of Lincoln, Agricultural Implement Makers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF HARROW," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of harrow, which may be used
either as a common harrow, or caused to rotate and describe in the ground,
with its tines, figures which continually cross each other, whereby most
efficient work will be produced. The harrow may consist of cross bars bolted
together and circumscribed by a ring or band of metal. Projecting downwards
from this framing are the prongs or tines, and standing up from the centre
is a strong pin which carries the draught arm. On this vertical pin is also
mounted an adjustible weighted lever, which may be set at any required
position around the frame by a rod or link, which connects the weighted lever
and draught arm together, the latter being furnished with pin holes or studs,
to ensure this connection. The weight on the lever may also be made

page_text: adjustible. The weighted arm being set, say at right angles to the draught
arm, the harrow will when drawn forward have a tendency to turn on the tines
that penetrate (by reason of the pressure of the weight) deepest in the ground,
but when the weighted arm is moved into a line with the draught arm, the
borrow will lose this tendency and work like a common harrow.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Woodhouse Ashby in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 25th February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WOODHOUSE ASHBY, of Stamford, in the County of Lincoln, Agricultural
Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and. grant unto
Henry Smith, late of Stamford, in the County of Lincoln, Agricultural
Implement Maker, but now deceased, and me, the said Thomas Woodhouse
Ashby, Her special license that we, the said Henry Smith, and Thomas
Woodhouse Ashby, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Henry Smith, and Thomas Woodhouse Ashby, 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 "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF HARROW,"
being a communication from abroad, by Messrs. J. Pintus and Company, of
Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Henry Smith, and Thomas Woodhouse Ashby, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us, 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 I, the said Thomas Woodhouse Ashby, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say.)::--
This Invention, as communicated to us by our foreign correspondent, relates
tò a novel construction of harrow, which, when drawn over the ground, will
rotate and describe.in the ground, with its tines, figures that continually cross
each other, whereby most efficient work will be produced.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1. shews in plan view, and; Fig. 2.in
cross section, a harrow constructed on the principle of this Invention, which
consists in making the drag of the tines on one side of the harrow greater
(while in. work) than the tines on the opposite side of the harrow, and; thus
inducing an axial motion of the harrow while it is receiving a progressive
motion from the draught horses connected therewith. The framing of the
harrow, it will be seen, is formed of concentric metal rings a, connected
together by radial cranked bars b, which are secured to the rings by the tapped
heads of the tines c, c, being passed through socket holes formed therein, and
nuts being applied to the heads of the tines. But, if thought desirable, any.
other form of frame may be adopted. Standing up from the, centre of this
frame, and firmly secured thereto, is a strong pin or stud, axle d,. which carries
the draught arm e, that arm being bolted to a collar or hollow axle f that is
free to turn on the stud axle.. Jointed to this collar f. is an adjustable
weighted lever g, which is steadied in position by bracket arm.h,. that is
loose on the collarf, but bolted to the lever.. This weighted lever is capable
of being set at any required position around the frame, it being retained in
position by a link rod i, which connects the weighted lever and the draught
arm together, the rods being attached at its opposite ends to slides on the lever
and draught arm, which are secured in position by pins which drop into pin
holes made to receive them. The weight on the lever 9 is also made adjus
table for altering the speed of rotation of the harrow. When the weighted
lever has been set to the proper angle, say a right angle to the draught arm,
the tines of the harrows which are under the immediate influence of the weight
will be caused to sink deeper than the other tines in the earth, as therefore
the harrow is drawn forward, the drag or resistance of the tines to the forward
motion being unequal; the harrow will turn on those tines. which by reason of
the pressure of the weight penetrate deepest in the ground, and cause the
tines to describe curved furrows around an imaginary and ever shifting point.
By this means the harrow is enabled to make cross furrows, and it will also
effectually clear itself of weeds and keep the points of the tines in good con-
dition. If it should at any time be desired to use the rotary harrow as a

page_text: common harrow, this can readily be done by bringing the weighted lever into
a line with the draught arm, when the tendency of the harrow to rotate as it
is drawn forward over the land will be removed. The like effect may be
produced by shifting the adjustable weight up to the stud axle d.
It should be remarked that to ensure the utmost efficiency in this implement
it is desirable to keep the weight and the line of draught as low down or as
near the harrow frame as possible. When thought desirable two or more of
these harrows may be yoked abreast of each other to the same draught bar,
but in that case provision must be taken (as by the application of rigid strut
rods) to prevent them from driving against each other while in work, such
rods being jointed to allow of the harrows adjusting themselves to the inequal-
ities of the ground. We may remark that instead of the draught arm and
lever being connected together by a tie rod, they may be formed in one piece,
and the collar or hollow axle may be cast thereon or bolted thereto, thereby
simplifying somewhat the construction of the harrow.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Harrow," as communicated to us from abroad, and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent, we claim imparting to
harrows a rotary motion during their progressive motion by causing a greater
depression into the ground of the tines on one side of the harrow than at the
opposite side as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Woodhouse Ashby, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
T. W. ASHBY.
(L.S.)