IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTRIBUTING MANURES AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1875

page_text: ‘LETTERS PATENT to Robert Parker, of Stranraer, in the County of
Wigton, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DISTRIBUTING MANURES AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR
"
Sealed the 9th July 1875, and dated the 10th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Parker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th April 1875.
I, ROBERT PARKER, of Stranraer, in the County of Wigton, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DISTRIBUTING MANURES AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention which relates to a new or improved machine for
distributing manures, has for its object to distribute the same more
evenly and with less waste than hitherto, at the same time avoiding the
working of the manure into a plastic condition.

page_text: The machinery consists of a box which contains the manure, and in
the lower part of which a shaft is situated carrying a series of blades
which are rotated as the machine or drill is drawn over the ground. The
blades are placed at an acute angle alternately and at right angles to ono
another so as to feed regularly towards the centre from both sides of the
box, and their office is to direct the manure into the holes formed in the
bottom of the box, to keep it loose, and prevent it from clogging in
the box.
filed by the said Robert Parker in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 9th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
PARKER, of Stranraer, in the County of Wigton, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the 38th year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Robert Parker, Her special license that I, the said
Robert Parker, my cxccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Robert Parker, my executors, administrators, or 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britam and Ircland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTRIBUTING MANURES AND IN
THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Parker, by an instrument in

page_text: writing under my hand and scal, 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 Robert Parker, do hereby declaro
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention which relates to a new or improved machine for
distributing manures, has for its object to distribute the same more
evenly and with less waste than hitherto, at the same time avoiding the
working of the manure into a plastic condition.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same 18 or may be used or practically carried into
effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is a side
elevation of the new or improved machine as constructed in accordance
with my said Invention, Figure 2 is a plan of the same; and Figure 3,
an elevation of the rearward end thereof.
As shown on the Drawings the machinery consists of a framing A
supported upon whiccls B, C, the front pair C of which are situate on an
axle attached to a vertical rod D supported in the front of the framing A.
A pole E provided with handles is also attached to the axle of the
wheels C by means of a frame F, and by operating the said polc the
wheels C are turned through an arc, and the line of traverse of the
machine regulated as desired. At the back of the machine a box or
receptacle G to contain the manure to be distributed is situated, it being
bolted or otherwise fixed to the framing A, as shewn.
Figure 4 on the appended Drawings is a longitudinal section of the
box or receptacle G, and as shewn thereon a shaft H passes through the
lower part of the box or receptacle, which is divided vertically into two

page_text: compartments, the sides whoreof are bevilled or inclined inwards. In
the bottom of each compartment of the box G a hole or opening
preferably circular in form but which may also be oblong is made as
indicated at a, Figures 2 and 4, the said holes or openings being
provided with covers 6 sliding in guides attached to the bottom of the
box G, and operated so as to close or regulate the width or extent of
passage through the holes or openings by the handle I attached to the
covers 6 by means of the rods or links c, d, more particularly seen in
plan at Figuro 2 of the Drawings. On the shaft H and immediately
over the holcs or openings a bosses e arc secured which carry blades f,
so arranged that any two successive blades incline in opposite directions,
so that the manure is continually forced from opposite sides towards and
through the holes a. "The blades f-are-preferably. adjusted as shown at
Figure 4, that is to say, in pairs, the separate blades of which are
hametrically opposite to each other, cach pair of blades being at night
angles or nearly so to the other. The blades f arc rotated as the
machine or drill is drawn over the ground by the spur wheel k fixed on
one end of the shaft II gearing with an intermediate wheel, which is
also geared with a corresponding spur wheel 7 fixed on one end of the
axis of the carrying wheels B.
The intermediate wheel is centred on a lever m, the inner end of
which is situate on the axis of the wheel or on a pin fixed in the
framing A, and whose outer end is provided with a handle and spring m.
By means of this arrangement the blades may be thrown out of gear
and re-engaged as desired by lowering or raising the outer end of the
lever m, the said lever being retained in the position to which it has been
adjusted by the spring n pressing upon the side of the guide o in which
the lever works. In licu however of this arrangement the intermediate
wheel may be centred on a pin or stud fixed in the frame A, and thrown
into and out of gear with the wheels k and 1, by means of ordinary
clutch mechanism or the equivalent thereof. A shaft J also passes
through the box G above the shaft II, and on the shaft J a series of
stirrers are fixed in each compartment of the said box, as shewn at
Figure 4. These stirrers r are operated so as to work the manure
downwards to the blades ƒ by a spur wheel & fixed on one end of the
shaft J, and geared with a corresponding spur pinion t on the axis of the
wheels B by means of the intermediate spur pinions' u, v, as more
particularly scen at Figure 1 of the Drawings, the said shaft J being

page_text: rotated at a lesser rate of speed than the shaft II carrying the blades f.
The pinion is centred on a lever w, the inner end of which is situate on
the axis of the pinion v, and whose outer end passes through a guide
and is provided with a spring as herein-before described with reference
to the lever m. By this arrangement the starrers may be thrown
out of operation when desired, this being specially advantageous in
distributing or sowing small quantities of damp manure, the continuous
revolution of the stirrers in such case having a tendency to work the
manure into a plastic condition, and thereby cause the blades f to deliver
it through the holes or openings a in a knotted or lumpy state, whilst by
disengaging the said stirrers at intervals the delivery of the manure in
the condition of powder is attained.
The ground is prepared to receive the manure by providing the
machine with drills after the manner of a drill plough, as shown at M
on the Drawings These drills which enter into and open up the ground
are hung from the framing A by a bracket or frame N attached to the
drills M by pins
The rearward ends of the frames N are supported
in brackets O hung from a rod P, and are adjustable in the said brackets.
Towards its forward end cach frame N is lunged or jointed to another
frame R, the forward extremity of which is supported on a rod R¹ hung
by brackets S from the frame A. Between the sides of the frames R,
the front ends of the frames N are supported by pins passed through
holes therein and which rest on the frames R. The drills M are also
hung by chains y from quadrants T placed on a shaft U supported in
brackets on the frame A, and on the said shaft a hand lever V is also
fixed, as shewn The depth of penetration of the drills M is regulated
by operating the lever V, so as to lower the drills to the required extent;
the pins are then inserted through the front ends of the frames N, and
which resting on the frames R support the drills and prevent them from
sinking deeper than is desired. The machine is then set in motion, and
the covers being withdrawn the manure is delivered from the box G
into the shoots W, from whence it falls on to the ground at the space
between the sides of the drills M.
The machine constructed as berem-before described may be arranged
to distribute or sow manure into two or any other suitable number of
drills simultaneously, or it may be made to distribute or sow into one
drill only, it being understood that I do not confine myself to any
particular number of drills, nor is the Invention limited to arranging
.

page_text: the box G, blades S, and openings a therein, precisely as hercin-before
set forth, such arrangement being capable of modification. For example,
instead of making one hole or opening in the bottom of each compart-
ment of the box, two or any other suitable number of such holes or
openings may be formed therein, and in lieu of employing four blades f
to deliver the manure through the said holes or openings, two, three, or
any other suitable number of blades may be so employed.
Further, instead of placing the blades at an acute angle relatively
with the shaft H, they may be placed parallel with the axis of the said
shaft, or in any other convenient position in which they will direct the
manure into the holes a, keep it loose, and prevent it from clogging in
the-box; and in licu-of-one-shaft II with the blades f, two or more such
shafts lying parallel to one another may be used.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the 1
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to bo novel and original, and there-
forc claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general arrangement and construction of the machine, 2
wherein one or more drill ploughs are employed in combination with a
revolving shaft having blades fixed thereon in an inclined or parallel
position, for the purpose of distributing or sowing manures, as herein-
before described and shewn upon the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Second. Arranging the blades f under either of the modes herein- 2
before described, whereby the manure is directed to the holes in the
box G and kept loose and prevented from clogging in the said box, and
in which the shaft H which carries the blades f may be made to revolve
at a higher speed than the shaft and blades J.
In witness whercof, I, the said Robert Parker, have hereunto set 3
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October, One thousand