IMPROVEMENTS IN HODGE HORS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith of Kettering in the County of Northampton,
Agricultural Implement Maker for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HODGE HORS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th September 1883.
WILLIAM SMITH of Kettering in the County of Northampton, Agricultural
Implement Maker, "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE HOES
"
This invention relates to improvements in horse hoes for hoeing root and other
crops.
In carrying out this invention, I use blades of a special form. These blades may
be said to consist of a strip of steel of any suitable length and width bent diagonally
at the centre of its length, which gives to the strip a kind of twist. The blade will
be rivetted or otherwise secured to the stem by one end, and the form which has
been given to the blade will cause it to rake towards the rear, by which means a
draw cut through the ground will be obtained.
It is well known that the rows of wheat and other cereal crops are much closer
together than in root crops, and consequently the number of hoe blades has to be
increased. This necessitates an increased number of stems, which it is almost
impossible to secure to the bar of a bar horse hoo.
To obviate this difficulty, I adapt two hoe blades to a stem by means of a cross
bar securely fixed to the stem and carrying at either end a blade.
With the blades formed as above described, it is necessary to raise them
further off the ground than with blades of the ordinary construction, in order to
clear the crops, especially root crops. For this purpose I fulcrum the hand lever
to the axle of the hoe, and attach it by a link or links to a lever keyed on the
rocking bar carrying the levers to which the lifting chains are attached.
By this means I obtain greater leverage, and the work of raising the hoes is
greatly facilitated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Smith in the Patent Office on the 14th March 1884.
WILLIAM SMITH of Kettering in the County of Northampton Agricultural
Implement Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE HOES"
This Invention relates to Improvements in Horse Hoes for hoeing root and other
Crops and consists in a novel form of hoe blade and in the arrangement of the same
for working with cereal crops and also in a novel arrangement of lifting apparatus
for raising the blades clear of the ground when moving the Implement from place
to place.
The hoe blades consist of a strip of steel of any suitable length and width and
having a knife edge The strip is creased diagonally across at say the centre of its
length so as to give a horizontal and vertical portion Each blade is rivetted or
otherwise secured to a stem by one end in such a manner that both the horizontal
and vertical portions will have a rake towards the rear by which means a draw cut
through the ground will be obtained.
In wheat and other cereal crops the rows of plants are much closer together than
in root crops and consequently the hoe blades must be smaller and their number
increased.
This necessitates an increased number of stems which it is extremely inconvenient
to secure to the bar of an ordinary bar horse hoe.
To obviate this difficulty I adapt two hoe blades to one stem by means of a
suitably arranged cross bar formed with or securely fixed to the stein and carrying
at either end a blade.
In my arrangement of lifting apparatus I fulcrum the hand lever to the axle of
the hoo and attach it by a link or links to a lever or arm keyed on the rocking bar
carrying the levers or arms to which the lifting Chains are attached.
By this means I obtain considerable leverage and the work of raising the. hoes:
is greatly acilitated
In the accompanying drawings I have shewn at Sheet I my improved blades for
both root Crops and Cereal Crops Figures 1. 2 and 3 being respectively a plan view
and front and side elevation of a root hoe blade and Figures 4. 5 and 6 being
similar views of the arrangement of hoe blades for cereal crops. a is the blade and
6 the cutting edge c is the stem to which the blade is rivetted or otherwise firmly
secured The blade is creased diagonally at a' and thus forms a vertical and
horizontal portion It will be clearly seen from Figures 1 and 3 that the horizontal
cutting edge has a rake to the rear the effect of which is to give a drawing cut
through the ground which will permit of the blades being set to work close to the
rows of young plants without any risk of carrying the weeds as in blades set
vertically and thereby smothering and killing the young plants.
The blades are arranged in pairs one turned to the right and the other to the left
and one is fixed in the rear of the other so that the ends just overlap as shewn in
the plan view Fig: 7 Sheet II
If desired an ordinary V blade may be employed in addition to the other blades
as shewn in the Figure
In Figures 4, 5 and 6 a blade is rivetted or otherwise secured to opposite ends of
a cross bar d which is conveniently attached at the centre of its length to the stem c
The form of this bar will be such that the blades will work between two rows of
plants and close up to the rows and will entirely overlap one another so as to go
over the ground twice
The length of the cross bar must also be such as to let the front blade clear itself
before the second comes into work otherwise the blades will choke and carry the
weeds.

page_text: By the use of my improved blades whether for root or cereal crops the work of
hoeing is more effectually carried out and the blades can work much closer to the
rows of young plants than in any other known hoe
In Fig 8 Sheet II I have shown a side elevation of my improved horse hoe with
the lifting apparatus attached. e is the axle for the wheels on which the body f
of the implement is mounted in the usual way, g is the frame to which the guiding
handles are attached and to the bars of which the stems c of the blades are
secured in the usual manner, is a hand lever which has its fulcrum on the axle e
To the handle i is connected by a connecting link j or its equivalent the arm k
which is keyed on to an axle Z carried in brackets m projecting from the body f.
Keyed on opposite ends of the same axle are hooked arms nn to which the frame g
is connected by lifting chains oo or in any other convenient manner By pulling
down the hand lever i the axle will through the connecting link and arin receive
axial motion and rock the arms n n which by means of the chains o will raise the
frame g and lift the hoe blades clear of the ground.
The work of lifting will be much more easily effected than heretofore as the
leverage is considerably increased
A catch will be provided on one of the handles h to hold the hand lever down
while moving the Implement from place to place.
Having now described my Invention of Improvements in Horse Hoes and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect I claim.
First The improved hoe blades constructed as herein shewn and described with a
vertical portion having a rake to the rear whereby a drawing cut through the
ground close to the rows of young plants will be obtained without fear of carrying
the weeds and thereby smothering or destroying the young plants.
Second In Horse Hoes for hoeing between rows of cereal crops the use of a cross
bar d formed with or connected to a single stem and carrying at opposite ends a
hoe blade constructed as above described substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
Third: The lifting apparatus substantially as herein described and shown with
reference to Fig: 8 Sheet II of the drawings whereby greater leverage is obtained
and the boe blades are lifted clear of the ground with greater facility than
heretofore.
In witness whereof I the said William Smith have hereunto set my hand and
seal the twelfth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and eighty four.
WILLIAM SMITH
(LS.)