IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGUS
Year: 1883

page_text: "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Sheldrake at the
Oflice of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th January 1883.
THOMAS SHELDRAKE of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, Gentleman.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGUS
This invention consists in the adaptation to ploughs of certain means for
dividing or cutting up the clods of earth as they are turned over by the action of
the plough.
•
To this end I cast with, or otherwise conveniently secure to the plough share,
one, two or more outwardly projecting cutting blades or coulters.
The blades or coulters may be arranged in a straight line across the back of the
share, and at varying distances apart to allow for the passage of stones, or the line
may be zig zag.
The number of blades or coulters employed will depend upon the nature of the
land under cultivation.
The blades under the forward motion of the plough will cut into and divide up
the clods as they are turned up by the plough share, and the land will thus be left
in a more suitable and convenient state for subsequent operations. Instead of
adapting the blades to the plough share, they may be secured to the plough breast,
or they may take the form of ordinary coulters, in which case they will be secured
in any convenient manner to a bracket projecting from the plough beam.
The bracket will be strengthened by a stay from the forward part of the beam,
and the coulters will by preference be arranged so that their points converge.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Sheldrako in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
July 1883.
THOMAS SHELDRAKE of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk Gentleman
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS'
"
This Invention consists in the adaptation to ploughs of certain means for
dividing, cutting up or severing the furrow slice or clods as they are turned over
by the action of the plough whereby the ground is left in a more convenient state
than heretofore for the subsequent operation of preparing the ground for sowing.
To this end I adapt to the plough share and breast a series of outwardly 1
projecting cutting blades or knives in such manner that they will present their
cutting edges at right angles or nearly so to the winding furrow slice.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn in, side elevation at Fig: 1 such
portion of a plough as is necessary to illustrate my Invention, and at Fig: 2 a front
view of the same. Fig: 3 is an isometrical view of the plough share breast with
the blades or knives attached.
A is the plough share. B the breast and C the cutting blades or knives. The
share blades I cast with the share giving them a set at right angles to the surface
of the share, and as the surface of the share is generally slightly rounded the points
of the cutting blades will be further apart than their bases as seen in Fig: 2.
In general, two blades on the share will be found sufficient, and these I arrange
either abreast of each other or as shewn in the drawing, and at such distance apart as
will allow for the passage of stones between them. The blades carried by the
breast I place by preference toward the rear or tail end of the breast and I secure
then in place by screw nuts or equivalent means.
The blades it will be seen stand at right angles to the surface from which they
project, and as the breast of a plough winds considerably in its length the blades
will necessarily stand at various angles to a vertical line.
The cutting edge of the blades it will be seen recedes slightly towards the rear
from the base to the point, this will serve to give the knives a draw cut and thus
ease the cutting action.
The blades under the forward motion of the plough will cut into and sever the
furrow slice as it is raised by the share and turned over by the plough breast,
cutting it longitudinally into thin slices and leaving it in a state for easy
disintegration.
"
The draught of a plough provided with cutting blades as above described will be
but slightly increased but the effect on the ground by the use of this plough wil
be such that the subsequent operations for preparing the ground for the seed wil
be greatly simplified
I have shown in the Drawings seven blades for cutting the furrow slice at righ
angles to its base, but it will be obvious that a greater or less number of blade
may be used according to the nature of the soil on which the plough is designed t
operate; thus for comparatively light land a less number of blades will suffice t
facilitate the disintegration of the furrow slice.
Having now described the nature of this Invention for "Improvements i
Ploughs" and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect I claim :-
The means above described with reference to the Drawing for severing th
5

page_text: Turrow slice or clods raised by the action of the plough and thereby preparing the
surface of the ground for disintegration by the harrow.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Sheldrake have hereunto set my hand
and seal the seventh day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three
T SHELDRAKE (LS.)