IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF Pronang PLOUGHS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard of Bedford in the County of Bedford,
Agricultural Engineer, and Edward Tenney Bousfield of the same place,
Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
Pronang"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard and Edward
Tenney Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
30th June 1882.
JAMES HOWARD of Bedford in the County of Bedford Agricultural Engineer
and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD of the same place Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLOUGHS."
Our invention consists of improvements on the "Balance" one-way or turn wrest
plough for which Letters Patent were granted to us the 8th of May 1872,
No. 1405. By the present improvements the construction of the plough is
simplified, the necessary adjustments for regulating the draught and the depth of
work, as well as the shifting of the horses from one end of the plough to the other
for reversing the direction of ploughing are facilitated. The carriage of our
improved plough has a horizontal central axle-tree, on one end of which the furrow-
wheel is placed: at its opposite end a T-shaped piece is forged to receive the stem
of the land wheel which may be raised or lowered therein to suit the various
depths of ploughing.
Upon the axle-tree there is secured by suitable fastenings an inverted T-shaped
stem piece in such a manner that a space is left between the head of the stem
piece and the axle-tree to permit of the adjustment of the draught attachment
which is connected to the axle-tree. The main beam of the plough is formed of
one piece with a socket at its centre to receive the vertical T-shaped stem piece
already described, the exact position of which may be adjusted vertically by a
hand screw, the nut for which is formed on the side of the socket. The draught
attachment is formed with a socket to fit the axle tree: it serves as a lever to rock
the axle-tree and consequently the plough beam when the position of the ploughs
is required to be reversed. This lever also serves to hold down the heel of the

page_text: plough while the ploughing is proceeding and thereby maintain a uniform depth
of furrows. To ensure its efficiency in this respect it is important to give the lever
adequate length, but its length is necessarily limited by the height of the axle-tree
from the ground, as it swings from one side of a vertical line drawn through the
axle, to take up its acting position on the other side thereof. To provide for this
we joint to its pendent end a link piece which forms virtually an elongation of
the lever, and connects at its outer end with the draught chain. This link piece
carries a stop pin, which as the draught chain is drawn to tension strikes against
a shoulder formed on the pendent end of the lever to which the link piece is jointed.
When the direction of the pull of the draught is reversed, this stop pin will meet 1
with a corresponding shoulder on the other side of the joint, and thus the link
piece and lever will constitute for the time being a rigid elongated lever.
In our improved plough the draught chain is passed under instead of over the
land wheel when the action of the plough is reversed. On the furrow side of the
cross axle-tree we attach the stem of the guide plate or disc which is arranged to
move vertically and horizontally to suit any desired depth and width of furrow.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th December 1882.
JAMES HOWARD of Bedford in the County of Bedford Agricultural Engineer
and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD of the same place Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLOUGHS"
Our Invention consists of improvements on the "Balance" one-way or turnwrest
plough, for which Letters Patent were granted to us the eighth of May One
thousand eight hundred and seventy two, No. 1405. By the present improvements
the construction of the plough is simplified and the necessary adjustments for
regulating the draught and the depth of work, as well as the shifting of the horses
from one end of the plough to the other for reversing the direction of ploughing,
are facilitated.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig: 1 shews in side elevation our improved
plough complete; Fig: 2 is a sectional view of the plough drawn on an enlarged
scale the section being taken in the line 1, 2 of Fig: 1; Fig: 3 is a partial
sectional elevation of the plough taken in the line 3 4, of Fig: 2, and Fig: 3º is a
plan of part of the plough beam.
The carriage of this plough consists of an axletree A fitted with a pair of
carrying wheels B B¹.
The furrow wheel B runs loosely on its axle, and the land wheel B' is mounted
on a stud axle projecting from a vertical bar A¹ which is adjustable in a forked
extension A³ of the axletree A. This bar is held in place by screw clips in the
ordinary manner and serves to regulate the depth of the furrow by raising or
lowering the land wheel.
Upon the axletree there is secured by screw clips an inverted T-shaped stem-
piece C or its equivalent, a space being left between the head of the stem-piece
and the axletree, for the head of the draught attachment D to slide in for the
adjustment of the line of draught of the plough. E is a double or balanced plough
beam fitted with a pair of plough bodies F F and formed of a cranked piece with
a socket at its centre to receive the squared rod of the T-shaped stem-piece C.
This cranked beam E is adjusted vertically by means of a hand screw El which
passes through a lug projecting from the upper end of the T-piece C, and enters a
threaded lug projecting from the side of the beam.
The object of this vertical adjustment of the beam is to secure the proper depth
of the plough sharo.
The draught attachment D consists of a pendent bar formed with a socketted
head to fit the axletree, and it serves as a lover to rock the axle-tree and con-
sequently the plough beam when the position of the plough is required to be
reversed. This lever also tends to hold down the heel of the acting plough while
the ploughing is proceeding and thereby maintain a uniform depth of furrow. To
ensure its efficiency in this respect it is important to give the lever adequate length,
but its length is necessarily limited by the height of the axletree from the ground
as it swings from one side of a vertical line drawn through the axle tree to take
up its acting position on the other side thereof. To provide for this we joint to
its pendent end a link piece or shackle, D', which forms virtually an elongation of
the lever D, and connects at its outer end with the draught chain, G. This link
piece or shackle D' carries a stop pin d', which as the draught chain is drawn to
tension, strikes against a shoulder, d, formed on the pendent end of the lever D.
When the direction of the draught is reversed this stop pin will meet with, and

page_text: bear upon, a corresponding shoulder on the other side of the joint and thus the
link piece and pendent bar D will constitute for the time being a rigid elongated
lever.
In our improved plough the draught chain (when the action of the plough is
reversed as in the Patent above referred to) is passed under, instead of over, the
land wheel. On the furrow side of the axle-tree we attach the stem of the guide
plate or disc H which is adjustable vertically and horizontally to suit any desired
depth and width of furrow.
Fig: 4 is a partial sectional elevation of the plough showing a slight modification
in the construction of the parts which connect the adjustable plough beam with
the axletree.
In place of the T-piece connected to, but raised above, the axletree to provide
for the adjustment of the draught attachment D, we provide two standards C C
which are strung onto the axletree and are made fast thereto by loop screws.
These standards serve as guides for the beam Ẹ which is fitted with a frame E
that projects laterally therefrom and is pierced to receive the guiding
standards C C.
A cross piece C¹ serves to connect these standards together and it is pierced to
receive the hand screw E² which gives the vertical adjustment to the plough beam.
The socket in the plough beam is in this case threaded to receive the screw,
holes are made through the frame E for the free passage of the adjusting
screw E¹.
and
In this example the draught attachment D is free to slide on the axletree
between the standards O C.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in the
construction of ploughs" and 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 :—
First Connecting the balanced beam of reversible ploughs with the axle of the
carriage in such manner as to permit of its vertical adjustment as described and
for the purpose above set forth.
Second: The application to a reversible or balanced plough of the draught
attachment above described consisting of an adjustable lever fitted at its pendent
end with a link or shackle for connecting with the draught chain, such lever being
provided with stops for limiting the movement of the shackle as set forth.
In witness whereof we the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield
have hereunto set our hands and seals the twenty third day of December in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
TAMOS TOWARD