IMPROVEMENTS IN A CHAING LAND
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Speir, of Blackstone, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
A CHAING LAND"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas SpeirTat the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th December 1868.
I, THOMAS SPEIR, of Blackstone, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CULTIVATING LAND," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for
cultivating land, and consists in fixing one or more pairs of plough-
shares, mould boards, and bodies to brackets fitted on opposite sides of a
shaft. This shaft is carried in a rectangular frame, and when the
machinery or apparatus is in operation the shaft lics in a diagonal

page_text: direction, the amount of angle given to it being regulated according to
the width between each furrow. When the ploughing mechanism or
apparatus has travelled across the field which is being ploughed or
cultivated in one direction the position of the diagonal shaft is reversed,
and at the same time turned upon its axis so as to turn the plough bodies
(which are fixed on the opposite side of the shaft and point in an
opposite direction) into position to enable the apparatus to be employed
in cultivating or ploughing the land in a reverse direction. This
alteration in the position of the shaft and ploughs is effected by means
of chains which are carried round the frame on pitch and guide wheels
and attached to a guide block fixed on each end of the shaft and
actuated by a hand wheel placed at the centre on cach side of the
rectangular frame. At one end of the shaft a spur pinion is fitted which
gears into a segmental rack-fixed-on-one-end of the frame, so that as the
direction of the shaft is changed from one diagonal of the frame to the
other it is turned on its axis by the spur wheel passing over the
segmental rack, and arriving at the end of the segmental rack it enters
a check by which it is firmly held until again requiring to be reversed.
The shaft may also be carried upon rollers fitted on cach end running in
circular guides attached to the frame. The entire mechanism is carried
upon four wheels, onc pair being situated at each end of the rectangular
frame. Each wheel is fitted to a vertical spindle which passes through
hollow racks placed at each end of the apparatus for the purpose of
raising and lowering it to admit of the plough bodies being turned, and
also to regulate the depth of furrow. Cranks are fitted on the upper
ends of the vertical spindles, each pair being connected by a cross bar
which is actuated by a lever extending towards the centre of the
apparatus, so as to be within the reach of the attendant who is provided
with a seat at that point for the purpose of steering and otherwise
guiding the apparatus. Circular racks may be employed for the purpose
of raising and lowering the apparatus, and by this means the wheels on
which the apparatus is carried may be fitted on the bottom of the racks
as they may be turned to any angle without throwing the racks out of
gcar with the pinions by which they are actuated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Speir in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 8th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SPEIR, of Blackstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, send
grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Speir, Her special license,
that I, the said Thomas Speir, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Speir, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CULTIVATING LAND," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Speir, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Speir, do hereby declare
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:
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for
cultivating land, and consists in fixing one or more pairs of plough-
shares, mould boards, and bodies to brackets fitted on opposite sides of a
shaft; this shaft is carried in a rectangular frame, and when the
machinery or apparatus is in operation the shaft lies in a diagonal
direction. When the ploughing mechanism or apparatus has travelled

page_text: across the field which is being ploughed or cultivated in one direction
the position of the diagonal shaft is reversed and at the same time turned
upon its axis so as to turn the plough bodies (which are fixed on the
opposite side of the shaft and point in an opposite direction) into
position to enable the apparatus to be employed in cultivating or
ploughing the land in a reverse direction. This alteration in the
position of the shaft and ploughs is effected by means of chains which
are carried round the frame on pitch or guide wheels at its corners and
attached to a guide block fixed on each end of the shaft, and actuated
by a hand wheel placed at the centre on each side of the rectangular
frame. At one end of the shaft a spur pinion is fitted which gears into
a segmental rack fixed on one end of the frame, so that as the direction
of the shaft is changed from one diagonal of the frame to the other
it is turned on its axis by the spur wheel passing over the segmental
rack and arriving at the end of the segmental rack it enters a check
by which it is firmly held until again requiring to be reversed. The
shaft may also be carried upon rollers fitted on each end running in
circular guides attached to the frame and made to revolve by a lever
or bar without the aid of the spur pinion and segmental rack. The
entire mechanism is carried upon four wheels, one pair being situated
at each end of the rectangular frame, Each wheel is fitted to a vertical
spindle which passes through hollow racks placed at each end of the
apparatus for the purpose of raising and lowering it to admit of the
plough bodies being turned, and also to regulate the depth of furrow.
Cranks or short levers are fitted on the upper ends of the vertical
spindles, each pair being connected by a cross bar which is actuated
by a lever extending towards the centre of the apparatus, so as to be
within the reach of the attendant who is provided with a seat at that
point for the purpose of steering and otherwise guiding the apparatus.
Circular racks may be employed for the purpose of raising and lowering
the apparatus, and by this means the wheels on which the apparatus is
carried may be fitted on the bottom of the racks, as they may be turned
to any angle without throwing the racks out of gear with the pinions
by which they are actuated. When circular racks are employed it is
preferred to use concave pinions in connection with them.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood,
I now proceed more particularly to specify the system, mode, or
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically

page_text: carried into effect, reference being had for the sake of more complete
elucidation to the several Figures upon the explanatory Sheet of
Drawings which I have hereunto appended, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a three-furrow plough constructed in
accordance with my said Invention.
The framing A is rectangular, and at each end brackets B are attached
to it by means of which the plough framing and parts held therein are
carried on the wheels C. The wheels C are carried on arms at the lower
end of the vertical shafts D; these pass through the hollow racks E.
The upper ends of the brackets or arms B are constructed so as to embrace
or surround the racks E, and in them the pinion shaft F, more particularly
shown in plan at Figure 2, is also carried. Toothed pinions not seen in
the Drawings gear into the teeth of the racks E, these being actuated
by the handles G rotating the pinion a which gears into a toothed
wheel b.
From this arrangement of gearing now last specified it is obvious
that by turning the handles G in one of two directions the plough
frame and parts attached to it are either raised from the ground to any
required height or may be lowered thereto for ploughing to any required
depth. At either end of the plough frame a bracket H with an adjustable
shackle I coupled to it is situated; by means of this shackle the plough is
connected to the hauling rope or chain. The plough bodies M are
carried on the diagonally placed shaft L; this shaft is by preferenco
composed of two flat bars of T iron, but it may be otherwise constructed.
At one of its extremities a toothed segmental wheel N is fastened, having
sufficient teeth upon it to admit of one half of a revolution, the
remainder of its circumference is provided with a projection to fit into
a corresponding shaped socket in either end of the guide as represented
by the dotted lines in Figure 3. At the other end of the shaft a plain
roller O is fixed, having a projection similar to that upon the wheel N.
The wheels or rollers N and O are inserted into curved enclosed
rails P, P', the latter of which is made with teeth forming a rack and
corresponding to those upon the wheel N. By means of this arrange-
ment the actuating of the handles Q fastened upon the wheels R, R¹,
causes the latter to revolve, and the chains S, S', (by preference
protected by thin iron casings at the ends and sides,) pass over them,
and are fastened to both extremities of the shaft at T, T, are also set in
motion, so that the shaft L is drawn to a position parallel or nearly so

page_text: with the framing A. When the teeth of the wheel N gear into those of
the rack P¹, and rotatory motion is thus imparted to the shaft L, the
lower plough bodies M are elevated and the upper plough bodies M' are
depressed, and that without interfering with the horizontal motion of the
shaft, which continues until the projections upon the wheels or rollers
occupy the opposite recesses in the ends of the guide or rack P, or the
shaft L may be turned by means of a lever or arm, as shown at X,
Figure 2, which is secured by falling into a slot in the framing and
retained in place by a slide lock or bolt not shown in the Drawings.
The plough, as shown in Figure 1, has the plough bodics M set for
ploughing in the direction of the arrows shown above and below the
Figure, and when the extremity of the ground being ploughed is reached
the attendant reverses the plough bodies by turning the handle Q which
-brings. the bodies which were previously uppermost into position for
ploughing in the opposite direction.
.
For the purpose of steering the plough one of the upright shafts D at
cach end of the plough which carry the supporting wheels C is mounted
at its upper extremity with a horizontal lever c; this being again coupled
by a rod-d to the shorter arm of the hand lever e. The lever c has also
formed at right angles to it a shorter arm f¹ which is coupled by the
cross bar or link g to another lever h on the upper end of the other
upright shaft D, thus it is obvious that as the attendant moves the hand
lever so the wheels C are regulated according to the position in which it is
desired the plough should travel, and in place of having the steering
gears at each end of the plough frame independent and separate from
cach other the two sets of gear may be connected by joining the rods d at
the centre.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion
that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
First. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting
the apparatus or mechanism for cultivating or ploughing land as herein-
before described and shewn upon the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,

page_text: Second. The carrying of plough bodics upon shafts arranged diagonally
in and supported by a frame, and by turning which shaft the set of
plough bodics required for operating in either direction is brought into
action, substantially as hercin-before set forth and illustrated on the
annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Third. The arrangement of steering or guiding apparatus or gear as
herein-before described and illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whercof, I, the said Thomas Speir, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of June One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-ninc.