AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SOWING AND COVERING SEED AND FOR CULTIVATING LAND
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th August 1869.-A communication from abroad by Amos Newell,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
SOWING AND COVERING SEED AND FOR CULTIVATING LAND," a communication,
to be as follows:-
The said machine consists, first, of a frame, rectangular in form, that
is to say, about eight feet long, four feet wide, and four inches thick,
firmly jointed and bolted together.
Secondly. Of a hopper box, the lower part of which is made in the
said frame, and the upper part of which is made separate and set over
the lower part; this hopper box is fitted with a bottom along its entire
length, consisting of a metal plate, in which a series of holes are made at
regular distances apart, and as nearly together as it may be desired to
sow the seed. Over this metal bottom there is a valve provided with
holes to correspond with the holes in the said bottom, the said valve

page_text: being made long enough to cover the entire bottom of the hopper and
project a little beyond at one end to allow room to connect it to a lever,
by which it is opened or shut at the will of the operator. The said lever
is placed at the end of the frame and formed and arranged to bring the
upper end thereof within convenient reach of the attendant.
Thirdly. Of a rotating feeder fitted in the bottom of the hopper box,
and provided with prongs arranged over the openings in the above
described valve, for the purpose of stirring the seed and causing it to
flow freely and regularly through the said openings, the rotating feeder
being made to rotate by means of a cog wheel which is fitted to the end
thereof outside of the hopper, and which is arranged to gear into a
corresponding wheel fitted on the main shaft of the machine arranged to
bring the two wheels in their proper mechanical relation.
Fourthly. Of a pair of truck wheels and a main shaft or axle, to each
end of which the said wheels are fitted, leaving just room enough for
the aforesaid frame to lie lengthwise between the said wheels, and for the
reception of the necessary gearing to drive the rotating feeder aforesaid.
The said machine is mounted upon and carried by the said shaft, and
the operating or moving parts thereof are actuated by the rotating
motion of the said truck wheels.
Fifthly. Of a rotating harrow, consisting of a hollow shaft long
enough to reach across the entire rear part of the machine, including
the truck wheels. This shaft is provided with a series of pins running
transversely through it, and which are held in position by set screws,
one to each pin or prong. This rotating harrow is attached to the
machine by means of a pair of hollow arms arranged or hung on the
hubs of the truck wheels, leaving the wheels free to revolve without
carrying the arms with them. The said arms are made about three feet
long, and the lower ends thereof are connected to the respective ends of
the harrow. In the inside of each of these arms there is arranged a
shaft, upon the lower end of which there is fitted a small bevel pinion,
which gears into a corresponding wheel fitted on the end of the harrow,
and upon the upper end of the said shaft there is also fitted a small
bevel wheel, which is arranged to gear into a bevel wheel of suitable size
fitted on the shaft of the machine. By means of this shaft in the said
hollow arms, and the above-described cog wheels, the said harrow is
made to rotate as the machine moves forward, and cover the seed and
loosen and stir the soil. The whole of the said cog wheels are inclosed

page_text: in the hollow arms, which are formed and proportioned to receive and
cover them. To raise and lower the said harrow from and to the ground
there is a bar applied to the said arms reaching from one to the other,
and to this bar there is connected a lever by means of a chain, the said
lever having its fulcrum on the rear part of the frame, the front end
reaching forward and coming close to the seat of the attendant.
Sixthly. Of a tongue, to which the team is attached for drawing the
machine. The seat of the attendant is placed over the tongue and
elevated to the desired height by means of a spring bar, the lower end
of which is bolted to the tongue.
In operating this machine the seed is put in the hopper, the valve
opened, and the team driven forward, whereupon the seed commences to
flow and the harrow to rotate and cover it.