IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RAISING AND LOWERING GEAR FOR MULTIPLE PLOUGHS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the county of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RAISING AND LOWERING
GEAR FOR MULTIPLE PLOUGHS " to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved construction of the gear for lowering
the plough shares of multiple ploughs into the soil, and for raising the same
therefrom, and it has for its object to effect the raising of the ploughs by such an
arrangement of the mechanism as to require only a very small amount of manual
labor to work it. In multiple ploughs the ploughshares are generally fixed to a
framing running on wheels that are variously arranged; the present improvements
relate however, only to that arrangement of ploughs in which one wheel is situated
at the front end of the plough and two others on a cranked axle near the rear end
of the plough which latter wheels.can consequently be raised or lowered by means
of a lever as may be required. By raising these wheels the depth of the furrow is
regulated and by lowering the same, the plough is raised out of the soil.
In ploughs of present construction, the cranked axle is mounted in such a
manuer that the cranked arms thereof that carry the wheels are situated in a
backward direction relatively to the direction of travel, when the wheels are in the
raised position, so that when the wheels have to be lowered, the cranked arms
have to be turned by the lever so as to move in a downward and forward
direction, or, in other words, considering the wheels and the cranked arms as the
fulcrum, the middle part of the axle upon which is mounted the plough frame, has
to be drawn upwards and backwards, in opposition to the draught of the horses, so
that this operation cannot be effected by the plough while in motion, and it
requires a very strong man to raise the whole weight of the plough including the
resistance offered by the ploughshares imbedded in the soil.

page_text: According to the present invention, these inconveniences are entirely obviated by
arranging the cranked axle and lever in the opposite manner to that above
indicated; that is to say, when the wheels are in the raised position relatively to
the plough frame, the cranked arms of the axle extend in a forward direction from
the middle part which is mounted on the plough frame, so that for raising the
plough such middle part of the axle when pressed upon by the lever, moves together
with the plough frame in an upward and forward direction relatively to the motion
of the plough. By this arrangement, firstly, the raising can be readily effected
while the plough is in motion and secondly, it only requires a slight pressure on the
lever to effect the raising of the plough such as can be effected by a boy, or by the
driver, without further aid, inasmuch as the draught of the horses will itself effect
the raising of the iniddle part of the axle and plough frame, so soon as a slight
pressure is put upon the wheels by means of the lever and cranked arms of the
axle.
Furthermore, as the cranked arms are made to assume a vertical position slightly
beyond the vertical centre line of the bearings of the axle when the wheels are in
the lowered position, they will be held in a very stable manner in that position by
simply resting against a stop, without requiring special fastenings for the lever,
such as are necessary for the existing arrangement.
The cranked axle is by preference made of two separate parts, one part consisting
of the one cranked arm and the central part which, is carried in bearings in the
frame, and the other part consisting of the other cranked arm which is bolted to a
head piece fixed on the end of the central part.

page_text: I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the county of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RAISING AND LOWERING
GEAR FOR MULTIPLE PLOUGHS" and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to an improved construction of the gear for lowering
the plough-shares of multiple ploughs into the soil, and for raising the same there-
from, and it has for its object to effect the raising of the ploughs by such an
arrangement of the mechanism as to require only a very small amount of manual
labor to work it.
In multiple ploughs, the plough-shares are generally fixed to a framing running.
on wheels that are variously arranged. The present improvements relate, however,
only to that arrangement of ploughs in which one wheel is situated at the front
end of the plough, and two others on a cranked axle near the rear end of the
plough, which latter wheels can consequently be raised or lowered by means of a
lever as may be required. By raising these wheels, the depth of the furrow is
regulated and by lowering the same the plough is raised out of the soil.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings serves to illustrate this arrangement
diagrammatically A is the rear end of the framing carrying the plough-shares, on
which is mounted the cranked axle K D.D' carrying the wheels B and lever C.
By raising the wheels B when moving the lever in the direction of the arrow the
depth of the furrow is regulated and by lowering the wheels B when moving the
lever backwards (as indicated by the dotted positions) the plough is raised out of
the soil. E is a quadrant having holes into which are inserted the stops or pins I
and for securing the lever C in any position into which it is moved.
The catch F serves to hold the lever C in its lowest position.
It will be readily seen in the above described usual arrangement of the lever
gear that the raising of the plough cannot be effected while it is travelling but only
after it has been stopped and the draught horses moved backwards somewhat,
whereupon the entire weight of the plough together with the soil adhering thereto
and also the detachment of the latter from the furrow will have to be overcome by
manual force, thus requiring an operator of great strength. This disadvantage is
entirely obviated by the improved construction shewn diagrammatically at fig. 2.
In this reversed arrangement of the raising and lowering gear at the rear end of
the plough, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters us at fig. 1,
the raising of the wheels, B, or in other words the lowering of the point K of the
cranked axle, and consequently the regulation of the depth of furrow, is effected
by the backward motion of the lever C (contrary to the direction of the arrow)

page_text: while, the lowering of the wheels B, or in other words, the raising of the point K
of the axle, for raising the plough out of the soil, is effected by the forward motion
of the lever (in the direction of the arrow).
As, in the improved arrangement, the wheels B in being lowered by the lever C
are not moved forward (in the direction of the draught, indicated by the arrow) as
at fig. 1, but backward, it will be evident that the raising of the plough can be
effected while it is travelling, and only a slight pressure forward on the lever C
will be required in order to cause the plough to bo raised from the soil by the
draught of the horses themselves. Thus the improved arrangement produces a
novel mechanical effect and a considerable saving of time and labor in working
such multiple ploughs.
Figs. 3, 4 and of the drawings shew a plough with three shares constructed
according to the above described invention. Fig. 3 shews a side view of tho
plough when raised out of the soil at the end of the field; Figs. 4 and 5 shew
respectively a side view and plan of 'the plough when the shares are sunk into the
soil.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew a plan and end view of the mode of securing the rear axle
and lever.
I
The same letters of reference indicate the samo parts as described with reference
to Figs. 1 & 2.
G is the front adjustable wheel, which during operation must run on a level
with the working surface of the ploughshares a, b, and c. This causes the
succeeding furrows to be cut of the same depth as the preceding ones. By means
of well known mechanism (not shewn on the drawing) this wheel can be articulated
so that the plough after being raised out of the soil, can be easily and effectually
manipulated for turning in a similar manner to a three wheeled truck.
If the lever C (fig. 4) is moved forward during the traverse of the plough, the
wheels B will be lowered and the plough will, with a slight pressure upon the
lever, be lifted out of the ground by the draught horses; if, on the other hand, thé
lever C (fig. 3) is moved backwards, the wheels B will be easily raised, and the
plough will be lowered into the soil, the depth of the furrow being equal to the
distance to which the wheels are raised above the bottoms of the plough-shares.
As shown in the drawing, the longer part K (fig. 5) of the cranked axle is
mounted in a bearing in the cast iron head L of the rearmost ploughshare, while as
indicated at figs. 6 and 7, the separate angular piece D D' of the axis, as also the
lever C are attached to the elbow piece H keyed on to the end of the part K. By
causing the wheels B, when the plough is in the raised position, to assume a
position behind the bearing L to the extent of the angle y (fig. 3) they are rendered
very stable, and any arrangement for securing the wheels or lever C in this position
is consequently unnecessary.
With this construction of ploughs only a boy is required for manipulating the
gear when horses are employed for the draught; with cattle, the driver at the front
of the plough can himself readily work the gear by means of a suitable formation
of the lever C, thus avoiding the necessity of any additional operator.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do
not claim broadly the raising of the plough-shares out of the soil by a downward
and backward motion of the wheels, or by an upward and forward motion of the
part of the cranked axle connected to the plough frame, as I am aware that this
has already been done, but what I claim is
In mechanism for raising and lowering the shares of multiple ploughs having a
single wheel such as G at the front end, and two wheels such as B, near the rear
end on a cranked axle, so arranging the cranked axle and a lever directly connected
to the same, that for raising the plough-shares 'out of the soil the part K. of the
axle connected to the plough frame is moved in an upward and forward direction
.

page_text: by the lever C while this is moved in a forward and downward direction, and for
lowering the plough-shares into the soil, the said part of the axle is moved in a
downward and backward direction while the lever is moved in a backward and
upward direction, substantially as herein described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.