Improved Apparatus for Steam Cultivation.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1804
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Steam Cultivation.
We, ROBERT HENRY FOWLER, THOMAS BENSTEAD, JOSEPH OGLEBY and
HARRY EVERSHED, all of the Steam Plough Works, Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
as to
This invention relates more particularly to a construction of apparatus for
steam cultivation described in the Specification to Patent No. 9299 dated 16th
June 1890 wherein the main frame supported by the travelling wheels carried an
articulated framing with the cultivating tools which was constructed so
constitute a parallel motion that could be made to assume any desired angular
position for determining the position of the cultivating tools, these parts being so
arranged relatively to the traction rope that on changing the direction of traction
the whole apparatus was turned around one of the end wheels as a pivot while the
cultivating tools were automatically put in position for
reverse action in
fresh soil.
According to the present improved construction, the main frame is so mounted
upon its travelling wheels that these can be adjusted in position independently of
each other for effecting the steering of the apparatus, and there are provided two
sets of cultivating tools capable of turning on axes, so that as the framing is
turned round, such axes are automatically turned so as to raise the one set of tools
from out of the soil and to lower the other set on to the soil.
For these purposes the apparatus is constructed as follows. The main frame
supports a framing carrying the cultivating tools and constructed as a parallel
motion as before, but instead of the travelling wheels being arranged as described
in the said Specification, the perch pins on which their axles are mounted have at
their upper ends a crank arm that is connected by a link to a screw nut on a
horizontal screw spindle carried in a bracket that can swivel vertically upon the
main frame, but that can also be fixed relatively thereto by a lug and pin. To
the screw spindle is connected by means of a universal joint, a steering spindle that
extends to near the drivers seat, where it is provided with a hand wheel, so that
the driver in turning the steering spindle, and consequently the screw spindle,
causes the perch pin and consequently the travelling wheel to be brought into any
desired angular position for steering the machine.
This can either be effected with both travelling wheels simultaneously, or, when
the parallel motion of the framing is so set that the lone travelling wheel is in
front and the other is in the rear, the front wheel alone is steered by the operator
as described, while the rear wheel is rendered free to adjust itself to the direction
of travel.
The travelling wheels carry ratchet wheels with which engage pawls on the
framing, so that the wheels can only revolve in the forward direction, and thus in
turning the machine round, the one wheel remains stationary and acts as a pivot
round which the machine turns.
From the middle of the main frame projects a horizontal arm to the outer end
of which is pivotted a small travelling wheel acting as a castor which adjusts
itself automatically to the direction of the pull of the traction rope connected to
the drag lever.

page_text: The latter is forked so that the castor arm passes down between the two limbs
thereof, the front end of the drag lever being supported by a cross bar resting
upon part of the castor arm. The inner end of the drag lever has a slotted
connection with the castor arm and carries a roller which bears against an incline
upon the front bar of the parallel motion frame, so that as a pull is exerted at a
certain angle by the traction rope upon the drag lever, this acts upon the castor
arm and upon the said incline and causes the parallel motion bars and with them
the cultivating tools to close to the corresponding angular position, whereby the
distance apart and the distance in advance of each other of the cultivating tools
is determined.
The castor arm is pivotted on a vertical pin on the centre of the main frame in
line with the perch pins of the travelling wheels, and it is connected by a pivot
pin to the front bar of the parallel motion, which is consequently made, by the
augling of the castor arm, to assume the angular position above mentioned.
The main frame has a triangular projecting part on the front side and at the
apex of such part projects the one end of a spindle carried in bearings in the
frame, and connected by gearing to a hand lever near the seat of the operator by
means of which the latter can turn the spindle partly round.
The said projecting
end of the spindle is half cut away, so that when it is turned into the position in
which the cut away part is at bottom, a stud on the castor arm can pass from the
one side to the other of the apex of the frame, but when the spindle is turned
farther round the projecting part is presented in the path of the stud, and thus
confines the castor arm to the centre of the frame to which it has been moved,
thus preventing the accidental angling or closing up of the parallel motion bars
with the tools in a wrong direction.
By providing suitable adjustable stops for the movement of the castor arm and
the parallel motion bars, the degree of inclination of these bars to the line of
travel can be accurately determined so as to adjust the cultivating tools to the
exact distance apart required.
The shares or cultivating tools are arranged in sets of four, namely two upper
ones and two lower ones, attached to one and the same horizontal framed arm that
rests upon a bar supported by screw spindles from the main frame; the front end
of each arm carrying the set of four shares is connected by a universal joint to a
toothed quadrant capable of turning on a pin on the front parallel motion bar and
with such quadrant is engaged another toothed quadrant or rack carried on a bar
connected by radius levers to the above pins upon the front parallel motion bar
and connected by a chain with a certain amount of slack to the castor arm, so
that when this is shifted from one angular position to the opposite one, it causes
the racks to turn the toothed quadrants which perform a partial revolution whereby
the arm of each set of four shares is turned so as to complete the raising of the
two lower shares out of the soil and to lower the two upper ones on to the soil,
ready for operating in the contrary direction of travel.
The framed arms carrying the cultivating tools also carry brackets to which are
attached skids or wheels that run on the surface of the soil between the tools for
the purpose of determining the depth to which the latter are to penetrate into the
soil, and to adjust them to the undulations of the ground.
In some cases the ploughs may all be coupled together by any suitable means,
in which case the independent skids to each set of ploughs would be dispensed
with.
When the tools are not operating they are raised up clear of the ground by
raising up the before mentioned bar that supports them, this being effected by
turning nuts on the before mentioned suspending screw spindles on the main
frame.
101
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improved Apparatus for Steam Cultivation.
We, ROBERT HENRY FOWLER, THOMAS BENSTEAD, JOHN OGLEBY and
HARRY EVERSHED, all of the Steam Plough Works, Leeds, in the County of
York, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates more particularly to a construction of apparatus for steam
cultivation described in the Specification to Patent No. 9299 dated 16th June 1890
wherein the main frame supported by the travelling wheels carried an articulated
framing with the cultivating tools which was constructed so as to constitute a
parallel motion that could be made to assume any desired angular position for
determining the position of the cultivating tools, these parts being so arranged
relatively to the traction rope that on changing the direction of traction the whole
apparatus was turned around one of the end wheels as a pivot while the cultivating
tools were automatically put in position for reverse action in fresh soil.
According to the present improved construction, the main frame is so mounted
upon its travelling wheels that these can be adjusted in position independently of
each other for effecting the steering of the apparatus, and there are provided two
sets of cultivating tools capable of turning on axes, so that as the framing is turned
round, such axes are automatically turned so as to raise the one set of tools from
out of the soil and to lower the other set on to the soil.
For these purposes the apparatus is constructed as we will describe with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 shews a plan of the machine in the position for ploughing,
Fig. 2 shews a back elevation of the same,
Fig. 3 shews a plan of the machine in the act of turning, with the shares raised
off the soil, after having completed one set of furrows,
Fig. 4 shews a longitudinal section corresponding to Fig. 3,
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 shew respectively a front view, plan and cross section to an
enlarged scale of part of the framing, shewing the appliances for steering, and for
raising the ploughs off the ground.
Figs. 8 and 9 shew a sectional side view and plan of the front part of the framing,
hauling lever and castor roller.
Figs. 10 and 11 shew a sectional side view and plan of the parts immediately
behind the parts shewn at Figs. 8 and 9; and
Figs. 12, 13 and 14 shew a front view plan and cross section of the gear for
turning the cultivating tools.
The main frame A supports an articulated framing B B₁ carrying the cultivating
tools, and which is constructed as a parallel motion in a somewhat similar manner
to that described in the Specification to Patent 9299 of 1890, but instead of the
steering gear for the travelling wheels C being arranged as there described the
perch pins D on which their axles D' are fixed, carry at their upper ends a crank
arm D that is connected by a link E to a screw nut E¹ on a screw spindle E
carried in a bracket F that can swivel partially on the framing B' but which is
controlled in its motion by working with a stud F in a slotted plate A' fixed on
the main framing A. To the screw spindle E' is connected by means of a universal
joint at E³ a steering spindle G that extends to near the drivers seat H, where it is
provided with a hand wheel G', so that the driver in turning the spindle G will
cause the nut E' to travel along the screw spindle E2 in one direction or the other,
thereby turning the perch pin D so as to bring the travelling wheel C into any
desired angular position relatively to the framing for the purpose of steering the
machine when travelling.
The wheels C also have their positions adjusted automatically by the action of

page_text: the bracket F and slotted plate A¹, according to whether the machine is in the
position for ploughing as at Fig. 1, or is turning round from one position to the
other as at Fig. 3, the bracket being turned on its swivel during such change of
position, by the sliding of the pin F¹ in the slot of A'.
As described in the former Patent, the wheels C have fixed on their naves
ratchets with which engage pawls I, Fig. 5, on the perch pins, so as to prevent the
wheels from turning in the backward direction.
From the middle of the main frame A projects a horizontal arm J, pivotted to
the frame A at J¹ and at J' to the front bar B of the parallel motion frame, and
it is supported at its front end by a castor wheel K which adjusts itself automatically
to the direction of motion due to the pull of the traction rope connected to the
hauling lever L, as shewn at Figs. 1, 3 and 4.
The lever L is formed with a. wide loop so that the castor bracket K fixed to
the end of the arm J, can pass down through L, as shewn. The lever Lis
supported at its front end by a plate J³ fixed to J and has a slotted connection with
the arm J at L' where it is provided with a roller L2 that bears upon the inner
edge of an angularly bent bar M fixed to the front bar B of the parallel motion
framing, so that when a pull is exerted at an angle by the traction rope upon the
hauling lever L this acts upon the arm J and upon the bar M so as to draw the
machine round on its one running wheel, acting as a pivot, and to cause the parallel
motion frame, and consequently the cultivating tools to eventually assume the
requisite angular position for ploughing, as shewn at Fig. 1, the castor wheel being
automatically turned into the oblique position shewn at Fig. 3 to facilitate such
turning.
It will be seen that the entire pull of the traction rope is taken by the roller L²
of the hauling lever L bearing against the angular bar M; thus, when the machine
is in the position for ploughing as at Fig. 1, the bar M being in the oblique position
shewn relatively to the lever L and its roller L, it will offer effective resistance to
any change in the angular position of the machine, such as would be liable to occur
without this device if the arm J were only pivotted to the middle of the frame A,
and the forward left hand wheel (Fig. 1) of the machine were to meet with a
considerable obstacle when travelling.
It will be seen that to insure the proper turning of the machine it is necessary
that during the greater part of such motion the machine should be maintained in
the "square" position shewn at Fig. 3.
For this purpose the angular part A' of the frame A carries an angular
bracket A which carries a spindle N passing back to the drivers seat where it
has a hand lever N' fixed to it by which it can be turned partly round. At its
front end it carries a semicylindrical socket N' which, by turning the spindle N
half round can be brought either into the position shewn at Figs. 10 and 11, or into
the diametrically opposite position.
On a distance piece J of the arm J is fixed a stud J' which, when the socket N'
is in the position shewn, will butt against it when a pull is being exerted on the
arm J in the direction of the arrow Fig. 3, and thus the arm J is prevented from
moving beyond that position and the frame is consequently kept square while the
machine is being turned round to the left, as at Fig. 3.
When it is required that the frame shall assume the angular position Fig. 1,
the spindle N is turned half round so that the stud J is no longer retained by
its Bocket N2; the angular pull of the rope will then move the arm J and
frame B B' over into the angular position. The opposite action takes place when
the machine requires to be turned round to the right hand.
The shares or cultivating tools () 0 0' 0' are arranged in sets of four, namely
two upper and two lower ones, all attached to one and the same horizontal fiamed
arm which arms are carried by a bar Q that is suspended by screw spindles R
from the frame A, so that when the machine is not in operation the shares can be
raised up off the soil by raising the bar Q in turning the nuts R' of the screw
spindles."

page_text: The front end of each framed arın P is connected by a universal joint P¹ to a
toothed segment S free to turn on a pin S¹ on the front parallel motion bar B;
the arm is also pivotted by means of a lug P2 to an eye on the bar Q (Fig. 7)
so that it will be seen that the arm P is free to turn at S' and Q' so as to bring
either the pair of tools O O, or the pair O' O' on to the soil, or it can be brought
into the intermediate position shewn at Figs. 3 and 4, in which neither pair is on
the soil. It will be seen that the one tool of each pair is fixed so far away from
and in advance of the other one on the arm P, that when they are all brought into
the position at Fig. 1, the entire set of tools is situated at equal distances apart in
an oblique line parallel with the position of the framing.
The rotation of the arms P for raising the one set of tool off the soil and
lowering the other set on to the soil on turning the machine round at the end of a
set of furrows, is effected partly automatically by the action of the soil on the tools
engaged therewith, and partly by the following device. On the pins S¹ of the front
bar B are mounted cranks or radius arms T the upper ends of which are pivotted
to toothed segments U engaging with the toothed segments S, the segments U being
fixed to a bar U' running parallel with the bar B.
The arm J has an eye J (Fig. 10) on its underside which is attached by two
chains V V to eyes on the bar U¹, both chains having a certain amount of slack
in them when the arm J and bar Uare in the middle position shewn at Fig. 3.
When the machine, after completing a set of furrows, begins to turn round for
commencing the next set, the shares will first begin to turn automatically, owing to
the action of the soil thereon when bringing the framing and arm J from the
oblique into the square position shewn at Figs. 3 and 4, and they will continue in
that position until the turning bas nearly been completed, when, on the arm J being
released by the turning of the socket N' as before described, its angular motion
round its pivot J' will cause the eye J' to move laterally relatively to the pivot J'
on the bar B, so that the arm will thereby first pull the left hand chain V (Fig. 4)
taut, and will then by means of such chain pull at the bar U¹ so as to shift it
longitudinally and thereby cause the toothed segments U to turn the segments S
and thus to rotate the arms P so as to bring the shares OO on to the soil as
indicated at Fig. 1.
W W are skids attached to the framed arms P between each pair of shares or
cultivating tools and arranged to slide on the surface of the soil when the
shares are imbedded to the requisite extent so as to prevent their further
penetration.
XX are brackets pivotted to the frame B B' and having guide rollers for the
hauling ropes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim 15:-
1. In apparatus for steam cultivation wherein the framing carrying the cultivating
tools is arranged as a parallel motion, the combination with the perch pins carrying.
the axles of the travelling wheels, of steering gear consisting of cranks E connected
to nuts E¹ on screw spindles E' carried by swivelling brackets F engaged by pins F
with slots A' on the main frame A, said screw spindles being connected by universal
joints to steering spindles G whereby the travelling wheels can be adjusted to any
angular position for steering and are also automatically brought into either of the
requisite positions for travelling with the frame in the square or in the oblique.
position, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for steam cultivation wherein the framing carrying the cultivating
tools is arranged as a parallel motion, the combination with the main frame A of an
arm J pivotted thereto and to the front bar B of the parallel motion frame and
carrying at its front end a castor wheel K, said arm J being connected by a slotted
pivot connection with a looped hauling lever L carrying a roller bearing against an
angular bar M fixed to the front bar B of the parallel motion frame, whereby such.

page_text: frame is held securely in the oblique position when travelling, substantially as
described.
3. In apparatus for steam cultivation wherein the framing carrying the cultivating
tools is arranged as a parallel motion, the combination with the castor arm J of a
stud J fixed thereon and a semicylindrical rotatable socket N' or equivalent
device carried by the main frame, whereby the castor arm is retained in the
middle or square position during the operation of turning, substantially as
described.
4. In apparatus for steam cultivation wherein the framing carrying the cultivating
tool is arranged as a parallel motion, the combination with the parallel motion
bar B of framed arms P connected to the bar B and to a supporting bar Q by
pivotted connections, and carrying two pairs of shares or cultivating tools 00 01 0
of which the one pair or the other is brought onto the soil by a semi rotation of the
arm P, or both pairs can be brought into a position raised out of the soil by a
quarter revolution of the arm, substantially as described.
5. In apparatus for steam cultivation wherein the framing carrying the cultivating
tools is arranged as a parallel motion, the combination of the arms P carrying two
sets of tools O O O O¹ with toothed segments S gearing with other toothed
segments U fixed on a bar U₁ carried by radius arms T and connected with the
castor arm J by chains or equivalent means whereby on the moving of the parallel
motion frame from the one oblique position to the opposite one, the toothed
segments U are made to turn the arms P so as to raise the one set of ploughs
from the soil and to lower the other set onto the soil, substantially as described.
T 1
Mh 1901
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.