IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SOWING OR DEPOSITING SEEDS IN LAND
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Brigham at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th January
1860.
I, JOHN BRIGHAM, of Berwick-upon-Tweed, North Britain, Agricultural
Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SOWING OR DEPOSITING SEEDS
IN LAND," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of apparatus
for scattering and depositing seed over a broad space or breadth of land, which
operation is effected by self-acting means as the machine is drawn along.
Under one modification the machine consists of a rectangular framing of wood,
having bolted to its front part a pair of shafts for harnessing a horse to the
machine. External to the framing are fitted the two wheels on which the
machine rests; one of these wheels is fitted on a stud which is bolted to the
framing, whilst the other is fast to a shaft or axle extending inwards to the
centre of the machine. The bearings of the shaft are fitted in the end piece
of the framing contiguous to the wheel, and in an inner transverse rail or stay
of the framing. The inner extremity of the shaft carries loosely upon it a
pulley, round which are passed two endless driving belts. One of these belts
gives motion to a pulley fast to a transverse shaft extending along the back of
the machine, and passing through two seed chests which are bolted to the
back part of the framing. This shaft drives the seed wheels, which are

page_text: arranged within the seed chests in the ordinary manner, the rotation of the
wheels serving to pass the seed out through the discharging apertures in the
seed chests in a thin uniform stream. The second driving belt is carried
forward round a pulley on a shaft arranged below the front bar of the framing.
To the extremities of this bar are hinged two seed chests, which extend out
laterally beyond the chests at the back, and in this manner twice the breadth
of land is sown at one operation. The shaft which is driven by the front
driving belt is connected by means of couplings to the shafts of the seed wheels
in the laterally extending seed chests. The seed wheels are simultaneously
thrown into or out of gear by means of a clutch or coupling arranged on the
shaft on which the driving pulley is arranged, so that the machine may be drawn
along without having the seed wheels in operation. The clutch or coupling
on the driving wheel shaft is put into or out of gear by means of a hand lever
extending towards the back part of the machine; this lever is centred on a
stud fixed to the contiguous transverse rail of the framing. The hand lever is
held in the required position by a pin on its under side fitting into holes or
notches made for the purpose in a segmental rack arranged just below the
lever. The two laterally extending front seed chests are hinged to the framing
to admit of their being turned over and inwards upon the front part of the
framing. This arrangement is of much importance, as it allows of the
machine passing readily through the ordinary entrance of a field without any
sacrifice of utility as regards the breadth of land sown when the machine is in
operation.