VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS ON PLOUGHS
Year: 1815

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WILLIAM BEMMAN, of Eldersfield, in the County of Worcester, Farmer; do
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-third day of
August, in the fifty-fifth year of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the
said Robert William Bemman, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Robert William
Bemman, my exors, admors, and assigns, during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS ON PLOUGHS;" in which Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said Robert William Bemman, under my hand and
seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, that then the
said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby
granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the
same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert William Bemman, do hereby declare that my said Improvements on
Ploughs do consist in the following particulars :-

page_text: I make the share of the plough of such a form that the sod or furrow slice
which is to be removed will be completely cut or divided from the lower soil
by the edge thereof cutting horizontally under the whole width of the part to
be removed, in the same manner as the coulter of the plough cuts and
separates the upright of the said sod. from the land; by this means the sod is
completely severed and cut up from the lower soil before it is turned, making
a flat bottom to the furrow, and roots and weeds of every description are cut
through. Secondly, I make the mould board or plate of the plough of such
form that it will turn over the sod by a uniform action with a kind of rolling
motion, and without elevating or removing the sod sideways, any further than
is absolutely necessary to turn it over, but turning it upon one of its angles, as
it were, upon a centre of motion. Thirdly, when it is required to plough the
soil to an extraordinary depth, I affix two of my improved shares and two
mould plates to the same beam, the first share cutting to the usual depth and
turning over the sod in the manner aforesaid, the second or following shares
cuts out a sod from the bottom of the furrow left by the first cut; the share is
so formed as to elevate the sod without turning it until it is sufficiently high to
be turned over upon the sod of the first mould plate. The particular con-
struction of.. the share and mould plate by which I obtain the effects is
explained by the Drawings hereunto annexed. Figure 1 represents the share
in different positions. From the point a to L is a keen bevelled edge about
fourteen inches long, which cuts up, the sod; the line L, t, is also an edge
which is in the same flat surface with the sole or under side of the share, and
the line of the edge is parallel to the land side or straight tail a, S, which
runs against the land, the breadth 6, L, being equal the width of the furrow
which the plough is intended to cut; the line d, t, is that where the share joins
upon the mould plate, Figure 2, H being a projecting piece which enters into
a corresponding opening in the mould plate, to ünite them firmly. At K are
two holes for the screws to fasten the share to the mould plate.. Figure 2
shews the curvature of the share and mould plate; when put together the
lower edge t, u, is straight, and in the plane of the sole, or under surface of
the share, and is parallel to the land side, being a continuation of the edge L, t
of the share); therefore, when the plough is in action, the line t, u, proceeds
forwards in the direction of its length. The several lines marked in No. 2,
c, d, e, f, g, h, i, k, l, m, n, and o, represent straight lines which may be drawn
upon the surface of the plate. All these lines set out from the line t, u, at
equal distances of about two inches from each other, but each line is inclined
in a different angle of inclination to the under surface of the sole, as is shewn by
the elevation in front, No. 8, where the line b, u, shews the inclination of the
4

page_text: :
line b; h, u, the inclination of the line h; and so on of all the rest, till the line
n, t, which is perpendicular. This arrangement of the lines forms a regular
winding surface, as is expressed by the perspective view, Figure 18, from the
horizontal line of the cutting edge a, L, to the vertical linen, u; the part a, b, L.,
of the share-being made as thin as is consistent with strength, cuts under the
sod, as.shewn at M, Figure 17, and separates it from the under soil; as the
share advances to the line d, t, the inclination of its surface turns the sod to the
position of n, Figure 17. Beyond this line. the same regular curvature is con-
tinued by the mould plate, which at the line between gand-h, inclines the sod as
at O, Figure 17, thence to the line n, u, where the sod is turned over one quarter,
as.at P, Figure 17. Incall these positions: it will be seen that the lower
outside angle w of the sod has not changed its situation; but the sod turns
upon that edge as a centre, because the lower edge of the mould plate t, u,
which is beneath the anglew of the sod, is a straight line proceeding forwards
in the direction.of its length: After the perpendicular line n, u, the mould
board is curved by a different law, as it is intended to turn the soil over upon
its upper outer edge. y, Figure 17, as shewn at Q, till it arrives at the position
of R. To form a curve which will produce this effect, an imaginary line v,
Figure 2, No. 3, and Figure 18, is assumed in the plane of the sole or lower
surface of the share in a direction parallel to t, u, and at such a distance
therefrom as is equal to the depth w; y,. Figure 17, of "the sod; from the point
u a line is drawn to v, perpendicular to t, u, and from this point divisions are
made on the line vat intervals of two inches, or equal to the distances between
the lines n, mh; ; and from those divisions lines a are drawn, every-one at a
different. angle of inclination, as is shewn by the dotted lines in the front
elevation, No.: 8; Fig. 2; and all the lines a being of equal lengths, give a
number of points x, to form the lower edge u, x, of the mould board; and the
curvature or winding of its surface is formed by the making the lines
opqr; and s, at right angles to the different lines x, v, with
which each respectively.joins at the points ; this causes the last lines, a, to.
overhang or incline outwards sufficiently to leave the sods in the position of R,
Figure 17. The Drawings being on the scale of one and a half inches to a
foot; shew the proportions of the parts; and as I find that for solid pieces of
soil or sod to be.thrned over and left at acute angles they cannot be of greater
depths than about two thirds of the width, the mould board represented is
therefore adapted to cut a furrow of nine inches wide and six and a half deep,
that being the greatest depth.for such a width. If it is desired to cut a furrow
of-less depth and width, the dimensions of the mould plate must be proportion-
ably altered, the breadth of the sole between the land side and the line t, u,

page_text: being in all cases equal to the width of the furrow or sod intended to be cut';
and the distance between the parallel lines t, u, and the line v, is always to be
taken equal to the depth of the said furrow or sod. The whole space within
or behind the mould plate is left hollow, as shewn in Figure 1, No. 4, the
sole of the plough being composed of the thin flat part a, L, of the share, and
the two edges, viz, that of the tail K, S, and that of the mould plate t, u.
The a, b, L, of the share being made as thin as consistent with strength, may
have a rib or piece Z, Figure 18, projecting perpendicularly from the share at
the land side, to give additional strength. The upper edge of Z must be made
sharp, to cut the soil in the same line as the coulter.
The manner of applying the mould plate and share to a plough, is shewn in
Figures 14, 15, and 16, wherein A is the beam; B, the handles; C, the stem of
the mould plate and share; D, the coulter; E, the draft chain, and F, the hook.
1 the share, see Fig. 1; 2, the mould plate, see Figure 2; 3, a small wheel which
runs upon the land before it is cut; 4 is the box, or center for it; and 6, an iron
stem which is bent at right angles, as shewn in Figure 6, and forms the axle;"
it has two boxes T, which can be fixed on any part by screws; the stem 6 is
received in a groove in a piece 7 screwed to the beam, and held therein by
two screws, as shewn in Figure 14, so that the wheel can be set higher or
lower at pleasure; 5 is a larger wheel which runs in the furrow, and has a
stem similar to 6 fastened on the other side of the beam; 8 is a brace to.
secure the stem C, and the chain draws from the middle of it; 9 is the cosp
by which the draft can be taken higher or lower or sideways, as is required;
10 is the iron plate by which the stem Cand the coulter are affixed to the beam.
There are two sockets for the coulter, that it may be fixed more forward if
required; it is held in its place by a plate 11 and bolts 12; 18 is a curved
screw to support the handles B, and raise them higher or lower them to the
height of the ploughman.
Figure 12 shews the application of my improvements to a plough made
principally in iron. The same letters of references are used as in the preceeding
Figure. 23 is a front view of the wheels 3 and 5, which are of equal size to
shew the iron frame 77 (see also Figure 24), which is secured by the beam A
above and below, and has square holes to receive the stems 6, and screws to
fasten them at any required height; the frame 7 can be shifted sideways as
the screws which unite it to the beam pass through slits. When it is necessary
to plough a greater depth than nine inches, it will generally (except in free
soils) be necessary to fix two shares and two mould plates to the beam, as
shewn in Figure 19, to cut the soil at two depths, in the manner of the trench
plough, by which means a plough nine inches wide is equal to ploughing:

page_text: thirteen inches deep, turning up the sod with an easy curve, without unneces-
sary force; the first share and mould board being made as above described, and
the last differing only in the form of the share which penetrates and divides
the soil a given number of inches below the action of the first share. Afterwards
it maintains an inclined or wedge-like form, which, as it proceeds onwards, will
lift the sod or part cut as high as the upper edge of the part previously turned
by the first mould plate, as seen at Figure 20, without turning it; after this
the regular curved form of the second mould plate acts as before described, to
dispose of the soil, as in Figure 21.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert William Bemman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifteen.
ROBERT WILLIAM (L.S.) BEMMAN.
Sealed and delivered in the presence
ROBERT WILLIAM (L.S.) BEMMAN.
Sealed and delivered in the presence
of us,
RICHD ALLEN.
SAM COMMELINE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1815, the aforesaid Robert William Bemman came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifteen.