IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TILLING AND CULTIVATING THE SOIL
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Belmont, of Romford, in the County
of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
TILLING AND CULTIVATING THE SOIL."
Sealed the 17th January 1871, and dated the 16th November 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Belmont at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th November 1870.
I, HENRY BELMONT, of Romford, in the County of Essex, do hereby
5 declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN. MACHINERY
FOR TILLING AND CULTIVATING THE SOIL," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to reduce the labour and cost of tilling
land by means of the new or improved machine herein-after described.

page_text: 12 13
I form a square or oblong frame of timber of sufficient strength, each
side of which is made in three pieces jointed together by iron plates and
bolts, so that the two end parts or divisions, to which the coulters and
shares are fixed, may be raised when travelling and lowered when about
to be used. To the front cross bar of this frame at suitable distances
apart I fix the coulters, which are straight and are placed vertically. A
portion of the shares are fixed to a bar immediately behind the row of
coulters, and another portion of the shares I fix to a cross bar next
before the after cross bar. These shares are made of iron and steel plates,
the upper part of which is straight and the lower portion curved; they
are fixed obliquely to their respective cross bars, and thereby turn the
soil over, as in ordinary ploughing, and are so arranged as to turn all
the cuts of earth in the same direction. When it is required to lay the
earth in ridges I fix to the after cross bar of the frame a number of
cutters or coulters splayed out in their hinder parts; these coulters are
for the purpose of still further dividing the land and throwing the same
into ridges, and at the same time more thoroughly aërating the soil.
They are placed in lines falling midway between the front coulters. I
mount the frame or machine on two heavy cast-iron wheels which are
firmly fixed to a straight axle working in hinged bearings placed at or
about the centre of the two middle pieces of the sides of the frame, and
which by their weight keep the coulters and shares down in the ground
to the regulated depth. These wheels also serve to convey the machine
from place to place when not in use. Towards each end of the frame
I fix a broad tired wheel, or two wheels of half the width of tire; to
each of the axles of these wheels I attach a perforated vertical iron bar
for the purpose of raising and lowering the coulters and shares when
travelling, and also for regulating the depth of the ploughing. For the
purpose of preventing the up-and-down motions of the jointed side pieces
of the frame, and of causing the whole machine to work together with
uniformity, I fix on a central cross piece of timber a vertical iron bar
in line with the two vertical perforated bars already described; these
vertical bars pass through a groove in a longitudinal bar of wood and
are made fast thereto by means of iron pins or bolts. This longi-
tudinal bar extends over the whole length of the machine, which it
kceps steady whilst at work, and thus secures the regularity of the
ploughing. This arrangement provides the means of facilitating the
turning of the machine when at work in the field, as it enables the
•

page_text: driver by removing the said pins or bolts to raise the coulters and
shares above the ground whilst turning. The team for working my
improved machine is attached in the usual way by means of way and
whipple trees.