Distributor for Agricultural Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Distributor for Agricultural Purposes.
THOMAS CHARLES SARGEANT 1 Victoria Promenade Northampton Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This is a machine for depositing upon the land artificial manure & other
compounds, and belongs to that type in which the contents of the hopper are drawn
out by a chain or chains passing through the said hopper. My invention consists
chiefly in the arrangement of a scraper located inside the hopper between the
delivery chain and the hopper bottom, the object of this scraper being to keep the
bottom clean & preventing the delivery chains paisting sticky and plastic
substances upon the hopper bottom, and also to prevent the manure arching over
the delivery chains. I also claim novelty in the general arrangement of parts, the
method of driving, & the conductors.
The general arrangement is as follows:-
The hopper or receptacle may be of any suitable section preferably of cylindrical
form open at the top & closed at the bottom.
In the walls of the said hopper and near the bottom are holes to allow the
endless delivery chains to pass through the said hopper.
To
In the centre of the hopper bottom is a hole which carries a vertical shaft.
the upper end of this shaft is secured a boss carrying one or more arms which
extend across the hopper bottom, I preferably employ three arms which I shall
hereafter call a scraper.
To the lower extremity of this vertical shaft is secured a worm wheel the teeth
of which engage in a worm which receives its motion from the revolving main axle ;
this latter being preferably of square section to allow the said worm to slide
thereon, as the hopper is adjusted upon the main frame to suit the required widths
of deposit of each row.
This main axle also carries a spur pinion which in turn gears into a spur wheel
mounted upon the sprocket wheel. shaft, which also carries the sprocket wheels
carrying the endless delivery chains. This sprocket wheel shaft is also of square
section, and runs in suitable bearings attached to the hopper.
The conductors for conveying the manure from the hopper to the ground
consist of two pieces of tube, one sliding telescopically inside the other, for convenience
I preferably make the upper or inside tube in halves, this upper tube is hung
from its upper extremity to the sprocket wheel shaft, while the lower tube is jointed
at its lower extremity to the coulter lever; the lower tube being raised &
lowered by means of a suitable lever & notched quadrant attached to the main
frame, a stop piece is formed upon the upper pipe in a suitable position. Now as the
bopper is jointed to the main frame at its forward end, the back end simply rests
upon the main frame, in such a position that the worm wheel driving the scraper
gears with the worm spur pinion on main axle gears with the spur wheel upon the
sprocket wheel shaft, it will be seen that the hopper when raised or tilted from its
resting place upon the main frame, the wheels driving the scraper & the delivery
chains disengage with the worm & pinion on the main axle.

page_text: Thus when the lifting lever which is connected to the lower piece of pipe is
depressed, the said pipe is raised until it comes in contact with the stop piece
formed upon the upper pipe, & on depressing the lever still further, the hopper
is lifted or tilted in the manner above described, until the gears disengage & the
machine is thrown out of gear.
I may insert between the hopper & the bottom a holding down ring which is
secured to the bottom for the purpose of preventing the scraper from rising & to
ensure the scraper keeping flat upon the hopper bottom.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1806
THOS. C. SARGEANT.
THOMAS CHARLES SARGEANT, 1 Victoria Promenade Northampton, Engineer,
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:-
My invention relates to machines used for the purpose of depositing manures
& fertilizing compounds upon the soil. Many of these manures are of a
sticky nature, rendering it very difficult to deposit with any regularity, & my
invention consists chiefly in the method I employ for drawing the manure out from
the hopper and depositing the same on the soil. The machine illustrated in this
Complete Specification is intended to deposit the manure in rows & bury saine
beneath the surface; instead however of placing the hopper upon the main
frame as in my Provisional Specification I find it preferable to mount the hopper
upon the coulter so that the weight of the hopper and its contents assists in pressing
the coulters into the soil.
I place the hopper 1 preferably of cylindrical formation, in any desirable
position preferably upon the coulter 2, immediately above where the manure is
required to be deposited. In the walls of the hopper 1 & opposite to each other
are two holes 3. 4. through which travels an endless chain 5, through the centre of
the hopper bottom 6 is a hole carrying a vertical shaft or stud 7, to the top end of
which & inside the hopper is secured a star wheel 8 whilst to the lower end of the
shaft & under the hopper 1 is secured a worm wheel 9, which derives its motion
from a worm 10, which is driven in turn by gearing or belt from the main axle 11.
The delivery chain 5 passes through the hopper & is mounted upon suitable
chain wheels 12, deriving their motion from the main axle 11 preferably or in any
other suitable manner.
It will therefore be seen that as the machine is drawn forward, the endless
delivery chain 5 passes through the hopper 1, carrying with it a quantity of manure
through the delivery hole 4, when it falls between the cheeks of the coulter 2 into
the furrow formed for its reception, whilst the star wheel 8 is revolving in a
horizontal plane inside the bopper, thus scraping the bottom & clearing same of
any manure which the delivery chain 5 may have pasted thereon in its passage
through the hopper 1, and also by its stirring action preventing the manure from
arching over the delivery chain, thus preventing clogging & an irregular delivery.
I may provide one or more endless chains passing through one hopper.
The drawings illustrate a machine for depositing two rows of manure & seed
simultaneously, the shafts being omitted for convenience, 13 is a seed box attached,
14 main road wheels, & 15 lifting lever.

page_text: Fig. 2. rear elevation with right hand hopper in section.
Fig. 3. part plan of hopper showing chain & star wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a machine for depositing artificial manure upon the soil. The hopper 1.
forming a receptacle for the manure, the endless delivery chain 5 passing through.
the said hopper I, and the star wheel 8 moving in a horizontal plane, inside the said
hopper 1, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a machine for depositing artificial manure upon the soil, the combination.
with the main road wheels 14 of the hopper 1, the delivery chain 5, and the star
wheel 8, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated the 20th day of February 1897.
THOS. C. SARGEANT.