An Adjustable Implement for Forming and Filling Drills, for Sowing Seeds and for other purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 16th July, 1896-Accepted, 16th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Adjustable Implement for Forming and Filling Drills, for Sowing
Seeds and for other purposes.
I, SAMUEL WATTS, of 9 Keyford Street, Frome, in the County of Somerset,
Cycle Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
To provide an implement, hereinafter and for the purposes of this specification
called a driller, whereby drills suitable for sowing seeds may be formed parallel to
each other, and of any desired width apart, the said driller being made adjustable to
that end, and provided with a suitable scale of measurement for the said adjustment,
and also with a means for filling in the drills after sowing, for levelling, and for other
purposes, the said driller being constructed with or without an apparatus for sowing
the seeds as desired.
To accomplish the first part of this my said invention viz.:-the provision of a
driller without a seed sowing apparatus, I provide a bar or frame of suitable form
and shape and attach the same to a handle at right angles or in other suitable
manner, I provide two or more drill blades of a suitable shape, and attach the
Fame to the bar or frame aforesaid by bolts and wingnuts, set screws, or other
suitable means, so that the drill blades may be readily moved and refixed at any
point desired on the bar or frame aforesaid.
I may mark the bar or frame or other suitable part of the driller with a scale of
measurement as a guide to fixing the drill blades at any stated width apart, I may
also provide a blade of a suitable width and depth for the purpose of filling in the
drills after sowing, the said blade being part of the bar or frame carrying the drill
blades, or attached thereto, and so arranged by preference, that the said filling in
blade may be brought into position for use by reversing or turning over the
driller, the said filling in blade being also suitable for levelling, and for other
purposes.
I may make the drill blades similar in form to those described in my Specification
No. 14085 of 1894 or of other suitable form, and I may make the handle attach-
ments similar to those described in the specification aforesaid or in other suitable
manner.
When the driller is made to sow the seeds in addition to forming and filling in
the drills, proceed by preference as follows:- provide a seed container
preferably of cylindrical form and mount the same on an axle in the rear of
the drill blades, I may make a number of holes in the seed container through
which the seeds may drop when required, these holes I may arrange in series
corresponding to the scale of measurement on the driller as aforesaid, I may also
provide a means whereby the holes in the seed container for the outlet of the seeds
may be closed or opened wholly or partly as desired so that the seeds may be
dropped in the drills in such quantities and at such distance apart as may be
desired.
I may mount the seed container on wheels or in contact with wheels carrying the
driller, or provide other means whereby the seed container may be rotated as the
driller is drawn along thus causing the seeds to be dropped through the holes
provided in the seed container for that purpose, and to be dropped into the drills
as desired.
I may attach the filling in blade to the driller in the rear of the seed container

page_text: and arrange the same so as to fill in the drills and cover the seeds by one operation
in addition to forming the drills and depositing the seeds therein.
I may make the seed container in sections or compartments so that a small
quantity of seed may be sown more conveniently, or that different kinds of seeds
may be sown in different drills at the same time. Or I may make a separate seed
container to each drill blade and arrange the same so that the adjustment as to
width apart of the drill blades may also adjust the seed containers, or I may make
the seed containers to be adjusted independently and fix the same by set screws or
other suitable means,, I may make the seed containers other than cylindrical in
form and arrange the same so that the whole of the seeds may be delivered in
sowing.
I make any of the parts of the driller to be fixed, detachable, or adjustable, and
I may make the driller without or with the seed sowing apparatus as desired.
Dated this 15th day of October 1895.
An Adjustable Implement for Forming and Filling Drills, for Sowing
Soods and for other purposes.
I, SAMUEL WAITS, of 9 Keyford Street, Frome, in the County of Somerset,
Cycle Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to ho particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The nature of this invention is to provide an implement, hereinafter and for the
purposes of this specification called a driller, whereby drills suitable for sowing
seeds may be formed parallel to each other, and of any desired width apart, the
said driller being made adjustable to that end, and provided with a suitable scale of
measurement for the said adjustment, and also with a means for filling in the drills
after sowing the seeds, for levelling, and for other purposes, the said driller being
constructed with or without an apparatus for sowing the seeds as desired.
To perform the first part of this my said invention riz.-the provision of a
driller without a seed sowing apparatus, I proceed by preference in the following
manner, make the driller of the form shewn at Fig. 1 in the accompanying
drawings, or similar thereto.
The driller as there shewn consists of a frame A, also shewn in plan in Fig. 3,
and in section in Fig. 2, to which is attached the handle B, the filling in blade C,
and the drill blades D. The said frame is shaped on its under side to receive the
heads of the drill blades as shown in section at Fig. 2, the edges of the frame serving
as guides to keep the drill blades in position during adjustment. The frame is also
slotted for the greater portion of its length as shewn in Fig. 3 to allow of the said
adjustment as to width apart of the drill biades, each blade being secured in
position by a bolt and wingnut provided for that purpose and shown in position
in Fig. 2.
I mark the top side of the driller frame with a scale of measurement, preferably
inches, to facilitate the fixing of the drill blades at any stated distance apart, the
same being also shewn in Fig. 3.
The drill blades I make by preference of the form shewn in Figs. 2 & 4 and also
in plan in Fig. 4ª, or similar thereto, the slot in the plan being so made to receive
the fixing bolt, and also to allow of the blade being removed without it being
necessary to entirely remove the nut and bolt when it is desired to remove the
blade, thereby guarding against the loss of the bolt or wingnut when the blade is
removed from the frame.

page_text: The filling in blade, C, Figs. 1 2 & 31 make by preference of sheet or plate
steel or of other suitable material and attach the same by rivetting or other means
to lugs on the frame provided for that purpose, the blade as there shewn being bent
slightly backwards, partly for the purpose of stiffening the blade, and partly to
cause the said blade to glide more easily over the ground, and to make the blade
less likely to carry a quantity of mould before it when in use.
I attach the handle by preference in the manner shewn in Figs. 1 & 2, the same
being described and shewn in my Specification No. 14085 of 1894, or in other
suitable manner.
I may make the driller in other manner than that hereinbefore described, and I
may vary the details of the same, either as to the shape, or the number of the drill
blades, the width, length, or section of the frame, the method of adjustment or fixing
of the drill blades, filling blade, or handle.
I may make the frame and the filling in blade in one, and form the same of
cast, malleable, sheet, or plate iron, steel, or other suitable material, and I may
attach the handle to the same in any suitable manner either by a tang, socket, or
other means made as part of, or attached to the said frame, the handle being made
a fixture or detachable as desired.
I may make the beforementioned parts of any suitable material or in any suitable
manner, or use, omit, vary or combine any of the same to bring about the object of
this invention ri.:-The provision of a driller similar in form and principle to that
beforedescribed, and suitable for the purposes of this invention as hereinbefore set
forth.
According to another part of this my said invention, viz. The provision of a
driller constructed to sow the seeds in addition to drawing the drills and filling in the
same, I make the driller by preference in the manner shewn in plan in Fig. 5 in the
accompanying drawings, and also in elevation in Fig. 6. In this case the frame A
is made rectangular, the front part being of similar form to that described in the
first part of this my said invention, and is provided with the same or similar
arrangements for fixing the handle, and for fixing and adjusting the drill blades as
there described.
The rearward continuation of the said frame is provided with bearings to carry
the axle G, on which is fixed the carrying wheels I, the portion of the said axle
between the frame is preferably square in section, or of other suitable form so that
the seed containers II may be mounted thereon in such a manner that they are
made to rotate with the said axle, and at the same time are at liberty to slide
longitudinally on the axle for the purpose of adjustment as hereinafter described.
The said seed containers are held in position by the forks J, the fore end of
which is secured by the wingnuts that fixes the drill blades and in such a manner
that when the drill blades are moved to and fro for the purpose of adjustment, the
seed containers are also moved by the forks so as to be in line with the drill
blades.
To the rear ends of the forks J I fix the filling in blades K, two being shewn in
the drawing for cach drill, these filling in blades I so fix, that they come in contact
with the ridges formed by the drill blades in making the drills and turn the said
ridges again into the drills, thus filling the same and thereby covering the seeds.
The seed containers I make by preference of the form shewn in the drawing or
similar thereto, to the end that the seeds may fall into the angle formed by the
sides of the containers thereby causing the whole of the seed to be discharged
when sowing.
I perforate the edges of the containers at regular intervals with holes through
which the seeds may drop into the drills, I may also provide a ring or band of
metal or other suitable material to fit round the perforated edges of each of the
said seed containers, these bands I perforate with holes coincident with the holes
in the containers, the holes may be made both in the seed containers & the bands
large enough to allow a sufficient quantity of the largest seeds intended to be sown
by the driller to pass through the said holes, the bands aforesaid being only friction

page_text: tight or secured by screws or other suitable means so that it might be moved on the
seed containers, the aperture of each hole may be reduced by moving the band so
that a lesser quantity of seed may be dropped, or the aperture made suitable for
sowing smaller reds as desired.
I may make other series of holes in the bands aforesaid either between the holes
be forementioned or in other manner so that by turning the bands a greater or lesser
number of holes may be opened so that the seeds may be dropped in snitable
quantity either sufficiently close as to be practically continuous, or at greater
intervals as desired, or so that the outlet for the seeds may be closed entirely.
also provide an adjustable marker 1. Fig. 5, and attach the same to the frame
as shewn, or in other suitable manner so that it may be set to project beyond the
frame to mark the ground to shew where the next drill is to be drawn, this
adjustable marker 1 also provide with a scale of measurement, preferably in inches,
to facilitate the setting of the same, and 1 affix the marker to the frame that it
may be used on either side of the driller as desired.
I may vary the details of the self sowing driller before described either as to the
manner of attaching the handle, which may be fixed by means of a socket, tang, or
other suitable mans, or 1 may make the same adjustable as to height by means
similar to those described in my Specification No. 14085 of 1894 beforementione 1,
or by other suitable means so as to make the said handle detachable, adjustable, or
fixed as described.
Or 1 may make the frame of other pattern or section than that before describe 1,
& I may make the same so that the front part may be detached from that portion
of the frame carrying the wheel, so that the front part may be used to draw drills
without the seed sowing apparatus, or I may attach or adjust the drill blades in any
suitable manner, or make the filling in blades of any convenient form, & attach the
same either to the fork ends, or to the frame, or in other suitable manner.
Or I may make the seed containers of other suitable form & secure the same in
the desire position by set screws or other suitable means. Or may make a seed
container of cylindrical or other form to extend the width of the driller or nearly
thereto, & provide the same with a series of holes from which to drop the seeds,
& arrange a land or series of bands whereby to regulate the dropping of the seels,
or Inny regulate the same by other suitable means to the same end, or I may
alter, vary, omit, or combine any of the aforesaid details to bring about the object
of this part of my invention ri.-The provision of a driller similar in nature &
principle to that hereinbefore described and suitable for drawing, sowing, & filling
drills parallel to each other as herein-before set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The invention of :-
(1) A driller for the purposes, and of the nature and principle set forth in the
foregoing specification, the said driller consisting mainly of a han lle to which is
attached a bar or frame a set of drill blades capable of being attached to, adjusted
on, or detached from the said bar or frame, the said bar or frame being also
provided with a blade or part suitable for the purposes as set forth, the said parts
all combined and operating together with other necessary parts and being broadly
the first part of this my said invention as set forth in the foregoing specification.
(2) A driller similar to that set forth in Claim 1 but with the addition of an
apparatus whereby the seeds may be sown and the drills filled in at oue operation
in addition to the drills being drawn, the said apparatus being broadly of the
nature and principle set forth in the foregoing specification and consisting mainly
of a seed container or series of seed containers arranged to rotate and drop the seed
into the drills as the driller is drawn along, the said scod containers being provided
with a means whereby the quantity and frequency of the dropping of the seeds may
-be regulated, the apparatus also including a blade or series of blades for filling in

page_text: the drills, and adjustable marker, and other necessary parts all combined and
operating together to perform this part of my said invention as hereinbefore set
forth.
(3) A driller, of the nature and principle set forth in Claim 1, the said driller
being constructed substantially as shewn in the accompanying drawings Figs. 1, 2,.
3, 4, & 4 and described in the foregoing specification as the preferred mode of
performing the first part of this my invention, the said driller consisting mainly of
a frame, a set of adjustable & detachable drill blades, a scale of measurement on.
the said frame for the purpose of adjustment of the drill blades, a filling blade, a
detachable handle, & other necessary parts all combined & operating together as
therein set forth and described & being the preferred mode of performing the first
part of my said invention.
(4) A driller of the nature and principle set forth in Claim 1, with the addition
of an apparatus for sowing the seeds and filling in the drills as set forth in Claim 2,
the said driller being constructed substantially as shewn in Figs. 5 & 6 in the
accompanying drawings & described in the foregoing specification, the parts therein
shewn, set forth and described, with the scales of measurement for adjustment, and
other necessary parts all combined and operating together & being a mode of
performing this part of my said invention.
Dated this 15th day of July 1896.
SAMUEL WATTS,
Applicant.