IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Coleman, of Chelmsford, in the County of
Essex, Agricultural Implement Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS."
Sealed the 19th July 1859, and dated the 13th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Coleman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th April 1859.
I, RICHARD COLEMAN, of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, Agricultural
Implement Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, first, to agricultural implements adapted to traction
by steam, either by a rope or otherwise, which are constructed upon the prin-
ciple for which I have obtained Letters Patent, dated 22 May 1845, &
numbered 10,685, & dated 17 May 1856, & numbered 1166, such imple-
ments being well known as cultivators; and consist of a number of tines, hoes,
ploughs, or other instruments mounted on fulcra, and all having communication
with a barrel, by which they are inserted or removed from the soil, and the
depth of insertion regulated.
My present improvements consist in furnishing implements of this class
with a double set of tines, scarifiers, hoes, or other instruments of culture, and

page_text: other parts arranged to act in opposite directions to each other, so that there
is no necessity to turn round at the headlands. In order to move a sufficient
breadth sideways, I mount all the carrying wheels on swivel supports, and so
arrange and connect them them, that they can all be moved on their axes
simultaneously, and by hand gear in connection therewith; thus, when the
implement arrives at the headland, the attendant elevates the instruments
of culture, and moves the carrying wheels at a sufficient angle with the
direction of motion; the tractive force is then applied in the opposite direction,
when the machine or implement moves onwards and sideways at the same
time; when sufficient side traverse is effected, the carrying wheels are again
moved in line with the machine, and in the direction it is wished to travel. At
the same time that the side traverse is being performed, the instrument to
operate may be gradually lowered in the ground.
Another part of my Invention relates to such agricultural implements as are
mounted on wheels, and which turn round. To facilitate this turning, I
mount a cross rod between the hind wheels, and connect with it a hand lever,
by which the attendant moves the cross rod, so as to lock either of the wheels
according to the direction which it is desired to turn. This locking of one
wheel causes the implement to move round on that wheel as on a centre, or
nearly so, and so facilitates the turning round, and causes it to be performed
in a small space.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Coleman in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
COLEMAN, of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, Agricultural Implement
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine; in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Coleman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Coleman,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Coleman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,

page_text: and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRI-
CULTURAL IMPLEMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Richard Coleman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Coleman, do hereby declaro
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates, first, to agricultural implements adapted for traction
by steam or other power, either by a rope or otherwise, which implements I
construct upon the principle of those for which I obtained Letters Patent in
the years 1845 and 1856, such implements being well known as cultivators;
and consisting of a number of tinės, hoes, ploughs, or other instruments,
mounted on fulera, and all having communication with a barrel spindle, by
motion from which they are inserted or removed from the soil, and the depth
of insertion regulated.
According to my present Invention, I furnish implements of this class
with a double set of tines, scarifiers, hoes, or other instruments of culture,
and other parts to act in opposite directions to each other, so that there
is no necessity to turn round at the headlands. In order to move machines
of this class a sufficient breadth sideways, I mount all the carrying wheels on
swivel supports, and so arrange and connect them that they may be all moved
on their axes simultaneously by hand gear in connection therewith. By
this means, when the implement arrives at the headland, and it is necessary
to traverse in the opposite direction, the attendant has simply to elevate
the instruments of culture, and move the carrying wheels so that they assume
a sufficient angle of inclination to the direction of motion; the tractive force
is then applied in the opposite direction; the machine or implement will
now move onwards and sideways at same time; when sufficient side traverse
has been effected, the carrying wheels are again moved in line with the
machine, and in the direction in which it is wished to travel; the machine
then traverses the direct course as required. At the same time that the side
traverse is being performed, the operating instruments may be gradually

page_text: lowered into the ground. By connecting the hand levers together by a rod,
the one set of implements will rise out of the ground and draw the other set in.
Another part of my Invention relates to such agricultural implements as are
mounted on wheels, and turn round at the headlands or otherwise, to act and
traverse in the opposite direction. To facilitate this turning I mount a cross
rod between the hind wheels, and connect with it a hand lever, by which the
attendant moves the cross rod so as to lock either one of those wheels,
according to the direction in which it is desired to turn. Instead of this cross
rod, any other locking apparatus may be adopted. A brake even will answer
the purpose, which can be applied so as to stop or nearly stop the wheel on
which it acts. This locking of one wheel causes the implement to move
round on that wheel as on a centre, or nearly so, and so facilitates the turning
round, and causing it to be performed in a small space.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a machine furnished and mounted
according to my Invention; and Fig. 2, a plan of the same. The framework
a, a, is of bar iron, bolted and rivetted together in the ordinary manner of
constructing such machines. The machine, as represented, is a cultivator or
scarifier, but other instriments of culture may be fitted thereto. As will be
seen, it is double; that is to say, it has two sets of instruments b, b', placed,
the one set b, so as to act in an opposite direction to the other set 6. There
is in all ten shares, five being disposed at each end; but the number may be
increased or reduced. They are mounted in the frame a, on fulcra c, c, the
upper ends being connected by rods d to the several arms on the barrels e, e,
which are moved and fixed by the hand levers f, f, for the purpose of inserting
or raising them in or out of the ground, and for fixing them in any position,
all as well understood in these implements. I mount this machine on four
running wheels, 9, 9, 9, 9, which are fitted on stud pins or axes h, fitted to or
forming a part of vertical axes i, i; these are fitted and held in upright
sockets fixed to the frame a, in which sockets the axes i are free to turn;
on the top of axes i, levers 7 are fixed, by which levers those axes are turned
on their centres or held in position. Any motion communicated to the axes i
is transmitted thereby to the axes supporting the wheels g, so as to move them
to positions inclined to the line of the machine, as seen dotted in the plan, and
vice versa. This motion is communicated by means of a hand wheel m,
the shaft n of which is fitted to rotate in suitable bearings, and has pinions o, o',
fixed upon it; the pinions o, o', gear in racks p, p', which are connected at
cach end with the levers 1, 1. Thus any rotatory motion given to the

page_text: pinions o, o, is transmitted by the racks p, p', to the levers l, and so moves the
wheels to the positions desired.
The pinions o, o¹, are long in the leaves or teeth, so that when the shaft n
is slid on end, either one or both of the racks p, p, may remain in gear with
the pinions or be thrown out of gear therewith, in order to move one pair of
wheels only if required for steering the machine when necessary. For this
purpose I mount a hand lever q on the frame a, to which I connect a clutch
rod, which embraces a neck formed on one of the pinions o fixed to shaft n;
by this means the pinions are readily slid into or out of gear with the racks
P. p. Instead of one such lever being fitted to the pinion, collars may be
fixed or formed on the shaft near each end, into which clutch hand levers
take, disposed one at each end of the machine. When it is desired to fix the
wheels in the position for straight-forward motion, forks are dropped into
holes made in the rest bars or supports s, over which the levers 7 move, they
are thus rigidly fixed. u is a rope drum, by which the traction rope may be
held, (which drum I also make use of to propel the machine by hand, in cases
where the traction of the rope may not be advantageous for effecting the side
traverse); I also take up the slack of the rope by the same means. For this
purpose I mount a tooth wheel v on the side of u, or it may be simply on the
same shaft. Into this wheel an endless screw w takes, mounted on a shaft x,
which is actuated by the hand. wheel y fixed thereon; thus, if a fixed rope is
wound up by the drum u, while the machine has the wheels in the dotted
position, it will be caused to travel onwards and sideways, as before men-
tioned, which is continued until the machine has traversed sideways to a
sufficient extent to commence a new stetch or traverse of the land. This
hand motion may also be communicated to the machine while entering the
instruments of culture into the ground, or it may be when withdrawing them
therefrom, in which cases the wheels may probably be in the fixed and parallel
position shown in the plan, Fig. 2. The traction rope, if having one or two
turns on the drum u, will have sufficient hold to draw the machine, or it
may be further clipped and held if required. This machine, as before men-
tioned, is fitted with paring or scarifying instruments, as shown in the Drawing,
but such may be changed, or others substituted for ploughing, hoeing, or
performing similar operations on land, and may be further fitted and furnished
according to the improvements comprised and set forth in the Specifications
of the Patents herein-before referred to.
The second part of my Invention relates to agricultural implements having
but one set or series of instruments which act only in one direction, and con-
sequently have to be turned round at the headlands or other terminations of

page_text: their traverse for the purpose of operating in the opposite direction. This
applies to scarifiers, hoes, parers, or ploughs mounted on wheels, or it may be
other instruments of culture operating in a similar manner.
This improvement being very simple in its application it will be unnecessary
to illustrate it by Drawings. These machines are usually mounted on three
wheels, the foremost being a single wheel on a swivel, the hand wheels being
mounted on stud axles. Between the hind pair of wheels I mount a cross
rod to slide in suitable bearings on the framework of the machine, and work
such rod by a suitable hand lever. This rod is so placed and of such length
that if slid towards one wheel the end enters between the spokes, or it may be
into the hole of a suitable plate or ring of holes bolted to the wheels; the
wheel is thereby fixed and consequently cannot rotate while the other wheel of
the pair is free to rotate on its axis.
By moving the rod towards the opposite wheel, it will be fixed in a similar
manner, and the opposite one left free; the fore wheel being in all cases left
free. This cross bar is of such length that when in position in the middle of
the machine it is exactly intermediate of the two wheels, which are then both
free to rotate.
Instead of a cross bar, other means of locking these wheels may be adopted,
either by a stop entering and acting on the wheel so as to fix it, or by a break
surface pressing on its periphery or other surface fixed to the wheel, so as to
hold it and prevent its rotation, as required. By this means, when turning
such implements of culture at the headlands or other terminations of their
traverse or stetch performed, I am enabled to turn machines so fitted in a
very small space, and so as to perform a stetch or traverse immediately beside
and close to the last traverse or course of the implement. For this purpose,
if I wish to turn to the right, I fix the wheel on the right-hand side; by this
means, when the horse or other cattle turn and draw the machine round in the
direction required, it turns round on the fixed wheel almost as on a centre,
the machine being in a position to operate on a breadth of land close to and
adjoining the last stetch or breadth of land operated on. Such machines,
however, so fitted are more suitable for steam traction, it being simply necessary
to apply the draught & lead the rope over pullies or guides, so mounted on
the machine as to drag it in the direction required to turn it on its fixed
wheel as desired.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention, to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the application of and fitting two sets of instruments to act in contrary

page_text: directions in one framework or implement, which is mounted on swivel wheels,
whereby the machine or implement can be traversed crosswise, as here before
described.
Secondly, I claim mounting agricultural implements, such as described, on
three, four, or other greater numbers of swivel wheels, or wheels mounted on
vertical axes, so that they may be inclined or placed at an angle to the length
of the machine, as and for the purposes herein-before described.
And, thirdly, I claim locking or otherwise fixing or holding one of the hind
wheels of agricultural implements, for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Coleman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
RICHARD COLEMAN. (L.S.)
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.