IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus For TOPPING AND TAILING TURNIP AND SIMILAR ROOT CROPS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hunter, of Maybole, in the County of
Ayr, North Britain, Agricultural Implement Maker, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus For TOPPING AND TAILING TURNIP
AND SIMILAR ROOT CROPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hunter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th December 1875.
I, THOMAS HUNTER, of Maybole, in the County of Ayr, North Britain,
Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TOPPING AND TAILING
TURNIP AND SIMILAR ROOT CROPS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
-
This Invention relates to improved and simplified apparatus, whereby
the operations of topping and tailing turnip and similar crops may be
effected satisfactorily and economically.

page_text: The improved apparatus is according to one modification constructed
for acting simultaneously on two drills, being arranged to be drawn by
one or two horses proceeding along the furrow between the drills, and it
comprises a light iron framing, mounted by preference on three wheels,
two being in front, and one centrally behind.
For topping or cutting off the shaws of the crop two horizontal saws
or toothed cutting bars are fixed near the front of the framing, so as to
be inclined in plan backwards and outwards, one across each drill. The
saws are held by shanks, which are adjustable vertically on the framing,
and they are preceeded by angular adjustable bars, which lift up the
shaws when drooping.
If the simple drawing of the implement along should not be sufficient
to cause the saws to cut the shaws, the saws may be made to reciprocate
like the cutter bar of a reaping machine, or revolving circular saws or
cutting discs may be substituted for the straight saws.
For tailing or severing the crop from the roots two horizontal shares
or cutting bars, one for each drill, are fixed adjustably to the after part
of the framing, being inclined in plan backwards and outwards. The
tailing shares and the topping saws are adjusted vertically in such
positions as that when the implement is drawn along the latter will pass
just over and the former just under the turnips or other crops.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Thomas
Hunter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th July 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS 25
HUNTER, of Maybole, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Agricultural
Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, in the thirty- 3
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succèssors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Hunter, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Hunter, my executors,, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Hunter, 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, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR TOPPING AND TAILING TURNIPS AND SIMILAR ROOT CROPS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Hunter, 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 on or before the Seventh day of July, Ono
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Hunter, do hereby declare
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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :—
My said Invention relates to improved and simplified apparatus,
whereby the operations of topping and tailing turnips and similar root
crops may be effected satisfactorily and economically.
My improved apparatus is according to one modification constructed
for acting simultaneously on two drills, being arranged to be drawn by
one or two horses proceeding along the furrow between the two drills,
and it comprises a light iron framing mounted on three wheels.
For topping or cutting off the shaws of the turnips, two horizontal
saws or toothed cutting bars are fixed to the framing so as to be inclined
in plan backwards and outwards, one obliquely across each of the two
drills. The saws are adjustable, and are preceded by angular or curved
bars or rods, which lift up the shaws when drooping.
The simple drawing of the implement along has been found sufficient
to cause the saws to cut the shaws in a satisfactory manner, but the
saws might be made to reciprocate, like the cutter bar of a reaping
machine, and by means of similar gearing; or revolving circular saws
or cutting discs on vertical or nearly vertical spindles might be sub,
stituted.

page_text: For tailing or severing the small lower roots from the turnips or crops
two horizontal shares or cutting bars, one for each of the two drills, are
fixed adjustably to the after part of the framing, being inclined in plan
backwards and outwards. The tailing shares and the topping saws are
adjusted vertically in such positions as that when the implement is
drawn along the latter will pass just over and the former just under the
turnips or other roots.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing a
turnip topping and tailing machine as made with my improvements. In
these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same
or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a plan of the implement, and Figure 2 is
a corresponding side clevation. The dotted lines 1-2 and 3-4 in
Figure 1 indicate the centres of the two turnip drills, on which the
implement is to operate at one traverse.
The framing comprises a pair of bars 5, extending along the middle
and bended outwards near the rear, where they terminate in handles 6.
At the extreme front end of the middle bars 5 there is jointed to them i
a hake 7, formed with several notches, so that the line of draught of the
implement can be adjusted to suit a hill side. Near the front end of
the middle bars 5 there is passed up between them, and jointed to them
a vertical bar or shank 8, having several holes formed in it for the joint
pin to admit of its being adjusted at different heights. The lower part :
of the bar 8 is forked, and has attached to it a transverse horizontal
bar 9, which is connected by a pair of rods 10 to a second transverse
horizontal bar 11, nearor the rear of the implement. This second bar 11
is fixed to the forked lower end of a lever 12, which is centered between
the middle frame bars 5, and has jointed to its upper end a rod 13,
formed with a handle at its back end, and with a number of holes. The
rod 13 passes between a pair of light bars 14 fixed to the framing, and
is fixed thereto by a pin in any position in which it may be adjusted.
The after transverse horizontal bar 11 is longer than the forward one 9,
and the saws 15 are fixed to the outer ends of these bars 9, 11, so that
they are inclined in plan, and they lie obliquely but in reversed positions
across the two drills, the saw teeth being outwards. In front of the

page_text: saws 15 there are inclined and curved rods 16, which have their front
ends joined to a point, and which are fixed to the forward transverse
horizontal bar 9. These rods 16 lift up any drooping shaws, and whilst
preventing them from fouling the transverse bar 9 cause them to be
presonted to the saws in a manner to be easily cut.
At the rear of the implement there are fixed to a broadened part 17
of the framing the shanks 18 of the two horizontal shares 19 which
perform the tailing operation. These shares 19 are inclined in plan
backwards and outwards, and their shanks 18 are curved, so that their
lower ends are inclined forwards to facilitate their passage through
the earth of the drill. The depth at which the tailing shares 19 work is
regulated by adjusting the pair of wheels 20, which carry the rear part
of the implement, these wheels 20 being on a cranked axle 21 fitted in
bearings on a transverse bar fixed to the framing, so that it can be
turned by a hand lever 22 fixed to it, and capable of being fixed by a
pin at various parts of a perforated holding quadrant 23, fixed to the
framing. These two wheels 20 run in the furrows outside of the two
drills that are being operated on, and a third wheel 24 runs in the middle
furrow. The position of this middle wheel 24 I find to be of considerable
importance, and after careful experiment I have decided that the best
place for it is nearly at a point in the transverse vertical plane in which
the two saws 15 cross the middles of the two drills, as when it is in that
position inequalities in the ground and differences of inclination do not
appreciably interfere with the proper action of the implement, whereas
without that disposition of the parts great trouble would be caused on
unequal and inclined ground: The middle wheel 24 is held in a fork 25,
which is fixed to the middle frame bars 5.
.
The rims or tires of the wheels 20, 20, 24, are by preference made
with double bevils, as shown, in order that they may move turnips or
other obstructions aside instead of mounting upon them, and thereby
putting the implement out of level.
The kind of saw (15) which I prefer to use has the teeth sharpened
to flat points, as though the notches between the teeth were formed in
the edge of a knife.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to
the precise details herein described and delineated, but that what I

page_text: believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The construction and use of apparatus for topping turnips and
similar root crops, wherein a saw or equivalent cutter is attached to the
framing in a position inclined in plan to the line of the drill, and operates
by the simple drawing of the implement along, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. The construction and use of apparatus for topping and tailing
turnips and similar root crops, wherein a saw or equivalent cutter for
topping is combined with a horizontal share or equivalent cutter for
tailing, such cutters being attached to the framing in positions inclined
in plan to the line of the drill, and operating by the simple drawing of
the implement along, substantially as herein-before described.
3. The placing of the middle wheel 24 in the relative position and for
the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hunter, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
THO. HUNTER. (L.S.)