CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLOUGHS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son,
of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PLOUGHS."-A communication from abroad by Jean
Germain Felix Clamageran, of La Lambertre, in the Department of the
Gironde, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 12th July 1864, and dated the 27th January 1864.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Gedge at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 27th January 1864, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLOUGHS," the said Invention being a communication
to me from abroad by Jean Germain Felix Clamageran, of La Lambertre, in
the Department of the Gironde, in the Empire of France, and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration
that the said Invention is communicated to me as above written.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Gedge, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, (reference being had to the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters of reference
thereon), that is to say:-
The Invention principally refers to ploughs constructed for working among
vineyards, such ploughs nevertheless, constructed according to the improve-
ments hereafter specified, being most serviceable in working between two
rows of all plants, (the instruments being changed) cultivated in rows or lines
as beetroot, mangold wurzel, colza, and others. In all vine growing
countries the vine is planted in spacings according to climate, (the width
adopted is according to the nature of the land), but always in regular parallel
lines, the spaces varying from four to six or seven feet in width apart, or one
row from another, usually these spaces are worked by the use of the plough,
and ordinarily a first operation, which may be termed the baring of the root
of the vine, or removing the soil therefrom.
Secondly, the digging or delving over again by which the earth so thrown
up by the first operation is heaped up and again thrown over to the foot of the
vine by the action of the plough. Between these two operations divers
superficial work is done for destroying weeds and renewing or top dressing
the surface of the soil.
Before the Invention of the spade plough the "cavaillon" or "chevaillon,"
which is a tangled mass of laterals shooting from the stem of the vine,
(immediately under its meeting the soil) of weeds and other wild plants was
removed by hand labour, and as it happens that the periods for turning over
and relaying (top dressing) this mass, occur when the labourer is much
required for other operations of the vineyard or farm, the work was expensive.
To substitute the labor of animals for that of man in this work was much to
be desired, but the problemn was difficult of solution. An instrument was
required which could be passed into the various spaces between the vines (or
other plants) so as to attack the "cavillon" or tangled mass obliquely, and
resume its position on meeting the stems or stalks, while the plough held on
its course without stopping at each stem or stalk.
After many trials the improvements forming the subject of this Invention
were completed, and the result is a plough having a small moveable plough
incorporated with it, and capable of being worked by one of the plough
handles in such wise that the share obliquely passes into the "cavaillon "
tangled mass at the pleasure of the ploughman, who causes the apparatus to
or

page_text: resume its normal position when the share approaches close to the stem of the
vine, or stalk, or root of other plants as hereafter described in reference to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, of which now follows a description.
The plough is composed of beam or body (Figure 1), A, B, C, D, E, with
its share, coulter, an 1 mould board, similar to the ploughs ordinarily used in
vine growing countries, but it differs therefrom by suppression of part of the
beam, the forward part of which terminates at F, and the after or back
portion ends at the heel A, B, this piece (important by reason of its strength)
forms the tie piece at G, D. On the heel A, B, turns in the socket at the
point O, the vertical shaft O, X, entering at the point X, into a boss M,
the upper end of this shaft receives the end of the right (or second) arm of
the plough L, K; I, J, is the first (or left) arm of the plough; L, K, carries
the body of the small plough N, Q, Y, W, which is composed of a concave
mould board, a coulter, and a share. It is in two parts, so that if the
ploughman presses outwards the handle K of the moveable arm K, L, the
small body of the plough (just mentioned) will describe an angle more or less
wide in regard to the straight line which joins at the two points O, S; if on
the contrary he presses the handle K towards the fixed arm I, J, the body of
the plough will be directed in line with the points O, S, and the part
N, Q, Y, W, will be lodged between the mould board of the principal plough
and its body. The obliquity of this movement is regulated by a double bow
circle pierced with holes fixed (see Figure 2) on the tie piece G, D, an iron
pin passed into these holes stops the further movement or motion of the
moveable shaft or arm.
I will now describe the mode in which the plough is worked :-Suppose
the furrows where the action of the small plough is not required to be
completed, and the dressing of the earth to be made except as regards the
last furrow to be made on each side of the vine or plants, the ploughman
opens up the unworked part of the intermediate space, going with his plough
shares as near as possible to the stem of the vines; he should not have to
trouble himself about the course of the horses or cattle, a small boy being
employed to guide them in the proper direction; acting upon the moveable
shaft or arm I, K, he makes the small body of the plough aforesaid take or
turn up the half or a little more of the "cavaillon" or tangled mass, closing
the plough, that is to say, pressing the arın or shaft I, J, whenever the
share approaches a vine stem. At the end of the line or row he commences
to take up in like manner the middle "cavaillon" or tangled mass on the
other side of the hedge row of vines or plants, and so on. At the next turn
he takes up the "cavaillon" from the other sides of the hedge row of vines or

page_text: plants. This plough by means of a moveable body which is adapted to the
beam is useful in all work to be effected in straight lines, as where oxen,
horses, or mules are employed one may pass on the left side, and the other on
the right of the line of vines or other plants to be cleansed from weeds or
other growth "cavaillon," and instead of the spade-shaped instrument rakes,
scarifiers, or other may be placed on the coulter or the body of the plough
N, Q, Y, W. The use of this plough for the purposes herein mentioned
ensures very considerable saving as it effects in a very few hours the work of
numerous labourers for many days.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gedge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JOHN GEDGE. (L.S.)