AN IMPROVED TURN-WREST PLOUGH
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Huxtable, of High Bray, in the County
of Devon, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED TURN-WREST
PLOUGH."
Scaled the 18th July 1873, and dated the 30th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Huxtable at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th January 1873.
I, JOHN HUXTABLE, of High Bray, in the County of Devon, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED TURN-WREST
PLOUGH," to be as follows:-
The primary object of my Invention is the construction of turn-wrest
ploughs with an efficient and useful share lock without effecting the
efficiency and utility of the plough itself, while at the same time a
complete share adjustment is obtained, all as hereafter described.
According to my Invention both the shares are carried at the same
end of the plough body, and one of them is taken off the ground at
cach headland independently of the body of the plough, and the other

page_text: share which is intended to work is locked in such a position as to remain
perfectly rigid; it is unlocked with case by the attendant by merely
pressing on a lever connected thereto, and it is then free to work on the
other side.
A convenient way of carrying my Invention into effect is as follows:-
I place a lever near the handle or rear end of the plough, which lever is in
connection with a rod or bar running in a slanting direction down to
and connected by universal joint with a bolt or bar to which the shares
are connected. There is a pin or bolt on each main lever. The mould
board and the share are connected to the body of the plough by means
of this pin, which is passed through a slot in the body as hereafter
described, while the share is secured by tongue pieces also as liereafter
described; by pulling back and pushing forward the hand lever the bar
connected therewith is also pushed forward or pulled back. There are
two semicircular tongue shaped recesses cut out, one on each side of the
body, cach, say ½ inch deep, leaving a half-inch piece in the centre,
and the side of the share being the same thickness (½ inch) the semi-
circular piece left therein corresponds and fits into the other; this keeps
the share firm one way; but the share must also be kept from depressing
too deep into the ground or otherwise. To prevent this I make a slot
enlarged at one end in the body of the plough, and there is a corrc-
sponding pin fixed in the main arm or lever; this pin passing into the
front part of the slot hole is then pulled back by the hand lever, which
is then secured in that position by a catch, one on each steering handle,
and the main lever, mould board, and share are thus held perfectly
secure. The hand lever has an eye near the end which is jointed to the
slanting spindlo before referred to; this cyc runs on a half ring fixed on
the cross bar between the two steering handles. As the hand lever is
swung from one side to the other the eye on the same glides along the
ring, which forms a fulcrum for the hand lever when pulled forward or
back, the front part of the slot being larger than any other part, so that
the head of the pin can pass in casily. The main arm has also at its
lower edge a projecting tongue; this is for fastening on the mould board
or breasts.
To regulate the locking of share as the sides of the body become worn
off I place two or more set screws or equivalents through the main arm
and the lever neck or share shaft, such set screws or equivalents also
keeping the lever neck at such a distance from the body that any dirt

page_text: or other extraneous matter lodging in either will not prevent it (the
lever neck) finding its proper position. With continual friction on the
ground the top of the share becomes worn, and it is with difficulty that
it can be made to penetrate an equal depth in the ground. To counter-
act this I have a slot hole in the main arın, the lever neck being hung
on a bolt on the front part of main arm so that the plough can be mado
to run parallel even when the share is worn out.
Another advantage of the lever adjustment as applied to turn-wrest
ploughs is that the furrows can be thrown at a perfect height by merely
moving the lever neck as desired.
My Invention further consists in turning the furrow wheel by the
hand lever before mentioned, as follows:-The coulter lever is hung on
a pin or upright in front of the coulter; there is a gearing arrangement
consisting preferably of a segment or quadrant wheel and pinion, the
latter working on an upright spindle or pin; with the pinion and pre-
ferably cast with it there is a grooved pulley, round which a chain passes
to grooved pulley on the furrow wheel shaft. The tail end of coulter
lever is placed in an eye between the mould plates, so that as the mould
plates change position from right to left the end of the coulter lever is
also thrown; and as the coulter lever is hung on an upright in front of
the coulter and geared into by the pinion it has thereby a tendency to
turn the same, while the grooved pulley being cast with the same pinion,
and the grooved pulley on the top of furrow wheel shaft being con-
nected by chains or otherwise, it also turns the furrow wheel and places
it in the proper position at each headland all being accomplished by
one and the same lever as aforesaid.
30
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Huxtable in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 30th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HUXTABLE, of High Bray, in the County of Devon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Huxtable, Her
special licence that I, the said John Huxtable, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Huxtable, 5
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 ]
"AN IMPROVED TURN-WREST PLOUGH," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Huxtable, 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 1
cause the same to bo 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 John Huxtable, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the 2
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is
to say :-
The primary object of my Invention is the construction of turn-wrest 2
ploughs with an efficient and useful share lock without affecting the
efficiency and utility of the plough itself, while at the same time a
complete adjustment is obtained for a portable share, all as hereafter
described.
According to my Invention both the shares are carried at the same g
end of the plough body, and one of them is taken off the ground at
cach headland independently of the body of the plough, and the other
share which is intended to work is locked in such a position as to remain
perfectly rigid; it is unlocked with case by the attendant by merely
pressing on a lover connected thereto, and it is then free to work on the 3
other side.
The Invention will be best understood by reference to the accom-

page_text: panying Drawings, which illustrate a convenient way of carrying my
Invention into effect.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a plough constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 2 is also a side clevation of a portion of a
plough showing the plates in a reverse position to that shewn at
Figure 1.
I place a lever A (see Figs. 7, 8, and 9,) near the handle or rear end
of the plough, which lever A is in connection with a rod or bar B
running in a slanting direction, as shewn, down to and connected by
universal joint with a bolt or bar B₁ (see Figs. 1 and 2) to which the
main arms O, O, are fastened, which carry the mould boards and shares
from right to left, or vice versa, after being unlocked from the body of
the plough, as shewn at Fig. 3. There is a pin or bolt F on each main
arm, as more particularly shown at Figure 3, which is a detached view
of this part of the plough. M, M, are the mould boards, and N, N, are
the shares. The mould board and the shares are firmly held to the body
of the plough by means of this pin F and the tongue pieces C, C, here-
after described, and as shown at Figure 1, and on a larger scale at
Figures 4, 5, and 6. C, C, are the tongue shaped pieces formed in the
side of the share, and E, E, are the slots into which the pins F, F, take;
it is by the combination of these pieces, viz., of the tongue pieces C, C,
the slots E and pins F that the shares and mould boards aro securely
held to the body of the plough, so that by pulling back and pushing
forward the hand lever A the bars B and B' connected therewith are also
pushed forward or pulled back. L is a set screw for tightening the bar B
when required. The two tongue picces and recesses C, O, are preferably
made of semicircular shape; but I reserve to myself the right to make
them of any other equivalent shape suitable for the purpose. The
recesses are cut out one on each side of the body, as seen clearly at
Figures 4, 5, and 6, each, say inch deep, leaving, say a half-inch
picce in the centre, and the side of the share being the same thickness
(inch) the semicircular or other shaped picce left therein corresponds
and fits into the other; this keeps the share firm one way; or instead
of these recesses a pin of any desired length could be fixed and a corre-
sponding hole be made in the side of the lever neck, and when drawn
back the pin fixed in the body would find its way into the hole made
for it. I prefer however the arrangement first described, but the share
must also be kept from depressing too deep into the ground or otherwise.

page_text: For this purpose I make the slot E enlarged at one end G, Figures 1
and 5. In the body of the plough there is a corresponding pin F fixed
in cach main arm O, O. This pin F passing into the front part of the
slot hole is then pulled back by the hand lever A, which is then secured
in that position by a catch d, one on each steering handlo h, h, and the
main arm O, mould board M, and share N are thus held perfectly secure.
The hand lever has a slot eye e near the end, which is jointed to the
slanting spindle B before referred to. This cyc runs on a half ring,
as more particularly shown at Figures 7, 8, and 9, fixed on the cross
bar between the two steering handles. As the hand lever is swung
from one side to the other the cyc c on the same glides along the rings,
which forms a fulcrum for the hand lever A when pulled forward or
back. The front part of the slot G, Figure 5, being larger than any
other part so that the head of the pin can pass in casily. The main
arm O has also at its lower edge a projecting tongue D; this is for
fastening on the mould board or breasts.
To regulate the locking of share as the sides of the body become worn
off I place two or more set screws II or equivalents through the main
arm and the lever neck or share shaft, such set screws or equivalents
also keeping the lever neck at such a distance from the body that any
dirt or other extraneous matter lodging on either will not prevent it (the
lever neck) finding its proper position. With continual friction on the
ground the top of the share becomes worn, and it is with difficulty that
it can be made to penetrate an equal depth in the ground. To counter-
act this I have a slot hole in the main arm, the lever neck being hung
on a bolt on the front part of main arm, so that the plough can be made
to run parallel even when the share is worn out.
Another advantage of the lever adjustment as applied to turn wrest
ploughs is that the furrows can be thrown at a perfect height by merely
moving the lever neck as desired. Figure 14 is a detached view of the
lever neck.
My Invention further consists in turning the furrow wheel by the
hand lever before mentioned, one arrangement of which is shewn at
Figures 10, 11, and 12, which are respectively plan, side clevation, and
end elevation. The coulter lever N² is hung on a pin or upright P; in
front of the coulter there is a gearing arrangement consisting pre-
ferably of a segment or quadrant wheel Q and pinion Q', the latter

page_text: working on an upright spindle or pin p³ with the pinion and preferably
cast with it; there is a grooved pulley & round which a chain passes to
a grooved pulley t on the furrow wheel shaft. The tail end of coulter
lever N is placed in an cyc, as shewn. at Figures 1 and 2, between the
mould plates, so that as the mould plates change position from right to
left the end of the coulter lever is also thrown, and as the coulter lever
is hung on an upright in front of the coulter and geared into by tho
pinion, it has thereby a tendency to turn the same, while the grooved
pulley being cast with the pinion Q³, and the grooved pulley t on the
top of furrow wheel shaft, being connected by chains or otherwise, it
also turns the furrow wheel and places it in the proper position at cach
headland, all being accomplished by one and the same lever N2 as
aforesaid.
A modification of this arrangement is shown at Figures 1, 2, and 13,
whereby I am able to dispense with the gearing altogether. For this
purpose the coulter lever is at its outer end formed with a cross piece N',
to which the two ends of a chain are fastened, which passes round tho
pulley on the furrow wheel shaft.
The chain is linked at each end to an eye, to which the end of a screw
threaded spindle is attached, having a nut m thereon, by turning the
nut the chain is tightened; or a similar object may be obtained by
changing the position of the end of the chain from one hole or peg, as
required, but I prefer the screw arrangement, as described.
As the coulter lever N³ changes positions behind with the mould plates
the cross piece N¹ in front is thrown over, whereby one end of the chain
is pulled and the other is let go.
It will be observed that the object of the arrangement just described
is to counteract the wear and the slackness of the chain caused by the
continual pulling of the wheel backwards and forwards. When the
chain gets slack it is only necessary to tighten the nuts m, m, and the
furrow wheel is thus made to maintain its proper position, because when
the chain is slack, and when ploughing hill side land, the gravity of
the wheel and the inequalities of the ground will produce a tendency
to make the furrow wheel assume the position of that shewn at
Figure 2.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself