Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 27th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 19th June, 1887.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN of the General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
The invention consists principally in the employment of a slide piece provided with
openings through which the grain, seed, or manure is distributed.
The improved apparatus for distributing seeds and manure is constructed with a
cross piece having one or more hoppers. Beneath each hopper the cross-piece is
provided with a hole to allow of the passage of the grain or seed from the hopper.
Beneath the cross piece is the distributor properly so-called which consists of a slide
having at least two holes underneath each hopper-This slide piece slides in four
guides and is kept in position by supporting blocks placed exactly beneath the openings
in the cross-piece. The slide piece is actuated by a bent arm fixed to a rod jointed to
a pinion.
The main wheel in turning as the apparatus is drawn by hand or otherwise, com-
municates movement to the rod which actuates the bent arm and gives a to and fro
movement to the slide piece. When one of the holes in the slide piece comes under
the opening in the cross piece it is in communication with the hopper containing the
grain and will become filled-The main wheel still moving forward will in consequence
of the to and fro movement cause the opening in the slide piece to pass from above the
supporting block and the grain will then pass to the earth through a tube provided
with a drill. The other opening in the slide piece will then have moved into a position
beneath the hopper and will be filled with grain and as the main wheel advances the
grain will be discharged on the other side of the supporting block.
The cross-piece can be provided with as many hoppers as may be desired the slide
piece having two openings beneath each hopper-The apparatus can be actuated by

page_text: hand for small distributors and where a large number of hoppers are employed the
apparatus may be drawn by a horse or other draught animal.
In order that the grain may be sown more or less thickly the main wheel is provided
with gearing which communicates movement to the pinion. The greater the diameter
of the toothed wheel relatively to the pinion the greater will be the number of times
the rod will be operated during one revolution of the toothed wheel and consequently
the slide piece will have a greater number of to and fro movements communicated to
it and the greater will be the quantity of grain or seed distributed. The apparatus is
provided with a set of wheels which can be adapted to the shaft of the main wheel
according to requirements.
In order that the toothed wheel fixed to the shaft can always communicate movement
to the pinion the frame of the apparatus is provided at its end with a cut away part in
which works the shaft of the main wheel which shaft can be suitably adjusted to allow of
the teeth of the pinion gearing with the toothed wheel on the shaft Thus where it is
required to thickly sow the grain or seed the largest toothed wheel from the set will be
employed and in order to put the same in gear with the pinion and consequently
with the rod the shaft will be moved the necessary distance away from the centre of
the pinion.
The apparatus is also provided underneath the slide piece with conducting tubes
for the grain or seed and with castings and heavy rollers which can be adapted to the
apparatus when required for the sowing of certain kinds of grain.
By this apparatus grain or seed and manure can be distributed at the same time or
separately, and by removing the conducting tubes the grain or seed can be sown broad-
cast the grain or seed falling onto an inclined plane.
It will thus be seen that the improved apparatus is easy to work and the cross piece
can be provided with as many hoppers as it is desired to sow rows at a time. The
slide pieces are provided with holes of different sizes according as it may be wished
to sow large grain or seed such as maize, beans &c., or small grain or seed such as
rape seed, cabbage seed, carrot seed &c. If it is desired that the seed should be sown
in rows somewhat wide apart each alternate hopper only should be filled with seed and
when it is required to sow the seed in rows closer together all the hoppers are filled.
It will be obvious that the conversion of the circular movement of the main
wheel into the to and fro movement of the slide piece can be obtained by other
means than that of the arrangement of gearing above described. The form and
arrangement of the slide piece can be varied; it need not be straight and can be
operated by any other movement in the direction of its length.
L100

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Distributing Grain, Seeds, and Manure.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, No. 4, South
Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by Germain Brandon of
St. Sulpice, in the Republic of France) and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The invention consists principally in the employment of a slide provided with
openings through which the grain, seeds, or manure is distributed.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a plan
of the underside and figure 2 is an elevation of the improved apparatus. Figure 3
is a section on line X Y of figure 1.
The improved apparatus for distributing seeds and manure is constructed with a
cross-piece T, T¹, having one or more hoppers S, S¹.-Beneath each hopper the
cross-piece is provided with a hole to allow of the passage of the grain or seed
from the hoppers S, S'.-Beneath the cross-piece the distributor properly so-called
which consists of a slide having at least two holes underneath each hopper-Tho
slide moves between four guides P, P1, P1, P1, and is kept in position by
supporting blocks B B¹ placed exactly beneath the openings in the cross piece T T
The slide is actuated by a bell crank C fixed to a rod I jointed to a pinion N.
The driving wheel R of the apparatus can be operated by hand or other power,
and in rotating communicates movement to the rod which actuates the bell crank C
and gives a to-and-fro movement to the slide. When the holes O¹, in the slide come
under the openings in the cross piece T, T¹, they are in communication with the
hoppers containing the grain and will become filled. The driving wheel R still moving
forward will in consequence of the to-and-fro movement cause the openings O¹, in the
slide to pass from above the supporting blocks B B', and the grain will then pass onto
the soil through tubes provided with drills. The other openings O, in the slide piece will
then have moved into position beneath the hopper and will be filled with grain
and as the driving wheel continues to rotate the grain will be discharged on the other
side of the supporting block B.
The cross-piece T, T¹, can be provided with as many hoppers as may be desired the
slide having two openings beneath each hopper-The apparatus can be actuated by
hand for small distributors and where a large number of hoppers are employed the
apparatus may be drawn by a horse or other draught animal.
In order that the grain may be sown more or less thickly the driving wheel R is
provided with gearing which communicates movement to the pinion N. The greater
the diameter of the toothed wheel G, relatively to the pinion N, the greater will be the
number of times the rod will be operated during one revolution of the toothed wheel
and consequently the slide will have a greater number of to-and-fro movements

page_text: communicated to it and the greater will be the quantity of grain or seed distributed.
The apparatus is provided with a set of wheels which can be adapted to the shaft of the
driving wheel R according to requirements.
In order that the toothed wheel G, fixed to the shaft can always communicate
movement to the pinion N the frame A of the apparatus is provided at its end
with a cut-away part in which works the shaft of the driving wheel R, which
shaft can be suitably adjusted to allow of the teeth of the pinion gearing with the
toothed wheel on the shaft. Thus where it is required to thickly sow the grain or
seed the largest toothed wheel from the set is employed and in order to put the
same in gear with the pinion and consequently with the rod the shaft is moved the
necessary distance away from the centre of the pinion.
The apparatus is also provided underneath the slide with conducting tubes for the
grain or seed and with castings and heavy rollers which can be adapted to the
apparatus when required for the sowing of certain kinds of grain.
By this apparatus grain or seed and manure can be distributed at the same time
or separately and by removing the conducting tubes the grain or seed can be sown
broadcast, the grain or seed falling onto an inclined plane which serves to scatter it.
It will thus be seen that the improved apparatus is easy to work and the cross
piece can be provided with as many hoppers as it is desired to sow rows at a time.
The slides are provided with holes of different sizes according as it may be wished
to sow large grain or seed such as maize, haricot, &c. or small grain or seed such as
rape seed, cabbage seed, carrot seed, &c.--If it is desired that the seed should be
sown in rows somewhat wide apart each alternate hopper only should be filled with
seed and when it is required to sow the seed in rows closer together all the hoppers
are filled.
It will be obvious that the conversion of the circular movement of the driving
wheel into the to-and-fro movement of the slide can be obtained by other means
than that of the arrangement of gearing above described. The form and arrangement
of the slide can be varied; it need not be straight and can be operated by any other
movement than that in the direction of its length.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :—
1. In an apparatus for distributing grain, seeds and manure, the use of the improved
slide provided with openings substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The improved apparatus for distributing grain, seeds, and manure, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
11
051
7
1000