IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR SCARIFYING AND GRUBBING OR CUTTING UP WEEDS, AND OTHERWISE CUL- TIVATING LAND
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Clay, of Walton Grange, Wakefield, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR
SCARIFYING AND GRUBBING OR CUTTING UP WEEDS, AND OTHERWISE CUL-
TIVATING LAND."
Sealed the 23rd October 1860, and dated the 31st May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Clay at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st May
1860.
I, CHARLES CLAY, of Walton Grange, Wakefield, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLE-
MENTS FOR SCARIFYING AND GRUBBING OR CUTTING UP WEEDS, AND OTHERWISE
CULTIVATING LAND," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in implements for scarifying,
grubbing, or cutting up weeds, and otherwise cultivating land. For this
purpose a framework or central beam is employed, having at the fore part a
hook or coupling, to which the power to be applied to the implement is
attached, and also a standard, with wheels, the standard being capable of
adjustment for regulating the depth of work. On the central beam, and at
right angles thereto, there is also fixed a cross bar pierced with holes, and to the
cross bar handles are attached with joints and pins, bolts, or other suitable
fastening. At the fore part of the central beam a tine or knife may be
attached, with a wedge or other suitable fixing. At the hind end of the
central beam a guide is fixed, also at right angles to the beam; it guides the

page_text: handles when they move about the joints, connecting them with the cross bar
above mentioned. In this guide notches are made, into which stops or catches
attached to the handles (so as to slide upon them) are made to drop or spring
by means of suitable small rods, which can be operated upon by the thumb or
finger of the workman when he has hold of the handles, or the handles may
themselves be made to spring into notches on the guide, if preferred. Upon
the handles, about midway between the cross bar and the guide, are attached
knives or tines. When, therefore, the handles are liberated from the stops,
notches, or spring catches, or other fixings, they may be moved along the
guide either nearer or further from the central bar, as may be desired; and as
the knives are fixed to the handles they, of course, move at the same time, and
alter the width of cut accordingly. On the guide arrangements are made for
stopping the handles at any given distance, such distance being within the
extremes of the guide. Clamps, with a bolt through, may be used.
Attached to the implement is a chain harrow which follows in the track of
the knives, and which operates upon the soil and weeds, and deposits them on
the surface after being cut up.
This implement is more especially intended to be used in scarifying and
clearing between the rows of root or other crops sown or drilled in rows; and
it will be seen by this Invention each tine or knife attached to the handles is
directly under the control of the workman at any moment, and that he can
instantly move either knife (after he has liberated the handle from the notch
or catch) so as to prevent it from cutting up the plants, should the rows be
irregular in the distances the one from the other.
Chain harrows may usefully be attached to any implement for cleaning between
rows of plants.
This implement may be made to operate upon several rows at one time by
combining several central beams with the moveable handles, guide or guides
containing the necessary notches, and the stops, rods, tines or knives, and with
a continuous cross bar. Such an implement would, however, require more
than one wheel.
30th November 1860.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES 3.
CLAY, of Walton Grange, Wakefield, in the County of York, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Clay, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Clay,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Clay, 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
IMPLEMENTS FOR SCARIFYING AND GRUBBING OR CUTTING UP WEEDS, AND OTHERWISE
CULTIVATING LAND," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Clay, 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 imme-..
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Clay, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in implements for scarifying..
grubbing, or cutting up weeds, and otherwise cultivating land. For this:
purpose a framework or central beam is employed, having at the fore part a
hook or coupling, to which the power to be applied to the implement is
attached, and also a standard with wheels, the standard being capable of
adjustment for regulating the depth of work. On the central beam, and at
right angles thereto, there is also fixed a cross bar pierced with holes, and to the
cross-bar handles are attached with joints and pins, bolts, or other suitable
fastening. At the fore part of the central bean a tine or knife may be
attached, with a wedge or other suitable fixing. At the hind end of the
central beam a guide is fixed, also at right angles to the beam; it guides the
handles when they move about the joints, connecting them with the cross bar.
above mentioned. In this guide notches are made, into which stops or catches
attached to the handles (so as to slide upon them) are made to drop or spring
by means of suitable small rods, which can be operated upon by the thumb or
finger of the workman when he has hold of the handles, or the handles may

page_text: themselves be made to spring into notches on the guide, if preferred. Upon
the handles, about midway between the cross bar and the guide, are attached
knives or tines. When, therefore, the handles are liberated from the stops,
notches, or spring catches, or other fixings, they may be moved along the
guide either nearer or further from the central bar as may be desired; and as
the knives are fixed to the handles they, of course, move at the same time and
alter the width of cut accordingly. On the guide arrangements are made for
stopping the handles at any given distance, such distance being within the
extremes of the guide. Clamps, with a bolt through, may be used.
Attached to the implement is a chain harrow, which follows in the track of
the knives, and which operates upon the soil and weeds, and deposits them on
the surface after being cut up.
This implement is more especially intended to be used in scarifying and
clearing between the rows of root or other crops sown or drilled in rows; and
it will be seen by this Invention, that each tine or knife attached to the
handles is directly under the control of the workman at any moment, and that
he can instantly move either knife (after he has liberated the handle from the
notch or catch) so as to prevent it from cutting up the plants, should the
rows be irregular in the distances the one from the other.
Chain harrows may usefully be attached to any implement for cleaning
between rows of plants.
This implement may be made to operate upon several rows at one time by
combining several central beams with the moveable handles, guide or guides
containing the necessary notches and the stops, rods, tines, knives, and with
a continuous cross bar. Such an implement would, however, require more
than one wheel.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully.
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING,
Which represents a perspective view of an implement constructed according
to my Invention. a is the central beam, to the fore end of which the power
is applied for drawing it; b is a wheel at the fore end of the beam, the upright
or standard of which is capable of adjustment; c is a cross bar at right angles
to the beam. The cross bar c is made with several holes, so that the fore ends
of the handles d, d, may be pin-jointed to the cross bar nearer to or farther from
the beam. e is the guide or cross bar at the hinder part of the beam, and this
bar is made with notches in such manner that the handles may be set or held
by stops or catches k, k, attached to the handles at different distances apart,

page_text: as is clearly shown by the Drawing. The stops or catches k, k, are operated
upon with the finger by the rods 1, l, when the workman has liold of the handles
d, d. m, m, are pins which are placed through holes in the cross bar or
guide e, to prevent the handles d, d, from being set too far from the central
beam by accident, when the stops k, k, are liberated from the notches in the
bar e, or the handles may be stopped from being moved too far outwards by
other stops than pins; f is a tine or knife, which is fixed to the beam, and
9, 9, are tines or knives, which are fixed in the handles; hence, when the posi-
tions of the handles are altered, the positions of the tines or knives 9, 9, will be
altered also; h is a chain harrow attached by a chain to the fore part of the
central beam, so as to come after the tiues. The links r, r, are to enable the
workman to raise the chain harrow off the ground should it become clogged or
choked up. The forms of tines or knives used may be varied.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the parts separately, but what I claim is the combination herein
described; and I also claim the application of chain harrows, as herein
described, to agricultural implements suitable to be used for scarifying and
grubbing or cutting up weeds between rows of plants.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Clay, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
GODFREY SWIFT,
Oakenshaw,
near Wakefield.
CHARLES CLAY.
(L.S.)