AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR COMBINATION OF HARROWS TO BE WORKED BY IN- DEPENDENT STEAM POWER
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Rintoul, of Kingston, North Berwick, in the
County of Haddington, North Britain, Farmer, for the Invention of " AN
IMPROVED SYSTEM OR COMBINATION OF HARROWS TO BE WORKED BY IN-
DEPENDENT STEAM POWER.”
Sealed the 27th July 1877, and dated the 7th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Rintoul at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th May 1877.
CHARLES RINTOUL, of Kingston, North Berwick, in the County of Haddington,
North Britain, Farmer. "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR COMBINATION OF HARROWS
TO BE WORKED BY INDEPENDENT STEAM POWER."
This Invention, which relates to an improved system or combination of harrows,
has for its objects to effect the reduction or breaking of the clods of soil more
effectually and with greater rapidity than can be done by any system hitherto
employed. It consists in combining a series of harrows of the type known as fixed
toothed harrows, with a series of the "Norwegian" type in which the teeth or pikes
revolve by coupling them together in a wheeled frame, the whole being connected
to the winding gear of a portable or other steam engine.
One series of harrows is placed immediately behind the other, and occupies about
the same breadth, and by this means the series in rear receives the newly upturned
soil from the series in front, whereby a fine mould is obtained in one journey which
has hitherto required two.
The use of steam power to traverse the harrows admits of the modification of the
latter to be more advantageous for the desired purpose, they being deprived of
wheels and made heavy as desired. They are readily removed from place to place
by the wheeled frame to which they are attached as aforesaid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Rintoul in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th November
1877.
CHARLES RINTOUL, of Kingston, North Berwick, in the County of Haddington,
North Britain, Farmer. "AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OR COMBINATION OF HARROWS
TO BE WORKED BY INDEPENDENT STEAM POWER."
My said Invention, which relates to an improved system or combination of
harrows, has for its objects to effect the reduction or breaking of the clods of soil
more effectually and with greater rapidity than can be done by any system hitherto
employed. It consists in combining a series of harrows of the type known as
fixed toothed harrows, with a series of the "Norwegian" type in which the teeth
or pikes revolve by coupling them together in a wheeled frame, the whole being
connected to the winding gear of a portable or other steam engine.
One series of harrows is placed immediately behind the other, and occupies about
the same breadth, and by this means the series in rear receives the newly upturned
soil from the series in front, whereby a fine mould is obtained in one journey which
has hitherto required two.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I now proceed
inore particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to
the annexed Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say,-
On the hereunto appended Sheet of Drawing is represented a plan of the system
or combination of harrows, which I prefer to adopt in carrying my said Invention
into practical operation.
The fixed toothed harrows A are arranged in two longitudinal rows, each harrow A
of each row being connected to the other by the links, chains, or other equivalent
couplings b, as closely as may be desired, according to the nature of the soil to be
operated upon. The "tynes," spikes, or teeth a of the harrows A are fitted into
the diagonal bars c in any well-known manner, the diagonal arrangement thereof
being more effective on the soil than when they are placed in such manner that each
tyne," spike, or tooth, in each row is in the same horizontal line.
Between the rows of the fixed toothed harrows A, and at such distance therefrom
as may be desired, is placed the row of harrows B, of the type known as "Norwegian,"
in which the pikes or teeth e are carried on two longitudinal axles or bars i, which
axles or bars revolve in bearings m attached to the under sides of the transverse
portions of the frames of the harrows B. These "Norwegian" harrows are like
those composing the front and rear rows of the system, coupled together by the
links, chains, or couplings 61, and in addition thereto they are attached by similar
links, chains, or couplings 62 to the said barrows A in the manner shown. The
exterior rows of harrows A are attached by the links or chains to the longitudinal
beams or poles D, whereby a securely connected system of harrows is obtained,
and the beams or poles D being attached to the ordinary wheeled frame employed
for traversing harrows and similar implements, the system may be drawn in either
the forward or backward direction by means of the tackle or chains ordinarily
employed in connection with steam engines used in agricultural operations.
Horse power may be substituted for steam power if desired to traverse the
system of harrows. The effect of such a system or combination of harrows is
such as to reduce the soil or earth into a fine mould in a shorter space of time and
with less labour than has hitherto been done, the soil being completely reduced by
one passage of the harrows over it, the clods of earth being divided by the action of
the "tyne," spikes, or teeth a of the harrows A, and exposed to the grinding action
of the pikes or teeth e of the "Norwegian" harrows B.
'zig-zag
n
In order to effect the more perfect reduction of the soil harrows of the "I
type may be placed in either the front or back, or both rows, and the number and

page_text: position of the harrows constituting the system may be varied in accordance with
the requirements of any particular case, and I do not restrict myself to the particular
arrangement shown on the Drawing attached hereto.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination of harrows
of the fixed toothed type, "zig-zag" or otherwise, with those known as “Norwegian,"
in one system and traversed preferably by independent steam power for the purpose
of reducing the soil, substantially as herein-before described and shown on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Rintoul, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this
day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-seven.
CHA. RINTOUL. (L.S.)