IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARatus for PLOUGHING AND SOWING SEED
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Reeves, of the Firm of Robert & John
Reeves & Son, of Bratton Iron Works, Westbury, in the County
of Wilts, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARatus for
PLOUGHING AND SOWING SEED."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Reeves at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th December 1871.
I, JOHN REEVES, of the Firm of Robert & John Reeves & Son, of
Bratton Iron Works, Westbury, in the County of Wilts, do hereby
"declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND SOWING SEED," to be as follows:-

page_text: seed simultaneously we combine a seed sowing apparatus with a plough
in such manner that the wheel of the seed sower runs on the bottom or
sole of the furrow; behind the mould board of the plough an arm
jointed to the body or other convenient part of the plough carries the
seed sower and allows it to rise and fall freely, so that the wheel always
rests with its own weight and with that of the apparatus which it carrics
on the bottom of the furrow without interfering with the motion of the
plough. The wheel of the seed sower drives seed cups or other delivering
instruments, which take the seed from a seed box and drop it in
measured quantities into the furrow, and the seed is covered over at the
following bout with the spit which is then turned by the plough.
When the plough arrives at a headland the arm which connects the
seed sower is raised by means of a chain leading to the handles of the
plough, and the seed sower is held suspended whilst the. plough is
turning. In a similar manner the seed sower is kept out of work
whenever it is not required that seed should be sown.
In place of arranging the wheel of the seed sower to run on the sole
of the furrow, it may, but less advantageously, run on the unploughed
land, the seed being dropt into the furrow behind the mould board
as before.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters? Patent,
filed by the said John Reeves in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
REEVES, of the Firm of Robert and John Reeves and Son, of Bratton 2
Iron Works, Westbury, in' the County of Wilts, send greeting,
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
--Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December, in the year of
our-Lord-One thousand-eight hundred and seventy-one-in-the-thirty-
-fifth-year_of_Her_reign, did, for. Herself, Iler heirs-and-successors, 3
give and grant unto me, the said John Reeves, Her special-license-that
I, the said John Reeves, my executors, administrators; and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John. Reeves, my executors, adminis-
3

page_text: trators, 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 APPARATUS
FOR PLOUGHING AND SOWING SEED," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Reeves, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Reeves, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, 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 apparatus for
ploughing and sowing seed. For the purpose of ploughing and sowing
seed simultaneously I combine a seed sowing apparatus with a plough
in such manner that the wheel of the seed sower runs on the bottom or
sole of the furrow behind the mould board of the plough; an arm;
jointed to the body or other convenient part of the plough carries the
seed sower and allows it rise and fall freely, so that the wheel always
rests' with its own weight and with that of the apparatus which it carries
on the bottom of the furrow, and without interfering with the motion
of the plough. The wheel of the seed sower drives seed cups or other
delivering instruments which take the seed from a seed box and drop it
in measured quantities into the furrow, and the seed is covered over at
the following bout with the spit which is then turned by the plough.
When the plough arrives at a headland, the arm which connects the
seed sower is raised by means of a chain leading to the handles of the
plough, and the seed sower is held suspended whilst the plough is
turning. In a similar manner the seed sower is kept out of work when-
ever it is not required that seed should be sown.
•
In place of arranging the wheel of the seed sower to run on the sole
of the furrow, it may, but less advantageously, run on the unploughed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a plough having seed sowing
apparatus combined with it according, to my Invention; Figure 2 is a
side view, Figure 3 a longitudinal section, and Figure 4 a front view
of 'the seed' sowing apparatus and parts in connection therewith detached
from the plough.
a is a wrought-iron arm, which is forked at the end,; and has eyes.
formed in it. Through these eyes the stud' axis b passes. This axis is
fixed to a suitable part of the plough frame as is shewn, so that the
arm a is able to turn freely upon it in a vertical plane;, cis a.
box
casting fixed to: the arm a;. d is a barrel, with cups or hollows d½ in. its.
periphery, it is received into the box casting c. and the axis.e passes.
through it; e¹ is a nut which secures; the axis on the outer, side.of, the.
casting c, and prevents it drawing out; f is a wheel fixed.upon the axis;.
it runs.on, the bottom or sole of the furrow beneath, the mould board of:
the plough, and so it causes the axis e to turn, and the axis carries the
barrel, d round with it; 9 is a seed hopper, mounted, upon the casting c,.
and when the apparatus is at rest, the barrel d prevents the seed running
out of the seed hopper; but when it turns, the seed in the hollows or,
cups. d is carried round and drops out into the furrow through: the
open bottom of the box. casting c; g¹ is an adjustable brush within the
hopper, it is set so as to be just in contact with. the surface of. the
barrel, it keeps back the seed, and yet the seed cannot become jammed;
between it and-the-barrel, as it would be liable to be if a rigid stop
were employed, at this point; h, is a chain, passing from the end of the.
casting c.to a hand lever i, by, means of this lever: the sowing, apparatus.
I'

page_text: claim the combination of a plough and seed sowing apparatus in such
manner as to simultaneously plough and deposit seed on the bottom
or sole of the newly turned furrow behind the mould board of the
plough by means substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Reeves, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JOHN REEVES. (L.S.)