Improvements in or relating to Tillage Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 13th Sept., 1900
Improvements in or relating to Tillage Machines.
I, FREDERICK HENRY PAUL PETTIT ORAM, of The Hawthorns, Lordship Lane,
Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and mechanical
arrangement of machines for the tillage of land by animal, steam or other motive
power, capable of carrying out the operations of weeding, inter-tillage or deep
tillage and subsoiling, and of rendering the soil fit for the reception of seeds or
plants by one passage over the land operated upon.
For this purpose I construct a machine, the frame of which is carried upon
two or more wheels, with or without a swivelling forecarriage. The carrying
wheels have broad tyres, preferably fitted with lugs, which may be made of
angle-iron, to obtain a grip of the ground and prevent skidding when working
on the land, but removable for convenience of travelling along roads or the
machine may be so arranged that when travelling on the road the weight is borne
by the addition of small wheels suspended from the outside of the frame and
raised or lowered by a worm or lever bar.
The machine may be propelled by animal power, or a steam boiler and engine,
or any suitable form of motor may be fixed on the fore part of the frame and
coupled to the carrying or driving wheels in any convenient manner.
Behind the carrying or driving wheels a frame is placed capable of being
raised or lowered, and maintained at any height at will, preferably by means of
racks and pinions. This frame carries one or more rotatable shafts or spindles
on which discs are fixed, at regulated distances, the number depending on the
power employed. From these discs either cast or in one piece with them, extend
arms carrying tangs tines blades or other cutting edges (hereinafter called the
operative parts); alternate sets of such operative parts being slightly shorter
than and placed in a "mocking" position to those on either side and in all cases
being so shaped that the cutting edges or points thereof enter the ground in such
a way that each blade in its turn cuts into and casts off the earth in a different
direction to those blades on the dises adjoining, and each portion so cut into and
dislodged or cast off being a certain regulated and ascertained quantity at a time,
by which means the whole area traversed by the operative parts is reduced to
atoms and thoroughly intermixed.
When mechanical power is employed the shaft or shafts carrying the discs are
driven by means of chain or other suitable gear, from the crank shaft of the
engine.
When animal power is used the shaft or shafts are driven from the axle of the
carrying wheels; in this case extra fly wheels are provided for the purpose of
storing up power before and after the operative parts are lowered into position
to cut.
In both cases the gearing is arranged so that a high but ascertained and regu-

page_text: lated speed is given to the discs calculated in proportion to the circumference of
the carrying wheels of the machine.
When two shafts or spindles are provided the operating parts on the discs of
the back shaft are proportionately longer than those on the discs in front of them,
and the discs on the back shaft are placed at a slight angle to those on the front,
the shafts being slightly out of parallel.
When caused to rotate each operative part cuts into and slices off a regulated
portion of earth, and thereby divides the earth atom by atom, each set of such
operative parts acting on the earth in a way similar in effect to the operation of
a rough set circular saw. The soil is not only thoroughly cut up to any required
depth, turned over subdivided and left fit for the immediate reception of seeds or
plants at one operation, but by means of the alternate arrangement described the
under strata or subsoil is left in a ridged serrated and loose condition, most
essential for arainage, for the germination of seeds and the growth of plants.
Dated this 13th day of June 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, FREDERICK HENRY PAUL PETTIT ORAM, Gentleman, of "The Hawthorns,"
Lordship Lane, Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a machine for the tillage of land capable of carrying
out with the aid of rotatable digging devices the operations of weeding, inter-
tillage, deep-tillage and sub-soiling, the ground being rendered fit for the recep-
tion of seeds or plants in one operation.
The operation of weeding as carried out by a machine constructed according
to this invention, is effected by rotatable digging devices the blades of which
are preferably wider than those used for tillage and are only allowed to cut
lightly into the surface soil enabling the weeds and other roots to be subsequently
easily removed. The operation of inter-tillage is effected by placing one or more
sets of rotatable tines or other rotatable digging devices at such distances apart
axially that they will operate in the soil between the two rows of vegetation
requiring inter-tillage. The operations of deep tillage and sub-soiling are carried
out by a machine such as is hereinafter described in detail.
The machine may be adapted to be drawn or actuated by animal power or
steam or other motive power. It may be moved upon the land by means of a
cable or it may be secured to the rear of a traction engine and driven direct from
the same.
The machine comprises a rigid frame mounted upon broad-rimmed wheels;
at the rear of the frame, and preferably extending to the side far enough to cover
the track of one or both of the side wheels, is mounted a digger comprising a
shaft driven at a high speed of rotation and provided with projecting tines or
digging or cutting blades, preferably of different radii and alternated in the
manner hereinafter described. The velocity of the tips of the blades or tines
in the circumference in which they travel is much greater than the velocity with
which the machine moves over the ground in order that the full efficiency of my
improved tillage machine may be obtained from it. The shaft carrying the blades
may be driven from the wheels which carry the frame of the machine, and one

page_text: or more fly wheels are preferably interposed between the wheels and digging
device, the latter being provided with means for adjusting it into and out of
action whilst it is kept in gear with the fly wheels, the object of this provision
being to enable the fly-wheels to be given a high velocity prior to commencement
of the actual operation of aigging. By thus operating the machine the fly
wheels accumulate a store of energy amply sufficient to prevent the action of the
digging device being stopped by coming into contact with the ground when it
is lowered into action.
A secondary use of the fly wheel or wheels is to ensure that the rotation of
the digging device after it gets into action shall be uniform and unchecked by
obstacles such as are ordinarily met with in the soil.
The digging device is arranged to be raised or lowered to enable the fly wheels
to accumulate energy as aforesaid and to vary the depth of earth turned over by
it and also to permit the blades to be raised above the earth, during transport
when they are not required to do any work.
To enable the digging device to be raised and lowered it may be carried by
toothed quadrants adjustable by a hand wheel geared with the quadrants, these
being arranged to turn about an axis concentric with one of the shafts of the
driving mechanism, so that a chain connecting such shaft and the digging device
will not be interfered with when the latter is raised and lowered.
Instead of carrying the digging device upon toothed quadrants it may be
carried by a swing frame adapted to turn about the axle of some of the wheels
which carry the machine, the whole of the driving gear being mounted upon
this frame. Any convenient form of adjusting gear, say a screw shaft, pro-
vided with a hand wheel may be arranged to control the movements of the frame
so that the end thereof to which the digging device is secured may be raised or
lowered at will.
If preferred the digging device may be driven direct by a motor or engine
mounted upon the tillage machine in place of being driven, when the latter is
hauled, by the revolution of the wheels carrying the machine: or the machine
may be secured upon a traction engine, the fly wheel or other revolving part of
the engine being geared to the digging device so that this latter is driven directly.
In this case the wheels carrying the machine will do no driving.
A further alternative would be the connection of a distinct tillage machine to
a traction engine which could haul it and could also supply power to the operative
parts from the traction-engine fly-wheel.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section, of a machine constructed according
to one method of carrying out this invention;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;
Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged detail views of parts of the apparatus shown
in Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 6 is a plan view of an alternative construction of the machine;
Figure 7 is a side elevation of the same;
Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 7, and
Figure 9 is a side elevation of another construction of the machine.
Figures 10 and 11 are a side elevation and plan view respectively of a portion
of the machine modified as hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1 to 5 which illustrate a machine adapted to be
hauled by animal or other power, a rigid frame A conveniently provided with
a swivelling fore-carriage B, is carried by broad-rimmed wheels CC. The
wheels C are mounted free upon an axle or shaft C' and the frame A is con-
veniently carried by means of bearings A' upon the ends of the axle C which
project beyond the wheels C. Within the frame A is arranged a secondary
frame A2 comprising two longitudinal members connected at each end by any
convenient struts or ties and on this frame are mounted fly wheels D D' carried

page_text: in bearings D Concentric with the fy wheel D² are pivotted toothed quad-
rants E one on each side of the frame A and at the lower end of these quadrants
is mounted a shaft F. The axle C is geared to the fly wheel I by large and
small sprocket wheels D3 D4, respectively connected by a chain D. Similarly
the flywheel D) is geared to the fly wheel D by large and small sprocket
wheels connected by a chain 18, and the fly wheel D is geared to the
shaft F by large and small sprocket wheels D 110 connected by a chain D"; by
this gear the angular velocity of the shaft is many times greater than that of
the wheels C. Fast upon the shaft F', which is preferably square, except at its
ends, are a series of discs F¹ shown in detail in Figure 3, 4 and 5 and each disc
is provided with a series of recesses or sockets F2 (Fig. 3) each adapted to receive
an arm F3 of a digging blade F. Each blade F is provided with a socket F
which fits over and receives the end of the arm F³ allotted to it; preferably the
acting face of each blade is very slightly aslant or helical so as not to throw the
earth directly to the rear, but rather to one side or the other. Alternate discs
have their blades so slanted that the earth thrown off by one circular series or
ring of blades is projected into the path of that which is flung off by the adjacent
series, as indicated by the dotted arrows in Fig. 1; thus the earth dug is wel)
mixed.
An extension F on each blade abuts (see Figure 4) against a shoulder F with
which each arm F³ is provided and aids in keeping the blade in proper position
on the arm, a bolt F8 being passed through this extension and the arm to secure
them together. Each alternate set of blades is made shorter than those on either
side of it, and the blades of these alternate sets are in "mocking" position i.e.
are arranged along transverse lines approximately midway between the lines of
blades of the other sets, as shown in Figure 2, in which, to avoid confusion in
the drawings, only two of one ring of shorter blades are shown. All of the
blades are curved spirally as shown in Figure 1, so that they readily enter the
ground as they revolve.
Each blade removing the small portion of earth coming within its range, the
whole series of blades very completely reduces and intermixes the earth to the
desired depth throughout the area traversed by it; the difference in the length
or radius of alternate rings of blades causes the earth at the bottom of the
cuts" to be left in a ridged or serrated condition the surfaces of the ridges
being thoroughly scratched" by the blade tips.
66
"
To operate the toothed quadrants E a shaft E¹ is provided having pinions E
mounted one at each end of the shaft and arranged to engage the teeth of the
quadrants. The shaft E¹ is conveniently carried in bearings on the frame of
the machine and approximately midway upon the shaft is mounted a tangent
wheel gearing with a screw E. The screw is conveniently carried in
bearings secured to a support E and is provided at one end with a spur wheel E7.
A hand wheel E8 mounted in any convenient manner (preferably upon the sup-
port E) has secured to it a pinion E which gears with the spur wheel E.
Clutches G of any convenient or well-known construction are mounted on the
axle C and provided with operating levers G¹ so that the wheels C normally
free on the shaft C₁ may be thrown into gear with that shaft when it is desired
that they shall drive the same. The levers G may be pivotted at G2 to any con-
venient part of the machine such as the brackets G on the secondary frame A².
To prevent the driving wheels C from slipping when the machine is hauled
and the digging mechanism is being operated by them, angle-plates C may be
secured upon their outer circumferences.
The operation of this machine is as follows:--
Presuming the clutches G to be in engagement with the driving wheels C, the
whole of the mechanism geared with the axle C by the sprocket wheel D³ will
revolve so that the fly wheels D D and digging device comprising the tines or
blades mounted on the shaft F will be revolved at a high speed. To bring
this device into operation the hand wheel E8 may be revolved, thus revolving the

page_text: pinions E and lowering the quadrants E according to the depth to which it is
desired that the blades shall enter the ground. The fly wheels D D₁ will
maintain sufficient momentum to enable the digging device to readily enter the
ground at the start and they will subsequently overcome unevenness in the
resistance offered by the ground to the digging device: being arranged one in
front of and the other to the rear of the shaft C₁ their weight will tend to balance
the machine.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 show a modified construction of the machine in which the
secondary frame A2 is made to swing about the axle C, and thus to raise and
lower the digging device. To control the movements of the swing frame a screw
shaft H is arranged at the forward end of the frame and passes through a screwed
socket or nut H pivotted at H² to the frame A, or to any convenient part secured
to the same. The lower end of the screw shaft H is journalled in a socket H³
pivotted at H to the swing frame and compelled to rise or fall with the screw
shaft H. The upper end of the shaft H carries a hand wheel H³ by which it may
be revolved.
The shaft with its blades (the circle swept by the latter being indicated by
the chain-line circle .14 in Figure 7) is arranged at the rear of the machine as
before being carried by any convenient form of brackets J-one only of which is
shown in the figure referred to-secured to the swing frame A².
As the fly wheels D D' are carried in bearings upon the swing frame and the
frame pivots about the axle C from which the driving wheels are driven, it is
obvious that as one end of the frame is raised or lowered by the screw shaft H and
its hand wheel H³ the gearing operatively connecting the axle C and shaft F
will retain undisturbed its relationship to that axle and shaft, the whole swinging
with the frame as one structure.
Figure 9 shows another modification, the machine being applied to the rear.end
of a traction engine and being driven direct from the engine fly-wheel. Any
convenient framing K is provided to carry the quadrants E with the shaft F and
its blades, which sweep out the chain-lined circle F¹. The quadrants E turn
about a shaft K¹ upon which are mounted large and small pulleys L L' res-
pectively, turning freely on the shaft K¹, but secured to each other. The shaft K¹
carrying the pulleys (and passing, in the example illustrated, through the coal-
bunker of the engine) may be supported in bearings secured to any convenient
part of the frame K, and the pulley L is driven from the fly wheel M of the
engine M by means of a belt M². The pulley L drives a smaller pulley L² on
the shaft F by means of a belt L. The mechanism for the hand wheel Es con-
trolling the mechanism for operating the quadrant E may be arranged within
reach of the driver of the traction engine so that the engine may be driven and
the digging device raised or lowered at will by the same person.
The frame K with its mechanism may project from the traction engine without
having any support from the ground or it may be provided with trailing wheels
to support that end of it which is remote from the engine.
Although belts and pulleys have been described as being used in this mechanism
it is obvious that chains and sprocket wheels may be substituted for the same.
Belts and pulleys may be used in place of the chains and sprocket wheels
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and 6, 7 and 8.
If desired auxiliary wheels may be arranged on arms at the side of the frame
adapted to be raised or lowered so that when the machine is being conveyed from
one part to another, for instance upon a hard road, the wheels to which the
angle plates are secured may be raised from the ground and the machine made
to run upon the auxiliary wheels.
It will be understood that more than one digging device may be used in the
same machine, if desired, and the blades on the shaft may either be arranged at
one end of the shaft or continued along the whole length of the same, so that
the machine may be used to cut either at its right or left hand side, or for its
full width. If two shafts are used, one f, may be arranged behind the other, F,

page_text: as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, or say a tilting frame f and at such a level that
its blades cut deeper than the blades on the shaft in front of it, and one of them
may be out of parallelism with the other (see Figure 11) so that it will direct
the earth dug up towards and at an angle to that which is thrown off by the
blades upon its companion thus mingling thoroughly the earth dug up by both.
The direction of rotation of each shaft is indicated by the arrow near the tip of
each set of blades in Fig. 10; the direction of motion of the machine is indicated
by the large arrow parallel with the ground line.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is―
1. In a tillage machine a series of rotatable digging devices such as the
blades For their equivalents with or without a fly-wheel and so operated as to
have for the purpose described a velocity at their circumference much greater
than that with which the machine moves over the ground.
2. In a tillage machine the combination of a rotary digging device and a fly-
wheel arranged and operating so as to permit the fly-wheel to accumulate energy
as a preliminary to the commencement of digging substantially as described.
3. In a tillage machine a series of rotatable digging devices such as the
blades For their equivalents so operated as to have for the purpose described
a velocity at their circumference much greater than that with which the machine
moves over the ground, the blades being of different length and placed in
"mocking" position in the manner hereinbefore specified.
4. In a tillage machine the combination with a series of rotatable digging
devices such as the blades For their equivalents so operated as to have for
the purpose described a velocity at their circumference much greater than that
with which the machine moves over the ground, of a rising and falling support
adjustable to vary the depth to which the devices dig, with or without a fly-
wheel substantially as described.
5. In a tillage machine the combination with a series of rotatable digging
devices such as the blades F or their equivalents so operated as to have for the
purpose described a velocity at their circumference much greater than that with
which the machine moves over the ground, of a rising and falling support made
to swing about the axle of the road wheel or other source of power and adjust-
able to vary the depth to which the devices dig.
6. In a tillage machine high-speed digging devices such as are herein before
described mounted on separate shafts which are out of parallelism with each
other and are rotated in reverse directions for the purpose specified.
7. The employment upon a traction engine of a tillage machine which com-
prises a series of rotatable digging devices such as the blades For their equi-
valents so operated as to have for the purpose described a velocity at their cir-
cumference much greater than that with which the machine when digging moves
over the ground.
S. The complete tillage machine substantially as and for the purpose described
in Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 6, 7 and 8 or Figure 9 of the accompanying
drawings.
i