IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PLOUGHS
Year: 1858

page_text: 7
LETTERS PATENT to William Smith, of No. 18, Salisbury Street, Adelphi,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of" IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PLOUGHS,”.
A communication from Pierie Klingle, a citizen of the United States
of America
Sealed the 26th October 1858, and dated the 29th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of: Patents, with his Pétition, on the
29th April 1858.
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of No. 18, Salisbury Street, Adelphi, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM PLOUGHS," (a communication from Pierie Klingle, a citizen of the
United States) to be as follows-
This Invention relates to an improved:gang plough, which is intended to
move in either direction by the power of steam.
The gangs of ploughs at either end of the machine are secured to rock-
ing beans, which allow the rear ploughs to be turned up out of the way, or
both gangs may be elevated when required, as, for instance, in turning, or
in moving the machine to or from the field.
Small wheels are introduced at the extremities as steering wheels, and

page_text: are intended also to serve to regulate the depth to which the ploughs enter
the ground, that in the rear, when at work, being lifted clear of the ground
by the screw.
The driving wheels may be moved by one crank shaft, operated by a
double oscillating steam engine, or other equivalent arrangement, and they
may be thrown in or out of gear by clutches outside of the frame. Each
driving wheel is surrounded by a "portable track," consisting of endless
belt, to which blocks of wood or metal are attached.
"Clearers" formed like double mould board ploughs are intended to be
placed in the track of the off-side driving wheel, one before and the other
behind; they are connected by rods and levers in such a manner that when
the forward one is in operation, the rear one will be lifted up sufficiently
to clear the point from the ground, the wings throwing the earth which has
been removed from the track of the driving wheel back into the furrow;
in other words, the advance motion of the forward clearer opens the furrow,
while the reverse motion of the other fills it up again.
The boiler and engine by which it is intended to work the machine are
placed in the center of the machine immediately over the driving shaft, for
the purpose of balancing the apparatus.
The novel features of this Invention being the combination of the driving
wheels and ploughs with the steering wheels, and placing the clearers in
connection with the off bearing wheel of the steam plough in such a manner
that the one will fill back the furrow that the other has opened.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SMITH, of No. 18, Salisbury Street, Adelphi, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Smith, Her special licence that I, the said William Smith,my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Smith, executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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
STEAM PLOUGHS," ("a communication from Pierie Klingle, a citizen of and a
resident in the United States of America,") upon the condition (amongst
other's) that I, the said William Smith, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 William Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
stalement and accompanying Drawing :--
This Invention relates to an improved gang plough, which is intended to
move in either direction by steam power.
As in the accompanying Drawing the various parts are generally shewn
with sufficient clearness, I will merely refer to those parts, the functions of
which might possibly be misunderstood.
The gang. of ploughs at either end of the machine are secured to rocking
beams which allow the rear ploughs to be turned up out of the way, or both
gangs may be elevated when required, as, for instance, inturning or in moving
the machine to or from the field. Small wheels are introduced at the extre-
mities as steering wheels, and are also intended to serve to regulate the depth
to which the ploughs enter the ground, that in the rear when at work being
lifted clear of the ground by the screw. The driving wheels may be moved
by one crank shaft, operated by a double oscillating steam engine, or other
equivalent arrangement,and may be thrown in or out of gear by clutches out-
side of the frame. Each driving wheel is surrounded by a "portable track "
consisting of an endless belt, to which blocks of wood or metal are attached.
"Clearers" formed like double mould board ploughs are intended to be
placed in the track of the off-side driving wheel; one before and the other
behind; they are connected by rods and levers in such a manner that when
the forward one is in operation, the rear one will be lifted. up sufficiently to
clear the point from the ground; the wings throwing the earth which has
been removed from the track of the driving wheel back. into the furrow,, in
other words, the advance motion of the forward clearer opens the furrow,

page_text: while the reverse motion of the other fills it up again. The boiler and engine
by which it is intended to work the machine, as shewn in the accompanying
Drawing, are placed in the center of the machine immediately over the
driving shaft, for the purpose of balancing the apparatus.
The novel features of this Invention being the combination of the driving
wheels and ploughs with the steering wheels, the whole being constructed,
arranged, and operated substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein
described; and also placing the clearers in connection with the off-bearing
wheel of the steam plough, in such a manner that the one will fill back the
furrow that the other has opened.
In the accompanying Drawing, a steam plough constructed according to
this Invention is shewn in perspective, the better to convey at one view the
arrangement of parts herein described.
a, a, &c., the framing, at each end of which a row of ploughs are arranged
in manner shewn; b, b, the two wheels for steering and also for regulating
the depth to which the ploughs may enter the ground, these wheels may be
mounted in any other description of carriage than that which is shewn, and
may be regulated or worked up and down by any suitable means; c, c, the
ploughs, which should be mounted or fixed separately on the rocking beam so
as to admit of regulation or adjustment and removal; d, d, the two driving
wheels, around each of which works an endless band or belt e, e, composed of
articulated blocks of wood, or other suitable material having metal fastenings
or joints, and forming a "portable track," each of these portable tracks is
shewn as held in its position, or kept distended by means of three small drums
or rollers ff, attached to each side of the side frame.
The two clearers g, g, are placed one before, and the other behind the
driving wheel, and its track on the off-side are each mounted in a frame h,
and are connected together by means of the rods i, i, and the clutches on the
crank shaft are held in position by the slot lever k.
The boiler is shewn as a vertical, tubular, or flue boiler, and is intended
to be fitted with a suitable furnace. The two inverted oscillating cylindersm,m,
are shewn applied direct to a double crank shaft n, upon which the driving
wheels d are securely fixed; the two cranks being of course at right angles to
each other. The boiler is securely stayed by iron rods p, p, to the framing,
and the water may be fed into the boiler by a pump connected with the
engines, or by a detached donkey pump, fitted in any suitable position upon
the platform; or at the back of the boiler a tank for water may be disposed in
any convenient position.

page_text: Having described this Invention as communicated to me, I wish it to be
understood that I do not claim the working of ploughs in single rows or in
double gangs, nor the propelling of frames so fitted by means of a steam
engine erected upon such frames; but what I do claim is,―
First, the novel combination of the parts of the machine herein described,
when used for ploughing by steam power.
Second, the combination of the driving wheels and their tracks, and the
double gang of ploughs with the steering wheels, as herein described in a
ploughing apparatus, whether such ploughing apparatus or machine be pro-
pelled by steam or other power carried by or upon such ploughing apparatus
or machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
5
Witness,
GEORGE CHURCHILL,
18, Salisbury St., Strand.
WILLIAM SMITH, C.E. (L.S.)