IMPROVED AGRICUL- TURAL APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE USE OF CULTIVATING AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Everard Woods and Arthur Henry Whewell, both
of Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention of IMPROVED AGRICUL-
TURAL APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE USE OF CULTIVATING AND OTHER
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS."
Sealed the 18th May 1877, and dated the 15th December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Everard Woods and
Arthur Henry Whewell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
15th December 1876.
SAMUEL EVERARD WOODS and ARTHUR HENRY WHEWELL, both of Leeds, in
the County of York. "IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING
THE USE OF CULTIVATING AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS."
This Invention, which relates to improved agricultural apparatus, has as its objects
the increasing of the efficiency, and the facilitating of the use of cultivating and
other agricultural apparatus, and the effecting a reduction in the cost of tilling and
other agricultural implements or machines by adapting several of such implements
to use in one permanent frame.
In carrying our Invention into practice we combine with this permanent frame
two vertically adjustable, travelling, and steering front wheels, and a rear or hind
castor wheel, and we suspend from it by connecting links two other removable
frames to which may be adapted skifes, mould boards, and coulters or tines, or other
agricultural appliances, the links and frames being arranged so that the latter can
be lifted by the agency of cams or other suitable means, and supported thereby at
an angle with the ground upon which the implement is operating, so that upon the
lowering of the frames the skifes shall be caused to enter the ground in succession
(similar in effect to the operation of the ordinary balance plough) at the moment of
commencing their work upon the land, and which has not hitherto been accomplished
in turning ploughs.
The front wheels are in connection with a rocking frame working on guide rods,
and the position of which is automatically shifted at each turning of the imple-
ment at the headlands, causing the wheel acting as the land wheel in the one journey
of the implement to become the furrow wheel in the return journey; each front
wheel thus acts alternately as a land wheel and as a furrow wheel, and this
Price Gd1

page_text: changing is effected on the slack rope becoming the pulling rope, both ropes being
attached to a lever (or levers) which then causes the rocking frame to shift its
position; this may also be effected by other equivalent mechanism. At the same
time, and by the same movement of the lever, and through the intervention of
suitable gearing, actuating the said cams or other equivalent appliances, the suspended
frame carrying the skifes which have in the one journey been operating on the land
is lifted, so that its skifes are withdrawn clear out of the ground, and the other
suspended frame is brought into position ready for its work in the opposite direction
to that in which the implement has been travelling. In this manner of turning the
implement a partial backward movement is given to the front wheel on the pulling
back side; the hind or castor wheel (which may be placed either in front of or
behind the skifes) during this process makes a half circular movement caused by
the slack rope becoming the pulling rope; this enables the implement to be drawn
closer to the motive power, which leaves a minimum width of headland uncul-
tivated.
The suspended frames are arranged with right and left-hand skifes and mould
boards, so that in all journeys of the implement the land furrows are laid in the
same direction. When acting on a steam plough or cultivator the pulling and
slack ropes are attached to the suspended frames, to which are also attached skid
wheels.
The permanent frame with its travelling gear and suspended frames may be
adapted, and used as a cultivator by attaching tines in place of the skifes and mould
boards. In this case the front wheels do not change from land wheel to furrow
wheel, and vice versa, as above described, but by the motion of the slack rope when
becoming the pulling rope the tines of both suspended frames (which then act
together as one frame, and not alternately and independently as with the plough)
will be lifted out of the ground, whilst the implement is being turned to travel in
the reverse direction. It may also be adapted and used as a harrow by attaching
harrow frames to the suspended frames. We also propose to utilize it without the
suspended frames in reaping and mowing by attaching reaper or mower frames to
each side thereof in lieu of the suspended frames.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Everard Woods and Arthur Henry Whewell in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 15th June 1877.
"
SAMUEL EVERARD WOODS, and ARTHUR HENRY WHEWELL, both of Leeds, in the
County of York. IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE
USE OF CULTIVATING AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS."
This Invention has for its objects the increasing of the efficiency, and the
facilitating of the use of cultivating and other agricultural apparatus, and the
effecting of reduction in the cost of or outlay on tilling and other agricultural imple-
ments or machines by adapting several of such implements to use in one permanent
frame.
The Invention is illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings in Figures 1
to 11, of which Figure 1 represents a side view of a turning plough constructed
according to our Invention, and shown in action as a three furrow-plough; Figure 2
shows a plan view, and Figure 3 a front elevation thereof; Figures 4 to 11 arc
detailed views, and will be herein-after more particularly referred to.
On the accompanying Drawings 1 represents the permanent frame of the
apparatus, and which is supported and carried by two front vertically adjustable
travelling and steering wheels 2, 2*, and by a rear or hind wheel 3. The wheels 2, 2*,
are carried by axles 4 (see the enlarged sectional elevation and plan views, Figures 4
and 5) fixed in brackets 5, which embrance and are free to work vertically on guide

page_text: rods or standards 6, which are capable of being turned partially round in their
bearings in the frame 1, and are squared between such bearings so as to cause the
brackets 5 and wheels 2, 2*, to participate in any such turning movement for the
purposes of turning and of steering as herein-after described. Between top and
bottom arms 7, 8, of the brackets 5, the standards 6 are also encircled by bosses 9,
which are squared to fit them, but are of circular exteriors, so that the turning
movements of the standards shall not influence bracket straps 10 by which the
bosses 9 are embraced. The opposite straps 10 are connected by pins 11 to opposite
ends of a rocking frame or bar 12, which is centred loosely on a stud 13 carried by
a bracket 14 fixed to the frame 1. This arrangement allows of the steering of the
wheels 2, 2*, and of their vertical adjustment being independently accomplished,
the former operation being necessary in the guiding or turning of the implement at
the headlands, and in steering across the land, and the latter on the reversal of the
direction of travelling of the implement, and both being effected as herein-after
described. The standards 6 are made with holes 15, in which studs 16 may be
placed to regulate the depth to which the furrow wheel 2 descends, by preventing
the bracket 5 carrying the land wheel 2* rising beyond a certain height.
17 represents the furrow line, and 18 the land line.
19 represents two arms fixed to the frame 1, and carrying two studs 20, on which
two pullies 21 run loosely. The arms 19 are connected by a fixed stay bar 22
carrying two adjustable brackets 23, having studs 24 upon which pullies 25 run
loosely, the brackets 23 are connected by a stay bar 26 formed with holes 27.
This forms the drag bar by which the pulling wire rope 28 may be regulated;
29 represents the trailing or slack wire rope.
30, 31, represent two removable frames which we suspend from the frame 1 by
links 32, which work freely on studs 33, 34, carried by the frames 1 and 30 and 31.
The frames 30 and 31 may be of various patterns or methods of construction
adapted to carry skives and mould boards, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, or cultivator
coulters or tines, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, or other agricultural appliances.
Figures 6 and 7 show the brackets 68 for fixing the tines to the frames 30, 31, on
removing the skives. If required the frames 30, 31, may be constructed so that
agricultural appliances of different kinds may be successively attached to them, so
as to prevent the necessity of removing the frames with every change of appliances,
or these frames may be made to carry only one kind of applianco, necessitating the
changing of the frames with each change of appliances. The changing of the
frames is effected by removing the studs 34 by which the frames 30, 31, are
connected to the links 32, and replacing them in the other frames and connecting
them with the links. The ends of the ropes 28, 29, are fastened to shackles 35 on
the frame 1; they pass thence over pullies 36, which revolve on spindles 37, carried
by the frames 30, 31, to the pullies 25, 21, as shown in Figure 2.
The wheel 3 (see the enlarged side and front elevations, Figures 8 and 9) runs
loosely upon a stud 38, carried by a bracket 39, keyed fast to a spindle 40, which
rises therefrom through and works loosely in a bracket 41 bolted to the frame 1.
The upper part of the spindle 40 is screwed, and passes through a bracket 42, which
is also bolted to the frame 1, and it is provided with a nut 43 by which the bracket 41
can be raised and lowered, the bolt holes 44 therein allowing of this motion in
order to regulate the penetrating depth of the plough. On the top of the spindle
a hand lever 45 is keyed, and is used for the purpose of keeping the wheel 3 straight
in the implement's journeys across the land.
46 represents a hand wheel which is used only at each end of the implement's
journeys for the purpose of turning the wheels 2, 2*, to the positions shown in
dotted lines, so that on the slack rope becoming the pulling rope the implement can
be more easily turned round thereby. The wheel 46 is keyed on a shaft 47, held in
brackets 69, and formed at its lower end as a worm 48, which gears into a worm
wheel 49, fast on a shaft 50, carried by the frame 1, and on which is keyed a rocking
lever 51, connected by a stud 52 to a rod 53, connected by a stud 54 to a carriage 55,
carried by and working freely on guide rods 56, supported by brackets 57, bolted

page_text: to the frame 1, and which carriage carries a stud 58, upon which works loosely a
double handled lever 59, connected by rods 60 to steering cranks 61, keyed fast on
the standards 6.
The frames 30, 31, balance each other by being suspended by a rope 62, which
passes over a grooved swivel wheel or snatch block 63 (see the enlarged side and
front elevations, Figures 10 and 11), carried by a bracket 64 working loosely, or
swivelling on a stud 65, carried by the frame 1, and on which stud works loosely a
two-winged support 66, which is operated by the foot of the ploughman or by any
suitable ineans, and is moved into position when required so as to come under the
frame 30 or 31 which is not in work, so as to support it and prevent its weight
effecting the frame which is in work.
On
As shown in Figure 2, 28 represents the pulling rope and 29 the slack rope.
the implement arriving at the end (A) of the field in the direction of which it is
supposed to be travelling (when 29 becomes the pulling rope) the ploughman who
sits on the seat 67 turns the hand wheel 46, which by the means described draws
the carriage 55 from the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, to the other end of the
guide rods 56, and this by the means described causes the wheels 2, 2*, to be
turned into the positions shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. The implement is then
ready for turning, and on 29 thus becoming the pulling rope, the implement is
caused to make a half circular backward turn or movement about the wheel 3,
which brings the plough into position ready to perform the return journey, and the
frame 30 to which the rope 29 is attached is pulled down into working position (the
support 66 being moved from under it), and this by means of the rope 62 draws the
frame 31 out of the ground into its raised position, where it is held by the support 66.
The ploughman then reverses the turning of the hand wheel 46, which causes the
carriage 55 to return to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, and puts the
wheels 2, 2x, in the direction of the return travel of the implement. The hand
levers 59 arc then free for steering the implement across the land under operation.
At each turning of the implement at the headlands the position of the rocking
frame 12 is automatically shifted, causing the wheel acting as the land wheel in the
one journey of the implement to become the furrow wheel in the return journey;
each front wheel thus acts alternately as a land wheel and as a furrow wheel.
each turning of the implement also the suspended frames are as above described
alternately lowered into working position and raised up out of the ground, the
frame which works in one direction not being used in working in the other direction.
The above described method of turning enables the implement to be drawn closer
to the motive power, which leaves a miniinum width of headland uncultivated. The
frames 30, 31, are arranged with right and left-hand skives and mould boards, so
that in all journeys of the implement the land furrows are laid in the same direction.
When these frames are in their raised position they are supported at an angle with
the ground (see Figure 1), so that upon lowering them the skives are caused to enter
the ground in succession (similar in effect to the operation of the ordinary balance
plough) at the moment of commencing their work upon the land; this has not
hitherto been accomplished in turning ploughs.
At
When used as a cultivator, or other implement than a plough, by attaching tines
in place of the skives and mould boards we prevent the rocking movement of the
wheels 2, 2x, and of the bar 12 by inserting pins in the standards 6.
The frame 1 and its attached gearing may also be utilized for harrowing by
attaching harrow frames to the frames 30, 31, which in this case need not be lifted
as above described, the rope 62 connecting them being disconnected, and also for
reaping and mowing by attaching reaper and mower frames to each side of the
frame 1 in lieu of the frames 30, 31.
Having now described the nature and objects of our said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, we would remark in conclusion that we do not limit ourselves to the
exact details shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, as the same may
obviously be varied or modified without in the least departing from the characteristic

page_text: features or principle of our Invention, but what we do claim as our Invention, is
the application and combination in turning cultivating apparatus of a permanent
frame, supported by forward travelling and steering wheels, acting alternately as
land and furrow wheels, and by a rear or hind wheel with removable balanced
frames of various patterns or methods of construction, adapted to carry skives,
mould boards, cultivator coulters, tines, or other agricultural appliances, and
alternately supported at an angle with the ground, and actuated so as to cause their
skives or cultivating appliances to enter the ground in succession, and to operate as
desired upon the land by the action of the rope (at the time the pulling rope) which
simultaneously causes the turning of the implement at each arrival at the headlands,
substantially as herein-above described, and as illustrated on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, J, the said Samuel Everard Woods, on behalf of the
said Arthur Henry Whewell and myself, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
S. E. WOODS. (L.S.)