Improvements in Implements for Digging or Cultivating Land.
Year: 1895

page_text: 4 IVISIONAL VI DVITITIVAпон,
Improvements in Implements for Digging or Cultivating Land.
We, THOMAS ALBERT DARBY and SIDNEY CHARLES DARBY, both of Pleshey.
Lodge, Pleshey, in the County of Essex, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention has for its object improved arrangements and combinations of
parts whereby simplicity of construction, ease of operation and efficient work are
obtained.
The following is a description of one method of carrying our invention into effect
when applying it to a direct action cultivator. A number of tools are attached to
approximately vertical shafts and revolve approximately horizontally around and
with such shafts. A train of these tools is driven preferably by connecting rods
attached to cranks on the upper ends of the vertical shafts carrying the forks or
tools. These tools not only act upon the land as pulverizers but the very fact of
their breaking away the spits of earth and the resistance afforded by the solid
ground, causes each tool, as it throws the earth backwards, to do its part as a
propeller, and in order to give the greatest possible effect to this principle, we
construct the frame carrying the tools preferably in the shape of a V, so that each
diagonal line of tools has practically equal propelling power; thus, the leading
tool having removed its allotted quantity of earth, the next in succession has a clear
course for getting into position and strikes in at a point which, instead of retarding
the forward movement of the machine, continues its cut at that part of the
revolution which propels the machine forwards, and the remaining tools follow on
in like manner so that there is no impediment to any of the tools from the
disintegrated earth from the adjacent tools. These tools may be arranged in pairs,
or as many more as may be found practicable, on each vertical spindle and below
the frame; on the upper end of each spindle and above the frame is fixed an
arm having a crank pin, and these crank pins of each set of tools on each side of
the frame are connected to a connecting rod which gives a circular motion to its
group or set of vertical shafts; the vertical spindles on each side of the frame are
caused to work in unison by means of toothed wheels fixed on the two vertical
shafts at the angle of the frame and gearing into each other. To enable these
horizontally circular moving tools to return light for their next cut into the solid
earth, instead of revolving exactly in a horizontal plane, they are arranged in a
slightly inclined plane, each side of the frame inclining concave fashion towards
the opposite side.
We propose to make one form of this machine to attach behind any suitable
traction engine, and to connect the two by radial arms or otherwise; when
employing radial arms they may be connected with any part of the gearing and
the motive power may be taken through such arms, or motion may be communi-
cated from the traction engine gearing to that of the cultivator in any convenient
manner.
We also, in this class of cultivator, arrange the digging mechanism to adapt
itself to the ground independently of the supporting wheels of the engine, whilst at

page_text: the same time it can, by suitable mechanism, be lifted clear of the ground for
convenience of turning &c. from the tender or rear of the engine.
Another form of our machine is made self-contained and worked by its own
motor, which may be worked by steam, electricity, oil &c.
According to our invention we are enabled, by varying the tools, to construct a
class of machine which is very much needed, viz.: a very light implement for
surface work to be operated by either motor or horse power.
Other methods of arranging tools on a V frame may be adopted by us; for
instance, tools can be carried on endless chains or bands on either side of V frame,
or they might be worked in a straight line behind the machine.
For deep cultivation we use a tool having its upper end of V. form, for throwing
the top soil to a greater distance; one side of the tool gradually tapers away
downwards to nothing, so that the lower part of the tool merely acts as a subsoiler,
being narrower towards the point, so that at the bottom the soil is merely moved
or loosened.
Dated this 13th day of December 1895.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Implements for Digging or Cultivating Land.
We, THOMAS ALBERT DARBY and SIDNEY CHARLES DARBY, both of Pleshey
Lodge, Pleshey, in the County of Essex, Engineers, 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 :-
The invention has for its object improved arrangements and combinations of
parts whereby simplicity of construction, ease of operation, and efficient work, are
obtained with a minimum of wear and tear.
According to our invention a number of tools are attached to approximately.
vertical or slightly inclined shafts and revolve approximately horizontally or at a
slight inclination to the horizon around and with such shafts.
These tools not only act upon the land as pulverizers, but the very fact of their
breaking away the spits of earth and the resistance afforded by the solid ground,
causes each tool, as it throws the earth backwards, to do its part as a propellor of
the implement, and in order to give the greatest possible effect to this principle,
we construct the frame carrying the tools preferably in the shape of a V, so that
each diagonal line of tools has practically equal propelling power; thus the leading
tool having removed its allotted quantity of earth, the next in succession has a
clear course for getting into position and strikes in at a point which, instead of
retarding the forward movement of the machine, continues its cut at that part of
the revolution which propels the machine forwards, and the remaining tools follow:
on in like manner, so that there is only very slight impediment to. any of the tools
by the disintegrated earth from the adjacent tools. These tools may be arranged
in pairs, or as many more as may be found practicable, on each vertical spindle
and below the frame. By arranging these circular moving tools in slightly
inclined planes, those on one side of the frame being inclined in contrary direction
to those on the other side, the tools are caused, after each cut, to return light for
their next cut.
We propose to make one form of this machine to attach behind any suitable
traction engine and to connect the two by radial arms or otherwise, in which case
the digging mechanism is arranged to adapt itself to the ground independently of

page_text: the supporting wheels of the engine, whilst at the same time it can, by suitable
mechanism, be lifted clear of the ground for convenience of turning, &c. from the
tender of the engine.
Another form of the machine is self-contained and worked by its own motor.
Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Fig. 1 is a side clevation and Fig. 2 is a plan of one form of our improved land
digging or cultivating implement attached to and worked by a traction engine, and
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing one set of tools with its revolving shaft and
operating gearing.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the tools
represented on Figs. 1 to 3.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of a pair of tools constructed as described in our Provisional
Specification and the lower end of their shaft b drawn to a larger scale and
illustrating their operation on the land.
Fig. 7 is a plan of one of said tools and Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the
operation of the machine shown by above figs.
Fig. 9 is an elevation and Fig. 10 is a plan of another form of our improved
implement, which is self-contained and worked by its own motor, and Fig. 11 is a
view of one of the tools used with said implement drawn to a larger scale.
We will first describe the implement and its mode of operation as illustrated at
Figs. 1 to 8.
a a² are cultivating tools, which are carried by the lower ends of shafts & mounted
in bearings formed in or fixed to the main framing c. This frame is in the form of
a V with its apex towards the rear of the implement. On each of the shafts b is
fixed a bevelled wheel 6', and these wheels are driven by bevel wheels d' fixed
on two diagonal shafts d, which in their turn are driven by a cross shaft e, on the
ends of which are fixed bevel wheels el gearing into bevel wheels d fixed one on
each shaft d.
We prefer to use a traction engine as a motor, as represented at Figs. 1 and 2.
In this case we pass a shaft f through the coal-bunker of the engine, and we fix on
each end of said shaft a radius arm f¹; the cross shaft e passes through the outer
ends of the radius arms f¹, by which means the implement is allowed to rise and
fall according to the unevenness of the ground and to run on its own supporting
wheels gg independent of the traction engine or motor. Motion is communicated
from the traction engine or motor to the cross shafte by a toothed wheel ƒ³ fixed
on the axis f gearing with a toothed pinion e on the cross shaft e.
For facility of turning at the ends of the field, or to enable the implement to be '
moved from place to place, we employ a lifting cylinder / carried by the traction
engine or motor, the piston rod ' of which is connected by a chain / with one of the
radius arms f', said chain h passing over a quadrant / forming part of said radius
arm to avoid strain on the piston rod h¹. By these means the implement can be
lifted clear of the ground and carried bodily by means of the radius arms f, which
are acted upon by the lifting cylinder h, and it can be set down again when
required.
By mounting the shafts b at a slight inclination to the perpendicular, see Fig. 3,
the cultivating tools, after they have moved their allotted portion of earth, return
with as little resistance as possible for the next cut, the cultivating being done at
a lower level than the return stroke. We also give to the leading tools al a greater
angle than that given to the tools a, as they have to return over the solid ground,
while all the latter have the work opened for them by the previous cutter.
Instead of driving the tools a a' by toothed gearing as herein before described
and as shown in the drawings, they may be driven by cranks and connecting rods
as described in our Provisional Specification.
Other methods of arranging tools on a V shaped frame may be adopted.
For deep cultivation we use a tool having its upper end of V form, as illustrated
at Figs. 6 and 7, for throwing the top soil to a greater distance; one side of the
tool gradually tapers away downwards to nothing, so that the lower part of the
.

page_text: :
tool merely acts as a subsoiler, being narrower towards the point so that at
the bottom the soil is merely moved or loosened.
For ordinary cultivation we find it preferable to attach flat-footed triangular
shares, as shown at Figs. 4 and 5, to lower extremity of the cultivating tools a a¹;
these shares are easily replaced when worn out.
Fig. 8 shows the solid ground shaded, upon which the train of tools is operating
in two lines diagonal to the line of advance. Other mechanism than that shown
might be adopted to carry out this principle of causing the cultivating tools to
assist in propelling the implement.
We will now describe the implement represented at Figs. 9, 10 and 11, which is
of lighter construction than that above described, and designed for surface work
when the soil is loose and easily worked.
In this modification instead of mounting rigid cutters upon a single inclined
shaft b, we preferably use spring tools a*, as shown more clearly at Fig. 11,
attached to dish-shaped wheels fixed to inclined shafts b* 6** mounted in
Buitable bearings carried by the frame c. The shafts 6*6**, and consequently
the dish-shaped wheels and tools a*, are driven by bevel wheels b' fixed on their
upper ends, gearing into bevel wheels * fixed to cross shafts d* d**; the shaft d*
is driven direct from the engine i, which is carried by the framing c*, and motion
is communicated from the shaft d* to the shaft d** by chain wheels d³ d³ and
chain d'.
In order that the tools a¹* may not travel through the ground in the same
direction as the machine travels and thereby prevent the implement from going
forwards, we arrange the shafts 6*6** inclined to the perpendicular, in like manner
to the shafts b of the herein first described arrangement of implement, so that only
the tools on that. side of the dish wheels which travel in the opposite direction
to the machine penetrate the ground. Consequent on the form of the dish wheels b³,
the other tools travel above the ground, whilst those that penetrate the ground
propel the implement forward. The implement is carried by three or more
wheels the front one being used as a steering wheel.
The implement may be constructed with any number of dish shaped wheels 68,
-but we find it convenient to employ four, the two front ones being arranged side by
side with their spindles * inclining towards each other at their upper ends, so that
their tools may cultivate the middle portion of the ground traversed by the
machine; the two rear wheels are also arranged side by side but have their
spindles inclined away from each other in order that their tools may cultivate the
portions of ground traversed by the machine which were not cultivated by the
preceding tools.
According to our invention we are enabled, by varying the tools, to construct
a class of machine which is very much needed, viz.: a very light implement for
surface work to be operated by motor substantially as herein described or by
horse power, the implement being in such latter case provided with suitable
supporting and driving wheels from which motion is communicated to the tools, as
will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In implements for digging or cultivating land, the peculiar arrangements and
combinations of parts substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In implements for digging or cultivating land, the combination with a suitable
supporting frame and driving means, of tools carried by shafts slightly inclined
from the vertical, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
3. In implements for digging or cultivating land, the arrangement of tools
mounted and operating as herein described on a triangular frame, substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.

page_text: 4. An implement for cultivating land in which the tools are arranged in V form
and are set at such an angle as, whilst acting to cultivate the land, they also assist
in propelling the implement forwards, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 14th day of September 1896.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.