IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS AND CULTIVATORS FOR ILLING THE SOIL
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel; of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS AND CULTIVATORS
FOR ILLING THE SOIL."-A communication from abroad by Joseph
Stephen Godfrey, of Leslie, County of Ingham, State of Michigan,
Tnited States of Amomine
Sealed the 24th May 1870, and dated the 20th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th December 1869.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in, the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
AND CULTIVATORS FOR TILLING THE Son," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly,. in the construction of a revolving
disc mould board for ploughs and cultivators. Such revolving mould
board is made of a disc form, with an outer or operative face slightly

page_text: concave or dish shaped. It is made of cast sheet or hammered iron or.
steel, or other metal or mixture of metals. It is hung by its axle in
about the position of the ordinary mould board, and at any desired angle
to the line of draft.
Another part of the Invention consists in combining with a plough or 5
cultivator a horizontal flange, to which to attach the box plate of the
aforesaid revolving mould board.
Another part of the Invention consists in making two or more slots
in the flange or box plate, such that from a point at or near the forward
edge of the revolving mould. board as a centre, such mould board can 1
be adjusted to any desired angle or pitch.
Another part of the Invention consists in combining with such mould
board and box plate a sand-tight box, as a bearing for the mould board
shaft.
Another part of the Invention consists in the construction of a 1
scraper for the revolving mould board, such scraper being attached to
the box plate and adjustable with it.
Another part of the Invention consists in the construction of a shin
piece extending from the rear of the plough point to the revolving
mould board, and having a circular rear edge which corresponds nearly?
or exactly to the curvature of the periphery of the mould board.
Another part of the Invention consists in extending the shin piece
up forward of the standard to a height at least equal to the running
depth of the plough.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
29
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant

page_text: unto me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her special licence that I, the
said Charles Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors, adminis-
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 ex-
pressed, 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 PLOUGHS AND
CULTIVATORS FOR TILLING THE SOIL,".a communication to me from abroad
by Joseph Stephen Godfrey, of Leslie, County of Ingham, State of
Michigan, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Oharles Denton Abel, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to sav

page_text: Fourth. In combining with such mould board and box plate a sand-
tight box as a bearing for the mould board shaft.
Fifth. In the construction of a scraper for the revolving mould
board, such scraper being attached to the box plate and adjustable
with it.
The before described improvements are shewn on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a plough
taken on the mould board side; Figure 2 is a front perspective view of
the opposite side; and Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the
back face of the mould board and its attachments. As here shewn the
beam b, standard 6', and land side b³ are cast in one piece. The point a¹
is of the usual or any known form, as also are the handles a. The shin
piece a is made with a forward edge to fit neatly on to the rear edge of
the point a', and so that their working faces at the joint of the two
shall be flush with each other. The rear edge of the 'shin piece a is of
circular form the curvature of such rear edge corresponding nearly or
exactly with the curvature of the periphery of the revolving mould
board d so that while they do not create frictional resistance by
contact with each other they may afford as little resistance as possible
to the earth as it passes from one to the other.. The rear end of the
beam 6 is made with an extension and on to such extension so as
to form part thereof is cast a horizontal flange n³ of any desired size
though it need not be very large.
flange n¹ is fastened by bolts and nuts
box plate m which carries the box m².
be cast in one piece as shewn or separately and be bolted together. The
box m¹ receives the shaft or axle of the mould board d and is made close
all round except at its forward end and at an oiling opening o. A
cap o¹ on the forward or open end of the box m' fits close up against the
rear face of the mould board d on the upper side of its axle so as to
exclude sand or earth as perfectly as possible from the bearings of the
axle. The oil cup or passage o should also be closed by a cap, screw, or
plug for the same reason. The revolving mould board d is made of a
disc form with an outer or operative face slightly concave or dish shaped.
It is made of cast, sheet, or hammered iron or steel, or other metal or
mixture of metals. It is hung by its axle c in about the position of the
ordinary mould board and at any desired angle to the line of draft. Fcr
the purpose of varying this angle and adjusting the pitch of the mould
On or against one face of this
i or in other convenient way a
The box plate m and box m¹ may

page_text: board to the character of the soil to be ploughed the box plate m is.
made adjustable on the flange n¹ by means of curved slots 8, 81, the
centre of the curvature of such slots being at or near the forward edge
of the mould board d. Then by loosening the nuts and bolts i the box
plate m may be swung around either way and with it the mould, board
so as to adjust the latter to any desired pitch or angle without lessening
to any material degree the perfectness of the joint made by the mould
board d and shin piece a. In order to keep the working face of the
mould board clean and also to prevent the axle c from leaving the box m²
there is bolted or otherwise secured to the box plate m a scraper g
which passes up over the edge of the mould board and presents to the
face of the latter a scraping edge. This scraper being fastened to the
box plate m is adjustable along with it so as always to preserve the
same position with reference to the working face of the mould board.
Its shank end may be slotted by which to adjust its scraping edge to or
from the face of the mould board. The slots 8, s¹, instead of being made
of a width equal to the thickness of the shanks of the bolts i and with
curved edges may be made wider and of a rectangular form, and thereby
give room for the circular adjustment described. Also such slots may
be made in the flange n¹ instead of in the box plate m. The shin
picce a is extended up in front of the standard 6' as shewn at a to a
height at least equal to the running depth of the plough, by which
means the standard 6' is protected against wearing out. The shin piece
is usually made of material more durable under frictional wear than
the standard, and also when it is worn out it can be renewed at less
cost.
It will be observed that the mould board described is so adjusted with
reference to the other parts of the plough that the furrow sliding up on
the shin piece strikes the mould board on its lower forward quadrant so
that it is caused to revolve by the action of the furrow alone. It should
not be set so low down as to come in contact with the bottom of the
furrow and the use of a separate driving wheel or other like device to
cause it to revolve is unnecessary as well as objectionable.
In order to apply the devices described to a plough having a wooden
beam, the flange n¹ is madé separate from the beam as shown in
Figure 4 and cast with one or more hangers h, h, slotted as shewn, or
with other like device for effecting an attachment to the rear end or

page_text: extension of the beam. In such case it is found best to make the
box plate m of the form shewn in Figure 5 and to bolt it on to the lower
face of the flange m.
I have described this Invention thus far with particular reference to
its application to a single plough. It may in like manner be applied to
each or all of a gang of ploughs, to cultivators, or any other like
implement designed for or adapted to turning over the soil. In any
such use the carth rises gradually along the point a¹ and shin piece a,
strikes the mould board d at some point along its lower forward
quadrant causing the mould board to revolve. The sliding friction of
the ordinary mould board is thus converted into rolling friction, being
transferred from the face of the mould board to the axle c. Also as the
earth leaves the mould board it is in consequence of the dish shape of
the latter thrown over outwards more perfectly than by the form of the
mould board heretofore in general use, thus more perfectly pulverizing
the soil and leaving it in such condition that less further work is needed
to prepare it for seed.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner it is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, what I claim is,-
First. The improved arrangement of the revolving disc mould board
of a plough or cultivator with reference to the other parts, such that the
mould board shall be caused to operate clear of the bottom of the furrow
and be caused to revolve by the action of the furrow alone substantially
as set forth.
°
Second. In a plough or cultivator a horizontal flange n¹ to which to
attach the box plate of a revolving mould board," substantially as
described.
Third. Making in the flange or box plate two or more slots such that
from a point at or near the forward edge of the revolving mould board!
as a centre such mould board can be adjusted to any desired angle or
pitch, substantially as described.
Fourth. In combination with such mould board and box plate a sand-
tight box as a bearing for the mould board shaft, substantially as
described.

page_text: Fifth. In combination with a revolving mould board a scraper g
attached to the box plate so as to be adjustable with it, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
OHAS. D. ABEL. (L.S.)