IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OB APPARATUS FOR. EFFECTING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Blythe Robinson, of Beverley, in the County
of York, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OB
APPARATUS FOR. EFFECTING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS."-A communication.
Sealed the 15th September 1857, and dated the 11th April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Blythe Robinson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th April 1857.
I, JOHN BLYTHE ROBINSON, of Beverley, in the County of York, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS," to be as.
follows:-
This Invention has reference to the subject matter of Letters Patent
bearing date the Tenth day of May One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three, and granted to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the term
of fourteen years from the day of the date thereof for Improvements in
Machinery or Apparatus for effecting Agricultural Operations, and which said
Letters Patent were, by a certain indenture, bearing date the Twentieth day of
December One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, and made between the
said John Henry Johnson of the one part, and Robert Romaine, then of
Montreal, in Canada, but then residing in Kelvedon, in the County of Essex,
Gentleman, of the other part, granted and assigned unto the said Robert
Romaine, his executors, administrators, and assigns, thenceforth for all the
residue then to come and unexpired of the said term of fourteen years granted.

page_text: by the said Letters Patent, and to the Specification filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office, and dated the Tenth day of November One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three in pursuance thereof: And this Invention has also
reference to the subject matter of Letters Patent bearing date the Sixth
day of January One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, and granted to
the said John Henry Johnson, for the term of fourteen years from the day of
the date thereof, for "Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for effecting
Agricultural Operations, Parts of the said Improvements being applicable for the
Obtainment of Motive Power for General Purposes," and which said last-
mentioned Letters Patent, by a certain indenture, bearing date the Twenty-first
day of December One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, and made between
the said John Henry Johnson of the one part, and the said Robert Romaine
of the other part, were granted and assigned unto the said Robert Romaine,
his executors, administrators, and assigns, thenceforth during all the residue
then to come and unexpired of the said term of fourteen years granted by
the said Letters Patent, and to the Specification of such last-mentioned Letters
Patent filed in the Great Seal Patent Office, and dated the Sixth day of July
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five: And this Invention has also refe-
rence to the subject matter of a Memorandum of Alteration of the Specification
of the said last-mentioned Letters Patent, of the Sixth day of January
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, under the hand and seal of
tho said Robert Romaine, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, and entered and filed by the said Robert
Romaine, as such assignee as aforesaid, pursuant to the Statutes in that case
made and provided: And this Invention has also reference to the subject
matter of Letters Patent bearing date the Eleventh day of September One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, and granted to me, the said John Blythe
Robinson, for the term of fourteen years from the day of the date thereof, for
Improvements in Machinery for Effecting Agricultural Operations," and to
the Specification of such last-mentioned Letters Patent, filed on the Ninth day
of March One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven in the Great Seal
Patent Office And this Invention consists in an ordinary locomotive boiler
attached to a light metal framework mounted on wheels, precisely similar to
the machine described or referred to in the last-mentioned Specification,
except that the main supporting wheels revolve loosely upon one instead of two
hollow axles passed transversely either under or through the shell of the boiler;
a shaft passes through this hollow axle, and is connected at each end and
outside the framework, by means of cranks and side rods, to one or more
steam engines placed on the top of the boiler; and this shaft is also connected
66

page_text: to the digging cylinder by the same means. The steam engines may either be
placed in the top of the smoke-box or on the top of the fire-box.
A modification of this Invention is the placing one or more steam engines
of the oscillating kind immediately under the boiler, in such manner as to be
connected directly with and drive the main crank shaft passing through the
centres of the main supporting wheels of the machine described or referred to
in the last-mentioned Specification; or these engines placed in such manner
that the crank shaft will be enabled to drive any other shaft passing through
the centre of the main supporting wheels. In order to steer the machine
more easily and more rapidly than has hitherto been done, I communicate
power from the steam engines to the steering apparatus in the front part of the
machine by means of suitable shafting and gearing; in like manner power will
be communicated to the back part of the machine to an apparatus for raising
and lowering the digging cylinder. In order to secure some of the gearing
attached to the digging cylinder of the machine from dirt and other incon-
veniences, the digging cylinder is driven by suitable gearing placed and
concealed within itself. I propose also in some cases to drive the digging
cylinder by connecting it directly to the first motion shaft or main crank shaft.
I also place, in connection with the crank shaft, suitable gearing capable of
driving the two main supporting wheels simultaneously in opposite directions.
Instead of driving the main supporting wheels by the annular and spur gearing
described in the Specification last mentioned, I propose to drive them by
means of annular or spur wheels, of less diameter than I have hitherto used,
attached to one side of such supporing wheels. I attach one or more rollers
or wheels to the digging cylinder, so as to enable it to maintain a proper and
uniform depth in the soil, and accommodate itself to the inequalities of the land
operated upon. I affix digging knives or cutters of peculiar forms to the
digging cylinder. I attach to the back part of the machine suitable instru-
ments of forming drills or furrows and for harrowing. For the purpose of
heating the feed water with a portion of the exhaust steam, a tank will bo
attached to the under side of tho smoke-box; and I place an apparatus in
the smoke-box for superheating the steam. This Invention also consists in
the application of endless railways or detached part of rails to the wheels of
the machine. For obtaining a greater bite or friction on the ground for the
purposes of locomotion, I apply skids or shoes to the main supporting wheels.