IM. PROVEMENTS IN TILLING LAND, AND IN ACTUATING AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS BY STEAM POWER, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fowler, junior, William Worby, of Ipswich,
and David Greig, of New Cross, Deptford, for the Invention of " IM.
PROVEMENTS IN TILLING LAND, AND IN ACTUATING AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
BY STEAM POWER, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."-Partly a
munication from abroad by Messrs. Schubart and Hesse, of Dresden.
Sealed the 1th October 1860, and dated the 18th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fowler, William
Worby, and David Greig at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 18th April 1860.
We, JOHN FOWLER, junior, of Cornhill, WILLIAM WORBY, of Ipswich, and
DAVID GREIG, of New Cross, Deptford, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TILLING LAND. AND IN ACTUATING AGRICULTURAL
IMPLEMENTS BY STEAM POWER, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in tilling land, and in
actuating agricultural implements by steam power, and in apparatusemployed
therein, and consists, firstly, in a method of actuating diggers or implements
furnished with tilling tools, which are caused to pass into or through the land,
so as to move or disturb it by having a motion imparted to them independent

page_text: of the motion of the carriage by which they are carried. In actuating such
implements by steam power according to this Invention, an endless rope is
employed; this rope is stretched from headland to headland, where it passes
over pullies or drums, and it is kept in motion by suitable winding apparatus.
To the endless rope the carriage of the implement is attached, and is by it
drawn to and fro, the motion of the rope being reversed in direction each time
that the implement comes to a headland; and in order to give motion to the
tilling tools the return rope or portion of the endless rope which travels in the
opposite direction to the implement is made use of by passing it round or over
a suitable drum or instrument; thedrum or instrument thus receives motion,
and this by gearing or apparatus is communicated to the tilling tools. The
slack of the winding rope is taken up by means of a drum or druins mounted
on the implement. In place of connecting the carriage of the imple:aent
with the endless rope the wheels of this carriage may be driven by gearing
actuated by the rope which gives motion to the tilling tools, and in this case
the slack of the endless rope is wound up on a drum carried by a separate
carriage attached to the endless rope.
For the purpose of harrowing land harrows are commonly employed con-
sisting of frames, from the under side of which tines or teeth project, these
rest on the land, and by the weight of the frame are caused to some extent to
penetrate it. According to this Invention, to actuate such harrows by steam
power acting through a traction rope, the traction "rope" is attached to an axle
carried bya pair of wheels, this axle is by drag chains linked with the harrows,
and the drag chains are so connected with the harrows that they can traverse
from end to end thereof; this is conveniently done by fixing a bar on each of
the harrows, along which an eye on the end of the drag link can slide; by this
arrangement when after drawing the harrows over the land in one direction
the motion of the traction rope is reversed, the drag links slip to the other end
of the harrows, so that they may be drawn in the other direction without
being turned round, the drag link being at the front part of the harrow,
whether it be travelling in one or other direction. The axle of the wheels is
made telescopic, in order that the distance between the wheels may be
adjusted to receive a greater or lesser number of harrows between them, and
a steering lever or other suitable steering apparatus is applied to the axle and
wheels. The same arrangement may be applied for drawing to and fro over
land other similar implements, which may be drawn to and fro over the land
without turning when the direction in which they travel is reversed. In
giving motion to agricultural implements a hauling rope is frequently
employed, which is put in motion by being wound up on drums, first at oue

page_text: end and then at the other, one of the drums winding up the rope at one end
while the other drum allows the rope at the other end to be drawn offfrom it.
Now, when this arrangement is adopted, it is found necessary to check the
revolution of the drum off which the rope is being drawn, in order to prevent
the rope becoming slack and falling down on the land, as, were it allowed to
do so,its rapid motion while resting on the land would rapidly destroy it; this
druin.therefore,has usually been checked by means of a break, a considerable
amount of power being thereby uselessly expended. Now, according to this
Invention the drum from which the rope is being drawn is geared with the
drum which is winding up the rope in such a manner that the former in
revolving tends to drive the latter at a greater speed than that at which it
itself revolves, and a friction apparatus is interposed between the two, which,
by slipping when a sufficient strain is put on it, allows the drum from which
the rope is drawn to revolve when necessary as fast or faster than the winding
drum, but as it has a tendency to revolve at all times at a considerably slower
speed, the rope as it passes from the winding apparatus is kept tight, and this
is done with but little expenditure of power, as the same friction which holds
back the drum from which the rope is being drawn assists in driving the
winding drum.
In transmitting the power of a steam engine towinding drums foractuating
agricultural implements a pitch chain and chain wheels are sometimes
employed, but difficulty is experienced from the stretching of the chain. To
obviate this difficulty the chain wheel is so constructed that its working
diameter can be increased as the chain stretches, this is done by setting the
surface on which the chain rests at a greater distance from the centre of the
wheel, and also the distance of the teeth of the wheel from the centre may be
made capable of adjustment.
According to this Invention also pitch chains to transmit the power of a
steam engine to winding drums for actuating agricultural implements are
constructed in the following manner-Every alternate link of the chain is
formed by bending and welding up a flat bar into an oval link, and these links
are connected together end to end by other links, each formed of two plates
and a pair of metal pins or rivets; the ends or each adjacent pairof the first
mentioned links lay between the two plates of oneof the latter or connecting
links, and the pins are passed through the ends of the side plates, and also
through the oval links,and have heads formed on them at each end. Spaces
are left between the flat plates of the connecting links and between the ends
if the oval links, and these spaces serve to receive the teeth of the chain
wheel.

page_text: The Iuvention also relates to the construction of implements for ploughing
land by steam power. For this purpose a frame is employed, the front of
which is supported by an axle and a pair of wheels, and the axle and
wheels are combined with steering and locking apparatus. The back of the
frame is supported on a single castor or pivot wheel. Ou the frame above
mentioned two other frames are mounted, one on each side of the centrelincof
the first frame, and they are arranged so that they may be raised and lowered
as respects the first frame; it is convenient to centre the fore parts of the
latter frames to the fore part of the first frame, aud to raise and lower the
rear ends of the latter frames by suitable gearing. A set of shares, mould
boards, and coulters is mounted on each of the rising frames, the set towork
in one direction being mounted on one frame, and that to work in the other
direction on the latter frame; both ends of the hauling rope are attached to
the front of the implement, where drums are provided to take up the slack of
the rope, and the implement turns each tiune it arrives at a headland. As
the implement travels to and fro over the land, each of the leading wheels
alternately runs in the furrow and on the land but the castor or pivot wheel
runs at all times on the land, the width of work produced by each traverse
being somewhat less than half the width of the implement.
An implement constructed as above described may have sacrifying tines or
other tools mounted on it, and then but one rising frame of the full widthof
the implement need be employed, the tools on both sides of the implement
being in work at the same time, and a time may be employed to take out the
trace of the pivot wheel if necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fowler, William Worby and David Greig in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 18th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHAL COME, we, JOHN,
FOWLER, junior, of Cornhill, WILLIAM WORBY, of Ipswich, and DAVID GREIG
of New Cross, Deptford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reiga, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Fowler, William Worby, and David Greig, Her special licence
that we, the said John Fowler, William Worby and David Greig, our execu-

page_text: tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Fowler,
William Worby, and David Greig, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN TILLING LAND. AND IN ACTUATING AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS BY
STEAM POWER, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," the saine is the result,
partly of communication from abroad made to us by Messrs. Schubart and
Hesse, of Dresden, and partly of invention and discovery made by ourselves,
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Fowler, William
Worby, and David Greig, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and scal of
one of us or them, 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 David Greig. on behalf of myself and
the said John Fowler and William Worby, 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, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its objectimprovementsintillingland,and in actuating
agricultural implements by steam power,and in apparatus employed therein,
and consists.firstly, in a method of actuating diggers or implements furnished
with tilling tools, which are caused to pass into or through thelandsoastomove
or disturb it, by having a motion imparted to them independent of the motion
of the carriage by which they are carried. In actuating such implements by
steampower,accordingto this Invention,an endless rope is employed, this rope
is stretched from headland to headland, where it passes over pulleys or drums,
and it is kept in motion by suitable winding apparatus. To the endless rope
the carriage of the implement is attached, and is by it drawn to and fro, the
motion of the rope being reversed in direction each time that the implement
comes to a headland. And in order to give motion to the tilling tools, the
return rope or portion of the endless rope which travels in the opposite
direction to the implement is made use of bypassing it round or over a suitable
drum or instrument; the drum or instrument thus receives motion, and this
by gearing or apparatus is communicated to the tilling tools. The slack of

page_text: the winding rope is taken up by means of a drum or drums mounted on the
implement
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating this arrangement; Arepresents a winding
drum on one of the headlands; it is driven by a steam engine in any con-
venient manner,and as is now ordinarily practised in steam ploughing; Bis
an endless rape actuated by the said winding drum; C is a pulley on the
opposite healland; the drum A and the pulley C traverse along their head
lands as the work progresses. D represents the implement. it is carried on
wheels 1-1, and is attached to the rope B. The implement may be of con-
structions heretofore adopted when tilling tools, which are caused to pass into
or through the land by having a motion communicated to them independent
of the motion of the carriage by which they are carried, are employed. The
tilling tools of this instrument are geared with a wheel or pulley 2, round
which the rope passes; and it will be seen that as the rope draws the imple-
ment forward, the wheel or pulley 2 will be driven at a circumferential speed
equal to double the speed of the implement. The tilling tools are to formed
that the implement may be drawn to and fro over the land without turning;
3, 3, are drums mounted on the implement for winding up the slack of the
rope B. In place of connecting the carriage of the implement with the endless
rope, the wheels of this carriage may be driven by gearing actuated by the
rope which gives motion to the tilling tools, and in this case the slack of the
endless rope is wound up on a drum carried bya separate carriage attached to
the endless rope.
This arrangement is illustrated by the Diagram, Figure 2. A is a winding
drum; B, an endless rope, and C a pulley, as before; D is an implement
differing from that already described; in that the druins for taking up the
slack of the rope are not mounted upon it, the implement not being attached
to the rope,and also in that the wheels which carry the implement are geared
to the same wheel or pulley 2, which drives the tilling tools, and thus the
implement is made to travel forward. The slack of the rope B is taken up on
two drums 3, 3, carried by a separate carriage. In this arrangement, the
speed of the implement does not depend on the speed of the rope, as the
gearing may be set to drive the implement at any speed which may be
desired.
For the purpose of harrowing land, harrows are commonly employed con-
sisting of frames, from the under side of which tines or teeth project; these
rest on the land, and by the weight of the frame are caused to some extent
to penetrate it. According to this Invention, to actuate such harrows by steam
power acting through a traction rope, the traction rope is attached to an axle

page_text: carried by a pair of wheels; this axle is by drag chains linked with the
harrows,and the drag chains are so connected with the harrows that they can
traverse froin end to end thereof; this is conveniently done by fixing a bar on
each of the harro vs, along which an eye on the end of the drag link can slide.
By this arrangement, when after drawing the harrows over the land in one
direction, the motion of the traction rope is reversed, the drag links slip to the
other end of the harrows, so that they may be drawn in the other direction
without being turned round, the drag links being at the front part of the
harrow, whether it be travelling in one or other direction. The axle of the
wheels is made telescopic in order that the distance between the wheels may
be adjusted to receive a greater or lesser number of harrows between them,
and a steering lever or other suitable steering apparatus is applied to the axlo
and wheels.
Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 4 is a front view of an implement so
arranged. a is. a tube, to which the chains b, b, for drawing the implement
are attached; c, c, are rods entering the tube a, one at each end; they can be
caused to project more or less out from the tube, and can be secured by set
screws in any desired position. At their outer ends they are turned up at
right angles to receive bosses l, d.capable of turning freely upon them; from
these bosses studs e, e, project, and carry the wheels ff; also from the same
bosses arins g, g, spring, and these are connected by rods h, h, so that the
wheels can be placed at any angle to the frame or tube and rods and c, c,
but are held at all times parallel the one to the other. i, i, are hand levers
forming prolongations of the arms g, g, on one side of the implement; by
these the wheels are guided, and the implement steered. j.j.j, are three
ordinary harrows; a greater number will, however, be usually employed with
the implement; they are each furnished with a diagonal bar j', and from this
a drag chain passes either to the tube a or to one of the ruds c,c, according to
the position of the harrow, and as is shewn by the Drawing. The drag chains
are made of such length that the harrows may be drawn along at a convenient
distance behind the axle. When the implement comes to a headland, it is so
steered as to carry the harrows on to a fresh strip of land, and the: the motion
of the rope being reversed, the implement returns without turning to the
opposite headland,the wheels and axle passing over the harrows and the eyes
of the drag chains passing from end to end of the diagonal bars, j',j', fixed to
the harrows.
The same arrangement may be applied for drawing to and fro over land
other similar implements, such as chain or bush harrows, or implements for
pressing land which may be drawn to and fro over the land without turning

page_text: when the direction in which they travel is reversed. In giving motion to
agricultural implements,a hauling rope is frequently employed which is put in
motion by being wound upon drums first at one end and then at the other,
one of the drums winding up the rope at one end, while the other drum allows
the rope at the other end to be drawn off from it. Now, when this arrange
ment is adopted, it is found necessary to check the revolution of the drum off
which the rope is being drawn in order to prevent the rope becoming slack
and falling down on the land, as were it allowed to do so, its rapid motion
while resting on the land would rapidly destroy it; this drum, therefore, has
usually been checked by means of a brake, a cousiderable amount of power
being thereby uselessly expended. Now, according to this Invention the
drum from which the rope is being drawn is geared with the drum which is
winding up the rope in such a manner that the former in revolving tends to
drive the latter at a greater speed than that at which it itself revolves, and a
friction apparatus is interposed between the two, which by slipping when a
sufficient strain is put on it, allows the drum from which the rope is drawn to
revolve when necessary as fast or faster than the winding drum; but as it has
a tendency to revolve at all times at a considerably slower speed, the rope, as
it passes from the winding apparatus, is kept tight, and this is done with but
little expenditure of power, as the same friction which holds back the drum
from which the rope is being drawn assists in driving the winding drum.
Figure 5 is a side view of the apparatus we employ for this purpose, and
Figure 6 shews a portion of the same on a somewhat larger scale; a and b
are the two winding drums, they are both mounted so that they can revolve
freely on the axis c, and they have toothed wheels a' and 6' fixed to them;
d is a vertical axis driven by the steam engine, and e andarepinions mounted
loosely on the axis d, but capable of being clutched to it by the ordinary
clutches e and f'; as the pinions e and gear into the spur wheels a¹ and b¹ on
the drums, either of these drums can be driven so as to wind up the rope by
clutching the pinion to the axis d: Each of the drums a and b has also teeth
cut on its flange a², 62, and on the axis d are corresponding pinions g and h,
which can both turn and slide freely on their axis. Roundaboss attached to each
of these pinions a friction-strap i passes, which is capable of being tightened
up by a screw as may be required, and between the two ends of the friction
strap a lug projecting from one of the clutches enters, and the tightening screw
passes through it. It will thus be seen that when one of the driving pinions,
say the pinion e, is clutched to its axis d, and the other driving pinion, say f,
is at the same time thrown out of gear, that the pinion g, which is connected
with the clutch of the pinion e, is moved so as to be out of gear with the

page_text: teeth a² on the flange of the drum a, and the corresponding pinion h is thrown
into gear with the teeth be of the drum 6, from which latter drum, when the
engine is put in motion, the rope is to be drawn off. The rope being drawn
from this drum causes it to revolve, and indeed, were there no rope on it, it
would be diven by the pinion h, but at a lower speed than is required when
there is rope upon it, to unwind the rope (even when the winding drum a
has no rope coiled it, and the other drum b, has several layers of rope upon
it, consequently the rope can only be drawn off by causing the pinion h to
turn in its friction strap, the friction strap itself being unable to turn more
rapidly than the axis d, the clutch to which it is connected being incapable
of turning independently of the axis d, consequently the clutch tending
constantly to revolve quicker than the axis helps to drive it. When the
motion of the hauling rope is to be reversed the other clutch and pinion is
thrown into gear, whilst those previously at work are thrown out, the engine
also is reversed.
According to this Invention also pitch chains to transmit the power of a
steam engine to winding drums for actuating agricultural implements are
constructed in the following manner-Every alternate link of the chain is
formed by bending and welding up a flat bar into an oval link, and these links
are connected together end to end by other links, each formed of two plates
and a pair of metal pins or rivets; the ends of each adjacent pair of the first-
mentioned links lay between the two plates of one of the latter or connecting
links, and the pins are passed through the ends of the side plates, and also
through the oval links, and have heads forined on them at each end. Spaces
are left between the flat plates of the connecting links, and between the
ends of the oval links, and these spaces serve to receive the teeth of a chain
wheel.
Figure 7 is a plan, and Figure 8 a side view of a chain so constructed;
a, a, are the oval links; b, b, the plates, and c, c, the pins, passing through
holes in the plates and through the links. Each of these pins has a head at
both ends.
The Invention also relates to the construction of implements for ploughing
land by steam power. For this purpose a frame is employed, the front of
which is supported by an axle and a pair of wheels, and the axle and whee's
are combined with steering and locking apparatus. The back of the frame is
supported on a single castor or pivot wheel. On the frame above mention ed
two other frames are mounted, one on each side of the centre line of the first
frame, and they are arranged so that they may be raised and lowered; us

page_text: respects the first frame it is convenient to centre the fore parts of the latter
frames to the fore part of the first frame, and to raise and lower the rear ends of
the latter frames by suitable gearing. A set of shares, mould boards, and coulters
is mounted on each of the rising frames, the set to work in one direction,
being mounted on one frame, and that to work in the other direction on the
other frame. Both ends of the hauling rope are attached to the front of the
implement, where drums are provided to take up the slack of the rope, and
the implement turns each time it arrives at a headland. As the implement
traverses to and fro over the land each of the leading wheels alternately runs
in the furrow and on the land, but the castor or pivot wheel runs at all
times on the land; the width of work produced by cach traverse being
somewhat less than half the width of the implement.
Figure 9 is a side view, and Figure 10 a plan of an implement so con-
structed. a, a, is a metal frame surrounding the implement; the two ends of
this frame enter between two plates b, b, the top one of which is clearly seen
in the plan Figure 10; the under one is similar in form, and is connected to
the top plate at the two ends, the ends of the plates being bent at right angles
and rivetted the one to the other; they thus enclose between them a space
in which are contained the drums c, c, for taking up the slack of the rope by
which the implement is drawn; an end of the rope is wound on each of the
drums, and the drums are locked, when the rope is wound up tight by suitable
pawls. The ends of the frame are secured to bolts or rivets a', and the
drums c, c, turn on axes c¹, c', fixed in the plates b, b; d is a pin passing
through the plates b, b, and e is an axle underneath the lower plate b, and
capable of turning freely on the pin d. The axis e terminates at each end in
a casting; in each of these castings are fixed vertical guides, and on these
guides blocks slide, from which studs project carrying the wheels g, g, for
supporting the implement; h, h, are screws by which the blocks can be
traversed along their guides so as to set the wheels higher or lower, as may
be required, to compensate for one of the wheels running in the furrow, and
the height of the wheels will require to be adjusted each time the implement
turns. The hinder part of the implement is supported by a swivel wheel g¹.
The bars i, i, are part of the main frane of the implement, they pass around
the piu d, between the plates b, b, near the front of the implement, and are
rivetted to the frame a, a, at the back thereof; j,j, are two frames carried by
the main frame; they are jointed to the ends of the plates b, and to the bars
, i, as is shown; these frames j, j, carry the ploughs, as is shewn. When the
implement is at work, one set of ploughs is always carried out of the land, the

page_text: frame carrying the same being raised by winding up a chain attached to it on
to one of the small drums k, l, which are worked by a handle and suitable
gear, so that the raising one set of ploughs depresses the other.
The steering of the implement may be effected in any convenient manner,
the wheels being free to lock round. A convenient arrangement is to
centre a lever on the top plate b, and link the said lever at one end to the
axle, and at the other end to a screw nut working on a screw mounted in
bearings on the plate b, and actuated by a hand wheel. When the implement
arrives at a headland the engine is stopped, and the ploughs which have been
working are raised till both sets of ploughs are at the same level, when all
the ploughs will be clear, or sufficiently clear, of the land; the wheels are
then locked over by the steering apparatus, and the engine, having been
reversed, is again set to work, the implement immediately turns round, and
the traction rope of the last bout falls into its guides a¹, a¹, on the frame «;
as it becomes the return rope, the implement having been steered to the land
to be worked, the set of ploughs previously out of action is lowered and the
work proceeds as before.
An implement constructed as above described may have scarifying tines or
other tools mounted on it, and then but one rising frame of the full width of
the implement need be employed, the tools on both sides of the implement
being in work at the same time, and a time may be employed to take out the
trace of the pivot wheel, if necessary. Figure 11 is a side view, and figure 12
a plan of such an implement; it differs from the plough already described
principally in that one frame only of tilling tools is employed, centred to the
main frame at a, a, as is shewn. The wheels do not require to be raised
and lowered, and are therefore mounted directly on the axle. The steerage
is effected by cords attached to the axle and passing round winding drums
actua'ed by a hand wheel, as is shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Greig, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
DAVID GREIG. (L.S.)