Improvements in Machines for Tilling Land.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1894-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Tilling Land.
:
I BENJAMIN GEORGE HALL, of Allesborough, Pershore in the County of
Worcester, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in machines for tilling land, and has for
its object to provide more efficient means for digging or turning over land, and for
preparing it for the seed.
According to my invention provide in the framework of a digging machine,
two or more shafts, mounted transversely in the upper part of such framework in a
horizontal position, which shafts are bent in one or more places respectively, to
form cranks.
Over these bent cranks, are hooked or otherwise attached, (so as to allow of said
bent cranks rotating freely) the upper ends of forks or diggers, the lower or forked
ends of which would enter the ground at one stage of the revolution of the bent
cranks. Near the end of one of the beut crank shafts is keyed a gear wheel, which
engages with a similar wheel keyed to the other shaft, and the two shafts are so
arranged, that the one set of forks or diggers enters the ground sufficiently before
the other to enable the second set of forks to dig in the same manner as the first.
Stays or guides are provided pivoted to the rear part of the framework (which can
be used as a water tank for engine) on to the forks or diggers.
Suitable rollers are provided in the front part of the framework, for the purpose
of carrying machine and to serve as rear wheels for engine to which the machine
may be attached, and for breaking up the hard or large clods of earth after same
have been turned over by the forks or diggers.
A bevel-wheel is keyed on the front crank shaft to be connected by gearing with
the crank shaft of a steam or other suitable motor.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1803
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, Loudon, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Tilling Land.
:
I BENJAMIN GEORGE HALL of Allesborough, Pershore, in the County of
Worcester, Farmer 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in machines for tilling land and has for its
object to provide more efficient means for digging or turning over the soil and
preparing it for the seed.
According to my invention I provide a machine or arrangement of mechanism in
which one row of forks or digging tools digs behind the other so that a machine
can be constructed of half the ordinary width to perform the same amount of work,
or when both are of the same width, double- the amount may be done by using my
present invention, as with the usual form of digging machine.

page_text: °
Some of the advantages to be obtained by using my invention, are, that a digging
machine may be constructed of sufficiently small width to pass through gateways or
upon roadways without having to remove any part of the apparatus, and yet be
capable of tilling or digging over as large an area in the same time and as efficiently
as a much wider machine having a single row of forks. Moreover a narrow
machine will save time when commencing work, being easier to set in motion, and
it also adapts itself more readily to the irregularities of surface of the ground, and
is specially advantageous on heavy land which is often ploughed in narrow beds or
strips.
My invention is applicable to machines worked by animal or steam, electric, or
other power.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 and 2 show a side elevation and a rear view respectively of that part only
of a digging machine necessary to illustrate my invention, in connection with a
steam power engine, only the crank, flywheel and fire-box (or part of boiler) of the
engine being shown, the front rollers or supporting-wheels being also omitted.
To the boiler or firebox A of the steam engine or like motor, I fix large metal
plates or frames B, B1, B, either directly by bolts, or to flanged plates such as C
(Fig. 2) rivetted or bolted to the fire-box or boiler A, the front part of which is
supported in the usual manner upon rollers or wheels not shewn on the drawings,
said frames, together with two outer frames B2 B32, forming the fixed framework of
this portion of the digger.
A horizontal shaft D passes through suitable bearings in all the said frames, and.
is supported by the two outer ones B, and the inner one B', these three being
carried upon the axle E of the rollers F.
The intermediate frames B as well as the inner frame B¹, cause the weight of the
engine to be partly carried by shaft D, the two former being cut away or so
shaped as to avoid touching the rollers F as shewn by dotted line b in Fig. 1.
Upon the intermediate shaft D rest also two or more frames G. G. G. G.
continued some distance towards the rear for the purpose of supporting a number
of crank shafts H' H2 H3 H4, actuating the digger forks or tools, said frames G
together with the crank shafts and digger tools being capable of being raised when
desired upon shaft D as a pivot without any part of the machinery being thrown
out of gear.
The intermediate shaft D receives its motion by means of a bevel wheel I
engaging with another bevel wheel J upon a shaft K rotating in bearings on
brackets L M secured to the firebox A and frame B respectively, said shaft K
carrying at its upper end another bevel wheel N which receives motion from the
crank-shaft O of the engine.
Other well-known forms of gear may be used if preferred for driving the shaft D,
at or near the centre of which is keyed a pair of bevel wheels P P which cause the
machine to travel along by means of bevel gear QQQQ supported upon frame B¹
engaging with a bevel, toothed rim or wheel R carried within, or secured upon,
each of the rollers F. Each crank shaft H H H H is so arranged with the
same number of cranks, say four, at equal distances thereon, so that they will fall
in line when looked at end wise, and they are made so as to work in pairs H₁ H'
'and H* H*.
Upon the cranks of the crank shafts H₁ H2 I pivot, by means of flanges and
bolts as shewn, or otherwise, an equal number of connecting-rods, (only one of
which S is shewn on the drawings) which are produced below the lower crank and
enlarged at the bottom into cross-pieces T into which are secured the tines U of
the fork or digging tool in the ordinary manner.
Each pair of cranks upon the shafts H3 H', rotating in the same vertical plane
as those of the crank shafts H' H2, carries a similar connecting rod V carrying
digger forks or tools VI (Fig. 1) which dig or turn over the soil immediately in front
of the forks or tools U.
The two upper shafts H¹ H³ are not driven by the machinery but merely serve

page_text: in place of the usual rocking lever which I may substitute in place of said crank
shafts if preferred.
The two lower crank shafts H'H' carry cog wheels W, X keyed or rigidly fixed
thereon, and connected by idle cog-wheel Y (Fig. 1). The foremost cog-wheel W
gears into and is driven by a cog-wheel Z mounted upon intermediate shaft. D, or
in place of the cog-wheel Z, a bevel gear may be used for connecting the
shafts D and H. The water tank for supplying the boiler may be carried in a
suitable position as at Z in the rear of the machine and thus give extra weight and
power to the digger forks.
Levers or poles may be attached to the outer frames G projecting forwardly so
as to facilitate the raising of the forks or digger tools when the machine is passing
over an ordinary road.
Fig. 3 shows an adaptation of my arrangement to a small machine to be worked
by animal power.
It is found that where a single row of forks is used, the speed
of the latter has to be excessively great in proportion to the pace at which the
animal walks. But according to my invention two sets (or rows) of forks or tools
are employed, one behind the other, so that the relative speed of the digger forks
is reduced by one half and the animal is enabled to walk at the ordinary pace
without injuring the machine.
In this form of the apparatus, I have shewn two rocking levers 1.1 in place of
the cranks before mentioned, and the two crank shafts 2. 2 carrying the rods 3. 3
of the digger tools 4. 4 are driven by a cog-wheel 5 mounted upon an axle 6
carrying a wheel 7 gearing into an intermediate wheel 8 driven by cog-wheel 9
fixed rigidly upon the axle 10 of the roller 11.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In machines for digging land, the use of a digger tool or row of digger tools,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as shown by the
accompanying drawings.
2. In machines for digging land, the arrangement of mechanism whereby more
than one digger tool or set of digger tools can be made to dig one in front of
the other, substantially as herein before described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
3. In machines for digging land, the use of a pivotted framework G G carrying
rotatable crank shafts for the purpose of giving the required motion to a double set
or row of digging tools, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on
the annexed sheet of drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1894.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant: