IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES AND APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND SOWING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Echard, of Paris, France, Agricultural
Implement Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES AND APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND SOWING."-A communication
from Mr. Estlimbaum, a person resident Rue de Bondy, 54, at Paris.
Sealed the 11th April 1860, and dated the 15th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Echard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
October 1859.
I, JOSEPH ECHARD, of Paris, (France,) Agricultural Implement Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES AND APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND SOWING," that it is a
communication from Mr. Estlimbaum, a person resident Rue de Bondy, 54,
at Paris, to be as follows:
These improvements, represented in various views in the annexed Drawings,
relate to an improved surface or furrow plough, serving at the same time as
an apparatus for sowing grain or seeds. Several ploughshares A may be
fixed to a proper lever mechanism B for causing them to dip more or less
deep into or be lifted out of the soil; the entire is carried by a pair of wheels C.
and is provided with a fixed hopper D containing the grain or seeds to be
sown, which latter are thrown out through apertures E by stirring vanes F
receiving motion from the carriage wheels G. The grain or seeds are then
conducted by proper tubes G into the. hollow or central part H of each plough-
.

page_text: share A, and they fall into the furrow made by this latter, and are then
covered with earth by a sort of prongs I, sliding plates K, actuated by proper
handles L serve for regulating the opening by which the grain or seeds leave
the fixed hopper D.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Echard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ECHARD, of Paris, France, Agricultural Implement Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Echard, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Echard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Echard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES AND APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND SOWING," a communi-
cation from Mr. Estlimbaum, a person resident Rue de Bondy, 54, at Paris,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Echard, my
executors or administrators, 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 Joseph Echard, 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:―
The leading or main parts of this Invention are, 1ly, a lever system for
lifting or for lowering the ploughshares or scarifying coulters according to the

page_text: depth at which they are to enter into the soil, or are to be lifted above this
latter when the implement is to be removed to another place. 2ly, a fixed
hopper, provided with an arrangement for the proper escape of the grain or
seeds during the operation of sowing them. 8ly, a new arrangement of
ploughshares or scarifying coulters. 4ly, a mode of introducing, conducting,
and guiding the grain or seeds in the large tubular part of the ploughshares.
I now will describe the details of the parts just mentioned, and will refer
thereby to the annexed Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a side elevation
view of the implement, of which Fig. 2 shows a similar view, taken from
behind, that is to say, from the side where the workman who operates the
machine has to place himself; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken over
the middle of one of the ploughshares; Fig. 4 shows a front view of the
hopper or trough for the grain or seeds, the working parts of this hopper being
removed; while Fig. 5 shows the same hopper provided with the arrangement
for regulating the exit of the grain or seeds; Fig. 6 is a top view of the
hopper divided by partition plates in compartments, each of which corresponds
with its respective ploughshare; Fig. 7 shows a series of agitators, one of
them in each compartment, and serving for stirring the grain or seeds, so as
to prevent any subsidence of them at the bottom of the hopper; Fig. 8 shows
the arrangement for allowing the grain or seeds to fall through proper per-
forations at the bottom of the hopper when one or more compartments require
to be emptied. In the Figs. 1 to 8 corresponding parts are indicated by the
same letters of reference.
The implement consists of a suitable square or rectangular frame A provided
with a thill B, for a horse to draw the same by means of the two wheels C; a
hopper or trough E for containing the grain or seeds to be sown is fixed on
the top of two frames D, serving also as bearings for the axis or arbor of the
agitators y; F is the lid for the hopper, which, when turned up, comes to rest
upon two brackets G. The arrangement for rising or lowering the plough-
shares is as follows:-A three-sided frame H is connected to a lever J, the
two lateral sides of this frame turn on a pin I, and towards the middle of
their length they are suitably curved, in order not to interfere with the motion
of the axle of the implement; the lever J has two arms or handles, forming a
fork for the workman to take hold of with both hands when he wishes to rise
or to lower the ploughshares K, the number of which latter varies according
to the size of the implement, though it is preferable to have five of them at
each machine; the said shares K are fixed by suitable iron straps to the back
of the frame H, and their position may be shifted, so as to leave any required
distance between any two of them; they are cast in one piece, and provided

page_text: with a round hollow stem or shank, forming a tube open at both ends; a bent
tube: L, with a funnel-shaped. top is inserted into the upper end, while at the.
lower part of this shank the grain or seeds are delivered to the soil. To each
share K are cast two ears n, between which the stem of a pair of prongs O is
allowed to turn on a pin p; the distance between the arms of, each prong O
must be equal to the breadth which, when inserted in the soil, the ploughshare
presents at the level of this latter. Q is a sector, provided with a series of
holes for regulating, by means of a pin q, the height at which the shares are
lifted. From Fig. 4 may be seen, that in the perforated or front part of the.
hopper E each hole R is situated exactly opposite its respective ploughshare;
the form and size of these holes must be regulated in such manner as to form.
proper exit holes for the grain to fall through, while in front of the said
holes, R are situated two sheet-iron plates or sliding doors U, U', gliding over
each other in proper slots; by turning a key S, T, a to-and-fro motion may be
imparted simultaneously to both plates U and U¹, but in contrary directions.
to each other, and as they are provided with apertures corresponding in form
and size with those of the holes .R, these apertures will be caused to overlap
each other more or less according to the extent of the motion of the key S, T,
and thus leave more or less opening for the grain or seeds to pass through.
The outside plate U is provided with small sliding doors v,. provided with a
knob for actuating them separately, and by means of these doors temporarily
shut one or more of the holes R, as may be requisite. The hopper E is fixed
on the top of the frames D, so that the horse in the thill carries the weight
thereof; this hopper is shown in plan view in Fig. 6, and is divided in
compartments, while, by means of suitable doors y, extending only to about
one-half of the depth of the hopper, but a small quantity of grain at a time is
allowed to fall at the bottom of the hopper, thus preventing the clogging of
the grain or seeds. In Fig. 7 the agitators y are shown fixed to a shaft
provided with a pinion z, which, by an endless chain, receives motion from a
wheel 2' situated on the axle of the implement, and is provided with proper
arrangement for throwing in or out of gear. It will be observed, that the
combination of the action of the agitators y¹ with the position of the holes R
corresponding with these latter, will cause the grain or seeds to leave the
hopper. In order to offer a ready means for emptying the hopper from its
contents, the bottom of each compartment t has a hole (4), similar to those R,
and plates (1) provided with corresponding holes may be made to glide in
slides or grooves (2) by means of small levers (3), so as to cause holes of the
said plates (1) to correspond or not with the holes (4), in the first case
opening, and in the second shutting these holes.

page_text: Fig. 9 shows a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the implement, provided
with a modified arrangement for actuating the ploughshare, that is to say, for
lifting them more or less high; Fig. 10 shows a separate part thereof, and in
both figures corresponding parts are indicated by the same letters of reference..
In this modification an arbor A situated parallel to the axle in front of and
towards the upper part of the ploughshares is held by two ears B, forming.
part of the said shares, or fixed to the frame H; this arbor A is provided with
a series of small prongs C, between each of which a ploughshare is inserted, so
as to make the said prongs serve for clearing the shares from clods, strong.
herbs, or other objects which would form an impediment to the progress of the
ploughshares if not shaken, to pieces by the shaking motion imparted to the
said prongs C from the wheels of the implement by means of two lever arms
D, D', fixed on the arbor A nearly at a right angle with the prongs, and on
the free end of which arins D, D¹, act single, double, or triple cogs F, or-a-
proper excentricum fixed to the axle of the implement, which cogs F, by the
revolving of the said axle, will cause the arms D, D', and consequently the
prongs C to rise and fall for a certain number of times during each rotation of
the wheels. At the back of the implement towards the middle of the breadth
of the frame H carrying the ploughshares K is fixed a curved rack G, in
which acts a pinion I worked by a handle J, by turning which the rack, and
consequently the frame H and ploughshares, will be lifted or lowered with
great facility.
It will be observed, from the above description, that the implement allows of
sowing in rows or in shelving beds, while, when the soil should require it,
either by excess of moisture, or from other reasons, the following disposition or
modification in the mode of working may be made, the tubes L being lifted out
of the stem of the ploughshares K, the position of these tubes may be shifted,
so as to be situated with their lower opening in front of and at about the
middle of the height of their respective shares, by which arrangement the grain
or seed will fall in front of the shares, which will throw up the earth in the
same measure as the grain or seed leaves the tubes L, which earth will be
thrown on each side over the grain or seed, and properly bury this latter, as in
a shelve, whereas the moisture may collect in the furrows.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to the
precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe, as
many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the main
features of the said Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original,

page_text: and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is,-
1ly, the general arrangement of the implement with fixed hopper or trough
for containing the grain or seeds to be sown, the special arrangement of this
hopper with the agitators, and the mode of regulating the exit of the grain or
seeds, and also for emptying the hopper.
2ly, the arrangement of the ploughshares or scarifying coulters with hollow
stem, the moveableness of the said ploughshares and the lever arrangement
for raising or lowering them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Echard, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
Witness,
DREYFOUS,
Eng. Civil.
J. ECHARD. (L.S.)