A Hand Plough for Planting and Earthing Up Potatoes, and for other purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 23rd July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Hand Plough for Planting and Earthing Up Potatoes, and for
other purposes.
I SAMUEL WATTS of No. 9 Keyford Street Frome in the County of Somerset
Cycle Maker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of a double furrow band plough provided with a handle
set at a suitable angle and adapted for use in certain gardening and similar
operations, the said plough being so shaped and arranged that on being drawn
along in light soil a portion of the soil is turned up on each side thus forming
a trench or drill with a furrow on each side. When the trench or drill is drawn
between rows of potatoes or other growing crops the furrows are turned up on each
side thus performing the operation known as earthing up, the trench or furrow may
be drawn for planting potatoes or other seeds the furrows being again turned into
the drills to cover the seeds by using the plough on its side as hereinafter described.
may make the plough of two sheet steel shares bent to a suitable shape and joined
at one end and forming at the bottom edge a V of more or less acute angle
as desired. The shares may be curved in such a manner as to form when joined a
suitable point to enter the soil and to turn the soil removed readily and easily up
each side thus forming the furrow. The front edges of the shares where joined
together may be turned forward a sufficient distance to form a parting edge and
also to join the shares together by riveting or by other means, the parting edge
thus formed at the junction of the shares serving to assist in dividing the soil.
A stay bar or spreader may be fixed near the rear ends of the shares the said stay
bar or spreader serving to keep the rear ends of the shares a suitable distance
apart, and may also be used to assist in fixing the handle, the handle being also
attached to the top part of the junction of the shares or in other convenient manner.
When the plough is formed of two shares as before described the means of joining.
may be a hinge or hinges and the spreader may be made to lengthen or shorten
thus altering the angle formed by the shares and producing in use a wider or
narrower trench or drill as desired. The handle being fixed at a suitable angle the
trench or drill may be made deeper or shallower by lowering or raising the handle
when using or the handle may be made adjustable to suit deeper or shallower work
or taller or shorter users.
The curves of the shares may be so formed that the plough being turned on its
side and drawn over the furrows previously drawn for planting the furrow is turned
into the drill or trench and the seed thereby covered, the plough may also be used
in this manner for levelling and for other purposes.
1 may make the spreader bar before mentioned to carry one or more small
double furrow shares or drill blades similar in form to the plough before described
or of other suitable form, and so affix these smaller shares or drill blades that the
plouh being turned point upwards it may then be used to draw drills parallel to
each other and at uniform distance apart for sowing other seeds. The blades may
be adjustable so as to draw drills at greater or lesser distances apart or may
be removable, or may be affixed partly to the spreader and partly to the shares
or in other manner as desired. The plough may be made in other manner than
herein before described or of other suitable material and may be cast or wrought
in one or more parts and joined together or the dividing edge may be made
separate and the shares attached thereto or the plough may be made without.

page_text: the drill attachment described as attached to the spreader or both may be made in
combination as desired.
Dated this 21st do of T11004
A Hand Plough for Planting and Earthing Up Potatoes, and for
other purposes.
I, SAMUEL WATTS of 9 Keyford Street Frome.in the County of Somerset,
Cycle Maker, 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:-
The nature of this my invention. consists in the provision of an implement
somewhat of the nature of a plough, and hereinafter and for the purpose of this
Specification called a hand plough, the said hand plough being adapted and arranged
so as to be operated by hand and suitable for the better and speedier performance
of certain gardening and similar operations such as the planting, and, earthing up of
potatoes, drawing or forming and filling in drills and the like, the said hand plough
being so shaped and arranged that on being drawn along.in light.soil.a portion of
the soil is removed and turned up on each side thus forming a trench or drill with
a ridge on either side. In the planting of potatoes or similar seeds the drills being
drawn and the seed deposited therein. the ridges on either side may be again turned
into the drills thus.cevering. the seed by using the hand plough. on its sides, the
hand plough being shaped and arranged. so as to be suitable for that purpose
as hereinafter described.
When the band plough is drawn along between rows of potatoes.or other crops
the soil removed from the trench or drill formed thereby is turned towards the rows
on each side thus earthing up one side each of two rows by one operation..
The hand plough may also be provided with a.series of smaller ploughs. or..drill
blades adjustable as to-width. apart and suitable for forming drills for small seeds,
the hand plough-being also adapted for filling in the said small drills, levelling, and
for other purposes.
To perform. this.my.invention. I proceed. by preference in the following general
manner
Emake the hand plough.as. shewn in Fig. 1 in the accompanying drawings, or
similar thereto..
The hand plough. as there shewn consists mainly of a handle A a handle
fastener B with a nut C a share D two turnfurrows or mould plates E. E. and a stay
rod or spreader. F shewn. in. Fig. 2. Eig. 2 is a back view of the hand plough
Figs. 1 &.2. being drawn to the scale shewn.
In my Provisional Specification the turnfurrows or mould plates EE are termed
shares, but for better distinction are hereinafter and for the purpose of this
Specification called turnfurrows, the part D.in Figs. 1 3. & 5 being hereinafter called
the share.
Fig. 3 is a full sized section of the share and turnfurrows taken through the
dotted line in Fig. 1.
The share D is brought to an edge at d the more readily to divide or part the
soil and ee Fig. 3 shows. the manner in which the turnfurrows are recessed into the
share D and secured by countersunk rivets so that no obstruction may be presented
to the free passage of the soil.
The share terminates by preference in a point at its lower extremity. The upper
extremity being shaped to receive the handle and handle fastener as shewn in Fig.
and hereinafter described. The share is also curved in the manner shewn in Fig. 1
or similar thereto the more readily to enter and draw itself into the soil when in use

page_text: and is made of suitable material and sufficient strength to carry the handle and
withstand the pull on the same when in use.
The turnfurrows EE I make of sheet or plate steel or other suitable material
bent or curved to a shape similar to the turnfurrow of an ordinary plough or
of other suitable shape so as to turn the soil removed readily and easily up each
side thus forming the drill and ridges before mentioned, the shape of the
turnfurrows on the bottom edge being also suitable for turning the ridges again
into the drill when planting by using the hand plough on its side. The upper
portions of the turnfurrows are turned inwards as shewn at H H Fig. 1 to prevent
the edges of the turnfurrows cutting the plants should they come into contact in
earthing up or in other operations.
I provide a spreader bar F Fig. 2 to keep the turnfurrows the proper distance
apart and I attach the same by riveting or other suitable means.
I affix the handle by preference in the manner shown in Figs. 1-4 & 5
Fig. 4 being the end view of the handle fastener B through which the bandle
passes easily the fastener being made wider at top as shewn in side section
in Fig. 5 and top view in Fig. 6 so as to give a greater bearing surface on the
handle A. The bottom end of the fastener is a screwed shank as shewn on which
is screwed the nut C. The upper end of the share D is hollowed out to receive.
the handle and also further hollowed out or recessed and provided with a hole to
receive the fastener as shewn in Fig. 5. Now the handle being passed through the
fastener B and the screwed shank of the fastener being passed through the hole
provided for that purpose in share D and the nut C put on the shank of the
fastener B and screwed up the fastener is drawn into the recess in the share thereby
decreasing the distance between 6 6 Fig. 5 thus tightly gripping and fixing the
handle.
By this mode of fixing, the handle may at any time be easily attached or
detached.
I may make the hand plough in other manner and size than the before described
either by making the share of any other suitable shape and section and attaching
the turnfurrows thereto or by dispensing with the share as a separate part and
forming the share or dividing edge by the junction of the turnfurrows, or I may
dispense with any share or dividing edge other than that formed by the junction of
the turnfurrows.
I may fix the turnfurrows to the share by other means than that shewn in the
foregoing and I may affix the handle by other means than that before described,
either rising the upper portion of the share as a means of such other method of
fixing or by making a separate part or parts for that purpose, and I
the spreader bar as a means of support to such other means of fixing, and
make the handle to be adjustable, detachable, or fixed as desired.
may use
may
may
In using the hand plough made in the manner shewn in the drawings and
hereinbefore described the user may make the trench or drill formed by the hand.
plough to be shallower and wider or deeper and narrower by raising or lowering the
handle, but I may attach the handle in such a manner that it may be adjusted to
suit deeper or shallower work or shorter or taller risers. To accomplish this I
make a hinge or joint in the share near to where the handle is fixed, as shewn at D.
Fig. 5 and also in Fig. 7. I may prevent the joint slipping by serrating the faces :
of the joint; or by the provision of a stud & a series of holes, or other suitable
means, and secure. the same by means of a nut and bolt, or other suitable locking,
arrangement, or I may provide other suitable arrangements. or fittings to perform
this part of my invention such as that shewn in section in Fig. 9. B being the handle
fastener, La-separate-part recessed to receive the handle & fastener the part L
fitting on P, a curved extention of the share D, the extention P being forked.
or provided. with a slot to receive the screwed shank of B, the handle may thus be
fixed at any point desired on the curved extention by tightening the nut C, by this
or other suitable means the handle may be adjusted. in a vertical direction*as
hereinbefore-set forth).

page_text: I may make the hand plough to be adjustable as to the angle of the V formed
by the turnfurrows by providing a hinge or hinges, or other suitable means at the
share or junction of the turnfurrows, and make the required adjustment by
lengthening or shortening the spreader bar.
A method of performing this is shewn in the accompanying drawings in
Figs. 7 & 8.
Fig. 7 shews the straight hinged joint M by which the turnfurrows are attached
to the share, one half of the hinged joints are made or formed on the share,
the other half, shewn by dotted lines on M are made and attached to the turnfurrows
by rivets or other means.
The spreader bar may be made in two parts as shewn at F in Fig. 8 one part
being hinged or otherwise attached to each turnfurrow as shewn, and made to
overlap at the other ends, these overlapping ends are each provided with a slot
through which the screw bar J passes, and sufficiently long to admit of the desired
amount of adjustment. The screw har J. I attach to a web formed on the share,
and I provide the same with a screw and two nuts with which to fix the spreader
bar when adjusted.
I may dispense with the screw bar J and fix the adjustment by a bolt and nut, or
other suitable means, or I may make the two parts of the spreader bar shorter than
that shewn and connect the same by a long nut having a right and a left hand
screw, or by a tube connection and set screws, or by other suitable means.
I may
provide other means than that hereinbefore described to perform this part of my
invention viz. The adjustment of the angle of the V formed by the turnfurrows
as herein before set forth.
I may make and fix the spreader bar in such a manner as to be capable of
carrying two or more small ploughs or drill blades similar in form to the hand
plough before described or of other suitable shape, and so affix these smaller
ploughs or drill blades that the hand plough being turned point upwards it may
then be used to make drills parallel to each other suitable for sowing seeds not
requiring to be sown so deep as herein before described. The small ploughs
or drills may be made adjustable as to width apart on the spreader bar, or may be
affixed to a seperate bar or frame provided for that purpose. The said seperate
bar or frame may be either fixed to the hand plough or made detachable as desired.
I may divide the spreader bar or seperate bar or frame carrying the small plough
or drill blades into inches or other convenient measurement so that the user may set
the small ploughs or drill blades at any distance apart desired. The hand plough
may be used for filling in these small seed drills, and for other purposes as
desired, and may be made without the small drill attachment, or in combination as
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :--
The invention of :-
(1.) A hand plough adapted for the performance of certain gardening and other
operations, similar in general outline and principle to that shewn in the accom-
panying drawings, and herein before described and consisting mainly of a share,
turnfurrows, and spreader bar, with detachable handle fittings and handle, all
combined and operating together to bring about the object of this invention as
herein before set forth and described.
(2.) A hand plough as set forth in Claim 1 but with the handle permanently
fixed or attached in a manner other than that shewn in the accompanying drawings
and herein before described.
(3.) A hand plough as set forth in Claim 1 but with a handle capable of
adjustment in a vertical direction as hereinbefore set forth and described and shewn
in the accompanying drawings.
(4.) A hand plough similar in general outline and principle to that set forth in.

page_text: Claim 1 but provided with a means whereby the angle of the V formed by the
turnfurrows may be altered, adjusted, and set, in combination with an adjustable
spreader bar and either or any of the parts before mentioned and set forth, to bring
about the object of this invention, a means of performing the same being shewn in
the accompanying drawings.
(5.) A hand plough made by a combination of any of the parts or methods
herein before set forth and described or similar thereto, the said parts or methods
being arranged and combined to bring about the object of this invention viz. :-the
provision of a hand plough similar in general outline and principle to that set forth in
Claim 1 and adapted for the performance of certain gardening and similar operations
as herein before set forth and described.
(6.) A hand plough as herein before set forth and described but constructed to
carry a number of smaller ploughs or drill blades adjustable as to width apart on
the spreader bar or on a bar or frame provided for that purpose, the said bar or
frame being marked by a scale of measurements and being made a fixture to the hand
plough or detachable therefrom as desired.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1895.
SAMUEL WATTS,
Applicant.