ROVEMENTS IN WORKING, TILLING, OR PREPARING LAND
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bleasdale and Joseph Bleasdale, both
of Chipping, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING, TILLING, OR PREPARING LAND."
led the 17th December 1853, and dated the 17th June 18
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bleasdale and
Joseph Bleasdale at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 17th June 1853.
We, HENRY BLEASDALE and JOSEPH BLEASDALE, both of Chipping, in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING, TILLING, OR PREPARING LAND"
to be as follows:
This Invention relates to an apparatus or implement to be used for
turning up and loosening the soil, and clearing it from all obnoxious
weeds and roots. It is formed with a framework somewhat resembling
that of a land roller or clod crusher; and in this frame is a horizontal
axle or shaft carrying a series of digging teeth set at segular intervals
asunder. These teeth are curved at right angles to the shaft, and in

page_text: the direction of revolution, and they are arranged so as to cut into
the earth as the machine travels forward. Alongside this digging
shaft is a second parallel clearer shaft, set in bearings higher up,
and made to revolve in a direction the reverse of the digging shaft.
On this secondary shaft are a number of forked teeth bent in the
direction of their rotation like the diggers, and arranged to gear with
the diggers; that is to say, the two sets of teeth work into each other,
cach fork of the clearers embracing a corresponding digging arm.
When drawn over the land the digging teeth or arms penetrate the soil
to the necessary depth, and carry up the weeds and roots, which are
thence carried away by the action of the secondary teeth or "doflers,"
the ground being thus well broken up and cleaned at the same time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Bleasdale and Joseph Bleasdale in the
Great Scal Patent Office, on the 17th December 1853.
TU AD
Av
CE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
HENRY BLEASDALE and JOSEPH BLEASE.LE, both of Chipping, in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Ier
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Henry Bleasdale and Joseph Bleasdale,
Her special license that we, the said Henry Bleasdale and Joseph
Bleasdale, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Henry Bleasdale and Joseph Bleasdale, our executors,
administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS

page_text: IN WORKING, TILLING, OR PREPARING LAND," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Henry Bleasdale and Joseph Bleasdale, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and
scal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said Henry Bleasdale and Joseph
Bleasdale, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say:
Our said Invention relates to an apparatus or implement to be used
for turning up and loosening the soil, and clearing it from all obnoxious
weeds and roots. It is formed with a framework somewhat resembling
that of a land roller or clod crusher; and in this frame is a horizontal
axle or shaft carrying a series of digging teeth set at regular intervals
asunder. These teeth are curved at right angles to the shaft, and in
the direction of revolution, and they are arranged so as to cut into the
carth as the machine travels forward. Alongside this digging shaft is
a second parallel clearer shaft, set in bearings higher up, and made to
revolve in a direction the reverse of the digging shaft. On this
secondary shaft are a number of forked teeth bent in the direction
of their rotation like the diggers, and arranged to gear with the
diggers; that is to say, the two sets of teeth work into each other, each
fork of the clearers embracing a corresponding digging arm.
drawn over the land the digging teeth or arms penetrate the soil to the
necessary depth, and carry up the weeds and roots, which are thence
carried away by the action of the secondary teeth or "doffers," the
ground being thus well broken up and cleaned at the same time.
Figure 1, of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a longi-
tudinal section of the implement, shewing the gearing for driving the
"clearer," and mode of raising the diggers from the ground; and
When

page_text: Figure 2, is a corresponding plan of the same.
The main iron framing
A, with the shafts B, are supported or carried by the pair of running
wheels C, C, which revolve loosely upon stud centres bolted to the side
of the main framing. The diggers D, are carried by the transverse
shaft E, to which they are keyed or otherwise secured. They are com-
posed of a series of cast iron bosses fitted with spikes F, which are
curved in the direction of their movement, as shewn in the Drawings.
The ends of the shaft E, revolve in a pair of wrought iron boxes or
cases G, which turn loosely or partially rotate upon the fixed centre or
transverse shaft H. This shaft is fitted with a series of spiked dises or
bosses I, of sonicwhat similar construction to the diggers, but rather
lighter, and having only four instead of eight spikes. A rotatory
motion is communicated to the shaft II, by the digger shaft E, which
carries a pair of spur wheels J, J, gearing into the carrier wheels K, K,
which again gear into the pair of pinions L, L, on the ends of the shaft
H, thereby giving a rotatory motion to that shaft, such motion being
in a contrary direction to that of the digger shaft, and at twice the speed
of the same. The whole of the gearing just described is enclosed in
the boxes G, G. The object of the spikes or clearers I, is to clear the
diggers from all weeds and roots which may be taken up during the
passage of the machine over the land, such roots, &c. being deposited
either into a suitable receptacle fitted to the digger, or on to the surface
of the ground in the track of the machine. The quick motion of the
clearers greatly facilitates the effectual clearing of the diggers, such
clearing being accomplished by the arms or spikes of the clearer pro-
jecting into the spaces between each spiked disc of the digger, acting
thereby as a species of revolving comb. The elevation of the digger is
effected by the endless screw M, and worm wheel N, the former
working between two fixed collar bearings fitted to the outside of the
framing A. The worm wheel, which is also situated outside the
framing, is keyed on to the end of the transverse shaft O, which carries
also a pair of spur pinions P, gearing into the segmental racks Q,
which are bolted to the outer free ends of the boxes G, G. It will thus
be seen, on reference to the Drawing, that by turning the hand wheel R,
on the end of the screw shaft S, the whole of the diggers will be raised

page_text: from the ground, the outer ends of the boxes G, being elevated. In this
state the machine may be readily transported to any part of the farm.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, we would observe, in conclusion, that we do not con-
fine or restrict ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which
we have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features
of our said Invention; but what we consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general arrangement and construction of digging or soil
loosening implements, wherein such implements are made self-clearing,
as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Second, the application and use of revolving spikes or arms for
removing roots, weeds, or other deposits from the arms or spikes of the
diggers.
Third, the peculiar arrangement of gearing with their containing
boxes for actuating the clearer, as hercin-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Bleasdale and Joseph
Bleasdale, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Fifteenth
day of December, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
HENRY BLEASDALE. (L.S.)
JOSEPH BLEASDALE.
(L.S.)
HENRY BLEASDALE. (L..s.)
JOSEPH BLEASDALE. (L.S.)