Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 1st July, 1887.
aux
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. of the Agency for Foreign_Patent
Solicitors 6, Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer 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 :—
This invention relates to grain-drilling and seeding machines in which the seed-
distributing devices whatever their form, receive motion through intermediate
gearing on the ground wheel, and consists in an improved gearing whereby the
speed of the distributing or feeding mechanism may be increased or diminished in
relation to the speed of the ground wheel.
It also consists in improved mechanism for distributing grass seed and other small
seeds in which a reciprocating cord is employed in connection with novel devices to
effect the distribution.
In the accompanying drawings
'
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a grain drill having the improvements
embodied therein.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the speed gearing showing its relation to the hopper
of a grain drill, the hopper and other parts of the frame being shown in section.
Figure 3 is a vertical sectional elevation of the gearing.
Figure 4 is an axial section through the cogged ring and its actuating pinion.
Figure 5 is a detail view illustrating the locking mechanism.
Figure 6 is a sectional detail of one of the actuating pinions coupled to the
removable pinion.

page_text: Figure 7 is a view partly in section showing a modified form of one of the actuating
pinions.
Figure 8 is a plan view showing the locking mechanism and part of the cogged
driving ring.
Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of the grass seed distributor.
Figure 10 is a horizontal section of the same on the line y-y of Figure 11.
Figure 11 is a sectional cross section on the line of the preceding figures.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of one of the plates for operating the grass-seeder.
With the exception of the grass seed distributor and the driving gear the machine
may be of ordinary construction in all its parts, and therefore only such portions of
the machine have been illustrated in the drawings, as are necessary to an understanding
of the present improvements.
The machine comprises, among other ordinary features, a frame A., provided with a
transverse shaft G, seated in suitable bearings therein, and connected at its ends by
clutches or their equivalents to the two supporting and driving wheels B¹. Above the
frame there is a hopper C¹ divided as usual longitudinally into two compartments to
receive the grain and fertiliser material respectively. Beneath this hopper is mounted
in fixed bearings a shaft K, carrying or actuating the usual seed distributing devices,
and provided at one end with a driving pinion K³, to which it is required to transmit
the variable speed from the axle G. The improved devices to this end will now be
described.
A is a ring provided externally with gear teeth which intermesh with and drive the
pinion K, and also provided internally with gear teeth which engage a series of
internal actuating pinions B, B', etcetera, of different diameters, all of which are in
constant engagement therewith. The pinions are provided with projecting journals seated
in side plates C, which afford proper support therefor and also for the revolving ring A,
which hears upon the periphery of the plates. The hubs of the pinions are projected
on one side through and heyond the supporting plate, and each provided at the outer
end with notches to form one member of a clutch adapted to interlock with a
corresponding member on the side of the pinion D, which may be applied at will to
either one of the hubs as occasion may require. Holes are formed axially through the
pinions and through the gear wheel D, so that when the latter is applied to any
one of the pinions à bolt d may be passed through the centre as shown in Figure 6,
to maintain the connection between them.
The two cheek plates C which carry the pinions are supported by a central bolt or
pivot C², sustained at its ends in supporting arms E, journaled at one end on the
axlo G, so that by swinging these arms upward and downward the external teeth of the
ring A, may be thrown into and out of engagement with the wheel K, of the feed
shaft. On the axle G, is mounted a pinion e, which engages with and imparts motion
constantly to a pinion F, supported by the arms E, before alluded to. This pinion F
which receives constant motion, engages with and serves to transmit motion to the
external pinion D, which in turn communicates motion to that one of the internal
pinions B, B2, etcetera, with which it may be for the time being connected. The
pinion F may engage directly with the periphery of the pinion D, but it is preferred
to form the pinion D with a second pinion D¹, of different diameter on its sides, and
to have this second pinion engage the pinion F, and thus secure a change of speed.
It has on its two sides notched hubs or clutching surfaces, and is adapted to be
reversed or turned side for side on its axis. Only one of its two peripheral faces is in
action at one time, the other being idle. The portion which is, for the time being,
nearest the frame Ċ stands in line with, and engages the pinion F. The two parts or
pinions D', D, are cast in one, merely as a matter of convenience to avoid the trouble
of handling two parts or pieces.
The cheek plates C², may be revolved upon their entral pivot so that the pinion D
may be coupled to any one of the internal pinions and then brought into engagement
with the pinion F. Motion is communicated from the axle through the pinion e, to
the pinion F, thence to the pinion D, and from the latter through the particular
internal pinion by which it is connected to the ring A, being revolved by the internal

page_text: pinion transmits motion in turn to the pinion K', on the feeder shaft. As the pinion D,
revolves at a uniform speed it follows that by coupling the same to one or another
of the internal pinions which differ in diameter, a faster or slower motion will be
imparted to the ring A, and to the seed distributing mechanism.
It will be observed that but one of the internal pinions is in action at a time, and
that it transmits motion directly to the geared ring, the other pinions alternately
running idly in connection with the ring.
For the purpose of permitting the rotation of the cheek plates to bring the different
pinions in operative position, and of securing the same rigidly in position when
required, one of the cheek plates is formed with notches or shoulders, and a hand
lever His provided, pivoted to one of the arms E, and arranged to engage the cheek
plate as shown.
To throw the gearing automatically into and out of engagement with the feed
driving pinion K, on the feed shaft K is mounted a lever I having in its lower end a
cam groove i¹, receiving a stud or pin on the arms E. The rear end of the arm I is
forked to embrace the usual rotary rising and falling shaft L, through which the
drag-bars and hoes are raised and lowered as usual. When the bar rises to lift the
hoes it operates the lever I, and drops the ring A out of engagement with gear K³,
and vice versa.
The lower arm I of the lever I is jointed to the remaining portion
and locked by a spring latch so that when desired it may be dropped from its operative
position as shown in Figure 2, in which case the bar for lifting the hoes may be
operated without affecting the gearing.
Instead of forming the internal pinions as shown in Figures 4 and 6, they may be
formed with circular peripheral flanges to assist in supporting the external ring and
reducing the friction which would otherwise exist between the ring and the cheek plates.
The essence of this invention resides in combining in the internally geared
ring a series of driving pinions of different diameters, and means for supporting said
pinions and permitting them to be brought one at a time into suitable position to
connect with the gear train and it is manifest that the details of construction may be
variously modified without passing beyond the scope of this invention.
For the purpose of distributing the grass seed a hopper P is provided, preferably
on the front of the machine, having at regular intervals vertical openings a¹, through
its bottom for the escape of the seed. To the under side of this hopper is secured a
longitudinal bar b¹, having in its upper surface two longitudinal grooves c¹, into which
the seed descends. Through this bar from the grooves downward discharge openings d',
are formed out of line with the openings above. In the grooves there are mounted
reciprocating feeders each consisting perferably of a strand of rope or cord e of hemp
or other material having wire embodied therein or interwoven therewith, in order to
give the same sufficient stiffness to admit of its being reciprocated by actuating
devices at the middle. To effect their simultaneous movement in opposite directions
there is attached to each cord a small casting g', such as shown in Figure 12, having
in one edge a series of fingers ', which are folded around the cord from opposite sides,
and compressed tightly thereon, and having at the opposite edge a series of gear teeth i.
These plates are applied to the under side of the hopper and guided by short
wires or rods k³, which are seated in grooves in the plates and confined in position by
an underlying plate m³, secured or otherwise fastened to the hopper. This underlying
plate, which serves as a support for the slides is provided with teeth supporting two
segmental pinions n³n² which engage the teeth of the respective slides and impart
motion thereto.
These pinions may be actuated in any suitable manner but it is preferable to connect
them by rods o¹ and o², with crank-pins on a revolving wheel driven by a
pinion attached to them from the pinion F of the seeding mechanism. The crank-pins
are set quartering, that is to say, in radial lines at an angle to each other, whereby
they are caused to move the slide in such relative times that one or the other will be
constantly in motion, thus preventing that cessation of the feed which would result
from reversing the motion of the sides at the same time.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The changeable speed gearing comprising the geared ring, the pinions of
different diameters, and their adjuncts substantially as described.
2. A changeable speed gearing comprising an internally and externally toothed
ring, a series of driving pinions of different diameters engaging said ring, a movable
support for said pinions with means for locking it in position, and an external! driving
gear adapted for connection with one or another of the pinions at will.
3. The central driving pinion, the swinging frame or arm having the changeable
speed gearing mounted therein, the stationary gear receiving motion from the changeable
gear, and the lever and hoe lifting bar, all combined substantially as described to
effect the automatic stopping and starting of the gear as the hoes are raised and
lowered.
4. In a seed distributor, a hopper having a groove or channel with seed openings
leading thereto and therefrom, in combination with a movable cord mounted in said
groove and stiffened by wire embodied therein, substantially as described.
5. In combination with a hopper having a feed groove and openings substantially
as described, the cord stiffened by wire, and actuating devices substantially as described
engaging the cord at or near its middle.
6. The hopper and the two reciprocating feeders therein, in combination with the
rack plates, their actuating pinions, the guide rods, and the plate holding said guides
and sustaining the pinions substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of Fahruarv 1997
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.