IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN THE MEANS OF APPLYING THE SAME TO THE TILLING OF LAND; ALSO IN APPA- RATUS TO BE USED WITH SUCH ENGINES IN THE TILLING OF LAND
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard, Engineer, Edward Tenney Bousfield,
Engineer, and John Pinney, Engineer, all of Bedford, in the County of
Bedford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN
THE MEANS OF APPLYING THE SAME TO THE TILLING OF LAND; ALSO IN APPA-
RATUS TO BE USED WITH SUCH ENGINES IN THE TILLING OF LAND."
aled the 2nd June 1863, and dated the 7th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard, Edward
Tenney Bousfield, and John Pinney at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 7th April 1863.
We, JAMES HOWARD, Engineer, EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, Engineer, and
JOHN PINNEY, Engincer, all of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES,
AND IN THE MEANS OF APPLYING THE SAME TO THE TILLING OF LAND; ALSO IN
APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH SUCH ENGINES IN THE TILLING OF LAND," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a novel arrangement of steam engine for
setting in action ploughs or other implements by means of traction ropes for
the purpose of cultivating the soil. The engine frame is carried by three or

page_text: more wheels, and upon this frame the barrels for carrying the traction ropes
are mounted. These barrels are driven by gearing direct from the crank
shaft, which runs longitudinally of the engine frame, and passes through a
divided boiler situate at the end of the framing, and by adopting the con-
trivance of excentrics on the axis for dropping the barrels, we can throw them
in and out of gear at pleasure.
The boiler is of a vertical tubular construction, and is made of a horse-shoe
or divided form to allow of the steam cylinder being placed within the lines of
the boiler. The two limbs or divisions of the boiler are constructed alike, each
part consisting either of a rectangular or cylindrical tapering fire-box, the lower
part of which is contracted laterally and forms the furnace. This contraction
in width allows of lines of vertical tubes or a circle of vertical tubes being used
which open at both ends into the water space; these tubes are made slightly
tapering to facilitate the circulation of the water in the boiler. To ensure the
flame and heated gases circulating round the water tubes, horizontal tubular
flues are introduced into the top of the fire-box. These tubes lead off the
gases to the smoke box, which is an arched chamber extending from one
division of the boiler to the other. The steam spaces of the two divisions of
the boiler are also connected together by an arched chamber, and the steam is
superbeated by surrounding gases on their passage to the chimney. By
arranging the water tubes as explained, the sediment will fall on to the floor of
the boiler, and may be readily removed through adjacent man-holes.
For making the engine self-propelling, a mitre or bevil wheel keyed on the
rear end of the crank shaft gears into and drives a similar wheel keyed on a
transverse shaft at the back of the boiler, to the extremities of which shaft
friction discs or couplings are attached. In a line with this shaft are two
shafts (one at either end thereof) carrying friction discs or their equivalents
for establishing a connection between them and the central driven transverse
shaft. These shafts have an endway motion in their bearings, and they carry
at their extremities pinions for gearing into rings of teeth on the hind carrying
wheels, or pitch chains, or other suitable modes of driving may be employed.
A tendency is given by springs or their equivalents for the friction couplings
to keep out of action, but by means of a right and left-handed screw operated
by a worm and worm wheel the shafts are pressed inwards when the carrying
wheels are required to be driven, and thus through the friction couplings
rotary motion is communicated from the crank shaft to the pinions in gear
with the carrying wheels. The front or steering wheel is operated through a
segment rack and pinion, or otherwise, by the attendant, and this motion is so

page_text: coupled with the sliding shafts at the rear of the engine as to throw one or
other out of action, according to the direction given to the steering wheel.
By this means one of the driving wheels will remain quiescent, while the
other, being driven as before, will move the engine round, the quiescent wheel
being the fulcrum of the movement. When draft shafts are fitted to the
engine for the purpose of attaching a horse thereto, the worm and worm wheel
actuated by the attendant are dispensed with, the steering being then effected
by the movement of the horse.
-
The above described steering arrangement may be advantageously applied to
road or traction engines generally.
Instead of the two barrels above mentioned for carrying the ropes, we may
use a hollow drum for carrying so much of the rope as is to be given off or
taken on to produce the traverse of the implement in use, and within the drum
is a sheave or barrel for receiving that portion of the length of the rope which
is intended to be given out prior to setting the apparatus in action. The
normal state of this internal barrel is to be locked by a click and ratchet or
other suitable means. A portion of the endless rope being wound on the
drum or outer barrel, the remainder passes through an opening made in the
periphery of the drum and is wound upon the inner barrel or sheave. In
order to attach the rope to the cultivating implement and pass it round the
anchors, the required length is run off from the inner barrel, the rope on the
drum or outer barrel being used for the purpose of giving out in compensation
for the portion of rope which it winds on while effecting the traverse of the
implement. For taking up any slack the inner barrel or sheave may be
rotated by the attendant or by steam power, and by disengaging the barrel
any required amount of rope may be run out to suit the dimensions of the
field under cultivation. By furnishing the engine with an extra winding barrel,
and leading the rope round sheaves at the corners of the field, the power
of the engine may be employed to pull forward the anchor.
As an improvement in the ploughs or tilling implements to be used in steam
cultivation, instead of connecting the two sets of frames of double action
ploughs, as heretofore, by means of tie rods, chains, or springs, we propose to
arrange these frames so that each set of tilling instruments is raised out of
work or lowered into work independently of each other. This we propose to
effect by connecting the frame severally by means of chains with cross shafts
on the main framing, and to give these shafts a tendency to rotate by means of
coiled springs for the purpose of winding up the coupling chains, and thereby
assisting in hoisting the ploughs clear of the ground at the completion of a

page_text: bout, or weighted levers may be used in place of the coiled springs. For
holding up the ploughs out of work, and thereby taking the weight off the
springs, it may be found desirable to employ catches or their equivalents. A
similar contrivance may also be adopted for preventing the springs acting on
the ploughs or tilling instruments while they are in operation. When
operating double-action ploughs and other implements by the light or flying
rope system, we apply a second motion shaft to or connected with the steam
engine, and mount thereon a grooved pulley, round which the endless hemp or
light rope passes to a corresponding grooved pulley on the frame of the imple-
ment to which the power is to be transmitted. By means of intermediate
gearing, motion is given to a propelling wheel with spade-like blades which
enter the ground, and a revolution of this wheel in either direction gives a
forward or backward motion to the implement; this propelling wheel is placed
in the frame of the implement, and is mounted by preference on springs, its
operation being independent of the carrying wheels of the implement. The
engine may either be stationary and the ropes passed around the field by means
of pulleys and anchors, or the engine may advance on the headland opposite to
the work, the rope passing only across the field in a line with the work itself.
The slack of the endless rope may be taken up by a weighted roller.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Howard, Edward Tenney Bousfield, and John Pinney
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wé, JAMES
HOWARD, Engineer, EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, Engineer, and JOHN PINNEY,.
Engineer, all of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
James Howard, Edward Tenney Bousfield, and John Pinney, Her special
license that we, the said James Howard, Edward Tenney Bousfield, and John
Pinney, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said James Howard, Edward Tenney Bousfield, and John Pinney, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein

page_text: 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 IN STEAM ENGINES, AND IN
THE MEANS OF APPLYING THE SAME TO THE TILLING OF LAND; ALSO IN APPARATUS
TO BE USED WITH SUCH ENGINES IN THE TILLING OF LAND," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said James Howard, Edward Tenney Bousfield,
and John Pinney, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 Edward Tenney Bousfield, on behalf
of myself and of the said James Howard and John Pinney, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a novel arrangement of steam engine for
setting in action ploughs or other implements by means of traction ropes, for
the purpose of cultivating the soil.
In Sheet I., of the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents in longi-
tudinal section the engine forming the subject of the first part of our
Invention, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.
A, A, is the engine frame carried by a pair of driven wheels B, B, and a
steering wheel C. Upon the frame A, the barrels D, D', for carrying the
traction ropes are mounted. These barrels are driven by gearing direct from
the crank shaft E, which shaft runs longitudinally of the engine frame, and
passes through a divided boiler F, F, situate at the rear end of the framing,
and by adopting the contrivance of excentrics on the axis for dropping the
barrels we can throw them in and out of gear at pleasure.
The boiler is of a vertical tubular construction, and is made of a horse-shoe
or divided form to allow of the steam cylinders being placed within the lines
of the boiler. The two limbs or divisions of the boiler are constructed alike,
as shown in the sectional elevation, Fig. 3. Each part may consist of a
cylindrical, or, as shewn, of a rectangular tapering fire-box a, the lower part of
which is contracted laterally and forms the furnace b. This contraction in
width allows of lines of vertical water tubes, or a circle of vertical tubes c, c,

page_text: being used, which pass through the fire-box and open at both ends into the
water space d, d; these tubes are made slightly tapering to facilitate the cir-
culation of the water in the boiler. To ensure the flame and heated gases
circulating round the water tubes horizontal tubular flues e, e, are introduced
into the top of the fire-box. These tubes lead off the gases to the smoke-
box f, which is an arched chamber extending from one division or limb of the
boiler to the other. The steam spaces of the two divisions of the boiler are
also connected together by an arched chamber, and the steam is superheated
by surrounding gases on their passage to the chimney. By arranging the
water tubes as explained, the sediment will fall on to the floor of the boiler,
and may be readily removed through adjacent man-holes. The steam is led off
in any convenient way from the boiler to the cylinders G, G, which occupy the
space, as before said, between the limbs or divisions of the boiler. Their
piston rods g, g, connect by means of the rods g', g', with the crank shaft E
overhead, and thereby communicate rotary motion, when desired, to the
winding barrels D, D'.
For making the engine self-propelling, a mitre or bevil wheel keyed on the
rear end of the crank shaft gears into and drives a similar wheel keyed on a
short transverse shaft H, mounted on brackets at the back of the boiler. To
the extremities of this shaft friction discs or couplings' h, h', are attached, such
discs having, by preference, annular V-shaped projections on their face. In a
line with this shaft are two shafts I, I', (one at either end thereof), carrying
friction discs i, i¹, corresponding with the discs h, h, for establishing a con-
nection between them and the central driven transverse shaft H. The shafts
I, I', have an endway motion in their bearings, and they carry at their outer
extremities pinions i, 3, for gearing into rings of teeth on the hind carrying
wheels B, B'; or pitch chains, or other suitable modes of driving, may be
employed. The natural tendency of the friction couplings will be to keep out
of action, but by means of a right and left-handed screw operated by a worm
and worm wheel, the shafts are pressed inwards when the carrying wheels are
required to be driven, and thus through the friction couplings rotory motion is
communicated from the crank shaft to the pinions in gear with the carrying
wheels. This mode of actuating the driving wheels (the details of which will
be presently given) allows of their action being readily controlled by the front
or steering wheel, which is operated through a segment rack and pinion, or
otherwise by the attendant. This rack is so coupled with the sliding shafts at
the rear of the engine as by its movement to throw one or other out of action,
according to the direction given to the steering wheel, by which means one of

page_text: the driving wheels will remain quiescent, while the other, continuing to be
driven as before, will move the engine round, the quiescent wheel being the
fulcrum of the movement.
We will now describe the manner of giving an endway motion to the shafts I
and 1', and for this purpose it will be convenient first to describe the mounting
of the steering wheel C. This wheel has its bearings in brackets pendent
from a ring C (Fig. 1), which is connected to the main framing A by being
embraced by the outer and inner rings C, C, the outer ring being boited
securely to the framing. A segment rack is provided on the under side of the
ring C¹, and into it gears a pinion 1 keyed to a short shaft, to which is also
keyed a pinion 2. This short shaft is carried by pendent brackets 3, 3. The
pinion 2 gears into a spur wheel 4, keyed to a central longitudinal shaft 5,
which extends rearwards to the boiler, and which is coupled by gear wheels
with a crank shaft 6. The cranked end of this shaft is coupled by connecting
rods 7, 7, (see Fig. 2), with rock levers 8, 8, which extend upwards to the
shafts I, I', respectively, and carry at their extremities a kind of saddle piece 9.
These saddle pieces embrace the outer ends of the shaft, as shewn best in the
detached view, Fig. 4, which represents the end of one shaft with its saddle
piece in plan view. To cach rock lever 8 is jointed a link 10 (seo the detached
view, Fig. 5), the inner ends of which links are tapped to receive the tapped
ends of a right and left-handed horizontal screw shaft 11, by which means tho
two rock levers are coupled together. Keyed to the screw shaft 11 is a worm
wheel 12, into which gears a worm 13, carried by a shaft 14 (see Fig. 1),
having a bearing in one of the brackets 15, which support the screw shaft.
From the above description it will be understood that by turning the
worm 18 in one direction pressure may be put on the ends of the shafts I
and I simultaneously, and the friction discs will be coupled together, whereby
a traverse motion may be given to the wheels B, B¹. If, however, the
attendant turns the worm in the opposite direction he will remove the endway
pressure on the shafts I, I, and allow the discs to be disengaged. When the
apparatus is thus arranged it is ready to be acted upon by the movements of
the steering wheel, thereby throwing one driving wheel into gear and the
other out of gear. The steering wheel may itself be operated by the attendant
through a hand lever working a pinion in gear with the segment rack on the
ring C, and when thus operated the motion will be conveyed through the
pinions 1, 2, and 4 to the longitudinal shaft 5, thence to the crank shaft 6, and.
so to the rock levers 8, which rocking on the link pins as their fulcrums will
throw one friction disc shaft into action, leaving the other out of action. When

page_text: draft shafts are fitted to the engine for the purpose of attaching a horse
thereto, the worm and worm wheel actuated by the attendant are dispensed
with, the steering being then effected by the movement of the horse.
The above described steering arrangement may be advantageously applied
to road or traction engines generally.
As an improvement in the hauling apparatus for tilling land we propose,
instead of employing two barrels, as above mentioned, for carrying the ropes,
to use in some cases a hollow drum for carrying so much of the rope as is to
be given off or taken on to produce the traverse of the implement in use, and to
mount within the drum a barrel for receiving that portion of the length of the
rope which is intended to be given out prior to setting the apparatus in action.
In Sheet I. of the Drawings this improvement is shewn in several views,
Fig. 6 being a longitudinal section of the hollow drum, and Figures 7 and 8
views of the opposite ends of the drum. The drum K is fitted at its ends
with spur wheels, the radial arnis of which carry the trunnions for supporting
the drum. Within the drum are mounted sheaves k, k', and , supported by
the framing l, which is bolted to the drum. These sheaves are for guiding
the traction rope m to and from the barrel n, to which one end of the rope is
secured. This barrel is mounted in frames n' bolted to the inner periphery of
the drum. To allow of the rope entering and leaving the interior of the drum
a segment slot is cut in the drum, as shewn at Figures 6 and 7. On the axle
of the barrel n is a worm wheel n³, into which works a worm n³, carried by a
shaft . This shaft extends through the end of the drum, and is squared
at its outer extremity to receive a key for rotating the shaft and worm, and
thereby moving round the barrel n when required. The normal state of this
internal barrel is to be locked, which is effectually done by the interlocking of
the worm and worm wheel. One end of the rope being fixed to the periphery
of the drum K, a portion equal to the length of traverse of the tilling
implement is wound upon the drum when the apparatus is to be brought into
action. Another portion is passed round the field, and the remainder through
the opening made in the periphery of the drum to the barrel n, it being guided
by the sheaves on to the inner barrel and wound thereon. When this windlass
is first brought on to the field it is necessary, in order to attach the rope to the
cultivating implement and pass it round the anchors, to run off the required
length of rope from the inner barrel, the portion of rope on the drum being
used for the purpose of giving out in compensation for the portion of rope
which it winds on while effecting the traverse of the implement. For taking
up any slack the inner barrel is rotated by the attendant, who, by reversing

page_text: the motion, can run out any required amount of rope to suit the dimensions of
the field under cultivation. .
. Our Invention also relates to certain improvements in the ploughs or tilling
implements to be used in steam cultivation. Instead of connecting the two
sets of frames of double-action ploughs as heretofore by means of tie rods,
chains, or springs, we arrange these frames so that each set of tilling instru-
ments is raised out of work or lowered into work independently of the other.
This we effect in the manner shewn in Sheet II. of the Drawings, wherein
Fig. 9 represents in sido elevation a double-action plough constructed according
to this part of our Invention, and Fig. 10 a longitudinal sectional elevation of
so much of the plough as will serve to explain the improvement.
A, A¹, are the rocking frames, to which are affixed the two sets of ploughs,
which act alternately upon the land and are alternately lifted out of the ground
at the completion of a "bout." B, B, is the plough carriage, upon which are
fixed two pairs of spring boxes C, C. Each of these boxes contains a coiled
spring D, one end of which is secured to the fixed box, and the other to a
disc E contained in the box and keyed fast to a cross shaft F. The spring
boxes are connected in pairs by means of the cross shafts F, to which are
affixed lever arms G, G, and a hand lover H. The frames are permanently
connected to their respective spring boxes by means of coupling chains I, the
ends of which are secured respectively to the rocking frames, and through
cranked links to the arms G, G. The object of the springs is to give the cross
shafts a tendency to rotate and wind up the coupling chains I, I, and thus to
assist in hoisting the ploughs clear of the ground at the completion of a "bout."
Suppose, now, the set of ploughs attached to the frame A to have completed
about," the attendant who has been riding upon the depressed plough frame
leaves his seat, and, by lifting the extremity of the frame, is enabled, with the
assistance of the coiled springs, easily to raise the set of ploughs.clear of the
ground. By the mode adopted of coupling the chains to the rocking shaft the
raised ploughs will be effectually locked in the raised position, and will have
no tendency to fall until the attendant pulls over the hand lever H and throws
the lever arms G, G, over their dead centre. To prevent the raised ploughs
from falling by reason of a sudden shock (produced by the implement working
in very rough ground) check chains K, K, pendent from the shafts F are
provided, which are or may be hooked to the suspended frame, as shewn in
Fig. 10. We may find it desirable to provide a catch on the rocking frames
for laying hold of the hand lever of the depressed ploughs, and thus preventing
the coiled springs from acting to raise the frame while the ploughs are in

page_text: operation. In place of partially compensating for the weight of the ploughs
by the coiled springs we may use weighted levers, which, by acting as a partial
counterpoise, will assist in raising the ploughs out of work.
Another improvement which we have effected in double-action ploughs and
other implements relates to the adaptation thereto of the light or fly-rope
system. To this end we apply a second motion shaft to or connect the same
with the steam engine intended to be used for driving the implements, and wo
mount thereon a grooved pulley, round which the endless hemp or light rope
passes to a corresponding grooved pulley on the frame of the implement to
which the power is to be transmitted. This second motion shaft is intended
to increase the speed of the fly rope, and thus impart a proper speed to the
implement.
Fig. 11, Sheet III., shews a tilling implement fitted to receive the fly rope
and be driven thereby.
A is the fly rope; B, the grooved pulley round which it passes to a large
pulley C running loosely on the shaft D of the propelling wheel E. This
propelling wheel is fitted at its periphery with blades which bite the ground,
and by the revolution of the wheel in either direction ensure a forward or
backward motion, as the case may be, to the implement. The plough car-
riage F is supported by carrying wheels G, and the shaft D of the propelling
wheels is mounted in the middle of the carriage. The revolution of the
pulley C is transmitted to the propelling wheel by the following arrangement
of spur gearing:-Affixed to the pulley C is a pinion 1 which gears into a
spur wheel 2, on the shaft of which is keyed a pinion 3. This pinion gears
into a spur wheel 4 on the axle of the propelling wheel, and thus the rapid
motion derived from the fly rope is reduced in its transmission to the propelling
wheel to such an extent as will ensure the requisite speed of traverse to the
implement. The engine may either be stationary, and the ropes passed around
the field by means of pulleys and anchors, or the engine may advance on the
headland opposite to the work, the rope passing only across the field in a line
with the work itself. The slack of the endless rope may be taken up by a
weighted roller.
Пaving new set forth the nature of our Invention of " Improvements in
Steam Engines, and in the Means of applying the same to the Tilling of
Land, also in Apparatus to be used with such Engines in the Tilling of
Land," and explained the manner of carrying the same into operation, we wish
it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent we
claim,-

page_text: First, the improvements in steam engines described with reference to
Sheet I. of the Drawings.
Secondly, the improved arrangement of hauling drum for receiving the
traction rope, as described with reference to Figures 6, 7, and 8.
Thirdly, the means described for facilitating the lifting of the rocking plough
frames and retaining them in an elevated position.
And, lastly, the arrangements described for transmitting motion through a
fly rope to ploughs or other tilling implements.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Tenney Bousfield, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD.. (L.s.)
66, Chancery Lane.