CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE CULTIVATION OF LAND
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
AUGUSTUS HUDDART, of Brynkir, in the County of Carnarvon, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the Third day of July, in the year of our Lord. One thousand eight hundred
and forty-seven, and in the eleventh year of Her reign, did give and grant unto
me, the said George Augustus Huddart, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said George Augustus Huddart, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said George Augustus Huddart, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the
Dominion of Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands
of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in the Colonies and
Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE
CULTIVATION OF LAND;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a pro.
viso that I, the said George Augustus Huddart, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
be inrolled in Ier said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited

page_text: Letters Patent, as, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Augustus Huddart, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, and the letters
and figures therein referred to, and the Drawings hereunto annexed, marked
Sheet 1 and Sheet 2 (that is to say):
==
My Invention of Improved Apparatus for the Cultivation of Land consists,-
Firstly, in the peculiar construction of an instrument or apparatus which
may be called a rotary harrow or clod crusher:
Secondly, in an apparatus intended to be employed for loosening the soil on
the sides of land ridges, at the roots of turnips and other plants:
And thirdly, in certain additions to or variations in ploughs.
In Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 represents a plan or
horizontal view of my improved instrument for harrowing or crushing clods of
earth. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same. a, a, are two parallel side
bars bolted together by the transverse rods b, b, which constitute a rectangular
horizontal frame; c, c, c, are a series of transverse shafts mounted horizontally
in the side frames, and enabled to turn loosely therein upon their pivots.
These shafts c are formed by the twisting square bars of iron into spiral
figures; and in the two opposite faces of these bars series of spikes or tines
d, d, d, are inserted. The manner of inserting these spikes or tines into the
bars will be seen in the detached Figures 3 and 4, the stem of one spike z,
Figure 3, being screwed into the socket Y of the other spike, as shewn at
Figure 4. This screwing of the two together must of course be done after
the socket Y has been inserted into a previously made hole in the bar c, and
the collars or shoulders at the stems of the spikes being brought to bear
against the faces of the bar by screwing down the stem z, the two spikes will
by that means be firmly inserted into the bar, and project therefrom in oppo-
site directions. The machine or apparatus thus formed is intended to be
drawn over the ground by horses or other power attached to the front bar b;
or to any other convenient part of the apparatus, when, as the harrow
advances, the points of the tines taking into the ground will cause the spiral
shafts c severally to revolve, and the successive insertion of the spikes or
tines will break up the clods of earth and loosen the soil. Figure 5 represents
a modification of the same kind of apparatus, in which the tines are not
These knives or cutters
formed by spikes, but by flat knives or cutters e.
e, e, e, (a pair of which is shown detached at Figure 6,) are inserted into spiral

page_text: bars by passing them through slots or sockets, and they are fastened into the
bars by screws. Figure 7 is a side elevation of this construction of harrow,
the spiral shafts, of which there are a series, being mounted as before described,
and enabled to turn loosely in the side frames. This apparatus, like the former,
when drawn over the surface of the land, will, as the shafts revolve, cut and
break up the clods of earth, and thereby act as a harrow, but with very
superior effect to any of the ordinary construction of harrow heretofore
employed. Figure 8 is a horizontal view of another modification of the im-
proved harrow, and Figure 9 is a side elevation of the same. Within a rect-
angular frame a, a, b, b, as before described, a series of zigzag or crank-
formed bars, ff, f, are securely fixed in parallel positions to the side rails, and
not allowed to revolve as in the preceding instances. Upon the angular parts
of these zigzag bars, which are there made cylindrical, a series of star wheels
9, 9, are mounted, and enabled to turn freely in oblique positions. These star
wheels have a series of radial spikes, and each wheel is formed in two pieces
for the convenience of attachment to the bars, the two parts of each wheel
being bolted together when mounted upon the bar, and enabled to turn freely
thereon. In passing this construction of harrow over the land, the spikes of
the star wheels will take into the ground, and cause the wheels to revolve, the
oblique positions of the wheels, as they advance, giving a lateral action to the
spikes as they severally come into operation, and thereby causing them to.
break the clods or open the soil in oblique directions to the course of the
harrow.
The second head of this Invention refers to an improved construction of
implement for loosening the earth at or below the roots of plants. In Sheet II.,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the implement, Figure 2 is a plan view, and
Figure 3 is a cross section of the same. It consists of a beam a, handle b,.
and guide wheel c, somewhat similar to a plough, and at the head of the beam
a staple is provided to receive a chain for connecting a horse with the imple--
ment. d, d, is an arched bracket piece bolted to the under side of the beam a,
and extending laterally on each side thereof.. This bracket piece is intended.
to carry two star wheels e, e, and for this purpose it is formed at its ends into
sockets which receive the studs of the wheels e, e. These wheels are formed.
with radial spokes or dibbling points projecting from the boss, and they are
set at any convenient angle from a vertical line, and at such distance apart as.
will suit the width of drill in the field where the implement is to act. The
angle at which the wheels are set may vary; but I prefer to place them at
from 20 to 30°. The mode of operation is as follows:-A horse being har-
nessed to the head of the beam, the implement is placed between, soy two

page_text: rows of turnips, and drawn forward by the horse, the labourer in charge of the
implement guiding it by the handles. The forward motion will cause the
wheels e, e, to revolve, and at the same time the weight of the implement will
cause the spokes or dibbling points to sink into the ground. This simulta-
neous sinking and progression will make the points act as levers, and break up
the soil through which they pass, and the wheels being, as before stated, set at
an angle, the points will enter the ground at an angle, and loosen it at the
side or beneath the roots of the plants.
The third part of the Invention consists in applying to ploughs one or more
extra coulters so constructed that the earth which is to be turned over by the
mould board may be divided, both vertically and horizontally, into small pieces,
whereby it will be better suited to receive seed or other grain than if left in
clods of the ordinary size. Figure 4 represents, in side elevation, a plough
with the improvement applied thereto. Figure 5 is a cross section of the
same, and Fig. 6 is a plan view. a is the ordinary coulter which opens the
ground for the point of the share, and b, b, b, are the improved coulters
attached to the beam in any convenient way, and so arranged, both length-
wise and breadthwise of the plough, that their points shall form a diagonal line
across the width of ground to be next ploughed up, and be equidistant from
each other. The coulters 6 are furnished with horizontal. blades, which are
welded or otherwise attached, at convenient distances apart, to the stem of
the coulters, as best shewn at Figure 5. When, therefore, the plough is
drawn forward, these coulters with their horizontal blades will cut up the
earth, and leave it in small pieces ready to be thrown over by the mould
board. When ground of a hard or gravelly quality is required to be ploughed,
I propose to employ, instead of the coulters shewn at Figures 4 and 5, a single
additional coulter similar to that exhibited in elevation and plan view at
Figure 7. This coulter is to be so attached to the beam of the plough as to
cut through the middle of the breadth of earth between the adjoining furrow
and the ordinary coulter. It is provided with two horizontal cutters of the
form shewn in the plan view, and these cutters are attached by welding or
other suitable means to the stem.
I do not intend to confine myself to any precise dimensions of the parts of
the apparatus above described: But I claim, under the above in part recited
Letters Patent,-
First, the improved construction of harrows or instruments for breaking
clods or opening the soil, having tines formed and arranged upon revolving
axles, as shewn in Figures 1 to 7, Sheet I. of the Drawings.
Secondly, I claim the improved construction of harrows or instruments for

page_text: breaking clods or opening the soil, having tines formed and arranged, and
revolving upon an axle, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9, Sheet I. of the
Drawings.
Thirdly, I claim the construction of apparatus having wheels placed and
arranged as described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of Sheet II. of
the Drawings, for the purpose of loosening or breaking up the earth at or
beneath the roots of plants.
And lastly, I claim the application to ploughs of one or more additional
coulters with side cutters, as shewn in Sheet II. of the Drawings, constructed
and arranged so as to divide the earth before it is thrown over by the mould
board.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Augustus Huddart, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, One thou-
sand eight hundred and forty-seven.
GEO. A. (L.S.) HUDDART.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-ninth day of
December, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid George Augustus
Huddart came before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the First day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-eight.