IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robert Jefferies, of Orwell Works, Ipswich,
in the County of Suffolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PLOUGHS."
Sealed the 11th July 1871, and dated the 19th May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robert Jefferies
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th May 1871.
I, JOHN ROBERT JEFFERIES, of Orwell Works, Ipswich, in the
County of Suffolk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS," to be as follows :-
This Invention has for its object "improvements in double-furrow turn-
wrest ploughs," and the improvements relate to means for facilitating
the general manipulation of such ploughs and more readily turning
them at the headlands. Parts of these improvements are also applicable
to other ploughs.
I construct a double-furrow turn-wrest plough as follows:-I make
the beam of the plough double with a central horizontal stud at the
fore end, upon which the double beam may be turned round. Upon.

page_text: each part of the beam I fix two plough skifes or bodies, one above and
one below, and I arrange the mould boards and shares all on the same
side, so that when the beam is turned half round the furrows can be
laid to the opposite side of the plough. On the land side of the plough,
at or near the balancing line, I attach a support with (or without) a
swivel wheel or a pair of wheels. This support projects horizontally
from the side of the plough when either two mould boards are in their
upright working position. The central stud at the fore end of the beam
turns in a boss or block jointed to the draft head or bar, so as to turn
in an horizontal plane. To the draft bar is attached an axle carrying
two equal wheels which serve alternately as land or furrow wheels; this
axle is adjustable by sliding through a box in the draft bar for readily
altering the width of furrow. A projection upon the central stud of the
beam carries two set screws, which meet corresponding projections upon
the boss or block hinged to the draft bar, and determine the inclination
of the axle. when the plough is in work at either side. The plough
handles have the usual upward curve, and are attached to and turn upon
another central stud formed at the rear end of the beam; their position
is fixed by an arc and a spring locking pin.
On arriving at a headland the ploughman throws the plough over
towards the land side, when the weight is taken by the support on the
side; he then unlocks the handles and turns them a quarter round
towards the furrow side, when they relock themselves in the proper
position for balancing the plough on the support with the two pairs of
plough bodies in a horizontal position, and the plough may be then
turned round in half its length, the axle and draught bar locking round
on the hinge on the boss or block in which the centre stud of the beam
turns. Having turned the plough round into the line of the new furrow
the handles are turned another quarter of a circle in the same direction,
when they relock themselves in the proper position for the ploughman
to raise the plough into its upright working position.
The two parts of the beam are adjustable by right and left handed
screws and clamping bolts to regulate the width of the furrow. The
depth of the ploughing is regulated by adjusting wheel irons and the
before-mentioned set screws which determine the inclination of the axle.
The boss or block upon which the central stud of the beams turns, the
set screws determining the inclination of the axle and the joint by
which the draft bar carrying the axle is connected with the block, so as

page_text: to allow the axle to lock round in turning the plough at the headlands,
and the means of altering the width of furrow for shifting the axle on
the draft bar, are applicable to other ploughs as well as to double-furrow
ploughs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Robert Jefferies in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBERT JEFFERIES, of Orwell Works, Ipswich, in the County of
Suffolk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Robert Jefferies, Her special
license that I, the said John Robert Jefferies, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Robert Jefferies,
my 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 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 PLOUGHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Robert Jefferies, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 John Robert Jefferies, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in double-furrow turn-
wrest ploughs, and the improvements relate to means for facilitating

page_text: the general manipulation of such ploughs and more readily turning them
at the headlands. Parts of these improvements are also applicable to
other ploughs.
I construct a double-furrow turn-wrest plough as follows:-I make
the beam of the plough double with a central horizontal stud at the fore
end, upon which the double beam may be turned round. Upon each
part of the beam I fix two plough skifes or bodies, one above and one
below, and I arrange the mould boards and shares all on the same side,
so that when the beam is turned half round the furrows can be laid to
the opposite side of the plough. On the land side of the plough at or
near the balancing line I attach a support with (or without) a swivel
wheel or a pair of wheels. This support projects horizontally from the
side of the plough when either two mould boards are in their upright
working position. The central stud at the fore end of the beam turns in
a boss or block jointed to the draft head or bar so as to turn in a
horizontal plane. To the draft bar is attached an axle carrying two
equal wheels which serve alternately as land or furrow wheels. This
axle is adjustable by sliding through a box in the draft bar for readily
altering the width of furrow. A projection upon the central stud of the
beam carries two set screws, which meet corresponding projections upon
the boss or block hinged to the draft bar and determine the inclination
of the axle when the plough is in work at either side. The plough
handles have the usual upward curve and are attached to and turn upon
another central stud formed at the rear end of the beam. Their position
is fixed by an arc and a spring locking pin. On arriving at a headland
the ploughman throws the plough over towards the land side, when the
weight is taken by the support on the side; he then unlocks the handles
and turns them a quarter round towards the furrow side, when they
relock themselves in the proper position for balancing the plough on the
support with the two pairs of plough bodies in a horizontal position, and
the plough may be then turned round in half its length, the axle and
draft bar locking round on the hinge on the boss or block in which the
centre stud of the beam turns. Having turned the plough round into
the line of the new furrow the handles are turned another quarter of a
circle in the same direction, when they relock themselves in the proper
position for the ploughman to raise the plough into its upright working
position.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of a double-furrow turn-wrest plough
constructed
ас
above described In this Figuro the plough is shou

page_text: ready for work. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same plough when
it is turned down on to the centre carrying wheel or skid ready for
turning at the headland. Figures 3 and 4 shew my improvements
applied to an ordinary double-furrow plough; Figure 3 is a side elevation
of the plough and wheel apparatus; Figure 4 is a perspective view of
the same plough when it is thrown over on to one side ready for turning
at a headland. Figure 5 is a partial plan shewing the means for adjusting
the beams and wheel gear of my improved double-furrow turn-wrest
plough; Figure 6 is a partial elevation of the beams and wheel gear;
Figure 7 is a partial end elevation of the same plough.
Figure 8 is a partial end elevation, Figure 9 partial side elevation,
and Figure 10 a partial plan of my improved wheel gear for supporting
the turn-wrest plough on its side near the balancing line, when turning
at the headland; Figure 11 a partial end elevation, and Figure 12 a
partial side elevation of an improved skid, for turning the turn-wrest
plough at the headlands instead of using the wheel gear shewn at
Figures 8, 9 and 10; Figure 13 is a partial plan shewing the general
arrangements for shifting the beams and also the wheel gear; Figure 14
is a partial side elevation shewing the beams and wheel gear; Figure 15
is a partial end elevation of the wheel gear.
In Figures 1 and 2, A, A, A, A, are the beams of the plough made
double, as shewn, with a central horizontal stud B at the fore end, upon
which the double beams may be turned round. This stud may be
welded to the beams, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, or may be made to
adjust on the cross bar at the end of the beam, as in the double-furrow
plough shown in Figures 3 and 4. Upon each part of the beam I fix
two plough skifes or bodies C, C, C, C, one above and one below, and I
arrange the mould board and shares all on the same side, so that when
the beam is turned half round the furrows can be laid to the opposite
side of the plough. On the land side of the plough, at or near its
balancing line, I attach a support .D, Figure 2, which can be either made
as a pair of swivel wheels, as shewn on Figures 8, 9, and 10, or as a skid,
shewn on Figures 11 and 12, or other analogous support projecting
horizontally from the side of the plough can be adopted. When either
set of mould boards are in their upright working position the central
stud B at the fore end of the beam turns in the boss or block E jointed
to the draft bar or head F, so as to allow the draft bar to turn in a
horizontal plane. To the draft bar F is attached an axle G carrying

page_text: two equal wheels H, H, which serve alternately as land and furrow
wheels. For ordinary or double-furrow ploughs which are not turn-wrest
ploughs, the wheels may be made of two different sizes, one to serve
entirely as a land wheel and the other as a furrow wheel, as shewn on
Figure 13. In this Figure the axle G is shown to be adjustable by
sliding through a box in the draft bar F, and is held fast to the draft
bar F by the loop and nut I. The projection upon the centre stud B
of the beam carries two set screws J, J, Figures 5, 6, and 7, which
meet a corresponding projection upon the boss or block E, hinged to the
draft bar F, and the adjustment of these screws J, J, determines the
inclination of the axle G, and consequently the depth of ploughing when
the plough is at work on either side. The plough handles have the
usual upward curve and are attached to and turned upon another central
stud K formed at the rear end of the beam, and their position is fixed
by an arc and a spring locking pin. On arriving at the headland the
ploughman throws the plough over towards the land side, when the
weight is taken by the support D on the side; he then unlocks the
handles and turns them a quarter turn round to the furrow side, when
they relock themselves in the proper position, and the weight of the
plough is then taken by the support D at or near its balancing line, and
the plough may then be turned round in half its length, the axle G
and draft bar F locking round on the hinge on the block or boss E in
which the centre stud B of the beam turns. Having turned the plough
round into the line of the new furrows the handles are turned another
quarter of a circle in the same direction, when they relock themselves in
the proper position for the ploughman to raise the plough into its
upright working position.
In the double-furrow plough those parts which are similar to the
corresponding parts of the turn-wrest plough above described and marked
with the same letters of reference shewn on Figures 3 and 4, so that its
construction will readily be seen from the Drawings and the description
above given. With this plough the ploughman on coming to a headland
throws the plough down on to its side when it is caught by the skid L
fixed to the side of the plough frame, as shewn, and the two shares and
breasts of the two ploughs are then carried clear of the ground. When
the plough is thus thrown on to its side it will be seen that the weight
of the hind part is divided between the skid L and the furrow wheel
attached to the hind mould board in place of the whole weight being

page_text: supported on the skid, as in the turn-wrest plough before described.
When the plough has been thrown on to its side it is readily turned by
the locking round of the axle G and draft bar F, Figures 13, 14, and 15,
on the hinge on the boss or block E in which the centre stud B of the
plough turns, as herein-before described. Having turned the plough
round into the line of the new furrows the plough is again raised by the
ploughman into its upright working position. In Figure 5 the two
parts of the beams are shewn to be adjustable by the right and left
hand screws M, M, which are tightened by the clamping bolts N, N,
or they may be adjusted in the ordinary way, as shewn at Figures 9
and 10, or otherwise.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is,―
1. The combined arrangement of double-furrow turn-wrest ploughs,
substantially as herein described and illustrated at Figures 1 and 2.
2. The combined arrangement of double or multiple furrow ploughs,
substantially as herein described and illustrated at Figures 3 and 4.
3. The combination with double-furrow turn-wrest ploughs of a skid
or support D fixed on the land side of the plough at or near its balancing
line so as to facilitate turning in a short length at the headland.
4. The combined arrangement for supporting the fore part of the
frame of double-furrow turn-wrest ploughs or of other double or multiple
furrow ploughs, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robert Jefferies, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
JOHN ROBERT JEFFERIES. (L.S.)